《The Empyrean Overlord》


 Prologue: The Descension

    Note: I''m not the author of this work. I''m simply hosting this story here with permission from the author.


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    High up in the distant sky, hidden away from the mortal world, lies a grand palace. Its walls are forged out of holy gold, its pillars emitted an indescribable aura of awe to those who are fortunate enough to set eyes upon this alcazar.


    This is the legendary Heavenly Palace.


    Inside its majestic hall, there were several deities lined up side by side on the two edges of a long, crimson rug. Each of them wore beautiful garments that matched their dignified appearances. None of deities had even half a foot on the carpet that lead straight to the an imposing throne. On that very throne, sat a palatial ruler, commonly known as The Jade Emperor.


    (Note: Jade Emperor ¨C https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jade_Emperor</a>)


    In front of the emperor, in the middle of the great carpet, stood a lonesome figure clad in a pure white huang pao. All the great gods in the Heavenly Palace were nervously glancing between the solitary figure in the center and the seated Jade Emperor. Although as desolate as the figure appeared in the eyes of many, there was a faint sense of loftiness in the way he stood there. His sharp eyes, thick brows, straight nose and back, and the faint smile on his face, gave off the impression of an impeccable pretty boy. His demeanor can be said to be brimming with confidence; his aura, undoubtedly noble.


    (Note: Huang Pao = a traditional chinese dress/long clothing style, wore by male & Qi Pao for females Ex) Huang Pao</a> || Qi Pao</a> )


    There was an invisible pressure developing all the spectators inside the palace. As the male deity stared calmly back at the Jade Emperor, the latter finally spoke.


    ¡° [???], for the past centuries you have caused many mischiefs and troubles in this Heaven Domain. Many gods have complained to Us of your unruly behaviour. And today, We have finally decided to address this.  [???], even as powerful of a god you are, there is still a limit to your atrocities. As such, We, and all those residing in the Heavenly Domain, have decided to banish you down to one of the Mortal Domains. You will have to rely on your own power to climb back to Our Heaven Domain from then on. Perhaps, down there after going through mortal tribulations, you would correct your faults. Do you have anything you want to say?¡±


    The male deity remained silent as he slowly closed his eyes.


    The Jade Emperor¡¯s expression did not fluctuate when he saw that the god did not speak. After another brief moment of silence, the Jade Emperor waved his sleeves as an imposing voice spread out.


    ¡°Guards, escort him to the Yellow Spring River.¡±


    A short moment later, four Heavenly Palace guards wearing golden armor and red clothes entered. The male deity was slowly escorted out of the palace.


    The moment the banished god left the palace, the tension in the air seemed to have swiftly dissolved as all the gods secretly breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Hey¡­who was that just now?¡±


    One of the gods, wearing a green huang pao and standing in the lines, quietly asked the purple clothed god who was next to him.


    (Note: Huang Pao = a traditional chinese dress/long clothing style, wore by male & female genders)


    ¡°What? You don¡¯t even know who [???] is?! You must be new then¡­¡±


    The purple clothed god turned and stared in amazement at the one who had questioned him a moment ago.


    ¡°Ah¡­it is so, senior, I am indeed a bit unfamiliar with the matters in this Heavenly Palace..¡± The green clothed god replied as his face wore an apologetic expression.


    ¡°Hmm¡­no matter, since you asked then this senior here will not ignore your question. The god who was just kicked down from the Heaven Domain, is called [???]. And I am sure you¡¯ve already heard from the Jade Emperor, but because of his mischievous nature he has caused many great trouble in the Heaven Domain for a very long time¡­¡±


    ¡°But then why did the Jade Emperor not banish him from the Heaven Realm until now??¡± (Green robed god)


    ¡°Aish, although that [???]¡¯s attitude cannot be deemed proper for a god, his power is nearly unmatched in Heaven. Besides the Jade Emperor, the Great Budhha, the goddess GuanYin, and a few other extremely ancient deities, there is practically none that can claim to be his opponent. Even though the Jade Emperor have wanted to contain [???] for a long time, because of latter¡¯s great power the Emperor had been hesitant.¡± (Purple clothed god)


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    (Note: Guanyin ¨C https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guanyin</a>)


    ¡°What?! H-he is that powerful¡­t-then how was the Jade Emperor able to punish this [???] today?¡± Hearing the other god¡¯s narration, the green attired god became fearful as he quietly continued to question the senior.


    ¡°Ahh, that is because all of us gods here in the Heavenly Palace, as well as many others in the Heaven Domain, have all decided to come together plead the Jade Emperor for something. As for what that is, hehe, it was naturally to ask Him to exile [???] from the Heaven Domain!¡± The purple clothed god said this as he smiled, his face brimming with pride of his ¡®accomplishment.¡¯


    While listening to his senior¡¯s words and contemplating on the almightiness of [???], the green attired god suddenly seemed to have thought of something as he quickly asked his senior.


    ¡°B-but senior, are you all not afraid [???] would one day come back to the Heaven Domain for r-revenge?¡±


    The purple clothed god¡¯s smile slowly faded as he seemed to have sank into deep thought. After a while, the god suddenly chuckled softly to himself, startling the green clothed god.


    ¡°W-what is wrong, senior?¡± The green robed god asked.


    ¡°Mmm, nothing. It is just¡­if [???] does manage to once again return back to the Heaven Domain, not only the ones involved in this matter suffer, perhaps, this very Domain itself will be flipped upside down¡­.¡±


    As the purple clothed god casually gave his analysis, the weak-hearted green robed god¡¯s eyes slowly rolled back, revealing two white pearls, as he fainted on the spot¡­


    ¡ª-


    <Heaven Domain¡¯s Yellow Spring River>


    Four guards stood in a rectangle formation around [???] as they marched towards a yellow river. If one were to look closely at river¡¯s water, one would see countless scenes of people at several different locations, in several different situations. This is the river of reincarnation.


    As the guards and the deity approached the river an old lady, with her face covered under a large black hood sitting by the river, came into view. In her pure white hand, held a black colored bowl with an unknown liquid inside. This lady is known as Meng Po. And for those souls who drink from her soup, they will washed of all their previous life¡¯s memories, allowing them to successfully reincarnate and lead a new life in the Mortal Domain.


    Right before the guards approached Meng Po, the deity, who had been silent the entire time, suddenly moved. His tranquil eyes instantly narrowed as forcefully step forward with one foot. With a powerful push, the deity shot forth towards the Yellow Spring River as a white blur flew past Meng Po, who remained motionless.


    Although the four Heavenly Palace guards reacted to this disturbance, they were still a moment slower than [???]. Before they could even catch his shadow, the white robed god sprang into the river and began his descent upon the Mortal Domain.


    The four guards stood in their tracks as they thought of how they should report this back to the Emperor.


    Suddenly, a loud voice boomed out in the air.


    ¡°No need for pursuit. Although [???] did not go through the formal reincarnation cycle, this event can only be attributed to intricate workings of Fate. No need to dwell on this. You may all return.¡±


    The grandiose voice belonged to the Jade Emperor.


    ¡°¡±¡±¡±WE OBEY YOUR WISH¡±¡±¡±¡±


    The four guards quickly shouted back in unison before they hurried back to the Heavenly Palace¡­


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    Note: Please let me know in the comments if I messed up anything in the transition as there''s a lot of informational links in this prologue. Remember that this a registered with permission, the original site with the story is https://spiritualnovel.wordpress.com/the-empyrean-overlord/</a> I will be posting 2-3 chapters of this per day until either the author tells me to stop, I catch up to current releases, or if the author wants to take over (if the last one happens I''ll just pass this account over to him).

 Chapter 1: Fusion

    Note: Reminder that I''m not the author and that I''m reposting with author''s permission.


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    <Eastern Moon Continent, Great Azure Country ¨C Tian City>


    On a dark night, a golden beam suddenly shot down in the middle of an empty street. The light lasted only a brief moment before quickly disappearing, revealing a translucent male in snow white robe.


    ¡°Hmph! Those bastards dare to plot against me and ask the Jade Emperor to exile me from the Heaven Domain. Watch how I¡¯ll deal with you all once I return!¡±


    The ex-deity angrily thought to himself as his serene face slightly darkened.


    ¡°Whatever, this issue will be deal with once I regain my celestial body. Since I¡¯m in spirit form now, I should go look for a mortal¡¯s body¡­¡±


    As the former great god was not a being who tend to dwell on future issues, he will naturally give priority to his present problems.


    ¡°Fortunately, I took precaution and merged my Eternal Gourd with my soul before I went to the Heavenly Palace¡­otherwise, I would have truly been kicked from the Heaven Domain like a penniless dog¡­ugh, whatever, whatever, I must quickly seek out a mortal body to stay in¡­hopefully, I¡¯ll find a youthful one¡­¡±


    Having jumped into the Yellow Spring River without drinking Meng Po¡¯s soup, the white robed deity naturally was able to retain all of his ancient memories. Moreover, he was also able to forcefully keep his soul¡¯s consciousness as he passed through the reincarnation cycle, albeit he still lost his celestial body.


    But with his soul¡¯s consciousness intact, the former proud deity can now choose his own mortal host of his liking, rather than becoming those usual mindless souls that latch onto the first living thing it sense upon entering the Mortal Domain.


    Although keeping a soul¡¯s consciousness when going through the reincarnation cycle is typically impossible, exceptions occur when one¡¯s willpower and divine strength reaches a certain extent. With the pearly attired god¡¯s original heaven-opposing might, naturally he was able to create that ¡°exception.¡± Moreover, the white robed deity had also brought over his Eternal Gourd, which he had merged together with his soul; a spatial artifact which stored countless amount of treasures that he had accumulated over the millenniums. It contained an enormous magnitude of items, from pills to techniques to all kind of strange oddities.


    But there was a limited quantity even to these large sums of rare items. Thus, even though Jin Xia had brought this artifact over from the Heaven Domain, he was not inclined to lavishly use it as he pleased.


    With the spirit of a fanatic treasure collector, the white attired deity would often visit other gods in hope of acquiring various treasures. In many cases, the other party would refuse, of course, but in such cases it would end with the former deity challenging them to a fight before utterly obliterating them, having equipped with his long history of war experiences, and then plundering their treasures clean. If they refused his challenge, he would still beat them up until they gave in. He never took a refusal as the final answer.


    This was also the main reason why many gods feared and despised the snow robed god, wanting to banish him from the Heaven Realm. His method of handling things and his ambitious attitude were simply tyrannical to the point where many gods would devise powerful formations just to safeguard their treasures from him¡­.


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    After thinking for a while, the ex-god quickly began to survey his surroundings as he searched for a suitable host.


    Suddenly, the snowy clad deity sensed a few commotions a few houses down. Beckoned by his innate curious nature, the former god quickly arrived in a small courtyard decorated with a tiny pond and beautiful flowers to complement. The house was a few times bigger than the surrounding buildings, evidently signaling a difference in status and power.


    ¡°Hmm, the sound came from that room¡­¡± The deity murmured to himself as he looked at the door in front of him. Without another word, his spiritual form easily passed through the wooden door as a young man and woman came into view.


    The young man, wearing a purple garment, looked to be about sixteen or seventeen, with handsome facial features: short dark hair, black eyes, thick brows, and a symmetric face. Meanwhile, the young lady looked to be about fourteen or fifteen, with a porcelain face and delicate mien, wearing simple, slightly dirty pink dress. It seems the girl is either a maid or servant.


    Currently, the young man¡¯s face was contorted in an ugly scowl as he continuously shouted, and occasionally slapped, at the frightened girl who was shielding her head with her arms and was cowering in a corner.


    ¡°Curse them! How am I not comparable to that trash! Just because his talent may have been a bit better than mine, he even dared to cripple me! And to think no one even said a damn thing about it! My father was unable to touch him, and that useless patriarch would even side with him! What¡¯s so good about that bastard!? Why does he get to have the clan¡¯s protection?! Why do I have to be the cripple?! Huh?! Tell me why, huh?!¡±


    As the young man shouted and thrashed the poor girl, the latter remained silent albeit a soft whimper would escape her quivering lips once in awhile.


    Seeing this scene, the deity did not move nor waver. After experiencing many things over the past aeons, human behaviours such as this was long etched inside his infinite mind. It was not something new or shocking to him anymore. Although he did not care,it did not mean that he would have continue to look at such a disgusting scene.


    ¡°Hmm, this youth¡¯s body seems to have been crippled by some external factor, but his overall physique is still pretty good. Though his temperament seems rather poor, and as for his moral¡­heh, seeing how he is not holding back as he hits that girl, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s safe to bet that forcefully taking your mortal body will bring about no bad karma for me¡­after all, I¡¯m getting rid of trash!¡±


    As the once glorious deity finished his assessment, his spiritual body transformed into a beam of white light as it shot towards young man and directly entered from his back.


    ¡°Damn it! Speak! Are you mute?! Spea¨Cugh?!¡±


    The young man raised his hands, but before he could swing down at the girl he suddenly paused as he felt something otherworldly entered his body. Very quickly, he felt his conscious fleeing from him as the world swirled into darkness.


    Inside the young man¡¯s body, the deity had begun to devour the original owner¡¯s spirit, replacing the body¡¯s owner with deity¡¯s own soul. Before the young man could even comprehend, much less struggle, his soul was wiped clean from his body, fusing and becoming a part of the deity¡¯s soul¡­

 Chapter 2: The Rebirth

    Author¡¯s note: Jin Xia had lived for AEONS, not millenniums.


    Host¡¯s note: Yes, I¡¯m going to put this note at the top of each chapter. I¡¯m not the author, I¡¯m rehosting this with author¡¯s permission.


    <hr />


    Xie Mei fearfully peeked up at her master when there was sudden pause in his shouting. The attacks that had previously bombarded her fragile body had also ceased.


    The young man¡¯s palm continued to hover in the hair for a few more seconds before it slowly retracted down. There was blank look on young man¡¯s face.


    Seeing this, the little girl was a little puzzled but felt a deep relief in her heart as she continued to keep vigilant against her moody master. She was already used to being beat by her master every time he became angry and needed to vent his anger.


    Although her master had never beat her to the extent that she was borderline dead, he still left her with many deep bruises and nasty scars.


    But alas, she could not do anything about it. Such is the life of a lowly servant as herself. Such is the life of the weak.


    After a few moments, as if snapping out of his daze, the young man seemed to have come to life once again as he looked down at the female servant, Xie Mei. Then, he slowly reached out his palm towards her face. Upon seeing her master¡¯s action, Xie Mei reflexively jolted back as her eyes shut tight, preparing for the upcoming pain. But it never came.


    Instead, the little girl felt a ice cold hand lightly touch against her cheek.


    ¡°Was master¡¯s hand this cold before? I remember it was fiery hot when he was slapping me¡­¡± Xie Mei wondered as she gazed doubtfully at her master, who was now gently smiling at her.


    ¡°¡­Sorry for making you go through all that. But I promise you this will never happen again. You may leave now.¡±


    The young man spoke in a soothing voice, as if he was talking to a newborn, when he addressed his personal servant, Xie Mei.


    The little girl¡¯s eyes became twice as round when she heard the words coming out of her master¡¯s mouth. He had never said anything like this to her. From the day she had started working under him, she had only heard insults and received slaps from her master. Why was he being so nice to her now?


    But, now that her master had allowed her to leave, Xie Mei was naturally not going to stay any longer for fear he would change his mind once again and hit her¡­


    With a timid nod, Xie Mei quickly got up and speedily left the room. But before she went through the door, the little girl gave a quick bow and a ¡°Have a good night, master¡± before closing the door.


    ¡°What a nice girl.¡± The young man thought as he saw the little girl¡¯s action. He gave a slight nod and a gentle smile in response, which again seemed to have surprised the girl, seeing her eyes becoming rounder once again before hastily shutting his bedroom door.


    The young man was now left alone in the room.


    ¡°That girl is called Xie Mei, huh¡­and this body¡¯s owner is called¡­Jin Xia. Haha, I guess I¡¯ll be borrowing this name for now, eh. Hmm, now that I am in possession of this body, it truly is not bad, albeit crippled. But that is not a big issue as I plan to reform this body anyway¡­¡±


    The deity (now Jin Xia) softly murmured to himself as he inspected his body, nodding his head lightly in self-satisfaction.


    Although the former god had wanted to reincarnate in a soulless fetus, starting his journey from scratch, after discovering the young man¡¯s body and the potential it held within the deity quickly changed his mind.


    If he took over a talented body that have already half-matured, it would significantly cut down the time required for him to reach the pinnacle of his original power.


    Moreover, with his powerful methods he could easily modify a mortal¡¯s body structure, allowing it to reach its peak conditions. With the exception of elderly bodies, it did not matter whether it was a baby or a youth the deity incarnated in; as long as the body possess a great deal of potential he would be able to work with it.


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    As for a body¡¯s potential, it depended on the number of natural meridians that were open. The more being open signified higher body potential, and usually corresponded with a higher innate potential in cultivation.


    A body have 20 meridians; 12 standard meridians, and 8 extraordinary meridians. With a typical practitioner, only about 5-6 meridians would be open, while for those so-called geniuses, around 10-12 meridians would open. This Jin Xia astonishingly had 12 of his meridians open! Although most of them were destroyed, crippling his cultivation, the deity was not concerned at all.


    ¡°Hmm, with this body I¡¯ll definitely be able to save some time trying to open the meridians¡­now, let¡¯s see, I¡¯ll have to understand where exactly I am, this brat¡¯s history, and this world¡¯s basic law if I¡¯m to move forward at this point. Since I¡¯ll have to study over this person¡¯s thoughts, I might as well take this time to reforge this broken body into a new, prime state.¡±


    Having said that, Jin Xia dived into his inner consciousness as a golden gourd slowly formed itself in his Dantian.


    This is the Eternal Gourd. By forming the artifact¡¯s physical form in his dantian, it would be much easier for Jin Xia to access the spatial tool, allowing him to easily retrieve and store anything in the Mortal Domain without having to spend extra effort pulling it out from his own soul.


    Once the gourd was fully formed, Jin Xia quickly retrieved a gold-colored pill with dragon inscriptions on it. The pill instantly appeared in Jin Xia palm as he inspected the medicine.


    This was the Twelve Dragon Transformation Pill, possessing the ability to forcefully shatter a mortal¡¯s, or even a god¡¯s, body and reconstructing it in such a way that it would thoroughly cleanse the body of impurities and allow the body to reach its apex constitution. It was even said that after taking this pill, one¡¯s strength would be greatly promoted upon successful transformation.


    But as potent as it was, it was equally deadly; many gods and mortals were unable to bear the abysmal pain and fell to their demise as a result. It was a godly pill that only a few in the entire world would possess.


    Although Jin Xia was widely known in the Heaven Domain for his monstrous power, there were several aspects to his profound knowledge that made him terrifying to his foes. His extensive knowledge on medicine, war tactics, mystical formations, alchemy, weapon and techniques creation, and the likes, was in itself a blessing for his allies and a curse for his enemies.


    Along with his lengthy life, came an equally proportional amount of vast knowledge and strength.


    After confirming that he had selected the correct pill, Jin Xia immediately went to his bed and went into a cross-legged position. He threw the pill into mouth and moments later, ghastly sounds began to emit from Jin Xia¡¯s body.


    His bones began to collapse and break apart, his muscles began to tear, and even his dantian started to crack apart. But as horrifying were such damages, the shattered parts were repairing itself just as quickly at a frightening speed.


    With this vicious breaking and repairing cycle, one could imagine how agonizing the one who took the pill is going through.


    But throughout the process, Jin Xia remained silent as if he had not even felt his body being forcefully ripped apart and repaired constantly.


    In fact, he had already began to study over the information obtained from the ¡°old Jin Xia¡±, having half of his conscious focus on studying while the other half remain alert to monitor for any unfavorable changes in his body.


    As Jin Xia looked over the previous Jin Xia¡¯s memories, he started comprehend the nature and circumstance of his current life¡­


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    Host''s note: I''m going to be putting 2-3 chapters up here per day until I catch up to where the story left off or I''m told to stop. I''ll probably space out updates by a few hours though.

 Chapter 3: WuDang

    Host''s note: I''m not the author. The author is Mochi and one his friends from Spiritualnovels.wordpress.com.


    <hr />


    This sphere is one of the many dimensional worlds that reside in the Passage of Space and Time called WuDang, a world with a total population of 10 billion inhabitants.


    In this kind of world, it is made up of roughly 40% habitable land, 50% water, and 10% undiscovered regions.


    As it turns out, Jin Xia found that he is currently residing in one of the twelve major cities called Tian City, which was apart of the Tian Province in the Great Azure country. All of these were within the Eastern Moon Continent.


    In a basic overview, there are a total of twelve provinces within the Great Azure country. The number of provinces differ by each country. Each province has a single major city, which was their capital.


    But these major cities are ranked in accordance to their popularity and the amount of experts residing in their respective city.


    The cities can be ranked as follows, from low to high: Lesser, Greater, or Noble city. Naturally, the higher ranking a city has, the more resources it would possess and the more strong cultivators it would have. The city¡¯s popularity likewise also influences the popularity of its respective province. The city rankings are also used worldwide to classify cities in other countries as well as continents!


    Tian City was classified as a Lesser city along with five other cities. Among the twelve major cities, only four are Greater cities while the last two can be ranked as Noble cities.


    The city rankings are often stagnant, but could change overtime if there is a mass change to its overall composition.


    As Jin Xia continued to examine his ¡°old¡± memories, he quickly organized them in short segments in order to not overload his mind.


    The host is a direct blood descendant of the Jin Clan, one of the four super powers in Tian City. The government in this city holds very miniscule power compared to the four major clans.


    His father¡¯s name is Jin Liu Dan, a cultivator at Wudan 6th stage, and his mother¡¯s Jia Yue Bing, who¡¯s at Wudan 4th stage. The original host, Jin Xia, was the second young master of the household.


    The patriarch possessed no heirs whom the clan can address as the ¡®first young master.¡¯


    Unwilling to give such title to the son of Liu Dan, with Liu Dan being the second in charge in the family, the patriarch had ¡°reserved¡± the ¡®first young master¡¯ title in hopes he would one day bore an heir to receive this position. The patriarch is around 57 years old now.


    Moreover, there are numerous families in the Jin Clan, some related directly by blood, while others not so much. Thus, inner conflicts often arise in the clan.


    In the Jin Clan, the host¡¯s father mainly handles the family affairs given by the patriarch, Jin Bao Lei. He did not possess any heirs


    In fact, much of the responsibilities of a patriarch are often pushed onto Jin Liu Dan to complete, while Bao Lei usually spends his time in leisure. It could even be said that Jin Liu Dan was more like a patriarch than Bao Lei was.


    Except, the external status between the two is like heaven and earth.


    Although Jin Liu Dan may feel indignant by the patriarch¡¯s actions, he could not go against the latter¡¯s wish.


    And in Jin Xia¡¯s memory, the patriarch¡¯s attitude towards Jin Xia¡¯s family had always been sour, especially towards Jin Xia. Seeing this, Jin Xia concluded that it must be due to their descendant. After all, the patriarch is not a direct descendant of the Jin Clan, while Jin Xia¡¯s family is.


    Bao Lei was from one of the five branch families. It was once rumored that Bao Lei had used a despicable mean to win over the patriarch¡¯s seat, but no one could be sure.


    After Bao Lei¡¯s ascension into the Clan Master seat, the main family of the Jin Clan have often been neglected, while the several branch families in the clan experienced a sudden rise in popularity and power.


    At this point, the five branch families of the Jin Clan held more power than even the main Xia family.


    On the other hand, in the Jin Clan there was apparently a genius named Feng Hao. He was a part of the branch families, and was highly valued by the clan for his talent in cultivation, having reached Wudan 4th stage at the age of 16, the same age as the current Jin Xia. But the latter¡¯s cultivation was only at the 2nd stage of Wudan.


    The former host was previously crippled by this Feng Hao. And as Jin Xia discovered in his memory, it was because the host¡¯s arrogant attitude that instigated Jin Feng Hao, who was even more arrogant than him. The argument had started when Jin Xia had purposely provoked Feng Hao in the family yard, in hopes of defeating the genius to win over the Jin Clan.


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    But as a result, not only did he fail to accomplish his goal, he was even crippled.


    Although Wudan 4th stage is nothing in Jin Xia¡¯s eyes, one have to know that to advance even one stage would require an immense amount of time. Some may even be stuck at Wudan stage one for their entire life, so the difficulty of cultivating can be somewhat imagined.


    While the previous Jin Xia¡¯s cultivation was pretty decent already in this world, compared to Feng Hao, it was truly lacking quite a bit.


    After probing a bit deeper into his mind, Jin Xia found that the cultivation standards of this world to be quite low.


    In the world of WuDang, there is a total of 8 known realms of cultivation, each separated into 9 stage. They are known as follow, from low to high:


    Wudan, Spiritual Dan, Xing Profound, Emperor, Heavenly Mortal, Saint Lord, Divine Cosmos, Supreme, True Immortal realm, and Primordial Realm.


    To advance into another realm requires a strong comprehension ability and an abundant of resources. Only when these two prerequisites are met, would one be able to go far in their martial arts journey.


    According to Jin Xia¡¯s knowledge when he was a deity, one¡¯s cultivation does not stop at the Immortal Realm. There are other higher realms above the 10th realm, such as the Mystical realm, Nether realm, and even the legendary God realm, etc.


    But the fact that no one was able to go beyond Primordial realm can be attributed to this world¡¯s lack of resource. Having visited quite a few dimensional worlds in his life as a great deity, Jin Xia had begun to differentiate a world¡¯s ¡°class¡± based on the number of known realms in that world.


    Classifying a world¡¯s quality into 3 simple ranks: first-rank, second-rank, and third-rank, Jin Xia had come to determine that this world is at best a Second-rank world. Without an abundance of high quality resources, it would not be possible to cultivate to a higher realm unless that person is a godly genius, but even then the probability is nearly zero. In other words, the total known realms known in a world is a testament of its quality and quantity of resources.


    After all, in a First-rank world, there were at least 12 known realms. Comparing these other worlds to WuDang, they¡¯re simply like giants to a little child. It was not even possible to compare them in the first place.


    And in the Jin Clan, it seems the strongest cultivator, the family¡¯s patriarch, was merely at Wudan 8th stage. Adding on to the overall weak strength of the Great Azure Country in comparison to other countries, no wonder Feng Hao could be valued so highly here. In this kind of place, perhaps even the weakest cultivator of a First-rank world may be hailed as world-class genius here!


    ***


    Craaaacck!


    A final, explosive cackle rang from within Jin Xia¡¯s body. As the sound faded, Jin Xia¡¯s body gave off a faint, yellow glow. His skin has become jade-like and his face has become shapely and symmetric. With his picturesque face, if the maid girl Xie Mei was here to see him, even she may temporarily be unable to recognize her own master!


    After a few moments, Jin Xia, who was still seated on his bed with his feet cross, withdrew his conscious back into reality.


    Woosh! Woosh!


    Suddenly, Jin Xia¡¯s eyes fluttered opened as golden lights beamed brightly from within. After a brief moment, the light quickly disappeared as Jin Xia¡¯s eyes returned back to normal.


    In the next moment, Jin Xia began to quickly scan over his body. After a while, Jin Xia a ¡°hmph¡± in satisfaction. After the ¡°body reconstruction¡±, all of Jin Xia¡¯s meridians were opened, while his bones, muscles, and dantian capacity were greatly improved and strengthened.


    In fact, JIn Xia had discovered that from the Twelve Dragon Transformation Pill, his cultivation had immediately jumped to Wudan 3rd stage from his initial empty cultivation after a successful refinement. That was one stage higher than the previous Jin Xia¡¯s Wudan 2nd stage, and it was achieved in one go.


    ¡°But this is not enough¡­¡±


    Jin Xia softly muttered under his breath. Although this world of WuDang may not have extremely tyrannical cultivators, it is still a Second-rank world, home to many high leveled cultivators. Compared to those powerful warriors, the current Jin Xia was simply like an ant; not even worth a speck of dust in their eyes.

 Chapter 4: The Strengthening

    Author''s note: This chapter is sponsored by Advin (aka Astro C). Thank you for your donation!


    Host''s note: The author''s site no longer accepts donations for now. Speaking of donations, if a donation button appears for this story on RRL, then it will be linked to the author''s account. I have no intention of making a profit off this and I''m not the author. I''m a reader like you.


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    On the path of cultivation, it is commonly known that in order for one to cultivate, one must absorb an essence called ¡°Universal Qi¡± using their opened meridians inside their body.


    The universal Qi is then sent to foster the body¡¯s ¡°Dantian¡±, or sea of energy. Only by doing so, would one be able to nourish their inner compartments, expand and strengthen their dantian, and increase their cultivation.


    With a newly refined body and an urgent thirst for strength, Jin Xia closed his eyes and searched in his mind for a suitable cultivation technique for his current body. He did not bother with any martial arts technique.


    After all, even with a different body, Jin Xia would still be able to utilize his past techniques when he was a deity. It was only the question whether or not his mortal body can withstand the backlash.


    Thus, it was imperative for him to quickly rise in cultivation and body strength. Only then would he be able to unleash his martial arts. As such, Jin Xia would only need to train in a powerful body cultivation technique.


    According to Jin Xia¡¯s knowledge, any artifacts or techniques are ranked by the same system, from low to high:


    No-grade, Low-grade, Mid-grade, Top-grade, Jade-grade, Soul-grade, Spatial-grade, World-grade, and Saint-grade.


    While techniques and artifacts are ranked the same way, a skill with a grade would be a little more rare than artifacts of the same grade. That is because ranked skills are much harder to come by. It is not as if people could easily create martial techniques, since it requires incredibly deep comprehension and power to come up with an original skill.


    The skills are judged based on its overall ability and effectiveness. As for ranking a technique, the process is exceptionally complex and vague. But in general, the cultivators are the ones who would acknowledge a skill¡¯s rank, and this overall acknowledgement would be brought to be evaluated at what is called a Skill Palace.


    Every country has at least one Skill Palace. The palace is basically an informational site, where new martial arts skills are ranked and recorded, and where cultivators could find information on previous graded skills.


    This way, there is a general consensus of a technique¡¯s ¡°grade.¡±


    In WuDang, Jin Xia conjectured that there should be no treasures or skills higher than World-grade. After all, even a First-rank world already has extremely few Saint-grade relics, much less a mere Second-rank world.


    Moreover, as far as Jin Xia¡¯s memory may serve him, the highest level of body techniques available in the Jin Clan is only the mid-grade, [Rising Over Heaven]. And this skill is only exclusive to be learned by the grand elders and patriarch of the Jin Clan. Someone like the previous Jin Xia would have no chance of even seeing it in his entire life perhaps.


    After all, the fewer resources in this world the rarer the treasures become as it moves up a grade.


    But this was absolutely not an issue for Jin Xia. Having plundered across spatial worlds and gods, Jin Xia had not only learned various powerful techniques, but gained an unparalleled knowledge in the ways of Life and Dao.


    In fact, just randomly taking out any technique from his memory would already be greatly surpassing the skills found in this world. Even if it¡¯s the same grade, the quality and efficiency is incomparable.


    Dead into the night, Jin Xia slowly opened his eyes. He had finally decided on a cultivation technique for his body.


    ¡°Mmm¡­I¡¯ll go with this [Imperial Heart] body cultivation.¡±


    Jin Xia thought as he once again closed his eyes and rested his hands upon his crossed legs.


    With the Imperial Heart body cultivation skill there are four layers: Midnight Dream layer, Chaos Mirage layer, Silent heart layer, and Absolute heart layer.


    While this skill will strengthen one¡¯s body greatly beyond a normal cultivator¡¯s physique, to advance each layer is tantamount to overcoming a huge mountain. It is said that many people who had cultivated this body technique were barely even able to grasp he first layer, with a few able to enter the first layer.


    Though, in the end all these people were either unable to cultivate this skill or stuck in the first layer for their entire life.


    But legends has it that if one was able to successfully train to the 4th layer, it would be literally be equivalent to having another ¡°heart¡± hidden in one¡¯s body.


    The ¡°heart¡± would appear at a random discreet location in one¡¯s body after entering the 2nd layer of Imperial Heart, such that even the owner themselves would not be able to detect this change.


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    But only at a crucial moment, this ¡°heart¡± would suddenly appear and sacrifice its essence for its master, giving the user practically a new ¡°life.¡± But no one knows if this is actually true, or how it even works. Although just by the sheer difficulty of practicing this technique, very few actually dared to cultivate it.


    As such, Imperial Heart was only ranked as a Soul-grade technique. If not for its crazy difficulty, this skill would have been ranked as World-grade, or even Saint-grade possibly!


    But nonetheless, in the end this technique is already a hundred times more priceless than the strongest technique that the Jin Clan has.


    As Jin Xia sat with his legs crossed on his bed, he began to cultivate the Imperial Heart skill and absorb the Universal Qi around him at the same time.


    While JIn Xia cultivated, he began to think silently to himself as he planned what to do next.


    ¡°With my experiences as a deity, the first three to four realms should pose no high difficulty for me to cross¡­as for the ¡°old¡± Jin Xia¡¯s problems, I will ignore it for now. If it comes up later, then I¡¯ll deal with it. If not, then that¡¯s that¡­¡±


    Jin Xia pondered in his head as the meridians and dantian in his body began to expand a rapid rate. With Jin Xia¡¯s body having gone through a perfect refinement, his absorption speed of the Universal Qi has increased by nearly tenfold from his original rate!


    BOOM! *pshhh*


    He broke through to Wudan 4th stage.


    Without another word, Jin Xia continued to cultivate. A mere jump in the first realm is nothing to be excited about for him.


    BOOM! *pshhh*


    ¡°¡­¡±


    BOOM! *pshhh*


    ¡°¡­¡±


    BOOM! *pshhh*


    ¡°¡­¡±


    As Jin Xia continued to absorb, maneuver, and expand his dantian, his cultivation began to rapidly rise. With every breakthrough, Jin Xia¡¯s body released a small, thick white gas.


    The gas that exits one¡¯s body signifies one¡¯s successful breakthrough. But at the same time, the density and hue of the gas represent the solidity of one¡¯s cultivation base. The more solid and stable one¡¯s cultivation base is after a breakthrough, the denser and more clear the gas will be.


    Unlike most cultivators who release barely discernible transparent gas, Jin Xia¡¯s body gave off a white gas which was extremely dense, and was accompanied by a powerful faint pressure exuding from it.


    This meant that Jin Xia¡¯s cultivation base was able to remain highly stable after each breakthrough, preventing any drop in strength or instability in his cultivation.


    In reality, this should be impossible as cultivators have to rest after each breakthrough to completely solidify their dantian. Otherwise, if they continuously breakthrough stages, their cultivation will be instable and could potentially harm them in the long run.


    But it was different for Jin Xia.


    He was using his soul force to maintain stability within his dantian. This way, he would be able to continuously break through in his cultivation without rest, while at the same time solving the problem of a solid dantian base!


    It was simply a method that should have been impossible to succeed, but it did under Jin Xia¡¯s control.


    Although using soul force requires an immense amount of energy, with Jin Xia¡¯s mighty soul of a deity, this method was the quickest way for him to rise in strength.


    Furthermore, Jin Xia was confident that any realms below Divine Cosmos would not pose a problem for him. To him, who possessed boundless experience and resources, these levels would be quite simple to reach. It is only when one attempts to reach the Divine Cosmos realm, would one have to then rely on their own divine will to progress any further. Normal resources at this point are of little use.


    BOOM! *pshhh*


    Jin Xia continued to quietly cultivated in his room.


    After an unknown amount of time, a small light peaked out from the black horizon as a new day emerged...


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 Chapter 5: The First City Visit

    Author''s note: This chapter is sponsored by Gary R. Thank you for your donation. Next chapter is also sponsored by Gary!


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    <hr />


    Early in the morning, Xie Mei awoke and began to go about her duties as a servant. She is the only maid servant of Jin Xia.


    Living as an orphan in a poor orphanage house, Xie Mei was one day adopted into the Jin Clan when she turned fourteen. Afterwards, she was assigned to be Jin Xia¡¯s personal maid. Little did she know, her master was a ruthless and arrogant. Whenever the former Jin Xia felt sour or angry, he would always vent it out on Xie Mei. This was how her life proceeded for the next two years of her residence in the Jin Clan.


    But Xie Mei have never once fought back. It¡¯s not that she cannot, but that she could not. With the assaulting party being a young master of a major clan in Tian City, it was simply suicide to go against him.


    Besides, it is not as if her master always abuses it, so it was bearable to some extent. More so, Xie Mei was able to eat and sleep under a proper roof so it could be said that while her situation may not be ideal, it would still be several times better than living in a poor orphanage. Anyhow, all servants in the Jin Clan has a small, private dorm to themselves.


    So as usual, Xie Mei woke up early and went towards her master¡¯s residence. After walking through Jin Xia¡¯s yard, Xie Mei stopped in front of her master¡¯s room. She took a deep breath before calling out to her master.


    ¡°Y-young master Jin Xia! It is time to wake up!¡±


    But no sound came from within the room. After calling out a few more times, Xie Mei took a few steps forward and pushed open her master¡¯s door.


    The moment the door opened, a huge billow of white-like clouds bursted out.


    ¡°Ahhh~!¡± Xie Mei shrieked as she stumbled backwards from the sudden force before landing backwards on her bottom.


    ¡°Is there fire in young master¡¯s room?!¡±


    Xie Mei alarmly thought as she hurried picked herself off the ground.


    But before she could rush away to call for help, a young man wearing a blue garment stepped out from the room. The young man was extremely handsome with his thick brows and bright eyes. His skin seemed like it was made from jade, smooth and white. And the aura this young man gave off at the moment was like that of royalty.


    Xie Mei was in a dazed as she stared at the new Jin Xia. A brief moment later, she quickly snapped back to reality.


    ¡°A-ah¡­y-young master Jin Xia so you are safe¡­I-I thought there was a fire in your room so I was about to go call for help..¡±


    Xie Mei lowered her head as she spoke. Although she noticed a slight change in her master¡¯s appearance, Xie Mei still remembered ¡°Jin Xia¡¯s¡± cruel personality and thus, would always end up stammering when she talks to him.


    Suddenly noticing Jin Xia¡¯s figure moving towards her, Xie Mei tightly shut her eyes and her body tensed up as she prepared for an incoming blow. But the usual fierce slap never came. Instead, Xie Mei felt a warm hand patting her head.


    Startled, Xie Mei looked up and saw Jin Xia smiling gently at her. Although she felt suspicious of Jin Xia¡¯s sudden action, upon looking into his clear eyes, Xie Mei was once again shocked to find that there were no malicious intent hidden beneath. This was sincere gesture from her young master.


    ¡°¡­You¡¯ve had it tough all this while, huh¡­but don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be sure to make up for all the unreasonable trouble I¡¯ve caused you over the years, little Xie Mei.¡±


    Jin Xia smiled as he lightly stroked Xie Mei¡¯s silky black hair.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be going out today, so don¡¯t look for me.¡±


    Jin Xia said as he retracted his hand and began to walk away. After a walking a few steps, Jin Xia stopped in his tracks. Without looking back, he said in a carefree voice.


    ¡°Oh, and don¡¯t worry about doing any chores anymore. From now on, have the other servants take care of them. You may take a rest for next few days.¡±


    Having finished what he wanted to say, Jin Xia leisurely continued his stroll out of the Jin Clan¡¯s residency.


    All the while, Xie Mei was silently looking at the fading silhouette of her master. In her eyes, various emotions were swirling and crashing against each other: hesitation, confusion, relief, happiness, but most of all, shock.


    ¡°What happened to young master Jin Xia? Is this still the same cruel man I have been serving these past two years?¡±


    Xie Mei furrowed her brows as she wondered.


    ¡°No, no, it cannot be. He must be testing my diligence as a servant. Right, there¡¯s no way for a person to just change overnight like that. Though, he did get better looking for some reason¡­ahh, no more, no more. It must be because I¡¯m not still fully sobered in this morning¡­I¡¯d better get working now¡­¡±


    With a light sigh, Xie Mei turned the other way as she went the opposite way Jin Xia had went.


    ***.


    With his right hand behind his back while his other hand rested in front of his body, Jin Xia lazily walked through the street towards the Black Pearl market through the woods.


    In Jin Xia¡¯s memory, the Black Pearl market is located at the heart of Tian City, a few houses down from the Jin Clan¡¯s residency, and is liveliest part of the city.


    At the Black Pearl Market, many things could be found and traded for in this market, ranging from herbs to weapons and technique books to even slaves!


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    WIthin a vicinity of a thousand li (miles), no other market may rival the size and popularity of this Black Pearl market.


    As for the reason why Jin Xia was heading towards that place was only for one reason: enjoyment.


    That¡¯s right, the ancient deity who had lived for aeons, and who had forcefully occupied and transformed a mortal¡¯s body in one night, had decided to play the moment he was out in the world.


    But this kind of behaviour is more or less tied to Jin Xia¡¯s original disposition. Even when he was a great deity, Jin Xia had a frivolous, and often punk-like, personality that was not befitting of a god. While his mind may have grew wiser over time and his body have lasted aeons, Jin Xia¡¯s heart have always remained as a child, carefree and youthful.


    Yet it was also because of this contrast in mind and heart that Jin Xia became an anomaly during his stay in Heaven Domain. At times, the deity would seem childish and simple, at other times, cold and ruthless; and yet at another instance, he would engage in mischievous and capricious actions. His unpredictable, and often eccentric behaviours, caused Jin Xia to be widely feared for strength and generally avoided for his character.


    And as a residence of the Heaven Domain, Jin Xia was often forbidden to travel to the Mortal Domains in the Passage of Space and Time because of his status as a great god. The times that Jin Xia had went to the different dimensional worlds, he had secretly sneaked out of the Heaven Domain.


    And even during those times, Jin Xia would only be able to stay in one of the Mortal Domains for, at max, a month before he was forcefully summoned back to the Heaven Domain by the Jade Emperor¡¯s order.


    Every time that he sneaked into one of the Mortal Domains, as a treasure-seeking fanatic, Jin Xia had only focused on finding treasures due to his limited stay. But now that that Jin Xia possessed a mortal body and could stay in this Mortal Domain for as long as he wished, he would naturally want to enjoy it to the fullest.


    Besides, Jin Xia had decided to walk his own path towards the peak, and would only bother with the former host¡¯s problems if they became an obstacle to him. But other than that, he would not make a move until he decided exactly what he wanted to do.


    After walking for a while, Jin Xia arrived in on a street where there were many people bustling around. A feeling of familiarity floated up in Jin Xia¡¯s heart. His former host was quite knowledgeable of this place, having traveled here often for eating dinner and purchasing herbs for cultivation.


    There were several fancy decorated stores lined up along each other down a straight path, each equipped with a huge sign written in powerful strokes the name of their respective business.


    At every corner, the Black Pearl market was bustling with people.


    ¡°Low-grade Spirit grass for sale! One batch for only ten coppers!¡±


    ¡°Come look! Come look! Body Strengthening Pills, Six for twelve silver!¡±


    ¡°Iron Fist, Mid-grade martial technique for eighty gold!¡±


    ¡°Cheap carpets for your house! Just twenty copper! Don¡¯t miss out!¡±


    Loud shouting echoed across the street, as vendors who had set up their store out on the sidewalk clamored for prospective a customer.


    As Jin Xia slowly strolled through the marketplace, suddenly he felt several pairs of eyes locking in on him. Jin Xia¡¯s body immediately tensed up as his eyes flashed.


    Jin Xia¡¯s eyes quickly swept over his surrounding as he tried to trace the stares. Upon finishing his observation, Jin Xia¡¯s body relaxed. He noticed that there were many women, ranging from young to old, who were staring at him. Each of them had a dreamy look on their face and when Jin Xia locked eyes with one of the young girls, she immediately looked down while her face turned a deep shade of red.


    Around him, he heard various people¡¯s whispers.


    ¡°Hey, hey, isn¡¯t that the first young master of the Jin Clan?¡±


    ¡°You mean the one from the main family? How is that possible! That young man over there looks a hundred times better than that short-tempered little master!¡±


    ¡°Right, right, how can he be that Jin Xia, who was recently crippled? I sense a great aura coming from that man. It¡¯s impossible to be him!¡±


    Jin Xia faintly smiled but said nothing as he continued to walk on. It seems that news of him being crippled by Feng Hao traveled quite quickly around this small city.


    But even then, the deeper into the Black Pearl market he walked, the stronger he felt there were increasingly more people looking at him. Though, it did not bother him at all, and he did not care.


    ¡°This place is quite lively. But what¡¯s interesting is how there¡¯s so much tasty-looking foods around this kind of place! By the time I became a deity, I had long surpassed the need for mortal delicacies, yet I can never seem to get enough of those dishes! And thinking back, the foods in the Heaven Domain were all so bland and similar in taste that I grew tired of them after eating a hundred years¡­¡±


    Jin Xia thought to himself as he looked around him.


    ¡°Hehehe, but now I can once again taste such mortal meals!¡±


    Jin Xia excitedly thought as found a nearby restaurant and began to head towards it.


    But just as Jin Xia was about to enter, he suddenly stopped.

 Chapter 6: The Azure Sky Auction House

    Host''s note: I cut out the author''s note for this chapter as it''s irrelevant now, other than the thanks for the donator that was mentioned last chapter. I''ve already cut out some other author notes as well and will continue doing so unless they are relevant even here. As usual, this is a rehost and I''m not the author.


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    ¡°Wait, in the Mortal Domain don¡¯t the people use some sort of currency for trades?¡±


    Jin Xia furrowed his eyebrows as he searched his host¡¯s memory about the currency of WuDan. Moments later, he found what he was looking for.


    ¡°So it seems there¡¯s a universal currency here in this world of WuDan¡­let¡¯s see, and the value of these currency are sorted as such, from low to high: Copper, Silver, Gold, and Crystal Coin¡­with 1000 copper=1 silver, 1000 silver=1 gold, 1000 gold=1 crystal coin¡­.but it looks like besides using currency, almost any items of value can be used as a substitute to trade.¡±


    Jin Xia pondered for a while as he thought of what to do.


    Although his Jin Clan is definitely not poor, Jin Xia is unable to extract any money from the clan. After all, no one wanted to give out free money, which could be used to buy precious resources, to someone who¡¯s merely in the Wudan 1st stage.


    And even though Jin Xia could ask his parent, much of their assets is controlled by the clan. So if Jin Xia wanted to borrow some money from his parents, he would have to travelled all the way back and forth again¡­


    ¡°Ahhh, why did I forget to bring money? Now what should I do¡­¡±


    Jin Xia thought for a while before his eyes suddenly lit up.


    While Jin Xia did not bother to collect currencies and the likes when he was a deity, he did accumulate countless treasures in his Eternal Gourd.


    ¡°I know! Why don¡¯t I just sell a few of the items that I don¡¯t need inside my Eternal Gourd at this market and make a profit from them. Seeing how poor the qualities of the items here, any one item I pull out will easily top the rest.¡±


    Having made up his mind, Jin Xia walked around as he tried to find the auction site in his memory.


    After searching around, Jin Xia finally found it.


    In front of him loomed a grand mansion, with a long, wooden sign set at the top of a big red door that read: Azure Sky Auction House.


    The Azure Sky Auction was one of the largest auction house within a thousand miles. It was a giant in the world of auction sites, having several branches set up in cities across the country, including smaller cities. One reason was to expand profit while the other reason was to enable wealthy families an easier way to access auction in their neighboring city, or even right within their own city.


    And without the lack of wealthy in the country, these extremely rich people would often dress up in simple clothes and go randomly scour around different Azure Sky Auction sites, in hopes of coming across a site that just happens to be auctioning  a rare treasure. After all, with more branches means not all the goods would be in one place. In a way, luck may even be involved, as the auction rarely does public announcements for treasures.


    The founder of the auction site believed in the idea of having chance guide one¡¯s fate. So treasures would differ from Auction branch to another. Thus, even backwater cities like Tian City would often get a certain number of anonymous, wealthy bidders.


    Inside, one may find many exotic items being auctioned and bought at extravagant prices. The auction site is so popular that even foreigners from other cities tend to visit it. In short, only the wealthy would tend to participate in auctions at the Azure Sky Auction House.


    While the auction house¡¯s influence was not as great as the four major clans in Tian City, its power was still not to be estimate. After all, the Azure Sky Auction House still possesses at least two Wudan 6th stage cultivator and one Wudan 7th stage practitioner, who¡¯s the head of the auction site.


    Just as JIn Xia was about to enter, he suddenly thought of something.


    ¡°I¡¯m only going to sell a few useless items from my Eternal Gourd, but any one of the items I take out will surpass the value of all the items being sold here. While the auction site may protect my identity, with my current identity and strength, if by some chance someone powerful found out that I was the seller¡­I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll bring some unnecessary trouble.¡±


    Jin Xia thought as his eyes slightly narrowed.


    ¡°Hmph, while I¡¯m not afraid of trouble from these mortals, the current me is truly too weak. I¡¯ll have to take precaution and hide my identity for now¡­¡±


    With that thought, JIn Xia quickly turned around and calmly walked away.


    ***


    Moments later, the street was still busy with people as transactions were made here and there.


    Suddenly, a figure clad in a pure black cloak walked out from a dark alley and blended in with the crowd on the street. A white fox mask, with beautiful red vein-like inscriptions painting its exterior, completely covered the figure¡¯s face. At the top of the white fox¡¯s mask, was a vertically aligned painting of a black eye. Its sclera was colored black with a light purple irish at its center.


    Any one who looked at the fox masked figure were instantly given a sense of dread and mysteriousness. They could help but promptly turn their head away.


    The suspicious figure was Jin Xia.


    Although Jin Xia¡¯s outfit attracted a few attentions, it was not a big deal. After all, there were many other people who have passed through the city before who preferred to keep their identity hidden. Thus, Jin Xia¡¯s new appearance was nothing out of the ordinary in many people¡¯s eyes. They quickly lost interest in him and went about their business.


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    ¡°With this Asura Fox Mask and Hades¡¯s Cloak, no one should be able to detect my aura unless they¡¯re at least of Overlord realm. But to find such someone like that here¡­hmph, one can only dream!¡±


    Jin Xia silently thought as he headed towards the  Azure Sky Auction House.


    After arriving, Jin Xia promptly entered through the doors.


    Inside the large store, there were many weapons hanging on the walls while various pills sat enclosed in thick, glass cases. This was only the front of the store.


    Further into the back, there is another door which was painted black. From inside, Jin Xia¡¯s could faintly hear shouting coming from within.


    While Jin Xia¡¯s ability and perception was nearly unmatched when he was a deity, being inside a mortal¡¯s body have severely limited his power. Even with his powerful soul, Jin Xia dared not use his otherworldly strength in fear of fatally injuring his mortal body. Thus, his perceptions and senses are only limited to his current level of cultivation.


    But even then, after going through a promotion in strength, Jin Xia¡¯s perceptiveness rose and he was able to faintly hear voices of people bidding from beyond that black door.


    Without a word, Jin Xia walked towards the black door. But just as he took a few steps, an arrogant voice called out to him from his right.


    ¡°You there, stop! Damn! Who let a beggar into our prestigious auction house!¡±


    Jin Xia paused and slowly turned his head to face the speaker. The one who had called out to him was a short middle-aged man wearing an expensive brown clothing. The man¡¯s face was ordinary while his round belly stuck out from his fat body.


    The middle-aged man had a face full of contempt as he walked over to Jin Xia. Having noticed Jin Xia¡¯s simple black cloak, the man had deduced that the latter must be poor. But the moment Jin Xia turned around to face him, the middle-aged man saw the fox mask on his face.


    His steps slightly faltered when he saw the mask. It gave a creepy vibe made the middle-aged man feel uncomfortable.


    ¡°Damn, these beggars are even sporting some creepy masks to hide their ugly faces..¡±


    The middle-aged man cursed in his head as he walked over to Jin Xia.


    All the while, Jin Xia did not move a single step as he gazed over at the approaching man.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    A deep, majestic voice boomed out. The voice came from the black-cloaked figure.


    Hearing this voice, the middle-aged man was startled as he narrowed his eyes at Jin Xia. Naturally, he did not know that Jin Xia had used his soul force to alter his voice. JIn Xia had changed his voice in order to further conceal his identity.


    ¡°I am Gu-Hai, one of the managers of Azure Sky Auction House.¡±


    The middle-aged man named Gu-Hai proudly said as his lips curved upward in a disdainful smile.


    ¡°Mmm, a manager I see¡­well then, I have a few items I would like to have you sell through your auction site. Would you accept?¡±


    Without paying any attention to Gu-Hai¡¯s haughty tone, Jin Xia calmly asked the person.


    ¡°What? A beggar like you would have something to sell? Stop your bulls! Do you think our auction house will accept any items lower than Mid-grade! Do you have such precious items? Hmph, you better scram before I beat you out!¡±


    Gu-Hai snorted in contempt as he rudely wave for Jin Xia to leave, as if he was shooing away a worthless fly.


    ¡°¡­This world really is lacking some resources¡­for the word ¡®precious¡¯ to be used in the same sentence to describe mere Mid-grade items. But then again, in this kind of city where No-grade items are plenty and Low-grade items are scarce, I guess it is to be expected..¡±


    Hearing what Gu-Hai said, Jin Xia inwardly sighed to himself as he thought about how poor of an environment he was living in.


    Seeing that Jin Xia did not respond to his threat but instead remained still, Gu-Hai narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°Damn beggar, you are really looking to die today!¡±


    Gu-Hai shouted as his right fist struck towards Jin Xia.


    He was a 6th stage Wudan practitioner, a being who stood near the top of Tian City. After all, in the city where the strongest cultivator was only at Spiritual Dan realm, a person such as Gu-Hai can already be considered a great expert in this small place.


    And because of his cultivation, Gu-Hai was able to covet a manager position at Azure Sky Auction House and was able to act arrogant in the city. With Gu-Hai status and strength, there were not many people who could face him. This was also the reason why Gu-Hai dared to attack a person in the city, much less a useless ¡®beggar¡¯ in his eyes.


    In this world, only power has the greatest persuasion. Everything else is useless.


    As Gu-Hai struck at Jin Xia, the latter did not bother to dodge at all. Instead, Jin Xia¡¯s cloak suddenly flapped open briefly before a loud sound rang out.


    Bang!


    Gu-Hai¡¯s body instantly flew backward like a broken kite as he crashed into a wall of weapons that were on display. Dust flew up everywhere as Gu-Hai¡¯s body was firmly indented in the wall.


    ¡°Ugh!¡± Gu-Hai coughed up blood as he left hand clutched his other arm. His right arm had been completely shattered from a single exchange with Jin Xia.


    <hr />


    Host''s note: A few reviews have been asking about the next update on the original site since there''s been somewhat of a hiatus there. Good news. When I contacted the author about hosting the novel here, he stated that he''ll be continuing the story soon alongside his approval. How soon? He didn''t say, so please be patient.

 Chapter 7: Esteemed Guest

    Author¡¯s note: The promised chapter! Sponsored by Kirkion! Many thanks for all the support! You guys rock! :)


    Host¡¯s note: I¡¯m not the author and donations are currently disabled.


    <hr />


    Gu-Hai was horrified.


    His entire forehead was covered in cold sweat and his pale face look as if he had seen a ghost. Staring fearfully at Jin Xia, who had barely even moved, Gu-Hai felt his heart turn cold.


    To meet such a high expert, yet unable to even recognize the person was already bad enough. But Gu-Hai had even stupidly tried to attack him! And now, he most likely had offended the other party¡­


    Gu-Hai cursed at himself in his head. How could I have been so blind?


    But it was too bad this world does not have a pill for regret. What was done had already come to past.


    ¡°Y-you dare to injure me! D-do you think you can get away with this!¡±


    Struggling to stay calm, Gu-Hai tried intimidated the other party in hopes of the latter leaving. He believed even if the other person was stronger than him, he/she may not be that much stronger. After all, there are very few truly strong cultivators who would even think of coming to Tian City.


    But contrary to his expectation, Gu-Hai saw Jin Xia began to walk towards him instead of leaving.


    ¡°H-huh? W-what do you think you¡¯re doing? W-wait! Please! It was a slip of tongue¡­I-I promise not to pursue this matter! Ah! Help! Somebody help!¡±


    Gu-Hai, realizing that he was alone, started to persuade Jin Xia to stop his advance. But when he realized that mysterious man did not listen, he began to panic as he called for help.


    Just as Jin Xia was ten steps away from Gu-Hai, who was leaning on the wall behind him, a loud elderly voice rang out.


    ¡°Esteemed guest, please stop!¡±


    Jin Xia stopped his advance when a white-haired elder in gray robe leaped in between him and Gu-Hai. At the same time, Gu-Hai who saw the elder let out a breath of relief as his racing heart slowed.


    The elder¡¯s face looked capable, his eyes were confident and steady. He had an air of importance around him.


    Seeing that Jin Xia had ceased his steps, the elder cleared his voice before speaking out.


    ¡°I am Hei Mo, the manager of Azure Sky Auction. When I heard a loud commotion coming from here I immediately rushed over, but I did not expect to see such a scene. Esteemed guest, if Gu-Hai had offended you earlier, I ask you on behalf of my Azure Sky Auction House to show mercy and forgive him. I will be sure to strictly discipline him afterwards.¡±


    The elder named Hei Mo spoke in a steady tone as his eyes radiated confident.


    Although he was slightly shocked when he had saw the heavily injured Gu-Hai, Hei Mo still remained calm. After all, while Gu-Hai may have been a 6th stage Wudan practitioner, he was still much much weaker than Hei Mo.


    And naturally, Hei Mo was addressing Jin Xia with respect because even if Gu-Hai may be weak, to be able to injure him without being hurt could be considered quite strong. At least, the strange cloaked person standing before him did not look so simple.


    But the elder had full confidence that he would be able to handle the mysterious masked man in front of him. And his confidence was not ill-becoming.


    In terms of status, Hei Mo was the head of Azure Sky Auction House, a being who was only slightly inferior to the other four major clans in the city.


    In terms of power, he was a great cultivator at the 7th stage of Wudan.


    But in front of Jin Xia, this type of miniscule influence had no effect.


    ¡°So it is the head manager. At the start, I had only come here to sell off a few items at the auction, but that dog over there not only denied my entrance but insulted me as well. But I am not a petty person. If the head manager agrees to two of my conditions, I vow not to pursue this problem with your Azure Sky Auction. Will you accept?¡±


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Hearing Jin Xia¡¯s reply, manager Hei Mo slightly furrowed his eyebrows. This was the first time someone had actually neglected his words and even dared to strike up conditions with him in a situation such as this.


    But as the head manager, Hei Mo had to keep his temper. In the end, knowing Gu-Hai¡¯s arrogant personality, it was most likely the latter who had offended the masked person.


    With a forced smile, manager Hei Mo said in a calm voice.


    ¡°That is no problem at all. I accept your conditions. Speak, what do you want?¡±


    Behind his mask, Jin Xia faintly smiled as he stared at Hei Mo.


    ¡°It¡¯s very simple actually. For the first condition, I would like head manager Hei Mo to help me sell off a few items during the auction, as soon as possible. As for the second¡­¡±


    Jin Xia¡¯s voice trailed off.


    ¡°Hm? I will definitely be able to grant your first condition, so naturally I will do the same for the second one. Feel free to continue.¡±


    Manager Hei Mo said in a confident voice as he looked at Jin Xia.


    Underneath the fox mask, a mischievous grin had appeared on Jin Xia¡¯s face.


    ¡°For my second condition, I will need Gu-Hai to die.¡±


    The moment Jin Xia finished talking, his dark figure flickered once as he directly bypassed Hei Mo. It was only after Jin Xia disappeared from his sight, did Hei Mo register the other party¡¯s words.


    Hei Mo quickly twisted his body around only to see In Jin Xia standing in front of a frightened Gu-Hai.


    ¡°NO!¡± The elder shouted as he contracted his leg muscles to its full power and leaped towards Jin Xia.


    While Hei Mo felt that Jin Xia was a bit abnormal when he first saw him, the moment Hei Mo saw that Gu-Hai was about to die, he couldn¡¯t help but strike out in desperation.


    But it was of no use.


    Before Hei Mo could stop him, Jin Xia struck out a white-gloved palm at Gu-Hai which landed squarely on his chest. With this attack, Gu-Hai¡¯s chest caved inward as he smashed deeper into the wall.


    Gu-Hai¡¯s eyes opened wide in disbelief as he would never have thought that he would die, even under the watch of his head manager¡­


    Just as Jin Xia¡¯s palm smacked Gu-Hai, manager Hei Mo arrived as his hands scrunched up into an eagle-like claw, honing in towards Jin Xia¡¯s back.


    But Jin Xia did not even bother turning around as Hei Mo¡¯s attack slammed into the back of latter¡¯s jet-black cloak. But to his horror, Hei Mo found that his attack was unable to pass through.


    The cloak which he struck was like a mountain, he was unable to press any further.


    Seeing that his attack was useless, Hei Mo hurriedly sprang back a few meters as he stared wearily at Jin Xia¡¯s back. The calmness and confidence in his eyes had greatly diminished by now. What replaced them, instead, were shock and even fear.


    ¡°How could this be possible? My attack didn¡¯t even pierce through the cloak at all. That cloak might even be a powerful artifact¡­just¡­who is this person?!¡±


    Hei Mo¡¯s thoughts were in a panic as a few droplets of sweat rolled down his forehead¡­


    <hr />


    Host¡¯s note: Didn¡¯t have access to internet so there¡¯ll be 4 chapters posted within the next 2 hours, the 3 for today and the first one for tomorrow. I¡¯m spacing them out in the first place to keep them up on the latest updates longer so people will notice them more. Posting double or triple chapters at the same time makes people happy but hurts the fiction in question.

 Chapter 8: An Expert in the City

    Author¡¯s note: This chapter was sponsored by Goku Cloud and Dominique D.! Thank you! One queue down¡­two more to go.


    Host¡¯s note: I¡¯m not the author, but feel free to shower the comments and reviews with your love of the novel. It¡¯ll surely reach the author.


    <hr />


    Hei Mo¡¯s heart trembled as he stared at the cloaked figure, who wore fox mask, in front of him. As a one of the top experts in Tian City, he had went through many deadly battles and opponents stronger than him before.


    But none of those times would Hei Mo have felt such hesitation and lingering fear in his heart. From the moment the other party moved, Hei Mo was not even able to act in time. By the time he reached Jin Xia, Gu-Hai was already dead.


    Yet, even that was not something that would have shook Hei Mo¡¯s soul. It was the fact that when Hei Mo had attacked Jin Xia with nearly half percent of his strength in order to save Gu-Hai, yet he was unable to deal a single bit of damage, much less even wrinkle his cloak.


    And to top it all off, Hei Mo had even launched an attack at his opponent¡¯s back ¡ª and was still unable to harm the latter! In Hei Mo¡¯s entire life thus far, someone as powerful and mysterious as the man standing before him was a first.


    As Hei Mo stared vigilantly at Jin Xia¡¯s back, the latter turned around to face him with his fox mask.


    ¡°Mm, Gu-Hai is now dead so my second condition is now fulfilled. I thank the head manager for his understanding. Now, since I am in a bit of a hurry, I would have to trouble manager Hei Mo to help me auction a few items¡­¡±


    A deep voice came from behind the fox mask as Jin Xia spoke casually to Hei Mo. It was as if he never noticed Hei Mo¡¯s sneak attack behind his back, or perhaps he never cared at all.


    The truth is, while Jin Xia had already sensed Hei Mo charging towards him behind his back, he did not feel threatened by his incoming attacker at all. With his Hades¡¯s Cloak, not only would it hide his aura it also possessed an unparalleled defensive capability. Any cultivator below Xing Profound realm will not be able to deal any severe injury to him.


    Thus, Jin Xia did not even bother to dodge. Although Hei Mo did attack Jin Xia, the person had done so in order to save someone. Moreover, Hei Mo did not appear conceited when he appeared before Jin Xia and was respectful. There was not even killing intent in neither Hei Mo¡¯s attack or his overall aura, unlike Gu-Hai.


    In fact, from the moment Jin Xia saw Gu-Hai, he had already felt a faint, bloodthirsty aura coming from the latter¡¯s body. This aura would often appear on someone has killed a large sum of people, which was evident with that Gu-Hai. Moreover, the savage man had full intent on killing an innocent ¡°beggar¡±, who was in reality Jin Xia, without hesitation. Just these two facts alone was more than enough reasons for Jin Xia to seek Gu-Hai¡¯s death. Perhaps even if Jin Xia let him go today, the man will definitely meet his demise sooner or later somewhere else!


    And because Hei Mo¡¯s overall disposition was good, Jin Xia was not so much put off by the manager, even after the latter had attacked him.


    At least, with such positive qualities about Hei Mo, it had allowed him to retain his spot in this world as a living being¡­otherwise, Jin Xia wouldn¡¯t have minded to send another one down to the Yellow Spring river.


    While Jin Xia was once deity, he was definitely no benevolent being. He simply eliminates anyone who seeks to kill him, just like how he took care of Gu-Hai who had attacked him with bold killing intent. The passing ages may have taught him to not take others¡¯ ignorance to heart, but it have repeatedly reminded him not to let bloody enemies go unchecked. Those who bare their fangs at him in pure malice, risks getting their fangs -and their entire existence- broken by him in return.


    So while being arrogant in front of Jin Xia, he may not care that much, but to get in his way would simply be looking to die.


    ¡°This¡­¡± Hearing that Jin Xia had still wanted to sell his items at his Azure Sky Auction house even after killing his subordinate, Hei Mo felt hesitant in his heart. But when he saw a green colored battle axe, with various symbols on it, suddenly appear in the mysterious man¡¯s white-gloved hand, Hei Mo¡¯s eyes suddenly went round like the two big moons.


    ¡°Here is the first item I would like you to help me sell at your auction. This is the Heavenly Lotus Battle Axe. It has the might to split over giant boulders and momentarily part a small river if wielded in the hands of an expert. Its rank: Jade-grade.¡±


    Jin Xia calmly explained to manager Hei Mo as he threw the battle axe that he took out from his gourd towards Hei Mo.


    Head manager Hei Mo was startled as he wildly grabbed at the battle axe that was flung at him in panic. Only after he had a firm grip on axe, did Hei Mo let out a breath in relief as he looked down at the exquisite battleaxe in front of him.


    The weapon was about five feet tall and three feet wide. Its handle and head was of a dark green color, with the axe being decorated with four mysterious yellow symbols that were still faintly glowing carved on the battle axe.


    ¡°SSss!¡± Hei Mo sharply sucked in a deep breath as his eyes madly danced over the battle axe. Jade-grade. This was actually a Jade-grade item. From the awe-inspiring aura that the battle axe produced to the four tiny shiny symbols on the item, Hei Mo knew that it was a genuine artifact.


    Only Low-grade items and above will have glowing symbols etched on them. This was what separated them apart from items of No-grade. As the quality and grade of an item increases, the number of symbols found on the said item will increase in accordance.


    One symbol meant Low-grade.


    Two symbols meant Mid-grade.


    Three symbols meant Top-grade.


    Four symbols meant Jade-grade and so on!


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    In the entire history of Tian City, a Jade-grade item had never appeared on market once. And even in the entire Great Azure Country, such items were true luxurious things.


    At most, there was only once where a Top-grade item had happened to grace the city with its presence. But that was already a hundred years ago. Since then, at best only Mid-grade items could be found in Tian City, but even those were extremely scarce in quantity. As for a Jade-Grade item, only the royal family of this country would be able to possess one. And that was already treated as a national treasure! With Mid-grade items being a relatively hard find, and Top-grade items being rare, a Jade-grade item was simply one word: priceless.


    After all, these items known as Symbol Artifacts are quite rare to come by.


    As Hei Mo continued to stare reverently at the battle axe in his hand, Jin Xia spoke up.


    ¡°As for the amount I would receive from this battle axe at the auction, you may take thirty percent of the profit as fee for fixing up your store and for keeping everything ¡®under the carpet¡¯, if you would.¡±


    Hearing this Hei Mo¡¯s eyes shone brightly as he finally snapped out of his trance. Thirty percent of the profit?! My god! A Mid-grade weapon would already sell for about 1,000 Crystal Coins (1,000,000 gold) at minimum, while a Top-grade item could go for at least 20,000 Crystal coins. With the sudden appearance of a Jade-grade weapon, just how monstrous would the price be?! Hei Mo screamed inside his head.


    To take even just one percent of the profit, would probably allow Hei Mo to live the rest of his life in retirement without worry.


    As for the last part of Jin Xia¡¯s words, Hei Mo naturally understood what he meant. After all, he did not live in this world for around sixty years for nothing. He would naturally cover up Gu-Hai¡¯s death and keep today¡¯s matter under control¡­


    ¡°T-this one humble accept this esteemed lord¡¯s request. Since we are in the middle of an auction at the moment, I would go right away to have this battle axe auctioned. If this esteemed lord would like, you may rested inside the VIP room in the auction hall¡­¡±


    But before Hei Mo could finish his sentence, Jin Xia suddenly interrupted with a firm voice.


    ¡°No need. Just hurry up, as I have wasted quite some time here already.¡±


    ¡°A-ah, that is no problem. I will go have it auctioned right away. Please wait here and I will be back with good news.¡±


    Hei Mo quickly straightened himself up as he gave a deep bow towards Jin Xia before turning around and disappearing behind the black door. The drastic change in attitude made it seem as if there had never any tension in the air moments before.


    Several minutes after Hei Mo entered the black door, an enormous roar of excitement rang out from within. It seems the auction had begun.


    After waiting for a quarter of an hour, Hei Mo hurried out from behind the black door as he walked towards Jin Xia. The latter had stood at the same spot without moving for the entire time.


    Walking up to Jin Xia, Hei Mo respectfully handed over a golden bag with both of his hands outstretched to Jin Xia.


    ¡°Esteemed lord, here is the money your Heavenly Lotus Battle Axe sold for. The bid reached an all-time high of five million Crystal coins! It was purchased by an anonymous guest from a different province. As for the fee, since our esteemed lord was kind enough to grace our shabby auction house with such a priceless item, our Azure Sky Auction House have decided to only take one percent of the profit earned. This will leave 4,950,000 Crystal Coins left in this Space bag for you. The space bag can also be used to hold any item you wish, living or nonliving, and can even store as big as an average five story tall building..¡±


    Jin Xia took the bag into his hand without bothering to inspect it. The golden Space bag seemed to be a Low-grade item, which was what gave it the ability to store items within its dimensional pocket. An expensive item such as this had been unreservedly gifted to Jin Xia.


    ¡°Mn, good. Head manager is indeed easy to work with. If I ever need anything to be sold again, I hope you won¡¯t mind¡­¡±, Jin Xia spoke in his deep voice. Although the chances of him returning to this same auction house would be almost nonexistent in the future, Jin Xia had said those words just in case he does visit again one day¡­


    ¡°Ah! Please be at ease, esteemed lord! If you ever need your items to be sold, we, the Azure Sky Auction House, will definitely not let you down!¡± Manager Hei Mo quickly replied as he cupped his hands towards Jin Xia.


    ¡°¡­And please do make sure that next time I come, there won¡¯t be any wild dogs biting around here.¡± Jin Xia coldly said before swiftly turning around and exiting the auction house.


    ¡°O-of course! I will make sure that will never happen again¡­¡± Manager Hei Mo replied in a panic as deeply bowed towards Jin Xia as the latter left.


    It was only after Hei Mo was certain that the mysterious man had left, did he lift up his head and sigh in relief.


    ¡°To think our Tian City would be graced by such an expert¡­ai, I better go warn the other managers to be wary of that person from now on¡­¡± Hei Mo muttered under his breath as he looked pitily over at Gu-Hai¡¯s corpse.


    <hr />


    Host¡¯s note: As you might have noticed, this account is fairly new yet I have knowledge of RRL¡¯s system. That¡¯s because this is an alt account. This makes it easy for me to transfer the account over to the actual author if he ever decides to take over. The name is basically the combination of part of his site¡¯s name and ¡°host¡± to indicate that I¡¯m just rehosting the story for him and that¡¯s all I¡¯ll ever do on this account. If the account does transfer over to him, it¡¯d be fairly easy to request a username change if need be.

 Chapter 9: Do All Things with Kindness

    Author¡¯s note: Sorry for the late release; some ¡°problematic¡± barrels in life came rolling my way, so I had to spend some time clearing over them. Anyways, this episode was sponsored by Dominique D! One more queue to go¡­


    Host¡¯s note: Donation disabled and this is a rehost by a reader, not the author. Last update here until tomorrow¡­ which is in 20 minutes for me hahaha.


    <hr />


    After leaving the Azure Sky Auction House, Jin Xia had a wide smile underneath his Asura Fox Mask. With a huge sum of money under his belt, he could now enjoy the city¡¯s life as he pleased!


    While Jin Xia walked down the street, he was not worry about if any of the people within the auction site might try to investigate him. For a person who¡¯s able to pull out a Jade-grade item for auction was by no means someone with a low status. No one would want to take the chance and risk offending such a figure by rudely investigating them. It was not worth the consequences.


    A black-cloaked figure with a fox mask could be seen quickly entering into a hidden alley. Moments later, a handsome youth in blue clothes stepped out from the dark alley. No one noticed as the youth easily blended in with the streaming crowds of people.


    As Jin Xia played around the city and consecutively ate at several restaurants, the sun quickly went down to sleep. The day was nearly over. Right now, inside his Space bag, there was still 4,949,995 Crystal Coins left after spending them on the highest luxury dishes he could find in Tian City.


    Noticing that the sky had become orange, Jin Xia, who was holding a severed beef in his hand, decided it was time to head home. He had ate a satisfying amount today. He had never felt so free and relaxed while being in the Mortal Domain without having to worry about the Jade Emperor suddenly summoning him.


    Walking through the now-quiet street, just as he was a few yards away from the Jin mansion, two silhouettes stepped towards him from out the shadow. It was two young males, one wearing a green clothing and the other one wearing a light brown chang pao. While both had an average identical appearance, each one held an arrogant expression on their face as they faced Jin Xia.


    Meanwhile, the latter had already noticed the duo hiding in the shadow. But he did not bother with them as he just wanted to head home. Yet, the two men had actually confronted Jin Xia when you was almost home. This irritated him a bit, as Jin Xia disliked people obstructing his way, be it metaphorically or literally.


    Moreover, Jin Xia recognized the two. They were his Jin clansmen, Jin Dong with the green clothes and Jin Rong who was in light brown. They were twins, who were from the branch families. They were often at loggerheads with Jin Xia, seemingly unable to go a day without bringing trouble to the previous host.


    With an annoyed expression, Jin Xia asked, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Hmph! Jin Xia you trash, even now as a cripple you still dare to be so bold before us two brothers!¡±


    The one in green chang pao named Jin Dong, who was the older one of the twins, had spoken first in response.


    Jin Xia snorted as he looked at the twins, ¡°Cut the crap and go to the main point already.¡±


    ¡°You!..¡±, Jin Rong, the one in light brown clothes, gritted his teeth as he furiously pointed at Jin Xia. ¡°Jin Xia, don¡¯t forget that you are now a cripple without any martial arts foundation. You are now not a match for us two brothers who are in Wudan 1st stage! And don¡¯t even count on your family. The main family is practically powerless before our branch families. Your family is doomed to be kicked out sooner or later!¡±


    Jin Xia remained calmed as he turned to face Jin Rong and uttered a soft phrase.


    ¡°So what?¡±


    Jin Rong¡¯s eyes immediately went red, but before he could lash out at Jin Xia an arm stretched out to stop him. It was Jin Dong.


    ¡°Hehe, you do not have to act tough in front of us brothers, Jin Xia. We know you are scared. But don¡¯t worry, Big Brother Jin Feng Hao had ordered us to not touch you until the Jin¡¯s family inner competition.¡±, Jin Dong sneered as he rubbed his chin in an arrogant manner.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Is that all you wanted to tell me? If so, please scram. You¡¯re blocking the way to my house.¡±, Jin Xia replied apathetically.


    ¡°Hmph! Let¡¯s see you try keeping up that attitude when I challenge on the family stage!¡±, Jin Dong said as he glared at Jin Xia before swiftly turning around to leave.JinRong gave one last death stare at Jin Xia before following his older twin brother.


    ¡°*Sigh*¡­just what have this world come to. Even a mere Wudan 1st stage brat dares to challenge me¡­¡±, Jin Xia cried out bitterly in his heart before shaking his head and entering his yard.


    Upon arriving at home, Jin Xia headed towards his room. When he opened his room¡¯s door, Jin Xia immediately saw two heads swerve abruptly towards his direction. A middle aged man and woman was standing in Jin Xia¡¯s room. There was an anxious expression on the two persons¡¯ face.


    ¡°Ah! Xia¡¯ Er, you¡¯re safe! Thank goodness! We were beginning to worry that because of yesterday¡¯s event and the shock, you were going to do something rash¡­¡±, the woman figure rushed over to Jin Xia and began inspecting his body for any injuries. She was talking about the previous Jin Xia¡¯s crippling defeat at the hands of Jin Feng Hao.


    ¡°Mmm, mmm, as long as you are back home it¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t make your mother worry so much, Xia¡¯ Er. A man must be able to bring a sense of security to his family. Not worry them.¡±, This time the middle aged man spoke as a relief expression replaced his previously strained one.


    (Note: ¡°Xia¡¯Er¡± is an affectionate tone used to address Jin Xia. The ¡°Er¡± means child.)


    These two persons were precisely Jin Xia¡¯s parent, Liu Dan and Jia Yue Bing.


    Seeing how worried his ¡®parents¡¯ were, Jin Xia gave a faint smile before speaking.


    ¡°I apologize, mother, father. I went out today on a short notice because I wanted to calm my heart. Don¡¯t worry, I am completely fine now. If there is nothing else, your filial son wish father and mother would depart early to bed and not harm their healthy for me any longer.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±, Jia Yue Bing¡¯s eyes widened as she listened to her son speak. This was the first time that she had heard her son sound so courteous and sensible. The previous Jin Xia had always cursed and went on tirades when his mother had tried to comfort him, so it was rare that it was the other way around. This time, Jin Xia was actually comforting his mother!


    Even Jin Liu Dan, who was next to her, slightly widened his eyes in shock. Was this really their son?


    ¡°A-¡­ahem! As long as Xia¡¯Er is fine, let us not bother his rest now. Let us go, my dear wife.¡±, Liu Dan quickly reacted and took the initiative to gently wrap his arm around his wife¡¯s shoulder as they departed from the room.


    ¡°Ah, yes, well then, be sure to take care of your health, Xia¡¯Er! We will come visit again.¡±, Jia Yue Bing smiled as she was led out the room by her husband. The door closed with a light ¡°kacha!¡± sound.


    After his parents left, Jin Xia turned around and leaped onto his bed, landing in a cross-legged position.


    ¡°This Liu Dan and Jia Yue Bing are quite the caring and easy-going parents. Haha, their son was crippled yet they showed no signs of being depressed and instead, acted as if everything was fine. They truly do care for this ¡®Jin Xia.¡¯ Too bad the previous host was too blind and useless.¡±, Jin Xia thought as he entered a meditative state.


    ¡°I may not be the benevolent Buddha, but I do reward others who treat me well. In this lifetime, count this as your lucky star. I, Jin Xia, will make sure you both live a luxurious life a few days from now!¡±


    In approximately two months, it will be the Jin Clan¡¯s inner family competition. Jin Xia remembered his brief conversation with the Dong-Rong twins about the upcoming battle competition.


    That appointed day will be the moment the world inside the Jin Clan gets flipped upside down.

 Chapter 10: Old Way; New Life

    Author¡¯s note: This chapter was sponsored by Nicolas M! Many thanks for the support, everyone!


    Host¡¯s note: Alongside the donation author¡¯s note, there was another note about some confusion in the naming. However, that¡¯s irrelevant now as the past chapters were altered in the past to alleviate that confusion.


    I do believe the chapter name should be ¡°Old Way; New Life¡± with a semicolon instead of a comma. Honest mistake. I¡¯ll keep it though and contact the author about it.


    <hr />


    The Jin Clan¡¯s inner family competition was an event where the clansmen in the family, be it young or old, main family or branch family, would have the opportunity to challenge any one they like for pointers. As long as one is confident enough to fight, one may challenge any person in the Jin family to battle.


    Usually, this was a friendly event to show off the prowess of individual families within the Jin Clan. But sometimes, death was inevitable in face of intense competition between the main family and the branch families of the Jin Clan. In the event that someone dies during the inner competition, the Jin Clan had all agreed to turn a blind eye; of course, given that the death was ¡°accidental.¡±


    Jin Xia decided to use this chance to fully place himself, and his blood family, at a higher position within the clan. Although he had initially felt that he would just ignore the Jin Clan and set out on his journey later on, after thinking for a while, Jin Xia felt it was a bit¡­lacking.


    What happens once he attains the position as the peak level expert in this world? And after going even higher and regaining his position as a deity, then what? After his revenge on those who had plotted against him, then what? Would he simply go back to his old lifestyle where life was endless for him?


    Then, what?


    Go back to his repetitive life? Go back¡­alone?


    No!


    This was not what he wanted.


    Having spent aeons focusing on solely cultivating his strength and entertaining his hobby as a collectionist, Jin Xia had led an extremely boring and solitary lifestyle as a deity.


    No worthy opponents to fight against. No fellow brothers to talk his heart with. No women to flirt with and get intimate with. He had missed several, if not countless, opportunities of what one could say ¡°experiencing life.¡± And what was the use of racking up knowledge, but unable to use it?


    After thinking everything through, Jin Xia decided to change his goal in this world. If in the end, he would become a deity again, why not head back to the Heaven Domain with a group of people whom he could call companions? Why not experience this world a bit, and personally interact with those people he had only observed from afar in his previous life? Why not¡­have some fun?


    As such, Jin Xia decided that while he would continue increasing his cultivation, he would engage in this world a bit more closely. He wanted to play this world ¡ª like a ¡°game.¡±


    A game, that only he could afford to play so relaxedly.


    So, Jin Xia determined that he would first raise a bit of his cultivation and then focus on elevating his Jin Clan. Once his own Clan was powerful enough to hold on by itself, then Jin Xia would travel on a journey to further his cultivation and ¡°mortal experiences.¡±


    And someday when his clan would possess the ability to compete on a world-stage level with those other parties across the continents, Jin Xia would then begin the process of ascending back to godhood.


    But at that time, he would be doing so with a group of powerful companions whom he would have had personally selected and nurtured by then!


    This way, not only would he evolve from his isolated status once he returns to the Heaven Domain, he could even experience the fulfilling ¡°life events¡± that were observed in the Mortal Domain.


    Moreover, it would naturally also be much easier to deal with those obnoxious bastards in the Heaven Domain if he had more people to get rid of the small fries.


    In short, he would relieve his boredom in this world. After all, deities could live almost endlessly, so Jin Xia was in no need of rushing back to the Heaven Domain. He was certain those old foxes would still be alive when he returns!


    And the first step to realize his aim, Jin Xia would have to first clear out the dirt in his Jin clan. The family inner competition would serve as the perfect event to begin his preparation.


    With his ambition set in mind, Jin Xia immersed himself into cultivating his Imperial Heart skill. For the next two months, besides eating now and then with his family, Jin Xia rarely ventured outside as he continued his behind the door training.


    Jin Xia would also frequently review the information on the previous Jin Xia¡¯s life and would bring several books from the clan¡¯s library to study up on this current world.


    Surprisingly, after a while, Jin Xia found that the previous host was actually quite the learned scholar, despite his poor personality. Jin Xia discovered he already knew many of the facts that were listed in the large, historical records that he took to his room.


    The days continue to roll by without stopping.


    After a few trainings, Jin Xia was able to successfully trained the Imperial Heart directly up to the 2nd Layer, Chaos Mirage.


    During this period, Jin Xia had also instructed a few servants who were loyal to the main Jin family to scout out the rebellious clansmen in the clan.


    After a few reports, Jin Xia already had a rough idea idea of the people that were obstructing the unity of the Jin Clan. All five Jin branch families seemed to be engaging in suspicious activities lately behind the Clan¡¯s back. And the patriarch seems to know about those activities, but chose to blatantly ignore them¡­


    Although JIn Xia had already predicted such outcome, he wanted to make sure that there were no ¡°innocent¡± bystanders in the branch families. Otherwise, clearing them all out without differentiating the good ones with the bad would be too cruel.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    But it seems JIn Xia need not worry anymore. Out of the two hundred members of the Jin branch families, all two hundred were guilty. And each one of them at least had some bloody history with his own blood relatives within the shadows of the Jin Clan.


    Moreover, there were even a few reports and suspicions of the branch family wanting to act against the Main family during the upcoming family tournament.


    At this point, Jin Xia knew he need not hold back.


    With everything settled, Jin Xia leisurely cultivated in his room as soft ¡°Boom!¡± sounds echoed from within his room, followed by a noise that was akin to dispersing gas.


    ______


    Like that, two months quickly passed. Today was the Jin Clan¡¯s inner family competition. The clan had decorated a huge yard that was within the Jin mansion. In the middle of the yard was a large, plain rectangular stage. Seats were placed several feets away from the stage, lining and filling up each four side of the rectangular stage.


    A stream of people in colorful clothings could be seen walking into the Jin mansion as they took their seat and sat down with their respective group. A group of Jin clansmen were situated near the door to greet the guests.


    Since the Jin family¡¯s inner competition was an event where the clansmen got to show their strength, the clan had naturally invited as many influential people in the city, and the surrounding ones as well, to witness their display.


    As people were sitting down, a commotion broke out near the entrance. A group, consisting of two females and three males, were swaggering through the doorway. Each of them had a decent visual as they caught the eyes of several young men and women.On their chest, was the character ¡°Fei.¡±


    ¡°Look! Aren¡¯t those people from the Fei Clan?¡±¡¯


    ¡°Wahh, the women from the Fei clan are certainly quite nicel. I wish I could find a wife like them.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, dream on, buddy. That¡¯s one of the four major clans in Tian City, the Fei Clan! You think someone like you would be worthy to even carry their shoes?¡±


    ¡°Wait, look! That¡¯s the clan master, Fei Sheung! He even came personally!¡±


    Right as the crowd was still clamoring, two groups of expensively dressed people entered the yard.


    One of the group was full of six men, and was exuding a powerful aura over the crowd. The character ¡°Gao¡± was on the chest of their clothes.


    The other group had four males and one female among them. There was a character on their chest as well, written ¡°Ting.¡±


    Seeing them, the audience was once again riled up.


    ¡°Wahh! Clan master Gao Dai and even clan master Ting Teng came!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on today? These three clan heads rather attend an event like this before. Why are they all coming today?¡±


    ¡°Those people behind the clan masters look strong, especially the Gao Clan. They all live up to the name of being the major powers in this city.¡±


    For these kind of VIP guests, the patriarch Bao Lei and the elders from the Jin Clan personally went to greet them.


    While the crowd of people were discussing the arrival of the three major clans in Tian City, the Jin clansmen had all arrived in the yard. They went to their respective sides as they took their seat. On the longer, right end of the stage sat members of the main Jin family. One the left end, were the people from the five branch families.


    After the greetings, everyone returned to their seats as they looked at the stage in front of them with anticipation.


    Further away from the middle of the stage, Jin Bao Lei slowly sat down on a high stone chair. The seat was exquisitely decorated with gold coatings on the chair arm, while the back of the chair was covered in soft, brown fur from some kind of animal. While he sat there, there was tense expression on his face, as if he was struggling to restrain himself.


    After all, he was sitting right next to the person who allowed his son to get crippled, and two seats down, there was the culprit¡¯s father! When Jin Liu Dan and his wife first received the news that his son was crippled, he felt like the entire world had collapsed on him. And just as he was about to go out and wreck havoc, he was told who crippled his son, extinguishing his fury and drowning in frustration.


    Since Jin Feng Hao was Jin Hao Lin¡¯s son, the culprit would naturally be supported by his father. And behind Jin Hao Lin was the patriarch¡¯s biased backing. If Jin Liu Dan had done anything then, it would be akin to be sending his entire family off to the Yellow River; he was certain Jin Hao Lin and Bao Lei would not miss the opportunity to strike him dead.


    This was the frustration and helplessness of living right next to a tiger¡¯s den!


    Beside the patriarch, there were two other people seated beside him. On the right rested Jin Xia¡¯s father, Liu Dan. On the left, was the head of the five branch families, Jin  Hao Lin. He was also Feng Hao¡¯s father.


    The patriarch Bao Lei smiled as he looked around the audience. Everyone was here now.


    It was time to begin the Jin Clan¡¯s inner family competition!


    <hr />


    Host¡¯s note: Ten chapters and wordcount is around 20k. With the 50k wordcount requirement for a donation button, we may meet it a little past chapter 20. So, once that comes along in 3 days, I¡¯ll contact the author and give him this account¡¯s details and directions on how to set up the donation buttons. Alongside info on how to post chapters and change the password/email if he feels fit to kick me off; a reasonable thing to do with something as sensitive as donation in place.

 Chapter 11: Jin Clans Inner Family Competition(1)

    Author¡¯s note: This glamourous episode was sponsored by our generous Gary R and Paul W!


    Host¡¯s note: I¡¯m not the author, I¡¯m rehosting this work on RRL.


    <hr />


    ¡°Greetings, everyone! I am honored by all of your presence today at our Jin Clan¡¯s annual family competition!¡±, Bao Lei¡¯s voice boomed out as he stood up to address the crowd.


    ¡°Haha! No need for the flowery words, Old Lei! As long as you request it, we¡¯ll be there for you!¡±


    A rough voice suddenly rang out from the crowd. Everyone turned around and saw that it was Gao clan¡¯s head leader, Gao Dai, who had spoken.


    ¡°Indeed, Bao Lei, brother! How could we not attend an event that you personally invited us to?¡± This time Ting Teng spoke as he smiled.


    Only Fei Sheung did not speak, but everyone noticed that the Fei clan master had given an understanding nod towards Bao Lei¡¯s direction.


    Hearing these affirmations from the three other clans, Bao Lei¡¯s smile widened as he nodded his head in satisfaction. ¡°I am truly honored to have such support from powerful clans such as you three! Even if I was to die, I can die without regret!¡±


    The audience were mesmerized by the camaraderie that the four major powers displayed towards each other. These were truly powerful clans indeed! Even their friendship runs deep. Of course, none of them knew that this ¡°friendship¡± was constructed quite recently¡­


    Jin Bao Lei cleared his throat, as he glanced at Liu Dan¡¯s side before speaking,


    ¡°Today as you all know is a big event in our Jin Clan. But this time around, I, as the patriarch of the Jin Clan, have made a major decision. With the approval of five elders, I want to publicly announce to everyone that from today onwards, the five branch families of the Jin family will become the main family. As for the former main family, they will now be assigned as the branch family.¡±


    Just as Bao Lei finished speaking, loud cries of anger and confusion exploded from Liu Dan¡¯s side. Everyone in the main family was utterly disordered. No one had expected that the patriarch would actually officially reverse their status as a main family. Something as major as this has never happened before.


    ¡°This¡­how could this be! With the branch families gaining influence recently, their side already has five elder figures while our main family only has two. No matter how I see it, this is clearly an act of injustice!¡±, Liu Dan cursed in his heart as he gritted his teeth in anger.


    Although he was clear that he was suffering injustice, there was nothing he could do. The other party had the support of a biased patriarch-figure, and in front of such a large crowd, Liu Dan knew that if he were to voice his opinion he would definitely fall into a trap and set himself up for humiliation.


    ¡°All of you, quiet!¡±, Bao Lei angrily shouted at the main family¡¯s side. ¡°This is something that has already been decided. As the patriarch, I am in control. Seeing that our branch families power have already outstrip the main family¡¯s, it would be inappropriate for you all to continue hogging the ¡°main¡± title. You need a strong family to keep the clan together! If anyone disagrees, you may simply leave our clan! I am in no mood to entertain rebels!¡±


    The main family of the Jin Clan slowly drifted into silence at the clan master¡¯s word. Even though everyone¡¯s face was paled with anger, no one said a word. The decision had already been made; it was impossible to stop it anymore. They could only blame their weak strength.


    In this world, only with high status or great strength, could one establish their own rule on others.


    Seeing that the main family had given up, Bao Lei¡¯s lips curled up in a nasty sneer. The expression lasted briefly before he turned to face the audience once again with a straight face.


    ¡°Alright, now that this matter is settled, I announce the start of the family competition! Any one may choose to challenge another person of any status as they wish! As long as you are confident, you may seek pointers from one another! But remember, this is only a family competition, there is no need to go...too overboard!¡±


    There was a strange stressing of word near the end of Bao Lei¡¯s words, before he finished his sentence.


    As patriarch Bao Lei declared the start of the competition, he promptly sat back down as he stared smugly at the stage. Everything was going according to his plan.


    ¡°Hehe, with Jin Hao Lin¡¯s son, Feng Hao, battling against those useless younger generations of the main family, watch me wipe all of you out! Hmph! Today, I will make sure all of the main family perishes here on this battle stage! Ahahaha!¡±


    Bao Lei laughed sinisterly in his heart as his eyes glowered with a dangerous light.


    From the branch family¡¯s side, a green clothed youth suddenly leaped up and landed on the fighting stage. An arrogant expression was plastered all over his face as he looked down at the main family¡¯s side.


    ¡°Branch family¡¯s junior, Jin Feng Hao, wishes to seek guidance from my fellow peers. I wonder, if anyone could give this little brother some pointers on the path of martial arts?¡±


    Although Feng Hao seemed courteous on the surface, his words were suffused with a tone of insufferable arrogance.


    Upon hearing his words, many of the younger generations from the main family slightly lowered their heads. Give pointers to the genius of the Jin clan? Do they even have the qualification to that?


    The younger clansmen cursed Feng Hao in their heart for acting weak when he was so powerful. At least, among the main family, there was no one who could match Feng Hao.


    Seeing that his peers were avoiding his eyes, Feng Hao¡¯s confidence and arrogance rose another notch. With a sneer, Feng Dao directed at the main family,


    ¡°Why is no one willing to come out? Don¡¯t tell me that the once powerful main family of the Jin clan was actually a coward in disguise? Haha, what a joke!¡±


    The main family practitioners all glowered with shame and anger when they heard Feng Hao¡¯s ridicule. Yet, no one said a word as they endured. The main family¡¯s juniors really could not match with Feng Hao, so his arrogance was justified.


    After seeing that there was still no one willing to come up, Feng Hao snorted as he pointed to a main family cultivator near him.


    ¡°You, the one with the yellow garment. Since you¡¯re dressed so flashy, you must have some ability. Come, I challenge you!¡±, Feng Hao laughed as he motioned for the youth to come up on stage.


    ¡°Wh-what, b-but, I¡­¡± The yellow robed youth was terrified. He never would have dreamed that Feng Hao would pick him as an opponent.


    Although his cultivation was at the Wudan 2nd stage and was pretty decent, compared to Feng Hao¡¯s Wudan 4th stage, it was like self-serving himself up for slaughter.


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    But the yellow garment youth knew he could not reject the challenge. Once a challenge has been issued, the other receiving end must accept. Unless there was a large difference in realm, age, or social status, it was practically impossible to deny a challenge during the competition.


    To give up before even facing a challenge would label that person a coward and trash for decades to come in the Jin clan. Especially in front of such a large and influential crowd. If the yellow robed youth were to deny, he might as well cut off his social life as well.


    Reluctantly, the youth walked dejectedly up on the stage. He could only hope that Feng Hao would be light-handed and not humiliate him too much. Cupping his hand towards Feng Hao, the yellow garmented male gave his greeting.


    ¡°Main family¡¯s junior, Jin Bei Zhi, hopes to receive some pointers from Big Brother Feng Hao. I hope you can be light with your hands¡­¡±


    Feng Hao dismissed the latter¡¯s introduction with a wave of his hand as he stared at Bei Zhi. There was a strange light in his eyes.


    Jin Bei Zhi hesitated for a while, before he plucked up his couraged and charged towards Feng Hao with his fist while shouting.


    Whoosh!


    Feng Hao lightly dodged Bei Zhi¡¯s fist before he suddenly unleashed a powerful punch towards the latter¡¯s chest. With his strength at the Wudan 4th stage, Feng Hao¡¯s attack was too fast for someone who was only at the 2nd stage of Wudan.


    In moments, Feng Hao¡¯s attack viciously smashed into Bei Zhi¡¯s chest, causing a dent to appear, before the latter¡¯s body flew off the stage like a broken kite.


    When Bei Zhi landed on the floor outside the stage, there was no longer any movements from him.


    ¡°Zhi¡¯Er!¡±


    An elderly man in black robes abruptly leaped from the main family¡¯s side as he quickly arrived in front of Bei Zhi¡¯s family. After placing his finger on the Bei Zhi¡¯s neck, the elder¡¯s face changed from a horrified face to one which was filled with fury.


    Furiously turning towards Feng Hao, the elder shouted at him in a furious tone.


    ¡°Junior, you dare commit murder in broad daylight and kill my son?! Did the patriarch not warn us moments ago to not go overboard with our hits?! Just what is the meaning of this!¡±


    Feng Hao¡¯s face quickly adopted a fake innocent smile as he looked down at elder.


    ¡°Ahh, it really is not my fault, Elder Zhikong. I didn¡¯t know your son was so weak that he couldn¡¯t even take a single hit from me. If you want to blame, go blame your son for being trash.¡±, Feng Hao sneered as he looked at the elder.


    ¡°Y-you!¡± The one called Elder Zhikong almost spurt out a mouth full of blood hearing Feng Hao¡¯s response.


    But before he could action against Feng Hao, Bao Lei¡¯s stern voice boomed out.


    ¡°Elder Zhikong, this is the family competition. A hot-blooded battle between the younger generation is to be expected. As such, casualties would naturally occur. Do not embarrass the Jin Clan any longer, or you will be stripped of your position as an elder!¡±


    With Bao Lei¡¯s swift words, Elder Zhikong was rendered speechless. He could only keep his mouth shut as he dejectedly picked up his son¡¯s dead body and walked away towards the clan door. The yard was now deathly silent.


    Seeing that Elder Zhikong was leaving, Bao Lei narrowed his eyes. He could not allow any one from the main family to leave this place today. He could not tolerate leaving remnants of those who he viewed as enemy.


    After the juniors were taken care of, Bao Lei was planning to directly move against the main family, which should then have already become enraged by the loss of their entire younger generation. Using the excuse of ¡°removing the rebels¡±, Bao Lei would eliminate the main family!


    And according to plan, the three other major clans would also join in to fight against the main Jin family with the excuse of being ¡°sworn brothers¡± of Jin Bao Lei. This way, the main family is bound to be completely extinct!


    It is with this decisive type of mindset, was Bao Lei able to attain his status today.


    Just as Bao Lei was about to call Elder Zhikong back, clear sounds of clapping broke the stillness of the moment. Someone was slowing clapping.


    Hearing this, everyone turned towards the source of the sound as it began to fade. As they looked, they were shocked by what they saw.


    An extremely suave youth clad in a simple, white robe was slowly walking towards the stage. No one knew where and when the youth had entered the yard.


    Only the four clan masters who were superior in their senses had noticed this oddity. They knew that the youth clearly wasn¡¯t in the crowd prior to the start of the competition.


    With this realization, all of four of them furrowed their eyes in uneasiness.


    The youth had short, black hair coupled with a strikingly mesmerizing pair of dark eyes that seems as if they hold the answer to the world¡¯s mysteries. As the young man walked through yard, many females who saw him were instantly infatuated. Their cheeks burned pink as some of them lowered their head in embarrassment.


    The majestic aura, the refined appearance, and the tranquil demeanor made the youth seem otherworldly to the crowd.


    As the people stared at the white robed youth, everyone had a perplexed expression on their face. Many of the same questions flashed through their mind.


    Just who was this person? With such grace, he is definitely not anyone ordinary, right? But if so, how come no one has heard of him before?


    While everyone was immersed in trying to solve the mystery of this enigmatic youth before them, the youth had already arrived on the stage.


    With a faint smile, the youth in white clothes looked directly past Feng Hao, who was glaring at him, towards Bao Lei. The look instantly gave Bao Lei chills when he saw the youth¡¯s eyes, which were like the endless abyss, staring straight at him.


    ¡°W-what is this feeling? I¡¯m actually feeling fearful in front of a little junior? Impossible!¡±, Bao Lei thought as he suppressed his anxious feeling as he struggled to confront the youth.


    After a while, the youth suddenly spoke in a mocking tone as he continued to stare at Bao Lei.


    ¡°Good, good! You have done well, trashy Bao Lei. Since you have personally started this mess first, I am now free of any qualms about eradicating you all. Let I, Jin Xia, of the main family¡¯s junior challenge you, the patriarch of the Jin Clan, Bao Lei! I wonder, if the scum dares or not?¡±


    Hearing this, all the expressions in the audience drastically changed.

 Chapter 12: Jin Clans Inner Family Competition(2)

    Author¡¯s note: Sponsored by our proud Gary R, once again! Super thanks! All queue is now cleared. \ (???) /


    Host¡¯s note: I¡¯m not the author but someone rehosting the story here with author¡¯s permission


    <hr />


    Every person in the audience had a confused expression as they stared at the young man in white robe on the fighting stage.


    ¡°Th-that is Jin Xia? The crippled second young master of the Jin Clan?¡±


    ¡°No, no, how is that even possible? That demeanor, tone, and even appearance seems vastly different from the young master Jin Xia that I know of¡­how could that be of a cripple?¡±


    The crowd was in disbelief when they heard that the handsome youth before them was actually the same young master whom they regarded as worthless before. He was even a cripple now.


    But what shocked them even more was the fact that this same Jin Xia had actually dared to challenge the patriarch of the Jin Clan!


    An 8th stage Wudan practitioner! Compared to the crippled Jin Xia, it was like the difference between heaven and earth! How could that Jin Xia hope to compete?


    Besides the people who were shocked, the ones who were the most startled were Jin Xia¡¯s parents. While Liu Dan and Jia Yue Bing was able to instantly recognize Jin Xia the moment he walked in, after being by their son¡¯s side since he had started changed, both of their faces turned pale with fright when they heard their son¡¯s declaration of challenge.


    The two had recently been extremely pleased with Jin Xia¡¯s newfound attitude for the past two months. They noticed that their son had become much more mature and courteous, traits that they never thought would be used to describe their own son!


    But at this moment, they felt extremely worried for Jin Xia.  He, who did not possess any strength¡­how could he hope to fight against a real cultivator?!


    ¡°Hahaha! Jin Xia, just what exactly makes you think you are qualified to challenge me, the patriarch? With your crippled strength, if we were to battle, I¡¯m afraid people might say that I¡¯m bullying the weak!¡±, Bao Lei sneered as he glared at Jin Xia. To think that of all people who could have challenged him, a crippled junior would actually dare to!


    Still wearing a faint smile, Jin Xia replied in a feigned arrogant manner.


    ¡°Qualified? It does not matter if you accept the challenge or not. You are going to die today. Whether you die still or die struggling like the low dog you are, it does not concern me.


    Hmph! Having trashes like you around will only further pollute my Jin Clan. If I was the King of Hell, I would¡¯ve made sure to severely reprimand your parents¡¯ soul for giving birth to such a devilspawn like you!¡±


    Jin Xia¡¯s last sentence was sharp and ruthless, giving no face to Bao Lei at all.


    Hearing his family being insulted, Bao Lei¡¯s eyes turned red with rage as he smashed his right arm chair to smithereens. ¡°Lowly junior, you dare speak like this to me! Watch if I don¡¯t shattered all your limbs today and put you in your place!¡±


    Bao Lei shouted as he suddenly leaped into the air and punched toward Jin Xia.


    The crowd gasped when they saw Bao Lei taking the initiative to strike Jin XIa. Coming from the older generation yet daring to attack a junior first¡­wasn¡¯t this too much?


    But as he looked at the rapidly approaching Bao Lei, Jin Xia had a face filled with disdain as he sneered, ¡°With just your ability you wish to put me in my place? I¡¯m afraid, where I belong is simply too high for you to reach!¡±


    Just as Bao Lei¡¯s punch was about to reach his face, Jin Xia suddenly kicked out his right leg at Bao Lei. Although Bao Lei saw that Jin Xia had moved, the speed at which the latter had executed his kick was lightning fast. Before he could react, Bao Lei was hit squarely in his abdomen by Jin Xia¡¯s kick, while he was still in mid-air.


    Immediately, Bao Lei felt as he was hammered by a huge mountain. The area around his abdomen instantly indented inward as Bao Lei spit out a mouthful of fresh blood.


    *Bam!*


    ¡°Get out of here!¡±, Jin Xia growled as he kicked Bao Lei in the air. Bao Lei¡¯s body instantly crumpled and shot backwards as he crashed through the high chair. But his body did not stop there. It continued to fly back until crash into one of the Jin Clan¡¯s servant housing quarters. After blasting through the small building, the stone house shook before a soft rumbling could be heard.


    Moments later, the entire small house crumbled down to the ground from the impact.


    Silence. Absolute silence.


    Everyone held their breaths. They were unable to tear their eyes from the scene before them.


    Cold sweat dripped down from the three clan masters¡¯ back after they saw what happened to Bao Lei. They, too, was unable to see Jin XIa¡¯s strike.


    This strength, was it really something a cripple would have?


    If becoming a cripple meant having such strength,then everyone would gladly become a cripple instead! But they knew that was clearly not the case. Something had definitely changed with this once-unnoticeable second young master of the Jin Clan.


    ¡°Hmph! What a piece of fool. He talked all big yet was still finished off by me in one move. I didn¡¯t even get to warm up yet!¡±, JIn Xia cursed out loud, surprising the crowd as they would not usually associate such a pretty face with the vulgar words spoken a moment ago.


    Jin Xia turned around and faced the terrified Feng Hao. This was the person who had crippled the previous host. But now, this kind of figure was barely worth any importance to the current Jin Xia. It was best not to dwell on minor characters like this.


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    With a single wave of his hand, Jin Xia muttered, ¡°You may scram now.¡±


    *Whoosh!*


    *Bam!*


    Feng Hao did not even have time to cry out before his body was effortlessly knocked away from the pressure of Jin Xia¡¯s wave. As his body crumpled down to the ground, Feng Hao¡¯s body had ceased its movements¡­forever.


    Seeing this, the crowd suddenly began to register the scene before them as their heart turned cold with dread. When did this Jin Xia become so tyrannical? It was as if the person before them was a completely different being!


    ¡°Huh? The hell, I gave him a light push and he actually went and died! I haven¡¯t even thanked him for helping to cripple me. What a shame..¡±, Jin Xia sighed as his right hand lightly palmed his forehead.


    The audience stood in stupefied silence as they listened to Jin Xia¡¯s words. Thank him? My god, have this Jin Xia gone insane? His personality is totally different from the previous young master they all thought they knew¡­


    While Jin Xia had his palm on his forehand, a dreadful aura suddenly exploded forth from his body. The pressure instantly engulfed the crowd as everyone had a panic-stricken expression on their face.


    ¡°How tyrannical! T-this pressure¡­how can such a pressure come from a youth like this!¡±


    ¡°A-ah, this, this¡­is he really that Jin Xia?!¡±


    Groans and whimpers spread throughout the audience as they were subdued under the pressure; everyone, except the main family members of the Jin Clan.


    The main family was stupefied when they saw the pained reactions of the audience around them. Even the branch family members were moaning in fear. But the ones who were most delightfully surprised was Jin Xia¡¯s parents.


    ¡°Oh god, even though I am not under the pressure, I can faintly feel the tremendous energy that¡¯s being released from Xia¡¯Er¡­ Aiyah, to think I,as his father, would still misjudge my own son¡¯s progress¡­it may seem that from the start, Xia¡¯er had full intention of hiding his strength, even from us¡­¡±


    As Liu Dan muttered up until here, his eyes dilated from excitement as he stared at his son. For him as a 6th stage Wudan cultivator to be unable to judge his son¡¯s cultivation level externally anymore, would mean that the latter has most likely already advanced beyond the Wudan layer¡­


    This was practically a dream-like conclusion for Liu Dan. But he could find no other explanations that would explain his son¡¯s mighty display of strength at the moment. Even a great 8th stage Wudan practitioner was unable to last even a minute against Jin Xia.


    Jia Yue Xia, who had watched Jin Xia¡¯s actions from start to now, had a beaming smile on her face. ¡°My son is not a cripple anymore¡­My son is not a cripple anymore¡­haha, the Heaven has eyes! The Heaven has eyes!¡± She continously muttered under breath as she proudly watched over her son.


    She, like the other main family members, was not bothered about Bao Lei¡¯s death. They were enemies to begin after all.


    Meanwhile, everyone, including the three clan masters, were being bound down by an immense pressure from Jin Xia.


    ¡°Brat! How dare you use trickery to trap us like this! If you are man, discard away your tricks and confront us head on!¡±, Ting Tang, who felt increasingly pressured by Jin Xia¡¯s aura could not help but shout out at the youth. He did not believe this aura was coming from the frail youth.


    ¡°Haha! Do not worry, your turn will be coming up very soon. Today, I plan to eradicate the Gao clan, Fei clan, and Ting clan. I know that all three of you bastards have colluded together with the Jin branch families in order to devour our Jin Clan.¡±, Jin Xia replied in a nonchalantly manner as he slowly lowered his hand.


    ¡°Wh-what, do you have proof! J-just because you are a bit stronger now, you cannot accuse us wrongly like this!¡± A person from the branch families shouted out as he attempted to resist the pressure. But for him, who was only a 1st stage Wudan practitioner, how was that even possible?


    Moreover, that person seemed to have forgotten that their clan master and the genius of the Jin Clan had both been effortlessly dealt with by Jin Xia, who was said to have been crippled. That kind of strength simply could not be called ¡°a bit stronger¡± anymore¡­


    In fact, at this moment, every single person was fully alarmed and panicking. They had more or less forgotten that Jin Xia had once been a cripple. Some even believed that the youth standing on the stage wasn¡¯t even the ¡°real¡± Jin Xia.


    (Note: Well, that¡¯s true..)


    Jin Xia raised an eyebrow as he slowly turned towards the Jin branch family. ¡°You want proof? Then let me tell you now, to deal with evil spawns like you, my words are proof enough!¡±


    Without any warning, Jin Xia¡¯s body instantly flashed before appearing right in front of the person from the branch family who had spoken out.


    *Bam!*


    Jin Xia forcefully backhanded the clansman, directly blowing off the pitiable person¡¯s head as blood splattered everywhere.


    The youth¡¯s snow white robe was suddenly tainted with splashes of crimson blood.


    <hr />


    Host¡¯s note: Turns out I accidentally posted 4 chapters in a day before. I¡¯ve been posting 3 chapters a day and it confused me yesterday when I was about to post the last chapter and the fiction page already had the prologue and chapters 1-11. So, I did only 2 chapters yesterday.

 Chapter 13: Human Calamity

    Author¡¯s note: This chapter is sponsored by Aaron C and Chadwick T! Thank you for your contributions! Queue is finally cleared ¨C again. ^^


    Host¡¯s note: I¡¯m not the author, I¡¯m just rehosting this story off of the main site. Had a note here before about spacing before I realized that I haven¡¯t been preserving the original spacing at all.


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    ¡°Ahhh!!!¡±


    Screams of confusion and fear instantly rang throughout the Jin Clan¡¯s yard as blood splattered onto some of the branch family clansmen who were nearby. Although everyone wanted to leave as soon as possible, they were unable to move due to the pressure that was bounding them.


    A youth stood in front of the Jin branch families. His eyes slightly narrowed before he spoke in a cold voice,


    ¡°None of you should think about leaving this place alive. As traitors of the Jin Clan, I, representing the Jin Clan, condemns you all to death. And as for enemies of my Jin Clan, I hereby declare war on the Fei clan, Gao clan, and Ting clan. Rest assured that I will not stop until either one of us is completely eliminated!¡±


    Upon hearing Jin Xia¡¯s words, everyone felt their blood go cold. This statement was simply tyrannical! Brutal! Merciless! Everyone was feeling a stifling fear in their heart, especially for the two twins, Jin Rong and Jin Dong.


    They felt an uncontrollable fear taking hold of their core. Thinking back to the previous night when they had openly ridiculed Jin Xia in front of the Jin mansion, they felt an immense pang of regret. They still could not quite accept Jin Xia¡¯s newfound strength. It was inconceivable. For the past years, they had always engaged in bitter skirmishes with Jin Xia, but he had never displayed such might before today. Was he purposely hiding his strength, pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger?


    But unfortunately, no matter how much the two brothers regret their history, what the world lacks the most are pills that can cure past regrets.


    Without speaking any further, Jin Xia moved towards the branch family members.


    A dark glow could be seen discretely forming on Jin Xia¡¯s palm. With a wave, an immense dark energy burst out and instantly laid several tens of branch members who were near Jin Xia, to eternal rest. Bloods danced wildly through the air as Jin Xia¡¯s white robe took on a darker shade of red.


    Jin Xia waved his left hand this time, as an even greater form of boundless energy spread forth across the branch family crowd. If one were to look closely, one might be able to see that the dark energy was shaped almost like a scythe.


    An instant after his initial attack, Jin Xia¡¯s second strike finished off all the branch families


    The second attack range this time was simply too wide and powerful. More so, all the members were bounded in a tight space, unable to escape. Every member was quickly wiped out.


    Staring at the brief massacre before them, all three clan master felt an uncontrollable fear welling up inside them. The youth in front of them was basically like a human calamity! None of the Jin branch people were spared.


    ¡°W-was that an¡­energy attack?¡±, Ting Teng stammered as he struggled to maintain his posture under the dreadful aura.


    ¡°Th-that can¡¯t be¡­energy attacks can only be formed when one reaches the Xing profound¡­¡±, Gao Dai said as his eyes bulged with disbelief.


    ¡°¡­The Wudan realm trains the mortal body to its limit¡­the Spiritual Dan realm allows one to suffuse spiritual energy to further strengthen one¡¯s body¡­and the Xing Profound realm grants cultivators the power to control and use spiritual energy attacks outside¡­this¡­this¡­¡±, Fei Sheung was continuously muttering under his breath as his eyes grew hazy while looking at the blood drenched Jin Xia.


    In the Great Azure Country, only the three realms of cultivation was most well known. As for other levels above the third realm, almost no one knows about them. This goes to further show how weak the Great Azure Country was compared to others¡­


    When the surrounding parties heard the mutters from the three clan masters near them, every person¡¯s face turned ghastly pale.


    A youth who is not even twenty was able to reach the Xing Profound realm? This, how was this even possible!


    When a person is at the Wudan realm, they are able to control their muscles and surpass the limit of a normal human body. After that, upon reaching the Spiritual Dan realm, one would be able to fuse the World Qi that was nested in their dantian, into their attacks and body, otherwise known as spiritual energy. This enforcement will then greatly boost one¡¯s strength and attacks, giving them a huge edge over someone in a battle!


    But once a person steps into the Xing Profound realm, they will gain the ability to manipulate the spiritual energy inside their body and use it to attack externally, providing them with a powerful long range-damage skill.


    With each new realm reached, the abilities available for a cultivator increases. This was why as one steps into a higher realm, one could easily crush those below his level. And for a person who is at the Xing Profound realm, they are able to effortlessly deal with hundreds of Wudan practitioners if they so desired.


    The three clan masters tried desperately to convince themselves that Jin Xia was only using a trick to indirectly harm those Jin clansmen. Afterall, if they were to believe that Jin Xia had actually reached the Xing Profound realm, then it would truly be the end for them. In fact, if Jin Xia had even reached the 1st stage of Spiritual Dan, they would all be doom. The difference between a realm is akin to a large ocean: it¡¯s enormous.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    And what¡¯s more, all three of their strength was only at Wudan 8th stage, like Bao Lei.


    *Whoosh!*


    Suddenly a white blur flashed briefly on the stage before a figure stepped lightly in front of Ting Teng.


    When Jin Xia¡¯s face abruptly appeared before Ting Teng, the latter¡¯s face instantly went pale.


    ¡°Y-you¡­¡±, Ting Teng stammered, but was unable to muster his words out. He was stricken with fear and panic at the enigmatic youth standing in front of him.


    ¡°No need to be so surprised. I told you three old dogs already, once I¡¯m done with over there, I will naturally come rid of you guys as well.¡± Jin Xia calmly said lazily gestured at the bloody mess behind him.


    The three old men¡¯s face quickly flushed a shade paler.


    Ting Teng frantically tried to move back, but because of JIn Xia¡¯s aura pressing down on him, he found it exceedingly difficult to move even a step!


    ¡°P-please wait, junior! If, if you spare me, I can guarantee anything that you wish of! S-so, plea¨C¡±, Ting Teng tried to persuade Jin Xia to spare him. As he was cowardly in nature, when faced with death he was willing to lose some face than his own life. But before he could finish, Jin Xia flicked his sleeve.


    A black light shot out and pierced a large hole through Ting Teng¡¯s chest. After piercing through Ting Teng¡¯s chest, the light instantly blew back several of the Ting clansmen standing behind Ting Teng.


    Through the hole in Ting Teng¡¯s chest, one could clearly see the Ting people sprawn down on the floor, never to move again.


    Ting Teng slowly looked down at the hole in his chest. His mind was still trying to process what happened before he coughed up a mouthful of blood and fell down forward, dead.


    *zzt!* *zzt!* *zzt!*


    *zzt!* *zzt!* *zzt!*


    *zzt* *zzt!* *zzt!*


    Several black lights sprayed out towards the remaining Ting Clan members, while the other dark energies rocketed in the direction where the Gao and Fei clans were held in place.


    *Pch!*


    *Pch!*


    Almost instantly, Gao Dai and Fei Sheung¡¯s chest were similarly pierced through by the unstoppable light. And with everyone being immobilized by Jin Xia¡¯s terrifying pressure, they could only await their death as the black lights penetrated them.


    Soon, all the people from the Gao clan, the Fei clan, and the Ting clan were killed. None were left standing, as each person had blood gushing forth from the huge gaping hole on their chest.


    Dead.


    The three major clans who had came gallantly today were all dead! And the disciples who came with their clan masters, people surmised, were most definitely the top batch of their respective clan. But at this moment, not one of those talented juniors were left alive by Jin Xia¡¯s mysterious attacks.


    At this point, without the talented juniors and clan masters to guide their clan, the three major clans were now set on the path of decline. And all these was caused by Jin Xia alone, a youth who was not even eighteen years old!


    From start to finish, Jin Xia had not moved from his spot when he unleashed his spiritual energy attacks. After seeing that his enemies were all dead, Jin Xia nodded to himself in satisfaction before leaping backwards onto the stage. The pressure that had continuously pressed down upon the crowd of people suddenly vanished without a trace.


    With the terrifying pressure gone, everyone breathed a sigh of relief in the crowd.


    Facing the audience, Jin Xia spoke in a tranquil tone, as if the massacre that happened a moment ago was normal.


    ¡°Today, with the death of Jin Bao Lei and the Jin branch families, there will now only be the main family of the Jin Clan. And from this moment forth, I recommend my father, Jin Liu Dan, to be the patriarch of the Jin Clan¡­Is there anyone who wants to object?¡±, saying this, Jin Xia glanced over to his right at the main family of the Jin Clan.


    ¡°W-we have no objection!¡±


    An elder stood up from the main family as he voiced his opinion. The main family members looked at the person and all nodded in approval. That person was Elder WeiMo, one of the two elders of the main family. Likewise, with his position within the family, Elder WeiMo¡¯s words represented the main family itself.


    ¡°Same here! I-I am in favor of Liu Dan becoming our patriarch.¡± Another voice rang out. This time, it was from within the crowd.


    Elder Shikong, who had initially wanted to leave, had stayed behind when he saw Jin Xia enter the fray. He was curious to see what might happen, given the unique demeanor of the youth he saw.


    But when he saw the ruthless and overwhelming nature of Jin Xia, Elder Shikong was quickly shocked speechless. The youth who was standing on the stage was a monster.


    Then, when he heard Jin Xia¡¯s proposal, Elder Shikong naturally gave his approval as well. After all, the young man had not only enacted vengeance on the culprit, but the despicable branch families as well.


    Moreover, with such an evildoer like Jin Xia leading their family, Elder Shikong had unconsciously began looking at Jin Xia as the head of the family, even though the title was transferred to the youth¡¯s father. Elder WeiMo, who had first spoken out, felt the same way as well.


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    Author¡¯s note: ¡°evildoer¡± can mean someone very talented and strong in the martial way.


    Host¡¯s note: Think of evildoer as more of monster or demon. Someone talented and strong in an unnatural or ¡°evil¡± way.

 Chapter 14: The Lord of Tian City

    Author¡¯s note: Early Regular chapter here. There¡¯s three in queue, so I¡¯ll finish two by tomorrow and post the last one the day after that. ^^


    ¨CMochi


    Host¡¯s note: I¡¯m not the author, but someone rehosting this story on RRL. Btw, technically Mochi isn¡¯t the author but a friend of the author, somewhat of an editor/co-author. However, he¡¯s the one who gave me permission to host here and the one who originally posted this story. Just wanted to clarify that. It can be confusing so I just refer to his notes as author notes and mine as host notes. It¡¯s less confusing than a host note and editor/co-author note.


    <hr />


    Lightly nodding his head, Jin Xia gave a smile of satisfaction before turning towards the crowd once again.


    ¡°With that settled, I will announce that from now on, I will be called the first young master of the Jin clan. Please do not address me as second young master anymore. Instead, my younger brother Jin Chen will now be the second young master, and my little sister Jin Ai will now be the young miss of our Jin clan. Once they come back from their training, please do address them accordingly!¡±, Jin Xia announced as he looked at the crowd.


    While the current Jin Xia barely had any interactions with his siblings for the past two months, that was because the two had long been sent away to train in a martial arts school a year ago.


    Both Jin Chen and Jin Ai had shown great talent on the path of cultivation, thus they were able to catch the eyes of the Xiandu Sect.


    The Xiandu Sect was a powerful martial arts school in the Eastern Moon Continent. Its influence was greater than all six of the major cities in Great Azure Country combined, and wields large power over the masses.


    The sect¡¯s prerequisite for entrance was that the person must be no older than twenty, having at least reached Wudan 4th stage.


    While this rule holds true for almost everyone, Jin Xia¡¯s siblings were an exception.


    ¡°If I remember correctly, those two had a fortunate encounter with one of that Xiandu sect¡¯s elder, who later tested their innate quality and decided to take them in as his disciples¡­¡±, Jin Xia thought in his mind.


    Innate quality is basically the strength of one¡¯s soul. The purer and stronger one¡¯s soul is, the easier it is for one to cultivate. Thus, one¡¯s innate quality can also be a representation of one¡¯s talent in cultivation.


    The innate quality can be set into ranks from 1 to 12, with one being the weakest.


    A normal person would have an innate quality of around 1 and 2, a higher-than-average practitioner might have a quality of 3 to 4, and anyone who have been labeled a ¡°genius¡± generally possesses an innate quality of around 5 to 7.


    So far, there has been no one in the entire WuDang world who owns an innate quality greater than 8. And even that innate quality was said to have only appeared in the ancient eras.


    The previous Jin branch families had initially wanted to send Feng Hao to the Xiandu Sect for training after the inter family competition. A sect¡¯s resource and prestige are much higher than that of a small clan after all. But alas, things did not go as they had planned¡­


    ¡°And finally, I will put it boldly out there: I declare our Jin Clan to be the lord of Tian City. This entire city¡¯s land will be our Jin territory.¡±, Jin Xia coolly said. The crowd instantly bursted out in voices of confusion and shock.


    On the main family side of the Jin clan, every person had a surprised expression on their face as they looked at Jin Xia.


    ¡°T-this¡­the Jin Clan is going to take over Tian city? My god!¡±


    ¡°But isn¡¯t this the logical outcome? After all, the other three major clans are done for and there¡¯s no other organization within this city who can compete with the current Jin clan¡­¡±


    As murmurs spread through the crowd, Jin Xia faintly smiled before he continued, ¡°But..¡±


    The people quickly quieted down when they heard Jin Xia speak. The current youth standing on stage was already placed on an extremely high position within everyone¡¯s heart. They did not dare neglect his words.


    ¡°¡­if you are all willing to acknowledge our Jin Clan, I can guarantee that Tian City will experience a period of great prosperity! As long as you are loyal, we will not put any of you at a disadvantage. You may all continue your daily business in the city. We, the Jin Clan, just want the rights to control this city, in case any emergency arises.¡±


    What Jin Xia had spoken was true. He did not want to manage every single business the city holds, but rather he wants to rule over the city so that the people would think twice before rashly provoking his clan.


    In order to enter a higher stage, Jin Xia required complete control over the things in his homeland. This way, even if he were to leave one day, the Jin Clan would have a firm footing in Tian City.


    He needed a safe space in which he can call his stronghold.


    Listening the Jin Xia¡¯s words, the people in the crowd began to contemplate the youth¡¯s offer. Without any hatred or any enmity between them and the Jin Clan, they were sure that the Jin Clan would not unreasonably harm them.


    After all, the enemies of the Jin Clan were only the other three major powers. Now that those three were gone, there is no one who would struggle against the Jin Clan anymore, not that there was a reason to for them anyway.


    Thinking up to this point, the people sitting in the crowd began to nod as some voiced their approval.


    ¡°I accept! With the Jin Clan leading us, I am sure our city will begin to grow stronger!¡±


    ¡°We agree to follow the Jin Clan! All hail the Jin Clan!¡±


    ¡°Congratulations! The Jin Clan is now the sole ruler of our Tian City!¡±


    Seeing that the people had accepted his offer, JIn Xia once again nodded his head in satisfaction. Everything was going as planned.


    ¡°All right, I thank everyone for their understanding! Now that I have finished what I wanted to say, I will now go clear up some unfinished business in the city. As for today¡¯s event, I apologize for having everyone see such scenes. Now, I bid everyone farewell.  Servants! Please escort the guests out!¡±, Jin Xia waved his sleeve as the few servants who stood near the crowd quickly sobered up and went to escort the departing crowd.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Jin Xia¡¯s figure flashed as he leaped over the Jin mansion¡¯s walls. Some of the people who had walked out of the Jin Clan¡¯s yard only briefly saw a white-red blur streaking across the road. The fuzzy shadow quickly disappeared from everyone¡¯s sight.


    Although the crowd was not directly informed of where Jin Xia was heading towards, many of them could already guess: the three major clan¡¯s mansions. It seems they had underestimated the ruthlessness of the young man whom they had saw. He was not even willing to spare any remnants of the three clans.


    ***


    As the people went home, everyone in the Jin Clan began to clean up the bloody mess in the yard. All the servants who were not present in the yard, including Xie Mei, were called out from the other servant housing quarters within the Jin mansion.


    ¡°Hurry! Burn all the bodies so that they will not stink later on! Make sure to wash the blood on the floor! Also, get some people to quickly mend the broken walls! Clear away that fallen housing quarter as well!¡±, Liu Dan barked at the servants as everyone quickly got to work.


    While Liu Dan held considerable power in the clan before, now that Liu Dan was patriarch of the Jin Clan, no one in the clan dared to neglect even a single word of his.


    Some of the higher positioned servants, who were allowed to be present in the yard during the family competition remembered the horrifying youth who was the son of their current patriarch, had their face flushed pale. They passionately began to order the other servants to work faster as they themselves clean vigorously as well.


    ¡°Faster! Faster! Get everything cleaned up before night time, or you¡¯re all not getting your meals!¡± One male servant with a crooked nose barked as he urged the lower servants. He was one of the higher servants, who supervised the other helpers.


    ¡°You! Why are you standing there being dazed? Go grab a pail of water and clean away the blood on the floor now!¡± Noticing that Xie Mei was frozen on the spot in the middle of the yard, the servant with the crooked nose shouted at her to work.


    When Xie Mei was suddenly called from her housing quarter to the yard, she was confused as to what had happened. But when she saw the grisly scene before her, where bloods painted the ground and mutilated bodies laid around like waste, Xie Mei was petrified.


    She had never seen such a gory scene in her entire life, having grown up since she was small in the Jin Clan. While she often hear about the harsh world outside, Xie Mei had not personally witness any murder or death. She was still innocently pure at the age of sixteen, which was quite rare in the chaotic world of WuDang.


    Seeing that Xie Mei had completely ignored his order and was still standing in place, the crooked nose servant was about to angrily storm over when someone grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back.


    ¡°You fool! Do you want to die? Do you not recognize that¡¯s Xie Mei, the personal maid of our first young master Jin Xia! Did you not hear how well the young master has been treating her for the past two months?!¡±


    An elderly male servant with a gray beard sternly reprimanded the crooked nose servant as he pulled the man back.


    ¡°A-ah?! Sh-she¡¯s that young master¡¯s personal maid? My god! I heard that for some reason, the young master had been treating a maid named Xie Mei extremely well¡­so much, that she has practically been relieved of her duty. She just sits around all day doing nothing, so that¡¯s her¡­but, but why is she out here now, Old Niu?¡±, the crooked nose servant cried out in fear as he looked at the elder servant named ¡®Old Niu.¡¯


    The other servant was similarly a supervising servant like the crooked nose servant, except the Old Niu¡¯s status was a bit higher than the other due to the extended time the old man had worked for the Jin Clan.


    ¡°How would I know?¡±, Old Niu grunted. ¡°Some idiot might¡¯ve accidentally called her, thinking she was a regular servant. Anyways, we¡¯ll have to send her back. If young master Jin Xia finds out we had her to do such filthy work¡­you can be assure none of us will be able to rise from our bed tomorrow.¡±


    The crooked nose servant¡¯s face right away became pale.


    ¡°R-right, I¡¯ll go over and tell her right now!¡± With a panicky expression, the crooked nose servant ran over to Xie Mei and began to politely motion her away.


    ¡°B-but, I am a servant of the Jin Clan as well. I have a duty to help..¡±, Xie Mei confusedly said as she was slowly being led away from the yard by the crooked nose servant.


    ¡°Oh no, no, how can miss Xie Mei be a mere servant? You are a great attendant of the first young master! Please just leave such dirty work to small servants like us. If you really feel bad, then please say a few good words for us servants in front of the young master. That is all we ask of you, miss Xie Mei.¡±, the crooked nose servant quickly said as he respectfully gestured Xie Mei to leave.


    Seeing that the supervising servant was not going to let her work no matter what, Xie Mei could only reluctantly bite her lips as she nodded, ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    Then, she turned around and headed back towards her housing quarter. While Xie Mei was still unused to such flattering treatment from her fellow servants, she knew she would be unable to change their minds. Because deep in her heart, she understood it all because of her young master, Jin Xia¡­


    ¡°Was I truly unable to see through my young master¡¯s facade all these years¡­¡± Xie Mei thought as she reminisced her past suffering at the hands of the ¡®previous Jin Xia¡¯. ¡°But..young master was indeed once crippled¡­then how could all this be caused by him?¡±


    But no matter how much she thought about, she could not come up with an answer. The change in Jin Xia¡¯s personality had been too drastic. There was no way to link Jin Xia¡¯s previous demeanor to the one at present.


    Staring at Xie Mei¡¯s departing figure, the servant with the crooked nose was able to finally breath out an air of relief.


    <hr />


    Host¡¯s note: Been a tad busy with things, so this has been posted late at 1am where I am. Let¡¯s just count this as part of yesterday. RRL¡¯s dating on chapters seem to disagree with me on the time specifics anyways. I might¡¯ve set the time zone wrong on my profile or RRL uses server time for chapter updates. Too tired to look that up.

 Chapter 15: Wealth

    Author¡¯s note: This early episode was brought to you by Mark S.! Another gonna pop up sometime later!


    Host¡¯s note: I¡¯m not the author, I¡¯m simply someone hosting this story on RRL. Also, I cut a part out of the author¡¯s note about currency values being a bit off as changes have been made by the author on previous chapters to fix the issue already.


    <hr />


    Late a night, a shadow flickered and landed in the Jin Clan¡¯s yard. This person was Jin Xia.


    Without a sound, JIn Xia quietly entered his room. The night air outside was cool while crickets chirped ignorantly in the distant. Like this, the night quickly passed.


    When the next day arrived, Tian City was in an uproar. The events that had transpired yesterday had already quickly trickled down to the residents.


    ¡°Hey, hey, did you hear? Yesterday, someone or some group had infiltrated into the three major clan¡¯s base and massacred everyone from the upper echelon there! All the treasures were even looted, too! But strangely, all the old and young ones were spared¡­¡±


    ¡°I think that should be Jin Xia, right? I heard from an expert who was at the scene that Jin Xia has reached the Xing Profound realm and consecutively killed all four of the major clan masters during the Jin family competition!¡±


    ¡°Impossible! There is not even a single Spiritual Dan practitioner in Tian City, so how could a Xing Profound practitioner suddenly show up? And for that kind of person to be a sixteen years old youth, at that¡­¡±


    The public was in frantic excitement and fear over the news of what happened yesterday at the Jin Clan. Some were sceptical, some had begun to set Jin Xia as their idol, and some remained indifferent.


    ***


    < Jin Clan¡¯s Yard >


    When daylight broke out in the sky, Jin Xia had asked Xie Mei to immediately assemble all the servants in the Jin yard.


    After taking care of all the executive members of the three major clans and draining them dry, Jin Xia had left the innocent members of the clans alone. After all, they were merely at the bottom of the clan ladder, thus their opinions and actions are very limited. Most likely, the plans that were being hatched were done without those clansmen even knowing, with only those at the very top of the clan in on the secret.


    Thus, to avoid unnecessary deaths, Jin Xia had made sure to only eliminate the ones at the top. He was not afraid that those who were left alive would try to take revenge. Because even if they did, by the time they had enough strength to do so, he and his clan would have already reached a height they could only dream to border!


    More so, on the road of cultivation, one cannot make peace with everyone. There is bound to be a few enemies, with even a couple thousands being quite normal.


    Only those with true power could enjoy the reverence and envy of others. And only those with great strength could receive such attention.


    As servants appeared one after another, they saw a handsome youth clad in pure white chang pao standing peacefully in yard. Seeing Jin Xia, many of the servants revealed faces of reverent with a bit of fear lurking in their eyes.


    By now, all the servants who was not present at yesterday¡¯s family competition had already heard about this young master¡¯s tyrannical might. Jin Xia¡¯s position in their heart was no different than the patriarch of the clan.


    Once all the servants were assembled, they all stood in a neat row of ten by ten. A total of fifty servants of the Jin Clan had gathered.


    Jin Xia gave a faint smile as he looked over the group of servants. Then, he spoke out in a clear voice,


    ¡°Everyone, please stretch out both of your palms together, facing upwards, in front of you.¡±


    The servants were startled by the sudden command, but nonetheless they hastily followed and stretched out their palms.


    With a flick of his wrist, numerous beams of small black lights flew out from Jin Xia¡¯s hand and landed onto the open palms of each servant. When the minions looked down, they saw that it was a brown bag with many odd symbols on it.


    The servants were shocked. Looking at the patterns, this was actually a priceless Space bag¡­


    Once each person received a Space bag, Jin Xia continued talking,


    ¡°Inside each small bag are several gold coins I converted from crystal coins. I want you to hand out 500 Gold coins to each of the households in Tian City. This will count as a ceremonial gift to people in celebration for our Jin Clan¡¯s ascension as the number one clan in this city.¡±


    The Xia servants suddenly felt dizzy when they looked at the brown bag in their hand.


    Five hundred Gold coin was equivalent to 500,000 Silver coins! This was enough to feed a family of five for at least three years!


    One must know that for the average income per year for a typical person was at most 200 Gold coins. Only those who were wealthy would possess such amount as 500 Gold coins so easily.


    And there is about thirty thousand people living in Tian City, with a total of 8,023 households. To give 500 gold coins each to this large amount of people, just how exactly did their young master become so filthy rich?


    Even the Jin Clan did not possess that great of a wealth to give such a  luxurious amount of money out so casually.


    But having so much money in their hands, some of the servants were even going red in the eyes thinking about the great sum of Gold Coins that was stored inside the bag on their hands, perhaps it would even be enough for them to exchange for several Crystal Coins¡­


    ¡°If you all complete this well, you may head to the Jin Treasury Hall and collect 3 crystal coins as a reward for your time at my Jin Clan. But if you decide to steal all the money inside those bags, or fail to complete your task¡­¡±, JIn Xia¡¯s voice trailed off at the end as a dangerous light flashed through his eyes. ¡°¡­then I¡¯d personally chase you down and have you die a death even lower than a dog¡¯s.¡±


    Several servants turned rigid upon hearing Jin Xia¡¯s words. Those who had actually planned to run off with the money quickly discarded the idea. After all, compared to having a large sum of money, if they were dead, what was the point of even having them? Their life was much more important when considering from this aspect.


    Moreover, 3 Crystals Coins was already an extravagant amount of money. After all, that was basically equivalent to 3,000 gold coins!


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    There was no need to get greedy and risk dying at the expense getting a few extra more crystal coins. Some of the brighter servants even felt it was more appropriate to take this chance to serve their young master well. If they do good, perhaps even better benefits would await them!


    Glancing over the servants one last time, Jin Xia said, ¡°You may all go complete the task now.¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±Yes, young master!¡±¡±¡± A chorus of voice rang out at the same time.


    The servants hastily left the yard as they went towards the city to distribute the wealth.


    After taking care of the higher ups from the three major clans and looting their treasuries, Jin Xia now possessed an even greater amount of wealth. In his golden Space bag now, Jin Xia estimated there should be around five million crystal coins. But naturally, as a once almighty deity, Jin Xia did not care for such materialistic items.


    Jin Xia had only took them so that he could later distribute them to his people and use the riches as means to expand the Jin Clan¡¯s power. After all, while gods did not require such coins, the mortals of this plane definitely do.


    ***


    Not long after, delightful voices began to permeate through the air. And soon, cheers and shouts could be heard clamoring in the city.


    ¡°My god! The Jin Clan is so generous this time! Five hundred Gold coins! With this amount, I won¡¯t have to worry so much about food for quite a some time¡­¡±


    ¡°This Jin Clan is simply too awesome! To reward us such an amount¡­¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±All hail the Jin Clan! All hail the Jin Clan! All hail the Jin Clan! ¡°¡±¡±


    Chants and exclamations bursted out in the city as the people were joyous to receive such a huge amount of money out of the blue. Those who were still initially hesitant about the Jin Clan becoming the number one power in Tian City, instantly sided with the opposite party when they were given the money. Everyone in the city had quickly came to accept the Jin Clan after this displayed wave of generosity.


    From history, it could be said that forcefully usurping a position would leave chaos in one¡¯s wake. But if the new party were to provide some evident benefits to the people, then it would be much easier to take control.


    In a way, it could even be said that Jin Xia had purchased the acceptance and loyalty of the residents of Tian City. But it didn¡¯t matter for him. As long as he could tame the people, his Jin Clan would naturally have a firmer foothold in Tian City.


    ***


    < Jin Clan¡¯s Yard >


    Throughout the day, while the servants were busy spreading his gifts in the city, Jin Xia had stayed within his own backyard. He would occasionally stroll around or sit down and enjoy a cup of freshly brewed tea. But other than those activities, Jin Xia was quite relaxed.


    Frequently, though, several members of Jin Clan would come by and pay their respect to him. They would bring gifts and flatter JIn Xia with praises before leaving his yard. Naturally, Jin Xia accepted them as they were from his main family. After all, the previous host did not have much conflicts with them, given that his true enemies were the branch families.


    And since yesterday, Jin Xia¡¯s father, Liu Dan, had been busy organizing everything in the Jin Clan and cleaning up the event that happened yesterday. As the new patriarch, Liu Dan was exceedingly active, but because of his previous experiences of having to work everything out for Bao Lei, his task as the patriarch was a lot easier and was in a way, no different than when he was helping the old patriarch.


    As for Jin Xia¡¯s mother, Jia Yue Bing, she would come by regularly throughout the day to check up on Jin XIa. Even after witnessing Jin Xia¡¯s strength, she remained indifferent and continued to care for her son¡¯s well-being. Jin Xia was quite grateful for his mother¡¯s kindness and had already placed her importance up high in his heart next to his father and Xie Mei.


    While Jin Xia was brooding over his plans, Xie Mei entered his yard with a tray of food.


    ¡°Young master Jin Xia, I have brought your meal.¡±, Xie Mei respectfully said as she placed the tray down on the nearest stone table.


    Lightly turning around, Jin Xia smiled when he saw that it was Xie Mei.


    For the past two months, Jin Xia had made sure that no harm nor labor came to the little girl. He did not want the girl to suffer anymore, after having to put up with the previous host¡¯s abuses.


    Likewise, Xie Mei had noticed the significant change in personality of her lord for the past two months. His treatment towards her now compared to the past could be said to be the difference between the heaven and the earth!


    Because of that, Xie Mei had been living a comfortable lifestyle for the past days, but due to her status as a servant, she was still somewhat feeling guilty for not doing any work. Such, were her innocent thoughts.


    On the other hand, Xie Mei had come to accept the fact that her young master had indeed changed ¨C fortunately, for the better. And she had slowly began to lower her caution towards him.


    Moreover, she had already heard the news about her young master Jin Xia¡¯s might and deeds at yesterday¡¯s family competition. Although Xie Mei had felt shocked and disbelief that the bloody scene that she saw from yesterday was caused by her once crippled master, she still had to accept it as there were many primary accounts from people who had personally witnessed the event.


    As such, Xie Mei had likewise begun to feel a bit of fear and reverence towards her lord¡¯s strength.


    Seeing that Jin Xia had smiled at her like usual, Xie Mei hastily lowered her head as her cheeks blushed a light pink.


    But before she could gather up her courage to excuse herself and leave, Jin Xia¡¯s gentle voice floated over to her ears.


    ¡°Xie Mei, after thinking about it for a while, I¡¯ve decided to lift your status as a servant. Instead, why don¡¯t you become a cultivator with me? For the past two months, I¡¯ve noticed that your innate quality is quite good, so I can guarantee that your accomplishments won¡¯t be small in the future.¡±


    <hr />


    Host¡¯s note: Got some feedback from the author on my hosting. He¡¯s fine with me doing editing on things I catch before posting up chapters. So, I went back and changed chapter 10¡¯s name and I¡¯ll try to start editing any quick fixes I find while skimming the story. No other news from him.

 Chapter 16: Become a Cultivator?

    Author''s note: Sponsored by Mark S! Thank you! ^^


    Host''s note: This story is only being hosted on RRL. I''m not the author of this story, I simply have his permission to post here.


    <hr />¡°Xie Mei, after thinking about it for a while, I¡¯ve decided to lift your status as a servant. Instead, why don¡¯t you become a cultivator with me? For the past two months, I¡¯ve noticed that your innate quality is quite good, so I can guarantee that your accomplishments won¡¯t be small in the future.¡±


    Over the past months, Jin Xia discovered that Xie Mei had possessed an innate quality of 4 after observing her using his soul force. Since servants were often neglected and looked down upon, very few people would take the initiative to examine their innate quality. No one wanted to waste precious spirit stones on somebody who¡¯s innate quality they could already somewhat predict.


    And likewise, the moment Xie Mei had been taken in as a young orphan and branded the title of a servant, no one bothered to check her innate quality from that point forth.


    Fortunately, Jin Xia had decided before to observe the people around him, in order to grasp a better idea of the overall strength in his household. Otherwise, perhaps Xie Mei¡¯s decent innate quality would have never been known even now!


    Innate qualities range from 1 to 12, with 1 to 2 assessed as normal cultivators, 3-4 being higher than average, and 5-7 being classified as geniuses. There are no one in the history of the Eastern Moon Continent with an innate quality over 8.


    While others may require special stones or items to test a person¡¯s innate quality, with Jin Xia¡¯s ability to use his soul, he was able to detect the quality of the other party¡¯s soul with a detailed glance.


    After hearing Jin Xia¡¯s words, Xie Mei was greatly shocked in her heart. She¡­did not have to be a servant anymore? She could be a martial arts cultivator?


    ¡°I..I wouldn¡¯t dare to neglect my duties as your servant, young master Jin Xia¡­and there¡¯s no way for me to become a cultivator at this point.¡±, Xie Mei said as she slowly lifted her head up and gazed at her lord.


    She did not feel as if it was possible for her to become a cultivator anymore at her age.


    Besides being forbidden to cultivate due to her status as a servant, one must know that in the world of WuDang, many people begin cultivating on the path of martial arts at the age of twelve.


    While some may start earlier, there were rarely ones who would start later.


    After all, as one ages, their meridians would begin to harden and solidify itself in one¡¯s body, making it harder to absorb the World Qi around them.


    Only when one¡¯s young, would one be able to easily absorb the World Qi and ensure their meridians remain soft and open.


    For Xie Mei, who was now sixteen of age, she was long past the timeline in which she should have been cultivating.


    ¡°Haha, you do not have worry about being able to cultivate at your age now. I have my methods to help you, as long as you agree to become a practitioner. And if I say that you are not a servant anymore, then you are not. No need to be reserved with me. But if you still wish to serve me, then from now on you¡¯ll be my only personal maid and assistant. Your position will be similar to mine; your words will be the equivalent of my commands. So, what do you think? You won¡¯t reject my offers, would you?¡±, Jin Xia laughed as he assured Xie Mei.


    Xie Mei looked on at her young master with a dazed look after hearing what the latter had said. It was almost like a dream to her. Everything had progressed too quickly.


    But Xie Mei quickly snapped out of her daze as she replied, ¡°Ah, I, I wouldn¡¯t dare to reject young master Jin Xia¡¯s benevolence. If this is what young master¡¯s wishes, then Xie Mei will abide by your wish! I will serve master, and only master Jin Xia, and will work hard on the path of cultivation so to not let you down!¡±


    Then, Xie Mei directly gave a deep bow as excitement bubbled in her twinkling eyes. Never in her dreams would she have thought that she would be given the chance to cultivate and have her lowly position suddenly turned upside down.


    ¡°Mn¡±, Jin Xia nodded as he smiled at Xie Mei. ¡°I will announce this to the whole clan later, so don¡¯t worry about anything. From now on, you¡¯ll move in to the housing quarter next to mine. And there will be servants assigned to you to attend for your daily needs.¡±


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°Next, follow me to my room. I will begin to open all your meridians, so you can begin practicing as soon as possible.¡±


    Jin Xia turned around as he walked towards his housing room. Although Xie Mei still felt a tiny bit of skepticism, she nodded and speedily followed behind Jin Xia.


    Once inside, JIn Xia had Xie Mei sit in a cross legged position on his bed as he sat behind her.


    Although Jin Xia could use the Twelve Dragon Transformation Pill to forcefully reconstruct the entire being of Xie Mei, he did not wish for her to suffer through the extricating pain. If she failed to endure, Xie Mei could even die.


    Thus, taking Xie Mei¡¯s life as a priority, Jin Xia decided to personally expend some energy to help her open the meridians.


    ¡°I will start now. Close your eyes and relax.¡±, Jin Xia said in a gentle voice.


    Xie Mei nervously bit her red lips as she nodded.


    Placing both of his palms on Xie Mei¡¯s back, Jin Xia circulated the Qi energy inside him and directed it into Xie Mei¡¯s body.


    As the Qi coursed throughout Xie Mei¡¯s body, it began to attack the meridian points and forcefully opening them. While Xie Mei had felt a sharp pain each time one of her meridians were opened, she bitterly endured and did not make a sound. Beads of sweat continued to slide down her forehead as she fought the intense pain.


    Jin Xia had a satisfied smile on his face when he saw that the young girl had not so much utter a cry of pain. Her endurance and stubbornness were quite good.


    After an hour, Jin Xia had successfully opened all twenty meridians inside Xie Mei¡¯s body. With this, not only could she cultivate at a higher and more efficient rate than other cultivators, the amount of power she would be able exhibit would naturally be many folds greater.


    ¡°Alright, we are done.¡±, Jin Xia said, while Xie Mei slowly stood up.


    Then, Jin Xia pulled out three blue parchments from his clothes and handed it over to Xie Mei. ¡°Now that your meridians are open, you can now cultivate. Here are three martial art books. The one named [Soul Transformation], will help boost the power of your soul. It has no layers, so perhaps it¡¯s closer to a mantra than anything else.


    While your innate quality of 4 is pretty decent, by practicing that soul-based mantra, your innate quality should further grow.¡±


    An innate quality is connected to one¡¯s soul, and in normal circumstances, there would be no way of changing it. But through practicing certain rare techniques, one may be able to train their soul and attain a higher innate quality.


    Given Jin Xia¡¯s ability, if he still had his powers when he was a deity, he would have been able to easily expand Xie Mei¡¯s innate quality by giving her some of his soul energy.


    But alas, in his current state, he didn¡¯t even have his complete soul! He merely has a small portion of it right now. Therefore, Jin Xia could only rely on giving her techniques in hopes that she could quickly improve.


    ¡°The other one named [Celestial Fairies Tempering Body Art] is a body cultivating skill with 3 layers. If you continue to cultivate it, your physique will become much stronger than even those of the same cultivation. Withstanding attacks from opponents more powerful than you is not impossible either.


    The last one, [Four Season Palm], which has 4 layers, should suit your fighting style. If you practice this technique diligently to a certain level, you may even be able to manipulate the weather. Though of course, that is only possible if it¡¯s trained to its pinnacle stage.¡±


    Jin Xia slowly explained as he gestured to each of the technique books in Xie Mei¡¯s hand.


    Listening to her young master¡¯s explanations, Xie Mei felt as if the books that were in her hands weighed a hundred tons. Although she was not a cultivator as of yet, Xie Mei had at least heard about various tales and bits of martial knowledge growing up.


    Even if Xie Mei could not estimate the value of the three parchments in her hands, she could still tell that they were extremely precious.

 Chapter 17: Plans

    Author''s note: One more chapter for the day¡­sponsored by our generous  Mark S!


    Host''s note: I''m not the author, I''m just hosting this story on RRL with permission.


    <hr />


    Listening to her young master¡¯s explanations, Xie Mei felt as if the books that were in her hands weighed a hundred tons.


    Although she was not a cultivator as of yet, Xie Mei had at least heard about various tales and bits of martial knowledge growing up.


    Even if Xie Mei could not estimate the value of the three parchments in her hands, she could still tell that they were extremely precious.


    Take the soul enhancement technique for example. Xie Mei had heard about such a technique once in the past before.


    But unlike the one in her hand, the technique she had heard about was attack-based, which was directed at another¡¯s soul.


    Moreover, Xie Mei had only learned of such a technique through the several outlets in the cities. Apparently, there had been a huge commotion in public of how several big sects had been directly fighting over the ownership of the attack-based soul skill.


    And now, such skill was in her hands. Moreover, it even seemed to be several times more rare than the soul attack technique she had once heard about.


    After all, to strengthen one¡¯s soul is not a simple thing at all¡­


    ¡°Young master Jin XIa¡­Th-these techniques may be too precious for someone like me..¡±, Xie Mei said as her large watery eyes stared at the books in her hands.


    ¡°Enough. I prepared these books just for you because I believe they are quite suited to your current body. Go practice them, regardless if you succeed or not. If you do fail, however, that is not a problem. We can just find another skill book for you to learn.¡±, Jin Xia said as he waved his sleeves.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Xie Mei timidly nodded her head as she saw that her master had no intention to change his mind. She could only try her best to meet her master¡¯s expectations¡­


    ¡°Alright, you may go study those skills I had given you. Since your meridians are all open and purified, you should have no problem practicing those techniques immediately if you wish.¡±, JIn Xia said.


    ¡°I understand. Then, I will take my leave now, young master..¡±, Xie Mei gave a small bow as she retreated from the room.


    After Xie Mei left the room, Jin Xia closed his eyes and entered a meditative state.


    Jin Xia had purposely refrained from telling Xie Mei the level of techniques he had given her.He was a bit worried that letting her know too much may bring her trouble. The skills Jin XIa gave her,after all, were each Jade-grade.


    Having already decided to have Xie Mei included as one of his companions in this life, Jin Xia was not reserved and instead, wanted to properly nurture Xie Mei¡¯s strength for the future.


    Jin Xia had even planned to give Xie Mei much higher graded skills from his Eternal Gourd after she had improved her strength to a certain extent.


    For those whom he acknowledged to be friends, or was fond of, Jin Xia was naturally more generous and caring towards them. He didn¡¯t want to return to his previous solitary, martial arts-hungry life anymore.


    Although Jin Xia was unsure whether it was because he pitied Xie Mei¡¯s life after coming to know of it from the previous host¡¯s memories, or perhaps because Xie Mei¡¯s solitary situation seemed similar to his previous life as a deity, Jin Xia felt compelled to help the little girl.


    Nearly two hours went past, when Jin Xia heard knockings on his door. His eyes fluttered open before he said, ¡°Come in.¡±


    The door opened as two figures stepped in. Jin Liu Dan smiled when he looked at his son. At his side, Jia Yue Bing also blossomed a smile when she saw that Jin Xia had been cultivating a while before.


    ¡°Were you cultivating? Did we disturb you? Maybe we should come back tomorrow¡­¡±, Jia Yue Bing worriedly rambled as she went over to her son.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing, mother. Did you and father need anything?¡±, Jin Xia smiled when he saw the troubled look on his ¡®mother¡¯s¡¯ face.


    Jia Yue Bing and Jin Liu Dan both looked at each other before turning to face Jin Xia. After their son¡¯s mighty demonstration in front of the entire Jin Clan yesterday, the couple knew that their son was no longer the weak and immature person whom they once knew.


    In fact, after the incident, many have suspected that Jin Xia had been acting spoiled and weak all along, waiting for the moment to swoop down and eliminate the branch family.  Jia Yue Bing and Jin Liu Dan thought the same, but they did not say it out loud.


    Though in their heart, they were extremely proud of their son¡¯s ability. It would at least mean that they did not have to worry about Jin Xia being able to take care of himself in the future, should anything happen to them. This was the only thing that they were worried about, but seeing Jin Xia now, the old couple knew that their last regret had disappeared.


    ¡°Xia¡¯er¡­were you truly crippled by Feng Hao before?¡± Jin Liu Dan asked with doubt in his voice.


    ¡°Haha, father, when you checked my pulse and body the day I was crippled, was my cultivation not indeed gone?¡± Jin Xia said.


    ¡°It was indeed wasted¡­¡± Liu Dan nodded. ¡°But..then how did you get your cultivation back?¡±


    Jin Xia smiled and casually replied: ¡°Oh, I came across an expert in the city and he just happened to take pity on me and presented me a strange pill that allowed me to connect back my meridians.¡±


    Hearing Jin Xia¡¯s words, Liu Dan Xia¡¯s eyes lit up as he nodded without a word.


    ¡°Then¡­we must definitely reward this person for helping our Jin Clan!¡± Liu Dan said as he thought further. Although Jin Xia¡¯s story was a bit fishy and incoherent in some parts, the main thing for him was that his son was actually not a cripple anymore. He had no choice but to believe that Jin Xia indeed had a fortuitous encounter that brought about this change in his body.


    ¡°Unfortunately, father, this expert was merely a passerby. I know not of his name or appearance, as he had concealed himself very well. I¡¯m afraid, we would not be able to find him. He may have long left this city.¡± Jin Xia said.


    ¡°Ah¡­so it is like this.¡± Liu Dan mused. ¡°Then, Xia¡¯er, inthe future you must remember this act of kindness well! Strive to train hard and not let this renewed opportunity go!¡±


    ¡°En, father.¡± Jin Xia nodded slowly.


    ¡°Now that this is clear, we have another matter discuss with you,  Xia¡¯er .¡±, Liu Dan asked as a serious look surfaced on his face. ¡°We just want to ask if you have any plans for our Jin Clan now that our family has been united.¡±


    After taking out the branch families and sweeping the opposing major clans in the city, the Jin Clan is now practically in control of Tian City. A situation that Liu Dan, or anyone in Tian City, would have never even dreamed of.


    ¡°Mmm, actually I do, father. In the near future, I want to spread our Jin Clan¡¯s influence to other cities. As for what¡¯s after that, we can slowly plan¡­¡±, Jin Xia replied nonchalantly as a strange light appeared in his eyes.


    ¡°This¡­¡±, Liu Dan was a bit startled when he heard his son¡¯s direct response. ¡°For us to increase our clan¡¯s influence, we would require a huge amount of power¡­ah, Jin¡¯er, come to think of it, I have continuously put this question off, but: what exactly is your cultivation now? To be able to battle against late Wudan warriors, you should be at the same stage, or perhaps even at the 9th Wudan stage? Or¡­or the Spiritual Dan realm?¡±


    As Liu Dan looked at Jin Xia with an anticipating expression on his face.


    Jin Xia smiled and spoke:


    ¡°Father, to be honest, I still haven¡¯t cultivated enough. I am merely at Xing Profound 6th stage at the moment.¡±


    Silence.


    Liu Dan and Jia Yue Bing felt their heartbeat increase when they finally registered what their son had said.


    Xing Profound 6th stage? Impossible!


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    In a city where there aren¡¯t even a Spiritual Dan practitioner, if one excludes visitors, it is unheard of for a Xing Profound realm expert to appear. And one at the age of sixteen is practically unprecedented in the Great Azure Country!


    But after thinking about it, the couple felt that there was no reason for Jin Xia to lie to them. And moreover, the dark light that Jin Xia had generated to kill off his enemies were similar to those Qi energy attacks that they¡¯ve heard about from other experts.


    In short, they chose to believe that their son was indeed a Xing Profound expert ¡ª and one who isn¡¯t weak at that!


    ¡°Th-this¡­haha, haha! I knew my son would not be a cripple in his lifetime! Haha, Xing Profound realm! Xia¡¯er, if this is true, with your power we can indeed spread our influence across other cities in the future! I doubt besides those top three major cities in our Great Azure country, no other city would have Xing Profound realm practitioners. And even if they do, only those patriarch-level figures of those large clans would have such a cultivation¡­haha, this is great! Great!¡±, Liu Dan heartily laughed.


    ¡°And those experts has already long past their prime, while our Xia¡¯ Er is still so young! His future achievements are simply immeasurable compared to those old masters!¡±


    This was happiest that he had been since the day he was informed of his son being crippled in public.


    In a country where cultivation resources are scarce, it was incredibly difficult to increase one¡¯s cultivation level. A Xing Profound expert would already be considered a top power in such a place. And with the help of such an expert, one can expect a similar boost in status and influence!


    Moreover, each time a cultivator breaks through to another stage, there would be a slight increase in their vitality, allowing them to live longer than a normal person. And if one were to break through an entire realm, there will be a huge increase on their life expectancy.


    For example, a peak Wudan warrior can expect to live up to 130 years old. If they advance into the Spiritual Dan realm, there will be an additional 100 years added to their vitality. And if they break through once more into Xing Profound Realm, their life expectancy will yet again increase by another 200 years.


    Even advancing in between stages in a realm, one can expect to have their vitality lengthen by around 5-10 years per break through!


    This was why many people would want to become cultivators. The dream of living forever endless is an allure that very few can resist. And in a bloodthirsty world, only those with power will have right to speak!


    ¡°Mm, father, I am thinking about purchasing some slaves tomorrow.¡±, Jin Xia suddenly said as he looked as his ¡®father.¡¯


    ¡°Oh? Why so?¡±, Liu Dan asked perplexedly.


    ¡°I want to increase our clan¡¯s manpower. Although we can hire some experts, I wish to personally train a few cultivators, so that our family can receive an extra layer of solid protection.¡±, Jin Xia replied.


    ¡°And speaking of our family, I have scoured the treasures of the other three major clans. Here, take this, father.¡±


    Jin Xia lifted his hand as a purple Space bag flew towards Liu Dan¡¯s hand.


    ¡°With this wealth, we should have around 3 million Crystal coins available to spend as a clan. Father should go purchase large batches of cultivation resources and pills, so that the younger generation could quickly increase their strength.¡±


    Jin Xia said as he motioned towards the purple bag. ¡°Oh, as for you father, you do not have to waste money buying any cultivation pills for yourself. I have here two bottles of high quality martial arts pills. If you and mother eat one pill each every three weeks for about twelve weeks, you should be able to quickly break into the Spiritual Dan realm. If you continue to consume more, maybe you and mother could reach the Xing Profound realm too!¡±


    ¡°¡­Xia¡¯er, this, this, isn¡¯t this a bit too precious for old bones like us? You are still young and the martial journey is a long and harsh one. You should save these pills for yourself so you can further improve your own cultivation.¡±, Jia Yue Bing said as she tried to hand back the bottle.


    ¡°Mother, you do not have to worry about me. At my stage, these pills will be of little use to me. So you should take them and increase your strength. As our Jin Clan rises in power, so will the danger that comes along with this fame. We will need to get stronger.¡±, Jin Xia calmy said as he softly pushed the bottle back to his mother.


    ¡°Hahahaha! To think we would be relying our own son to help us improve our cultivation! The time has really changed, huh? Haha, then as your father I will not be polite and accept this!


    But remember, Xia¡¯er, you must not slack off and continue to train! It is better to not rely on pills like we are doing now, if possible.¡±, Liu Dan suddenly laughed as he said to Jin Xia. His eyes shone a light of gratefulness.


    Unbeknownst to the husband and wife, the bottle of pills that JIn Xia had given them was called the Heavenly God Pill, a 10 star medicine.


    In the world of WuDang, medicines and pills are graded by star ratings from 1 (lowest) to 12 (highest). The number of stars indicate quality and effectiveness.


    To discern a pill¡¯s quality, one would look for faint star markings on the pill that¡¯s created during the pill making process. The number of stars imprinted on the pill will indicate that pellet¡¯s quality rating.


    It is said that the star signatures are the leftover essence of a pill maker¡¯s soul, as one¡¯s soul is needed to be used to refine a pellet from precious ingredients. But no one could truly explain how that came to be, and people simply came to slowly accept such a classification of pills.


    Naturally, Jin Xia did not openly tell them the name of the pill and had even purposefully concealed the star markings on the pills beforehand.


    Sometimes, knowing less can be a blessing rather than knowing too much. And seeing Jin Xia did not mention any revealing details of the pills, Liu Dan and Jia Yue Bing did not probe any deeper either.


    With the Heavenly God Pill, not only would all of one¡¯s meridians fully open for a set of two hours, their blood would go through a refining process in which it would make it easier for one to absorb the World Qi in the air.


    This will dramatically increase one¡¯s cultivation speed and thus, allow one to break through to the next stage, or even through bottlenecks!


    Although Jin Xia may have said that it was useless to him after reaching the Xing Profound realm, that was not true. He had merely said that to comfort his parents¡¯ conscience.


    In fact, the Heavenly God Pills were greatly beneficial to his training and along with other medicines, it had allowed him to quickly reach the stage he was at today. The first three stages of cultivations are merely the introductory realms, in Jin Xia¡¯s opinion. Being to reach the mid stages of Xing Profound realm so quickly was, in reality, a normal outcome for an ancient guru like him.


    Though, however precious the pills were, since the two duo are, in a sense, his ¡®mortal¡¯ parents, Jin Xia did not mind giving them a few bottles. After all, he still had a great sum leftover, along with even more potent medicines, in his Eternal Gourd. However, those even potent pills would require him to reach a higher stage before Jin Xia could think of consuming them, lest he wishes to receive permanent internal damages!


    After chatting for a while, the old couple left the room while Jin Xia once again entered his meditative state.


    ¡°I will pay a visit to the Black Pearl Market tomorrow and see if I could find a few strong retainers for my family¡­¡±, Jin Xia thought as he continued to cultivate and absorb the World Qi around him at a frightening rate.


    Soon, the afternoon turned to night and then to dawn as day quickly finished its cycle.

 Chapter 18: Tian Slave Market

    Author''s note: This chapter (and the next two) are sponsored by TKA! Thank you! ^_^


    Host''s note: I''m not the author. I''m hosting this story on RRL with author permission.


    <hr />


    The busy streets of Black Pearl Market were bustling with movements as everyone went about their business. There was still a faint hint of excitement in the air.  Many people still have not calmed down from the previous two days. The destruction of three major clans in the city and the great generosity of the Jin Clan had left many numbed with disbelief and anticipation.


    There was a greater deal of merchants in the city today, with several people setting up small stands all around the city. These new people are obviously not from the city originally.


    To the side of the street, two merchants were chatting among themselves. In front of each of them was a small table. Shiny jewelry and rings were sprawl across the tables in open display.


    ¡°Damn, just what is going on this city? I heard there was a huge wave of demand abruptly coming from here just yesterday. This has never happened before¡­¡± A middle aged merchant in straw hat said, as he watched the crowds walk by.


    ¡°What do you know? I heard the new lord of this city gave out quite a large sum of gold to every folks in this place. Even the beggars got some of the leftovers!¡± The other merchant wearing brown clothes, who was chewing a stalk, replied. With a hair full of gray and an aged face, the older merchant was leaning his back against a building, his bottom seated on a wooden crate.


    ¡°What? Then that rumor was real¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡°then that rumor was real¡±? How else do you expect a bunch of folks from a Lesser City to suddenly be able to purchase high quality goods outside of their own city? That¡¯s the whole reason why merchants like us came flocking to this city in the first place!¡±


    ¡°But if there¡¯s suddenly so much money,wouldn¡¯t many of the shops be unable to keep up with the new demands?¡± The straw hat merchant said, with a slight confused look on his face.


    ¡°My god, why the hell are you worrying so much? What do you even think you and I are in this city right now for? We are here to earn money. We go wherever there is a surge of money. It¡¯s all about money. Heck we care about if those shops close.¡± The brown clothed merchant grunted, rolling his eyes.


    He then continued: ¡°Right now, several merchants from other provinces are rushing over here like vultures, to gobble up these people¡¯s money! I heard some of this city¡¯s residents had left as well, thinking of starting anew at another province. Heh, they didn¡¯t even bother to stay and just left after getting the money¡­.¡±


    ¡°Then this city will not last long?¡± The straw hat merchant continued to ask.


    ¡°Who told the person to give so much money to everyone at once? In a small city like this, I doubt they¡¯ll be able to meet every demand, unlike those giant cities. And with new merchants popping up left and right, hehe..you can already imagine the chaos that¡¯ll soon ensue.¡± The brown clothed merchant replied.


    The straw merchant nodded his head. Although he had asked about the city¡¯s health, in reality, he did not really care. It could be said that as wandering merchants, he couldn¡¯t afford to worry about someone else. In the end, it was the brown clothed man had said, only the money matters. He merely asked to keep himself and the other party entertained, while they waited for customers.


    ¡°A small boom like this is useless. People are leaving. Shops will soon close down. The distribution of wealth is uneven. I¡¯ve seen several cities fall because of things like this¡­¡± The brown clothed merchant muttered as he closed his eyes.


    Having worked as a merchant for years, he had traveled to many cities and had seen many situations. Thus, his analytical ability, when it comes to money and business, was much more advanced than others.


    ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯ll have to squeeze as much money out of these folks before things get out of control¡­¡± The straw hat merchant sighed. ¡°Anyways, did you hear about this other rumor in this city? Apparently, the city lord is said to be a Xing Profound expert¡­and a very young one at that!¡±


    ¡°Bulls. A Lesser City having such a peerless expert? Fat chance. I see this city barely even have a Wudan 9th stage practitioner, the hell you think a peak expert like that would appear here?


    And you say it¡¯s a young expert? Do you actually believe something like that? If that¡¯s so, then that person must¡¯ve been cultivating since he was in his mother¡¯s womb! It¡¯s just not possible.


    Most likely, those were probably rumors spread by some managers of this city to attract more visitors or something. There¡¯s always fake news like that traversing across other cities. If everyone believed every rumor about a Xing Profound expert appearing in their city, then those large clans would probably have to move across different provinces every single month! Who would have time and manpower to do something like that?¡±


    The two merchants continued to dwell on rumors and recent news that¡¯s been spreading in Tian City, while they waited out in the hot sun for customers.


    As the crowd scurried about, a handsome youth wearing pure white clothes stepped into the street. Immediately, many heads looked at the youth¡¯s direction. Excitement suddenly bursted from their eyes.


    ¡°Oy, oy, isn¡¯t that second young master of the Jin Clan?!¡±


    ¡°Hush, what second young master? He¡¯s the first young master now, you fool! Do you want to die?!¡±


    ¡°Oh my! His looks are really refined as the rumors said!¡±


    ¡°Where is he going? With his status right now, there shouldn¡¯t be any need for him to come out here himself..¡±


    Murmurs rose from the surrounding as people began to recognize the youth in white clothes walking leisurely through the street.


    Having overheard a few gossips along the way, Jin Xia had a faint smile on his face.


    ¡°Mortals really do not change much even after many years, huh¡­well, with this, this city¡¯s finance should be ruptured. Those who were never loyal should have all left by now. And soon enough, a monetary crisis should strike this city soon, wiping out most of the shops in this place.


    When that happens¡­it would be much easier to reconstruct this city from the bottom up. The citizens who stayed would be more grateful if my Jin Clan was able to help them solve the upcoming crisis, leading to an even more firm foundation¡­¡± Jin Xia thought smilingly in his mind.


    With the simplicity of mind of the people in Tian City, it was much easier to please the citizens. But there were still several factors that Jin Xia could not control. For example, many of the shops in the city have been around for years, but not every shop is needed, nor is every shop a ¡°good¡± contribution to the city¡¯s atmospheres.


    There were even stores in the city that were set up by families from other provinces! After all, even if Tian City was Lesser ranked city, it was still a place valid for business.


    Overall, the city¡¯s financial matters and overall structure was quite obscure. The people in this country were simply too simple-minded, thus no one ever questioned the system.


    Therefore, in order to start over, Jin Xia made a radical decision. He chose to personally destroy the city, in a financial sense.


    By purposely adding an influx of new money, several things would be shifted around in the city.  And without any proper management, chaos would definitely ensue. Once this happens, families from other provinces would withdrawn their shops that were set up in Tian City. After all, if the city was to go haywire, the profit range would plummet dramatically. Almost all the shops would not survive.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Afterwards, by having Liu Dan take command on the reformation of the city, not only would the people be even more grateful to the Jin Clan, the city¡¯s matters would be much more clear to them! Although there may be other unforeseeable consequences of this decision, Jin Xia was not too worry about it right now.


    Even if his plan failed and the city was instead pushed into a regressed state, he believed that once the Jin Clan starts growing, the expansion of the city would naturally follow and recover. And with greater strength, comes the power to bend rules at one¡¯s will.


    If a person was strong enough, they could even twist the illogical into ¡°logical!¡±


    After a while, Jin Xia arrived in front of a large store. On the side of door was the wooden board that wrote, ¡°Tian Slave Market.¡±


    Stepping through the large door, Jin Xia was immediately greeted by a plump man in purple garments. The middle-aged man had a small moustache with shrewd eyes that gave off a clear light.


    ¡°Ah! If it isn¡¯t Young Master Jin Xia! It is a great honour for us to have you here. My name is Da Hai. Our Tian Slave Market thank the young master for his generosity the other day¡­hehe, if the young master needs anything from us, feel free to say it!¡±, the plump man rapidly fired off his introduction as he cupped his hands respectfully towards Jin Xia.


    ¡°Mn.¡±, Jin Xia nodded to the enthusiastic fat man, as he looked around the large yard. ¡°I am here to purchase some cultivation slaves today. I want to see the best of those you have.¡±


    ¡°Certainly, certainly! This humble one will bring them to young master right away!¡±, Da Hai said gleefully as he quickly went to inside one of the buildings at the further end of the yard.


    Moments later, Da Hai returned with around thirty people who had chains strapped around their hands and legs. Those large group of people were slaves.


    On their ankles and wrists were black colored shackles. Jin Xia instantly recognized them to be Spiritual Shackles. These special shackles are created with special symbols, which would restrict the ability of whoever wears them. Some even have the function of brainwashing the wearers.


    ¡°I have brought them, young master Jin Xia. These are the best slaves we have in our Tian Slave Market. Let me introduce them¡­¡±, Da Hai said proudly as he began to ramble on about their strength and personality.


    Jin Xia did not bother to listen as he started scanning the group of slaves with his soul.


    ¡°Hmm, most of them only have an innate quality of about 1 or 2, with 3 being the highest here. These are the so called ¡®best¡¯?¡±, JIn Xia silently mused to himself. After scanning the entire group of people, Jin Xia had discovered that most of these slaves¡¯ innate quality was quite poor. To a large slave house such as the Tian Slave Market, they should at least have a few slaves with innate quality of 4¡¯s in reserve¡­


    ¡°Mister, are these slaves really the ¡®best¡¯ that your Tian Market have?¡±, Jin Xia interrupted Da Hai, who was still talking.


    ¡°And this one here- eh? Of course they are, young master Jin Xia! Look at this one over here. Look at his muscular body and fierce nature, he has an innate quality of 5 for a cultivation slave! His value is priceless¡­¡±


    As Da Hai trailed off while speaking, he suddenly felt a burst of coldness coming from his side. He quickly turned his head only to find JIn Xia looking coldly at him.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±, Da Hai alarmingly thought to himself as sweat poured from his back.


    ¡°Mister Da Hai, if you did not wish to sell me good slaves, then don¡¯t waste my time. Amongst these slaves, there are barely one that passed an innate quality of 3. Not selling to me may be one thing, but what I hate the most are liars.¡±, Jin Xia coldly said as he stared at Da Hai.


    The smile on Dai Hai¡¯s face froze as he felt his body go rigid. A feeling of coldness and fear squirmed out from his heart.


    ¡°H-how did he know about that?!¡±, Da Hai screamed in his heart as he fearfully lowered his head.


    ¡°I-I apologize, young master Jin Xia! I-I must¡¯ve remembered their innate quality wrong..right, that must be it. T-This is all a misunderstanding, haha! Please do not get angry, I will immediately go back and see if I can find a better bunch. Please wait here.¡±, Da Hai hastily said as he brought the slaves back into the building.


    Seconds later, Da Hai returned once again. This time, there were only five slaves by his side. Three of the males looked to be in their early forties while the two girls in the group looked to be about seventeen to nineteen.


    ¡°Here they are, young master Jin Xia. I am sorry about the offense earlier. To make up for it, our Tian Slave Market is willing to offer you a fifty percent discount!¡± Da Hai nervously said.


    Without a word, Jin Xia looked over the five slaves.


    ¡°Hmph, it seems this time around these slaves are much better than earlier ones you brought out huh..¡± Jin Xia said.


    Da Hai remained silent while his head lowered in fear. He still could not discern how Jin Xia was able to see the slaves¡¯ innate quality without a spirit stone. Did the youth have a special treasure on his body that¡¯s allowing him to do so?


    But no matter how much Da Hai tried to reason with himself, there was no answer. He did not even dare question JIn Xia either at this point, having slightly offended Jin Xia earlier¡­


    Out of the five slaves, Jin Xia found the three men possessed an innate quality of 4 while the two girls surprisingly had an quality of 5! If these five persons were not a slave, they would have undoubtedly been hailed as cultivation geniuses, in particular the two girls¡­


    With Jin Xia¡¯s experiences, he could vaguely feel that the identity of these people must not be simple at all.


    ¡°Who are they?¡± Jin Xia asked as he continued to observe the slaves.


    ¡°A-ah, they are slaves who were captured during the recent war between our Great Azure country and the Fei Vermillion country. Naturally, the other country is already under our Great Azure country¡¯s control, so many of those high officials were sent over to us to sell as slaves this time around. The slaves are left at our market for two months, and if they¡¯re not sold within these two months, we would have to draw a random lot and send them to the slave market that was drawn. I do not know about other countries, but this is basically a small tradition among slave sites here, so that no one site would be able to control the entire market in the Great Azure Country¡­


    Moreover, these three men here were once high ranking soldiers. Although their thoughts have been suppressed by the Spiritual Shackles, their battle strength has not diminished in the slightest!


    As for those two girls¡­hehe, they were once princesses in their country! What¡¯s more, they are still pure virgins and their innate quality is enough to be assessed as a genius! They are also currently the finest slaves in our Tian Slave Market. You have come at right time, young master Jin Xia!¡± Da Hai said as a genuine look of pride surfaced on his face.


    <hr />


    Host''s note: "I don''t believe it''s a good idea to post this novel here if the author will never pick it up again"- Saleban1


    Saleban1, when I contacted the author about hosting this story on RRL, he told me that he plans on resuming the story soon. In fact, I''m hoping that this hosted version will help motivate the continuation of this story.

 Chapter 19: Fei Yu and Fei Qing

    Host''s note: Author''s note was long so I cut it. Basically about going back and explaining some things that people were confused about but that was fixed in previous chapters. Also, the chapter was sponsored by TKA as mentioned last chapter


    <hr />


    ¡°Who are they?¡± Jin Xia asked as he continued to observe the slaves.


    ¡°A-ah, they are slaves who were captured during the recent war between our Great Azure country and the Fei Vermillion country. Naturally, the other country is already under our Great Azure country¡¯s control, so many of those high officials were sent over to us to sell as slaves this time around. The slaves are left at our market for two months, and if they¡¯re not sold within these two months, we would have to draw a random lot and send them to the slave market that was drawn. I do not know about other countries, but this is basically a small tradition among slave sites here, so that no one site would be able to control the entire market in the Great Azure Country¡­


    Moreover, these three men here were once high ranking soldiers. Although their thoughts have been suppressed by the Spiritual Shackles, their battle strength has not diminished in the slightest!


    As for those two girls¡­hehe, they were once princesses in their country! What¡¯s more, they are still pure virgins and their innate quality is enough to be assessed as a genius! They are also currently the finest slaves in our Tian Slave Market. You have come at right time, young master Jin Xia!¡± Da Hai said as a genuine look of pride surfaced on his face.


    Jin Xia glanced at the two girls.


    They were around the same in height as each other; one had long black hair, round watery eyes, and a beautiful face. She held a demeanor of elegance, even though she was tied up in chains. The other one had short black hair and clear eyes. When the short-haired girl noticed Jin Xia staring at her, she gave a ¡°hmph¡± and turned her head away.


    ¡°Hoh, these two girls¡­one is already at 6th stage of Wudan while that short haired one is at the 5th stage¡­¡± Jin Xia silently thought to himself.


    Seeing that Jin Xia did not seem to disapprove of the batch of slaves he brought this time, Da Hai quickly followed up and began to introduce them:


    ¡°This male slave over here is one of the Huang kingdom¡¯s elite knights. His cultivation is Wudan 6th stage and¡ª¡±


    Before Da Hai could continue, Jin Xia raised a hand to stop him. Gesturing towards two girls, Jin Xia asked: ¡°What¡¯s their name?¡±


    ¡°Ah, the one with the long hair is called Fei Yu, who was the first princess of the Fei Vermillion country. And for the short haired one, she¡¯s called Fei Qing, the second princess. Both of them are the only daughters of the previous ruler of their country.¡± Da Hai quickly replied, seeing that the youth was disinterested in the three men.


    Jin Xia nodded as he said: ¡°Alright, I would like just those two girls.¡±


    Hearing this, Da Hai¡¯s ears perked up as he ingratiatingly said: ¡°Of course, young master Jin Xia! But it¡¯s just that since those two are the finest slaves we have in our Tian Market, their price is likewise going to be quite¡­¡±


    As Da Hai was talking, Jin Xia waved his sleeve as a fist sized bag flew towards the plump man.


    After Da Hai had caught the bag, Jin Xia turned around and said nonchalantly: ¡°There¡¯s  20 Crystal coins inside there. No need for change. This should be enough for those two, right?¡±


    Dai Hai¡¯s eyes bulged when he heard the amount that Jin Xia had given him.


    ¡°O-of course! This is more than enough! More than enough! Hehe, we thank the young master for his generosity!¡±


    In general, normal slaves would often cost only around 70 or 80 gold coins at best. With cultivation slaves who are within the Wudan 1st stage being around 100 to 400 Gold coins, with the price continuing to increase for higher level slaves.


    For rare slaves, like a princess or ex-generals of foreign countries, the price would further see a huge boost, in the end coming out to a total of around 700 to 3,000 gold coin(3 Crystal coins)! After all, those were not trivial figures. The price will naturally reflect their rarity and strength, just like any other items in the market.


    At first, Da Hai had wanted to ask for 4 Crystal coins (4,000 gold coins) from Jin Xia in preparation to slowly decrease the price a bit if it comes to haggling. After all, while Da Hai did not wish to offend the young master before him, he wasn¡¯t willing to let go of a possible huge profit.


    But who would have thought that not only didn¡¯t the young master haggle, he had casually threw out 20 Crystal coins! That was already quintuple the market price for those two female slaves! Even if they were once princesses, in the end, that was a status of the past. Now, they are merely slaves. As such, the price that was paid for them was already quite extravagant¡­


    Jin Xia did not turn to face Da Hai, as he slightly tilted his head behind him towards the two female slaves.


    ¡°Let us go.¡± Jin Xia said as he walked towards the exit.


    The two girls hesitated as they looked at Jin Xia¡¯s departing figure.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°What are you two doing? The young master Jin Xia had already paid for you! Why are you still standing here?! Do you want to go back to the chamber again?!¡± Da Hai yelled angrily at the girls when he saw that they were not moving. The smiling expression disappeared from his face when he looked at the slaves.


    Hearing this, the two girls looked at each other before biting their lips and shuffled together after Jin Xia.


    Outside the Tian Market establishment, Jin Xia walked into an empty alley while the two girls followed him in. Once there were no one in sight, Jin Xia stopped walking and turned around to face the two girls.


    Although Jin Xia had looked at the girls back inside Tian Market, he had not prudently observe their appearance but rather their soul and innate quality.


    Now that he looked closer, Jin Xia saw that the one called Fei Yu had a beautiful porcelain face coupled with a seductive curvy figure and a fulfilling bosom. Although her sister Fei Qing was still in her growth period, her figure were likewise catching up to her older sister. Nonetheless, the girl exuded a childish, yet cute atmosphere with her arms folded in front of her while pouting.


    They were both indeed extremely beautiful, save for the fact that they looked a bit tired and dirty with their brown, ragged clothings.


    The two girls and Jin Xia stared at each other for a while before Jin Xia spoke:


    ¡°You may call Jin Xia. Earlier I just helped purchase your freedom. Even though I ¡°bought¡± you two, as a person who abhors deceitfulness and traitors, I am willing to give you both two choices.


    One, you can follow me and I will give you back your full molility. I can also help you further increase your strength, up to the point where you will not need to fear others suppressing you like you were today.


    Second, I can still help you erase your status as a slave nonetheless, and you are free to leave afterwards. I will also provide your with some money and from then on, we will no longer have any connection with one another. Which choice do you wish to choose?¡±


    Fei Yu and Fei Qing looked at each other in surprise and shock after listening to Jin Xia¡¯s offers. The conditions the person before them had proposed were all extremely beneficial to them. But they were still hesitant to make a decision¡­


    As if he could read their minds, Jin Xia said: ¡°Oh, as for what I want in return if you gals choose to follow me, are your loyalty and strength. In the future, when you both are strong enough, I will require your help. Your lives might even be at risk many times in the future, if you select to stay with me. Therefore, the benefits shall likewise be just as equivalent. These are my final conditions.¡±


    The two girls fell silent for a while.


    The sisters sank into deep contemplation, thinking back to their awful days¡­was everything that¡¯s happening right now, real?


    No more sleeping on cold floors in the future? No more being bullied from by vulgar men, like when they were imprisoned? We¡­could get back our freedom?


    Since the day they lost their country, the two girls have been living in misery. Each of their day was spent inside a dirty chamber, where barely any light reached. The food were made up of bitty leftovers. The air stank of vomit, manure, and death.


    To say the least, the girls lived the past few months of their life in anguish and depression. If not for the binds that restricted their entire being, perhaps they would¡¯ve long ago committed suicide. They might even have been played around by the other slaves, if it wasn¡¯t for managers wanting to keep the girls ¡°fresh¡± in wait for one of those wealthy members to come purchase and enjoy them.


    Fortunately, they were bought off by a person who did not have a shred of lust in his eyes when he looked at them. This was the main reason why the two sisters decided to follow after Jin Xia. There was the lack of beastial look in his eyes. And the girls very well knew the attraction force of their own body¡­


    After a while, Fei Yu stepped towards Jin Xia. She bowed gracefully as she said in a soothing voice: ¡°I, Fei Yu, wishes to follow this young master Jin Xia.¡±


    Fei Qing, who was still hesitant, cutely bit her lips and went forward to greet as well: ¡°I, Fei Qing, will follow my sister¡¯s decision.¡±


    Jin Xia nodded in satisfaction before turning around again and continuing his walk.


    ¡°Alright, then let us return home now.¡±


    Home¡­


    His voice gently floated towards the two girls before they quietly followed Jin Xia, their eyes slowly being veiled by a light, watery mist¡­


    <hr />


    Host''s note: I''ll be honest. I have no idea about when the next chapter on the main site will come out, all I know is that the author is planning on releasing it eventually. I''ll contact the author and see if he has a time in mind. I have to anyways because this story is about to meet the reqs for a donation button so I''m going to ask if he wants one here. I''ll post more info in later chapters once I hear back.

 Chapter 20: Hu Feng

    Author''s note: This chapter is sponsored by our generous TKA! Thank you for your patronage!  ^^


    Host''s note: I''m not the author. I''m just hosting this on RRL with permission.


    <hr />


    When Jin XIa returned back to the Xia residence, he arranged for the two sisters, Fei Yu and Fei Qing, to have their own lodge set up near his living quarter.


    Shortly after getting the sisters settled down, Jin Xia was sipping tea in his yard when a male servant came in to inform him of a guest who wishes to see him.


    ¡°Oh? Who is it that wants to see me?¡± Jin Xia asked.


    ¡°The person calls himself Hu Feng and claims that he is the young master of the Hu Clan from Harbin City.¡± The male servant respectfully replied.


    ¡°Hu Clan¡­it doesn¡¯t seem to have any affiliations with those three major clans, so this Hu Feng shouldn¡¯t be here for trouble¡­and if I remember correctly, the Hu Clan is one of the major clans in Harbin City, which is ranked as a Greater city in the Great Azure Country.¡± Jin Xia thought as he recalled the information in his head.


    But, why has this kind of person come to a small major city like this?


    The Harbin City is the capital of the Harbin Province, with the Hu Clan reigning as one of the three major clans. Its status could said to be the strongest in Harbin City, and likewise the status of a young master from such a prominent clan is quite high.


    At least, compared to the previous Jin Clan, such a clan would have been considered a colossal lump of power which the former could never hope to meet nor go against in their entire life! That is, until the ¡°current¡± Jin Xia appeared.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go see what this ¡°young master¡± from that Hu Clan wants.¡± Jin Xia had a faint smile as he leisurely walked out of his yard.


    Jin Xia headed towards the Guest Hall, which was where guests who visited the Jin Clan typically waited.


    Upon arriving inside the hall, Jin Xia saw a young man in blue clothes who had a clear face and a slightly plump stature, looking to have still retained some baby fat at his age. The youth looked to be around 17 or 18.


    With a quick sweep of his soul, Jin Xia¡¯s eyes flashed with a brief hint of shock. For whatever reason, Jin Xia could not see through the soul of this youth!


    It was as if something was blocking his senses from probing into that person¡¯s inner domain. The only that was revealed was the general structure of that youth¡¯s body. Jin Xia was unable to determine the youth¡¯s innate quality or soul. There was no obvious artifacts on the other party¡¯s body either¡­


    ¡°Oh? To think I could not see through his soul¡­¡± Jin Xia thought as he slightly narrowed his eyes. The only explanations Jin Xia could think of were either the other party¡¯s soul was much stronger than his own, or the person had a special physique.


    But the youth was clearly emanating the aura of a Wudan 5th stage¡­just what was going on?


    Seeing Jin Xia¡¯s arrival, the youth who was originally sitting quickly got up and went forward to greet the former:


    ¡°Haha, greetings Young Master Jin Xia! I am called Hu Feng, and I hail from the Hu Clan. Seeing how extraordinary you look, I reckon the rumors of you overtaking the other three major clans were not false. If so, I will have to congratulate your Jin Clan! ¡± Hu Feng laughed as he politely cupped his hands towards Jin Xia in the form of a greeting.


    ¡°Ah, then this one would have to thank young master Hu Feng for taking the time to visit our Jin Clan!¡± Jin Xia likewise returned the polite gesture.


    ¡°No need to so modest, you can just call me Brother Hu Feng. Since I have come today to congratulate you, I have naturally brought along some small gifts. Men, bring them in!¡± Hu Feng ordered to his servants.


    At Hu Feng¡¯s command, two groups of servants walked into the Guest Hall, with each carrying a large iron chest. When the servants set down the chests and open them, a batch jade bottles, gold coins, and a few pieces of normal weapons appeared in Jin Xia¡¯s line of sight.


    ¡°Brother Jin Xia, these are just small tokens of appreciation from my Hu Clan. I hope you find them to your taste.¡± Hu Feng said as he smiled at Jin Xia. ¡°There are 5,000 gold coins, twenty bottles of 1-star Muscle Refining pills and five No-grade swords, personally made by my Hu Clan.¡±


    ¡°Haha, since Brother Hu Feng insists, how could I still bear to reject? This one will gladly accept these gifts.¡± Jin Xia naturally was not reserved when there was someone openly giving him something free.


    To others, Hu Feng¡¯s gifts may have seen extravagant, but to Jin Xia it was really not much. He was already planning to give these gifts to his Clan members, as they would probably find more benefits in these chests, than he himself.


    ¡°Since Brother Hu Feng had come from such a distance to visit our Jin Clan, naturally I will have to properly accommodate you. Come, let us talk over some fine wine and delicacies!¡±


    ¡°Brother Jin Xia is really generous. If this is what you wish, then this brother would of course accompany you¡± Hu Feng laughed as he followed Jin Xia to another room.


    The two of them began to chat over a table as they enjoyed themselves.


    As Jin Xia conversed with Hu Feng, he found the chubby youth to be quite amiable and courteous ¡ª a trait that was quite rare in this world. Although Jin Xia was unable to discern the latter¡¯s goal yet, he was at least sure that this Hu Feng held no ill intentions towards his clan or himself.


    Moreover, after several more probing with his soul to no avail, Jin Xia had given up trying to see into Hu Feng¡¯s soul. He had hypothesized that the other party most likely had a special physique. And if that was the case, unless Jin Xia was several realms higher than the other gifted person, he would be unable to see into Hu Feng¡¯s soul at all.


    While they conversed, Hu Feng suddenly asked: ¡°Oh, by the way Brother Jin Xia, I have heard that your cultivation has reached the Xing Profound realm? Is this true?¡±


    Jin Xia faintly smiled and said: ¡°Brother Hu Feng seems quite interested in my cultivation?¡±


    Hu Feng awkwardly scratched his head as he replied: ¡°Ah, truth to be told Brother Jin Xia, this time that I have come to your Jin Clan was not only to congratulate you, but to also confirm Brother Jin Xia¡¯s prowess.


    Since this world is regulated by the strong, many clans and powers, including the Hu Clan, have naturally received news of Brother Jin Xia¡¯s deeds. We have also heard several rumors in regards to Brother Jin Xia¡¯s cultivation level having reached the Xing Profound realm¡­but many think it is a hoax, so I had decided to personally come and ¡®confirm¡¯ this with you, Brother Jin Xia.¡±


    Although the news of Jin Clan completely eliminating the other three major clans in Tian Clan had a huge impact on the residents of the city, it did not garner much attention from the other major clans in the upper level cities.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Clan standings change all the time, and it is normal that powers would disappear from day to day and be replaced by new ones, especially in lower level cities where the differing factions¡¯ power are often unstable.


    Therefore, the news of the Jin Clan defeating the other three major clans did not spread any further than the borders of Tian Province. Perhaps such small news would only be known to powerful clans or sects within the closest neighboring provinces, such as the Hu Clan of the Harbin Province.


    Instead, the piece of news which actually spread and truly shocked all the cities in the Great Azure Country was the rumor of a sixteen to seventeen years old Xing Profound expert living in Tian City.


    In the Great Azure Country where Wudan realm practitioners were common, Spiritual Dan cultivators could already be said to upstanding. There was no need to mention Xing Profound realm experts, who could already be considered top level existences.


    Only major clans within the top three cities in the Great Azure Country would typically have such high-level figures.


    Therefore, the rumors of the appearance of a young Xing Profound expert had instantly spread like wildfire throughout the Great Azure Country and thus, attracted the attention of several powers.


    But many chose to ignore the rumors thinking it to be a hoax, the moment it was said that the practitioner was a ¡°16 years old teenager.¡± In a country where a Xing Profound expert¡¯s age would typically range from eighty to a hundred and thirty years old, there was barely anyone who would believe that someone could reach the third realm before age twenty.


    After all, for Xing Profound experts, these kind of cultivators would either be the head of a clan or even an ancestor! To think a youth could possibly achieve such realm is practically impossible in the thoughts of many.


    The lack of experience and strong power in the Great Azure Country severely limited the viewpoints of these inhabitants within.


    Listening to Hu Feng, Jin Xia had finally cleared up the true reason why this youth had visited him.


    Jin Xia listened while musing to himself: ¡°I didn¡¯t think my cultivation level would have sparked such a sensation, and it was even thought to be a hoax¡­*sigh* to think a mere Xing Profound realm would give rise to such a large wave, should I say that this is expected of a 2nd-rate world? Or should I say that the people of this country is just too weak?¡±


    After pondering for a while, Jin Xia replied in a casual tone: ¡°Mmn. To hide nothing from you, Brother Hu Feng, I have indeed reach the Xing Profound realm. But I have only reached the early stages of this realm, so it is not much.¡±


    Jin Xia felt that there was no need to conceal his cultivation level at this point anymore. After all, he had boldly revealed his strength two days ago at the family inner competition in front of so many prominent families, and not many people even believe his true strength anyways. His secret had long been revealed.


    What others would think or believe will be up to them to decide.


    Moreover, now that he wanted his Jin Clan to rise in power as soon as possible in order for him to reach out into the world, Jin Xia felt that exposing a bit of his strength may actually help boost his clan¡¯s reputation, even if no one believes it at the moment. At least, his Tian City would receive a great amount of attention from now on¡­


    However, Jin Xia did not tell Hu Feng the exact cultivation stage he had reached. A little ¡°taste¡± of his level should already be sufficient.


    And it was.


    Hu Feng¡¯s mouth was slightly agape when he heard Jin Xia¡¯s affirmation. The baby fat around his cheeks made his surprised expression look quite funny.


    When Hu Feng had first saw Jin Xia coming into the Guest Hall, he had already felt that this young master was different.


    The aura and the way Jin Xia had held himself in front of him caused Hu Feng to feel as if he was talking before a king. Although Hu Feng himself is already at the 5th stage of Wudan, he still could not help but feel faintly pressured in the presence of Jin Xia.


    This has caused him feel both awe and admiration for the young man.


    Now that it was confirmed that Jin Xia is actually at the Xing Profound realm, Hu Feng could not help but exclaim in his mind: ¡°Monster!¡±


    A person was actually able to reach the Xing Profound realm at the age of sixteen. What did this mean?


    It basically means that this person¡¯s future achievements are practically unpredictable. So much, that most likely, not even the Great Azure Country would be able to contain such a talent in the future ¡ª a young expert of this caliber has not appeared in the Great Azure Country for years, until now.


    And Hu Feng could vaguely feel that the youth before him, given that he remains alive in the future, was destined to become a legendary figure.


    With this revelation, Hu Feng quickly collected himself and excitedly said to Jin Xia:


    ¡°I, Hu Feng, once again congratulates Brother Jin Xia for achieving such an unprecedented feat in the history of our Great Azure Country! This one could not help, but feel endless admiration towards brother Jin Xia¡¯s prowess.¡±


    Jin Xia smiled as he casually waved his hand: ¡°No, no, it was not much. I still have a long way to go.¡±


    ¡°I wonder, could Brother Jin xia have come across a fortuitous opportunity? Or consumed a certain life changing herb by any chance¡± Hu Feng asked, with a hint of eagerness in his eyes.


    ¡°Well, not exactly..¡± Jin Xia replied.


    ¡°Then, then did you meet someone powerful, who decided to take you in?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°How about your parents? Could they have been from a secret sect and thus, were once great geniuses? Hence, you received your talent from them?¡±


    Jin Xia narrowed his eyes as he listened to Hu Feng¡¯s inquisitions. This fellow was quite the nosy one!


    ¡°No, my parents were native of this country. As for how I cultivated to my level¡­let¡¯s say, it¡¯s a personal secret brought about by my¡­¡¯hard work.¡¯¡±


    Listening to Jin Xia, the eagerness and excitement in Hu Feng¡¯s eyes shot up a little more.


    There was a slight hesitation from Hu Feng after Jin Xia¡¯s sentence.


    Then, as if probing for a certain answer, Hu Feng suddenly asked in a low voice: ¡°To have achieved such heights without help in this world¡­I wonder, if Brother Jin Xia have some sort of special body?


    Or¡­or perhaps¡­you were originally not from this world?¡±


    Hearing this, Jin Xia slightly frowned.


    ¡°What?¡±

 Chapter 21: Different Lives; New Life

    Author''s note: This chapter was brought to you by the benevolent Karman D!


    Host''s note: I''m not the author. I''m just hosting this story on RRL. Btw, I cut out part of the author''s note because it might cause a misunderstanding (*cough* mentions of extra chapters while this hosting will stay the same). Also, there was mention that this chapter was longer than usual ones.


    <hr />


    ¡°What could Brother Hu Feng be speaking about? Another world?¡± Jin Xia asked with his expression still calm.


    The sudden change in topic had slightly caught Jin Xia off guard. He did not understand why Hu Feng would suddenly question him about something like this. A different world? Where the hell did he come up with that conclusion? Was his previous identity exposed?


    Impossible!


    With his soul power, there should  have been no experts who can get within range of him so easily, undetected, in this Great Azure Country. They should not have such outstanding experts present here.


    His secret should still be safe.


    Not like he cared if his past life was actually discovered, though it¡¯ll definitely be inconvenient in the long run so keeping quiet was the best option¡­


    Seeing how Jin Xia denied so casually, a barely noticeable trace of disappointment appeared briefly between his eyebrows. Thinking for a while, Hu Feng continued to probe:


    ¡°What I mean to ask is, could Brother Jin Xia have ever had any¡­¡±dreams¡±, let¡¯s call it, of memories from another place, another world? Perhaps you¡¯ve seen a place where people were dressing quite differently from here, or seen, uh, metal objects rolling around? Or tall glass buildings? Hm?¡±


    This time, Jin Xia frowned when he heard the foreign words coming from the youth¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Glass buildings? Different dressing? I¡¯m afraid, I do not understand what you¡¯re talking about Brother Hu Feng.¡± Jin Xia said, as his body relaxed a bit. It did not seem the other party knew about his real identity.


    But if that¡¯s the case, what the hell was he talking about?


    None of the things Hu Feng mentioned matched any of the places and descriptions in his mind.


    Even though Jin Xia had traveled across different spheres as a deity, most of the spheres were merely alternative worlds of the same Mortal Domain, with some being higher ranked than the other.


    He did not dare venture into the other unknown spheres, as there was once a legend in the Heaven Domain.


    It goes like this: At some point in time, an extremely powerful deity from the Heaven Domain decided to travel into one of those worlds, after getting ¡°bored¡± with the mundane realms.


    But the moment that deity entered the world, his connection with the Heaven Domain was instantly severed and no one had heard from that person ever again. Moreover, the deity was no weakling either, so his disappearance had sent a wave of alarm across the entire Domain. From then on, it became simply too risky to venture outside the range of known spheres. No one wanted to take that risk which held certain death.


    ¡°Perhaps¡­Brother Hu Feng has seen such a mystical place?¡± Jin Xia asked suspiciously, as he looked at Hu Feng.


    The seemingly dejected Hu Feng suddenly perked up when he heard Jin Xia¡¯s question.


    ¡°Eh? Me? Ahaha, of course not, Brother Jin Xia. I was merely trying to see if you had the same strange dream as I had before, you know, since there¡¯s the saying that people who are ¡®fated to meet would have connected dreams¡¯ and such¡­haha¡­it wasn¡¯t anything important. Please don¡¯t mind it.¡± Hu Feng replied, scratching his head as an awkward expression hung on his chubby face.


    ¡°Mn..¡± Jin Xia slowly nodded as he paid no further attention on the matter. He was not worry if the youth had some things he did not want to talk about with him. They had met for the first time after all, and Jin Xia was not the type of person to force others to spill secrets that had no relation to himself.


    Now that Hu Feng¡¯s initial objective was revealed, the two youths slowly changed to other topics and started to chat heartily in a more relaxed manner.


    The sun slowly slid down from the sky, before Hu Feng finally gave a polite bow before leaving.


    ¡°Brother Jin Xia, if you ever visit Harbin City, do stop by my Hu Clan. With this Feng Emblem, you should be able to easily meet me.¡± Hu Feng said as he handed Jin Xia a small, light brown plate with the carved character ¡°Hu¡± on it.


    ¡°Alright, Brother Hu Feng, I will have to trouble you at that time.¡± Jin Xia naturally accepted the seal from Hu Feng. After all, having a few strong connections would be a good thing for his Jin Clan in the future.


    After sending Hu Feng off, Jin Xia had a good impression of the blue clothed youth. At least, the other party had no malicious intention towards him and had only come to inquire about his cultivation.


    Although it was not good to reveal one¡¯s strength to others, in Jin Xia¡¯s case he purposely wanted to expose his cultivation. This way, it could help deter any potential enemies and perhaps, even allow his Jin Clan to get acquainted with those of a higher power, for example like the Hu Clan.


    ¡°Another world, huh¡­.this Hu Feng seems quite interesting.¡± Jin Xia thought to himself. This was the first time since he came into this Mortal Domain, that someone other than him had mentioned a world beyond this. Most people do not have the mental capacity, or tolerance, to imagine such larger picture.


    At least, the people in Tian City and those within a few miles around its surrounding, would not be able to.


    Looking at Hu Feng disappearing into a carriage door, Jin Xia had on a faint smile.


    ______


    A few miles away from Tian City, on the crooked road, a carriage could be seen being pulled by horse as it traveled on its way. A burly man was sitting outside the carriage, half guiding the horse and half sleeping.


    Inside, a slightly plump figure in blue robe. This person was the same Hu Feng who was at Jin Xia¡¯s mansion several minutes ago.


    Sitting in the carriage, Hu Feng had a dispirited expression on his face. Letting out a soft sigh, Hu Feng muttered bitterly to himself:


    ¡°Was I wrong again¡­that person, was not the same as me?¡­why is it like this every time¡­even with that monstrous training rate that should be impossible in this kind of country, and you¡¯re telling me he¡¯s a natural inhabitant?¡­¡±


    Tilting his head as he looked out the carriage window, Hu Feng stared at the distant moon. ¡°Is there really no one¡­who was originally from ¡®Earth¡¯, here?¡­¡±


    As he continued to look at the moon, Hu Feng thought back to the first time he came to this twisted world.


    Back on the place he once remembered as ¡®Earth¡¯, he had saved an unknown girl near an alley, while on his way home, from being raped by an apparent stalker.


    And to say the least, in that split second of a decision, two outcomes became clear.


    One was obviously that he had died after being stabbed six times in the chest, and the second was that girl had been saved from a potential trauma. Like this, his poor soul should have gone through a typical reincarnation towards a better life for his honorable sacrifice.


    But Fate could be quite the Joker sometimes.


    In the next moment, the young man had found himself in the form of a baby, his entire existence being washed and rebranded the name ¡®Hu Feng¡¯.


    And after he had grown up enough to be able to read the language of this world, ¡®Hu Feng¡¯ quickly found out what type of place he had been reborned in.


    It was exactly the kind of martial arts filled world that the man now known as ¡®Hu Feng¡¯ had frequently read about on web novels. The reincarnation setting in an unknown world, and the huge advantage that said person would gain after crossing over to another plane. And when he had realized this, the young man was quite elated.


    After all, he had lived a normal, but short teenage life back on Earth. Average school grades, quiet days, and the typical social interactions. He had wanted something different. Something more exciting.


    And here in this kind of martial world, Hu Feng would finally get the chance to experience that.


    He had all his previous memories intact, and had a common sense no one in this world had! He should have been one of the blessed cultivators.


    But again, Fate can sometimes be quite the Joker.


    To say Hu Feng was disadvantaged would have been wrong; he lived in a large clan within a Greater ranked City, which many others can only dream about.


    But to say he had an advantage in relation to the entire WuDang would have been incorrect as well.


    In short, instead of receiving those so called special ¡°cheats¡± where he could train rapidly in a secret domain in one¡¯s mind, or where he would possess one of those unique items that host a great master whom he could train under, Hu Feng basically received nothing.


    Except for his fat body.


    His talent on the other hand, in respective to this country, was quite good having reached Wudan 5th stage at the age of 18. But that was all due to his clan¡¯s resource and his countless nights of hard training. Otherwise, he might not even have been able to reach this level¡­


    For a long time, Hu Feng had been trying to ¡®discover¡¯ his hidden talent that should have appeared on his body after his reincarnation. But to his disappointment, there was nothing. He only had his previous memories on Earth and his fat body to rely on.


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    And over the years, as he grew older, Hu Feng came to accept life in this world as it is. He practically began to integrate himself together with this world¡¯s culture and accept the idea of the jungle rule here. His way of speaking became more and more similar to the people of this martial plane.


    And at times, Hu Feng even thought that his memories from Earth was a dream that he had made up, after being beaten several times by his cousins. That it was a result of his trauma from having been outcasted by his parents. A delusion that he unknowingly created to escape his reality ¡ª whichever one it might be.


    It was after he turned seventeen, that Hu Feng had a sudden idea of searching for those like him in this world. If he could truly find a person who¡¯s in a similar situation as him, he may be able to work together with that person. This thought came at the brink of his patience and sanity. It was what lit the small pathway of hope for him in this distorted world.


    Even if he was unable to go back to their old world, at least in this strange world, he would not be alone anymore. It would be fine even if that person did not have any special ¡°traits¡± in their body. He just wanted someone to appear who could show him he was not insane, alone.


    Thus, Hu Feng lent his ears to the rumors floating around in the Great Azure Country, tracking down talents who had suddenly appeared within the country. He believed whenever a sudden talent emerged, it may be an indication that it was caused by a person from Earth who was granted a secret ¡°method¡± of cultivation.


    These hypotheses were all based on the web novels he had read on Earth in regards to these type of scenarios. Although the idea was quite vague and poorly planned, Hu Feng had nothing else to rely on in his search for similar ¡°humans¡± in this foreign world.


    But for the past year, no matter where he went or how much he probed, no one understood what he meant nor confirmed his hypothesis. It was as if he was the only one ¡°human¡± in this world.


    When he had received news from his attendants on the rumor about a young Xing Profound expert from the Jin Clan in Tian City, the first that came to Hu Feng¡¯s mind was to immediately set out to meet that person.


    Although the Jin Clan was a major clan in the Tian Province, it was still weaker than the Hu Clan. But according to Hu Feng¡¯s knowledge gleaned from martial arts novels and the likes, such small clan are often the perfect, stereotypical environment for a person from a different world to be borned into¡­


    Furthermore, after living in the Great Azure Country for so long, he had naturally understood the levels of the powers in this country. To them, a Xing Profound expert was an absolute existence, and was often accompanied by the appearance of olden age. For someone young to appear would mean they had broken into the stage very early. This was almost impossible and could be said to be very abnormal ¡ª at least, it was very much so in a weak country like the Great Azure!


    While Hu Feng had understood that this rumor may very well had been a lie, how many times have he traveled across within the several provinces of this country before, just because of a ¡®mere rumor¡¯?


    The answer is too much; he had already gave up keeping track of his brief expenditures!


    Hu Feng did not want to miss a chance in which he might really discover someone who was inherently similar to him. Thus, he treated every strange rumors as truths, as long as they touched on ¡®genius cultivator¡¯ and ¡®sudden popularity.¡¯


    But when he arrived at the origin of the rumor, instead of discovering a fellow man from his homeworld, he had discovered a freakin¡¯ monster.


    The rumor had turned out to be true, but had not been the truth he was seeking¡­.


    Closing his eyes as he leaned back on the wooden board, Hu Feng bitterly murmured:


    ¡°If there¡¯s none here, perhaps I should start leaving this country soon¡­¡±


    After a while, Hu Feng¡¯s eyes suddenly fluttered open as a strong light shone in them.


    ¡°I will not give up. Somewhere in this world, there¡¯s got to be at least a single person who¡¯s like me¡­even if I spent the rest of my life here, I¡¯ll find one. Be it from Earth, or another damn world, I will find you¡­there has to be¡­.there has to be¡­.¡± Hu Feng continuously muttered furiously under his breath.


    The carriage continued to trotted leisurely down the broken road.


    ______


    Later, Jin Xia visited the living quarters of the Fei sisters. When the two girls saw Jin Xia enter, they were a bit startled.


    ¡°Relax, I told you already, I do not wish to do anything to you nor take anything from you. All I require is your strength and loyalty.¡± Jin Xia as he stared the girls.


    By now, the two of them had properly washed up and dressed in silky garments. Fei Yu wore a light pink dress while Fei Qing had on a refreshing leaf-colored attire. Both of them now gave off an unearthly sense of beauty after they removed the dirt on their faces and body, though the rusty shackles on their wrists and ankles gave off a sense of despotic moodiness.


    Fei Yu¡¯s tension loosened after seeing that Jin Xia had no ill thoughts towards them, while Fei Qing still seemed to stare vigilantly at the latter.


    Noticing this, Jin Xia smirked as a mischievous thought flit across his mind. Turning to face Fei Qing, Jin Xia put on a lecherous face as he seemingly looked the girl up and down while saying: ¡°Aiyah, but with such a tender beauty in front of me, not requiring more would be such a waste, hehe¡­¡±


    ¡°You,,,!¡± Fei Qing¡¯s body instantly went rigid and her face flushed pale when she heard Jin Xia¡¯s comment. Looking fearfully at Jin Xia, Fei Qing quickly went to hide behind her older sister, who had become tense once again.


    Although Jin Xia had on a ¡°lecherous face¡±, with his current striking appearance, he had actually given off a seductive aura which caused both Fei Yu and Fei Qing¡¯s heart to rapidly speed up. While they understood what Jin Xia had said was inappropriate, they could not help but feel a sense of excitement.


    This made Fei Qing feel extremely conflicted in her heart.


    Suddenly, Jin Xia laughed as he waved his hands at the sisters: ¡°I am merely joking. Do not be so serious. I have promised you sisters that I won¡¯t take advantage of you two.¡±


    The Fei sisters stared blankly at Jin Xia before turning to look at each other in slight embarrassment. It seems they could not predict this person¡¯s personality at all.


    When they had first met Jin Xia at the Tian Slave Market, the youth had given off the impression of a lofty and indifferent young master. Then, at the alley this youth gave off the feeling of a reserved gentleman.


    And tonight, this same youth had took the initiative to joke with them. The youth simply had too many kind of faces, causing the sisters to feel a bit at lost.


    Without paying further attention to peculiar faces of the sisters, Jin XIa walked over to a round table and pulled out several bottles and books from his Eternal Gourd, placing them on the wooden stand.


    Then, he turned to face the two girls before speaking: ¡°As promised, I will help you raise your cultivation from now on. On this table, these white bottles contain high quality pills which should help greatly enhance your cultivation when you train. There are also four different martial art skill books, two for body cultivation and two for attacking: [Lotus Body Art], [Golden Spring Body Art], [Seven Petals Sword Arts], and [Moonlight Sword Arts]. Each has respectively 4 layers, except the [Seven Petals Sword Arts] which has 7 layers. ¡±


    Fei Yu and Fei Qing¡¯s eyes widened as they looked at the items on the table.


    ¡°You¡­know that we sisters use swords?¡± Fei Yu was the first speak as she asked Jin Xia. She was puzzled on how Jin Xia knew about their usage of swords.


    ¡°Ah, uh, let¡¯s say I could feel it from your aura?¡± Jin Xia said.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    When Jin Xia first came in contact with the two sisters, he had noticed a faint, sharp energy emitting from the two girls¡¯ body. Jin Xia was familiar with this energy. It was a type of aura that could only be emitted from a seasoned sword cultivator, or someone who is adept at using the sword.


    Although the aura of different weapon cultivators emit seemingly similar sharp auras, with Jin Xia¡¯s previous experiences, he could naturally differentiate a sword user¡¯s aura from another weapon master¡¯s aura. It¡¯s all from experience.


    Thus, Jin Xia had searched for suitable sword techniques for the two girls to practice in.


    ¡°Anyways, these four skill books can all be practiced interchangeably by both of you two sisters, since your constitutions are quite similar. They¡¯re all Top-grade skills, so they should be quite useful to you girls. You can choose which martial arts you want to practice first among yourselves. But make sure to take two pills each day before you start to cultivate.¡± Jin Xia said.


    Then, he went on to explain the effects of the pills and the various benefits and weaknesses of the martial arts skills he gave them.


    ¡°And once you reach a certain level of strength and when I can be sure of your loyalty, I will personally help you two girls open up all your meridians so you can perhaps experience another leap in strength.¡± Jin Xia concluded.


    While the benefits may seem large, they were actually not much. It was just that the country was too weak. In comparison to the entire continent, excluding the soul techniques, perhaps Jin Xia¡¯s other benefits would just be slightly better than the norm.


    The two girls were silent after Jin Xia finished speaking.

 Chapter 22: Rune Inscriptionist?!

    Author''s note: This chapter was sponsored by Karman D! It is time to start clearing the queues today; next chapter should be up soon.


    Host''s note: I''m not the author. I''m rehosting this story on RRL with the permission of the author... And in other news, I just ate a pizza and it was delicious.


    <hr />


    "And once you reach a certain level of strength and when I can be sure of your loyalty, I will personally help you two girls open up all your meridians so you can perhaps experience another leap in strength.¡± Jin Xia concluded.


    The two girls were silent after Jin Xia finished speaking.


    When Jin Xia told them the grade of the skills, they were already extremely shocked. After all, a Top-grade skill is much harder to find than even a Top-grade weapon. They¡¯re practically priceless within the country of Great Azure Country.


    So when they thought of how Jin Xia had casually given them such books, they were taken aback. But when they heard Jin Xia claiming that he could open all their meridians, the two girls were further plunged into a cycle of endless shock.


    Opening all the meridians? Although this practice was well known in WuDang, extremely few people knew of the method. And those select individuals were all age-old hermits whose status is incomparably high in the world of WuDang.


    Since being able to open even a single meridian in one¡¯s body would signify a huge boost in cultivation talent and potential.


    But even those hermits would only be able to open at most 5 of the normal meridians. To open all 20 meridians, including those hidden ones, in a person¡¯s body was practically unheard of.


    If those old anchorites could not do it, how could a mere young man achieve full meridians opening?


    The girls hesitated and were about to reject the skill books when they stopped after their eyes met Jin Xia¡¯s. They noticed there was a calm look in them that was void of any malice. And a strong light of stubbornness.


    After thinking about Jin Xia¡¯s peculiar personality, the sisters decided to give up rejecting Jin Xia¡¯s offer. The sisters sensed that they might not be able to deny the skills even if they wanted to. Their status was still that of slaves, after all.


    ¡°Now, let me get rid of those Spiritual Shackles on you.¡± Jin Xia said after a while, as he walked over to the girls.


    ¡°Eh? But you don¡¯t have the keys¡­¡± Fei Yu softly muttered in confusion.


    Spiritual Shackles were products used to confine and limit criminals and make them into obedient slaves. The shackles were made with extremely precious, sturdy minerals around the world. It was practically indestructible and could not unlocked without a special key from its creators.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, those spiritual shackles on you are quite poorly made compared to the ones I¡¯ve seen before. The Rune Inscriptionists who made those shackles were most likely no higher than the first level. Pretty weak.¡± Jin Xia casually replied.


    According to the previous host¡¯s memories, Jin Xia was aware of the existences of several other professions in this world, besides being a cultivator. And one of such exotic trades is being a Rune Inscriptionist.


    While many train in the arts of combat and body cultivation, there are those who choose to fortify their mind and comprehension of the world instead. These beings are able to utilize the natural law around them to create what they refer to as ¡°symbols¡± or ¡°inscriptions.¡±


    When these symbols are inscribed onto items, they bring along a colossal change to the item¡¯s ability. For example, if a Rune Inscriptionist was to carve a special symbol onto an ordinary sword, that sword¡¯s attack power would go through a huge boost in strength.


    And as the number of symbols inscribed on an item increase, the ability, and sometimes even structure of the item, undergoes a dramatic transformation.


    And such items with these special inscriptions are called Symbol Artifacts. That is to say, only rune inscriptionists would be able to create such objects. Their status were naturally high in this fact alone.


    After all, a person with the ability to create powerful Symbol Artifacts would naturally be a priceless support to any clan or sect, more so a powerful individual as well!


    ¡°Then, you have a method to break these Spiritual Shackles?¡±, Fei Yu asked with wide eyes.


    ¡°Naturally, if I had personally brought up this topic, I would have a method to deal with it. Now, let me release you both.¡± Jin Xia said as he walked over to the two girls.


    With a fluid motion, Jin Xia waved of his sleeves toward Fei Yu and Fei Qing at the same time. Two waves of dark-colored Qi swiftly shot out and slithered into the shackles on the two girls¡¯ body.


    The black shackles shone with a brief yellow light before¡­


    *Ch! Clack!*


    ¡­the shackles suddenly unlocked and fell powerlessly onto the ground.


    Right after, Fei Yu and Fei Qing felt a surge of Qi well up from their dantian. They instantly felt rejuvenated and energetic.


    The suppression on their cultivation by the shackles was finally lifted!


    With a satisfied smile, Jin Xia said: ¡°From now on, you both are no longer slaves, but bodyguards, no, I should say protectors of my Jin Clan.¡±


    ¡°How¡­how did you do that?¡± Fei Qing was in awe as she looked at Jin Xia.


    ¡°C-could you actually be a Rune Inscriptionist?!¡±


    ¡°Ah? Well, you could think of it that way if you want. The encryptions for those shackles were pretty simple so I was able to break it.¡± Jin Xia answered with a faint smile.


    ¡°Besides, if one¡¯s strength is greater than the creator of those shackles, then naturally they will be easily unlocked regardless if one possesses a key or not.¡±


    While trying to process the shock, the sisters looked dumbfoundedly at each other as they both faintly nodded.


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    It was indeed true if one¡¯s cultivation is much higher than another¡¯s, then no matter what restriction or tricks the latter resorts to, it¡¯ll be useless in front of raw power.


    Moreover Jin Xia¡¯s display had already confirmed the girls¡¯ suspicion that the youth was not simple at all.


    And factoring in the fact Jin Xia actually understood the encryption symbols on those shackles, it might be that young man in front of them may truly be a Rune Inscriptionist¡­


    If that is indeed true, then no matter what insight level on symbols Jin Xia has reached, his potential as a Rune inscriptionist would be boundless.


    In the sphere of Rune Inscriptionists, they are categorized by what is known as ¡°Levels.¡± And the prerequisite requirement of becoming a Level 1 Rune Inscriptionist was to first reach the first stage of Xing Profound realm. After that, one must also retain an extremely strong mental fortitude and comprehension ability in order to grasp the idea of symbols.


    Considering these two rigorous requirements and the mediocre cultivation of the masses, it is no wonder the profession of being a Rune Inscriptionist would be so luxurious and respected.


    At least, the total number of Rune Inscriptionists could be counted on one hand in the Great Azure Country, and most of these experts were extremely secretive, unwilling to meet most people.


    ¡°Wait, you said that if one¡¯s cultivation is higher than rune inscriptionist who made these shackles, then one could easily break them.¡± Fei Yu¡¯s eyes lit up when she recalled Jin Xia¡¯s words. ¡°Then, what is your cultivation level?¡±


    Jin Xia looked at Fei Yu and gave a small smile before saying lightly: ¡°Xing Profound Realm.¡±


    The room once again quiet down as the two girls felt their heart greatly disturbed. It was unheard of for anyone to reach the Xing Profound realm in the Great Azure country before the age of at least forty, with one reaching such realm before the age of twenty five being considered as peerless geniuses.


    No one has reached Xing Profound realm before the age of twenty before in this country. And with their Fei Vermillion Country being of similar status and structure, they, too, do possess host such expert. If they did, perhaps the girls would not be like this now¡­


    That was the moment the two sisters finally realized that this seemingly young man before them was an abnormal existence. His talent can be said to be horrifying.


    Back when Fei Yu and Fei Qing were still princesses of their Fei Vermillion country, they had thought themselves to be geniuses. Having reached the mid-Wudan stages before the age of twenty can already be evaluated with such status.


    But now they realize that before Jin Xia, they were pretty much mediocre. They finally understood what it means that there¡¯s ¡°always a man beyond the man, and a sky above the sky.¡±


    (Note: ¡°always a man beyond the man, and a sky above the sky.¡± = There¡¯s always someone greater or better than you. Don¡¯t get cocky, peeps. )


    ¡°Alright, it is late now, so I will not stay any longer. Remember to continue your practice, and if you need anything else, you can come find me in my yard.¡± Jin Xia said as he turned around.


    As Jin Xia was about to leave, Fei Qing suddenly spoke out: ¡°Wait!¡­You¡­you, why are you being so kind to us? We are from different countries and enemy countries at that! And to us, your Great Azure Country is an enemy. If you allow us to grow, are you not afraid that we will take revenge on your country, or even you?¡±


    ¡°Little Fei Qing, don¡¯t¡­¡± Fei Yu quickly held Fei Qing¡¯s hands as she tried to silence her.


    After knowing about Jin Xia¡¯s fearsome strength, she had felt a sense of dread towards the young man. She knew he could easily do whatever if he wants to them, and they would be powerless to resist, even if they were to both resist at full strength.


    With their meager strength at the Wudan realm, it was impossible for them to clash with someone at the Xing Profound realm. That is an entire two realms apart!


    Jin Xia halted his step when he was right in front of the door. Without turning his head, Jin Xia replied:


    ¡°What you wish to do after you have become stronger is up to you. But just keep these two points in mind: first, it was not my clan, or I, who caused the downfall of your country. And second, I do not have any attachment to this country. If you are powerful enough and wish to take your revenge, then go right ahead. I could care less.¡±


    Jin Xia paused for a while before resuming: ¡°But if you choose to remain loyal to me and my clan¡­then at that time, your revenge and burden¡­I, Jin Xia, swears to shoulder them with you, for eternity and thereafter.¡±


    With that, Jin Xia gave a faint smile and left the room while the two sisters sank into quietude.


    ¡°¡­your revenge¡­shoulder them with you, for eternity and thereafter¡­¡± Fei Yu muttered softly under her breath as she looked towards the door in which Jin Xia had left.


    Fei Yu turned to look at Fei Qing. When they locked gazes, a glint of determination could be seen in both of their eyes.


    ¡°What do you think, little Fei Qing? Should¡­we truly follow him?¡± Fei Yu quietly asked as she continued to stare into Fei Qing¡¯s eyes.


    Fei Qing remained silent for a while before she said, in a resolute voice: ¡°Mn. For our revenge, even if I have to give up my life I am more than willing. And..and¡­¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Fei Yu tilted her head slightly as she looked kindly at her younger sister.


    ¡°¡­And he¡­seems trustworthy..¡± Fei Qing said quietly, as she lowered her head.


    Fei Yu smiled and quietly nodded her head in acknowledgement¡­


    <hr />


    Host''s note: Ratings/reviews would be much appreciated.

 Chapter 23: Learning Low-Level Skills

    Author''s note: Second episode is brought to you by Daniel L!


    Host''s note: I''m just hosting this on RRL with permission.


    <hr />


    For the next several days, the Jin territory has been quite serene. The city, at this time, was in chaos with prices of goods skyrocketing and shops closing down left and right.


    But as Jin Xia predicted, by having Jin Liu Dan take authority over the city matters, the chaos was somehow contained. As expected, this move had not only strengthened the people¡¯s trust in the Jin Clan, but allowed the clan to control much of the city¡¯s matters.


    The new shops that opened were mostly set up by the Jin Clan members, while the rest went through a contract with the clan in order to open independently. Besides the Azure Sky Auction House, almost all of the shops in Tian City were now under the Jin Clan¡¯s influence.


    Other than the streams of visitors who wish to acquaint with the new overlord of Tian City, there has been no further movement from the Jin Clan¡¯s side since the brief incident.


    The reason was because everyone in the Jin Clan was currently busy cultivating.


    After Liu Dan Xia had stabilized the clan¡¯s internal affairs, Jin Xia brought all the Jin Clansmen together and bestowed upon an array of martial arts books.


    These skills included cultivation method, techniques in attack, defense and agility, and even a Low-grade soul enhancement art.


    The rest of the techniques ranged mostly from Low-grade to at most Mid-grade skills. While these may not seem a lot, it was already more than enough to give the Jin clansmen the shock of their life.


    A Graded skill was, after all, much rarer than even a Symbol artifact.


    Because in this bloody world where fights happen often, many people place their trust more so on their own fists and strength, rather than outside assistances such as weapons and artifacts.


    Coupled with the scarcity of Graded skills, these factors naturally contributed to the preciousness of Graded skills over Symbol artifacts (or Graded artifacts).


    Now that Jin Xia¡¯s clan was united, he was more inclined to help improve their strength. This way, when he leaves on his journey, he would have less to worry about his clan¡¯s wellbeing. He was not an unfilial nor heartless person, after all.


    With the new rush of wealth and river of Graded skill books, the Jin Clan had been fervently purchasing a huge abundance of medicinal herbs and martial pills to nurture its younger generation.


    Although the amount of pills given to each younger members of the Jin Clan was at most two per day, it was already a huge improvement from before.


    Moreover, the clan had lately been hiring many strong cultivators to help protect the Jin mansion¨C a move that would have been practically impossible long ago. Of course, the screening was overseen by Jin Xia, who meticulously selected ones whom he found had not only decent cultivation, but also ¡°decent heart.¡±


    There were quite a number of people who wished to take advantage of the Jin Clan¡¯s rise in power and join them so that they could likewise enjoy a boost in status.


    Those people were, of course, directly sent away from the Jin Clan¡¯s mansion.


    Occasionally, Jin Xia would stop by the family¡¯s main hall and hand over to his father a few bottles of high quality martial pills to distribute to the most outstanding peers in the younger generation.


    While the type of pills varied from time to time, the only similarity between them was that they all had a quality rating of at least 5 stars. This may not sound like much, but compared to the country of Great Azure, where the rarest pill was only rated 3 stars, the Jin Clansmen could be said to be taking the most luxurious delicacies in the entire country.


    Jin Xia likewise did not tell the clan about the rating of the pills he gave them.


    And with Jin Xia¡¯s current incomparably high status in the clan, which was even greater than the patriarch himself, no one dared to question him.


    Meanwhile, Xie Mei had already begun cultivating.


    In just four days, she had already went from being non-cultivator to someone who was at the 2nd stage of Wudan. This training speed could already be considered quite fast.


    At the same time, Xie Mei had also began to touch on the martial art skills Jin Xia had given her. After her initial breakthrough of the 1st Wudan stage, Xie Mei had been deeply touched.


    Standing in her own yard, Xie Mei had a complicated look on her face.


    ¡°This¡­is the feeling of a cultivator?¡± She whispered under breath in awe. Her body felt as if a certain weight had been lifted. It was an amazing sensation breaking through.


    Lightly grasping her chest, Xie Mei looked towards Jin Xia¡¯s yard as confusion and gratitude flashed through her pretty eyes.


    Her perspective on Jin Xia had now taken a turn for the better.


    After all, to be able to break through when she was already 16 years old could originally be said to be impossible.


    But with Jin XIa¡¯s guidance, she had actually brought about a miracle that was practically unheard of in the country, or even in the continent for that matter!


    If it could said that Xie Mei was at first suspicious and cautious towards Jin Xia¡¯s words, then it could be said that Xie Mei is now completely trusting of her young master.


    The fears and slight hatred towards Jin Xia (the previous one) that she held in her heart from before were slowly extinguishing along with her breakthrough into the Wudan realm.


    As for Yu Fei and Qing Fei, with their cultivation back, they naturally did not fool around and went straight into practicing the skills Jin Xia had given them.


    ¡°Ha!¡± The air whistled loudly as a slender sword pierced into a tree.


    *Ch!*


    A long vertical crack appeared on the tree trunk from the sword¡¯s strike.


    ¡°Amazing¡­¡± Fei Yu murmured under her breath as she retracted the normal sword Jin Xia had given her for practice use. ¡°Practicing this [Seven Petals Sword Arts] seems to come so easy for me; it was as if this style was made for me. It¡¯s almost like our Fei family¡¯s [Crimson Fei Sword arts], but much more effective¡­¡±


    After practicing the sword style for a while, Fei Yu could quickly tell that the sword art that JIn Xia had given them was not simple at all. The moves were not only powerful, but the style suited almost perfectly with her body! She was very close to comprehending the first layer of the sword art.


    ¡°Sister Yu! Look! Look! My sword was able to pierce into that tree trunk in my yard just by training it a bit!¡± A sweet voice called from the distance, as a girl in light-green clothes came skipping over. Giving her older sister a big smile, Fei Qing said:


    ¡°I think I¡¯m very close to understanding the first layer of this [Moonlight Sword Arts] Jin Xia gave me. I don¡¯t know why, but whenever I train this sword art, I feel a surge of energy in my body. It¡¯s weird because I never felt this way when I was practicing our family¡¯s swords arts¡­¡±


    Fei Yu smiled and nodded: ¡°Yes, these sword arts the young master gave us are truly profound. It may have been right to rely on him for now.¡±


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Mn.¡± Fei Qing agreed. Her recent change in impression of Jin Xia had been similar to Xie Mei¡¯s ¨Cit was getting a lot better.


    Jin Xia had indeed not once harrassed or forced them to do something against their own will, but had instead treated them courteously and like an equal. His manners were not condescending in the least.


    But what made Fei Qing feel a bit depressed was because of this very attitude of Jin Xia¡¯s.


    ¡°To have two beautiful princesses living in a quarter nearby, yet showing no signs of interests¡­is he even a man?¡± Fei Qing had grumbled in her mind once, when she noticed that Jin Xia did not express a hint of desire towards them.


    While this was a good thing, of course, but for some reason Fei Qing felt a sense of loss in her heart. Like, she wanted something more from Jin Xia, but did not understand exactly what she wanted¡­


    ¡°Let us continue to practice hard and raise our cultivation. We cannot soley rely on young master Jin Xia to shelter us forever¡­¡± Fei Yu said.


    ¡°I know, Sister Yu.¡± Fei Qing replied, while smiling. Then, she turned and skipped back to the other side of the yard for practice.


    Fei Yu looked at her adorable sister¡¯s back, as her eyes sharpened a bit.


    ¡°Little Fei Qing, just wait until we¡¯re stronger..we will definitely avenge our honorable parents in Heaven¡­¡± She softly murmured under her breath.


    Then, she raised her sword once again and began to slice the air, aiming to perfect the sword style.


    With the idea of following Jin Xia set in their minds, the two sisters knew that they had to get stronger if they wanted to be able to protect Jin Xia¡¯s clan.


    After all, with Jin Xia¡¯s extraordinary demeanor and might, he was bound to attract a great deal of glory¨Cand possibly an equally great amount of enemies as well.


    Thus, like Xie Mei, the girls would cultivate inside their room in the morning, then practice outside their yard in the afternoon, and then go back to meditate during the night. With a meal break in between each session, the girls had practically immersed themselves in cultivation.


    While everyone within the Jin territory was occupied with leveling up their strength, Jin Xia had not been practicing any martial techniques at all ¡ª even the ones that he had in memories, he did not choose to practice them.


    This was because Jin Xia understood that while he may know how to exactly execute the skills from his previous life, his current corporeal form may not be able to handle to the resulting lashback.


    And although Jin Xia had a plethora of skills in his memory, he was most concerned about the compatibility of the technique with his current body. Only by having compatibility would one be able to release the strongest attack and have the most solid defense.


    When Jin Xia had first killed all the higher members of the three major clans in Tian City, he had only used his condensed Spiritual Qi to easily defeat them.


    The difference in cultivation level had made this possible.


    But in the future, he knew he had to recover back some of his old techniques. If not, faced with a powerful enemy in this world, he would likely perish and enter the Reincarnation cycle for good this time.


    And strangely enough, Jin Xia was a little astonished to find that there were very few skills that were actually compatible with this body of his, at the moment.


    Even the lowest level of martial arts that was most compatible with him right now, required Jin Xia at least reach the Emperor Realm before being able to practice it.


    Otherwise, even with his powerful soul and extensive experiences, Jin Xia¡¯s body would not be able to properly maneuver the high level skill.


    The techniques he knew that was compatible with his body were all too imposing, that his current body was simply too weak to bring out its full potential even if Jin Xia was to practice it immediately now.


    Realizing this, Jin Xia could only smile wryly. Even though he had lived for aeons, Jin Xia was not omnipotent and did not possess the knowledge of every single technique in the world.


    Therefore, even after searching through the lower level skills in his memory bank, Jin Xia could not find any compatible methods for his body.


    In the end, Jin Xia could only practice the family techniques that were passed down within the Jin Clan.


    Because those were the traditional methods that were left behind by the previous Jin Xia¡¯s ancestors. The compatibility rate would naturally extremely high with this body of his, which was a direct descendant of the Jin ancestors.


    However, the strongest technique in the Jin Clan was called [Rising Over Heaven], a Mid-grade palm attack-based art.


    Having visited the Treasure Hall of the Jin Clan once before, Jin Xia had read over this attack manual. It was said that if practiced to the highest level, one would be able to instantly cover the sky and decimate a large army


    While it was traditionally ruled that only the patriarch may practice this skill, with Jin Xia¡¯s present status in the Jin Clan, no one would complain if Jin Xia wanted to learn it.


    There were also [Firefly Evasion], a Low-grade agility skill, and [Lightning Fist], a Non-grade attack skill. These were the methods that the previous host had learned before Jin Xia took over his body.


    And while the level of these skills were not high, because of the ¡°previous Jin Xia¡¯s¡± impatient attitude and overall lack of comprehension, he did not achieve full mastery over these seemingly weak techniques.


    Coupled with these two skills, there was a total of three compatible martial arts that Jin Xia could perform with his current body.


    While three martial arts could be considered the minimum amount of arts a practitioner should possess, in Jin Xia¡¯s eyes it was far from enough. As someone who preferred to have multiple cards up his sleeves, Jin Xia wanted to have more compatible skills to use when he fought, even if they were low-leveled ones.


    Besides, Jin Xia was once a fanatical martial artist who had studied the Way of Cultivation for nearly thousands of millenniums. His knowledge was deeply profound. As such, he would naturally be able to ¡°tweak¡± some of the low-level skills, and bring about a completely new power from within them.


    Even raising the grade of those compatible martial arts would not pose a huge difficulty for Jin Xia.


    With this thought in mind, Jin Xia had visited the Jin Treasure Hall and collected a few martial art books and scrolls that he found to not only be useful, but to be ¡°adjustable¡± as well.


    When Jin Xia was finished, he returned back to his room.


    Sprawling the scrolls and books onto his table, Jin Xia immediately sat down and began to look through each of them.


    <hr />


    Host''s note: I''m going to college tomorrow and some sort of maintenance is happening as well on RRL. So, tomorrow might be a bit iffy with updates.

 Chapter 24: Upgrading Low-Level Skills

    Author''s note: Third episode is sponsored by Daniel L. again! Damn Daniel, back at it again with the generosity! -Mochi


    Host''s note: As usual, I''m not the author. I''m rehosting this story on RRL with author''s permission.


    <hr />


    Sprawling the scrolls and books onto his table, Jin Xia immediately sat down and began to look through each of them. In total, Jin Xia had selected 4 martial skills. They were:


    [Night Moon Palm], Low-grade attack based; a palm blast charged with the essence of the moon, boldly crashing into the horizon.


    [Six Sun Finger], Low-grade attack based; creates 12 small hovering balls of intense light around oneself from the sun¡¯s energy, when all twelve sun spheres are achieved one would able to execute a devastating attack that could melt the earth


    [Shadow Sword Basic Arts], Non-grade; emphasis on the idea of a sword play which is so quick, that one would only be able to see the ¡®shadow¡¯ left behind by the sword movement, may also utilise the dark areas to enhance the sword attacks¡¯ effectiveness.


    [Bright Light Spear Basic Arts], Non-grade; emphasis on the idea of a bold spear play which fears no darkness and evil, reigning above all in beaming conviction.


    As for why Jin Xia had picked a spear and a sword technique set respectively, there was not much of a defining reason. It was simply that the current Jin Xia¡¯s body was highly suitable to practice these two specific weapon arts.


    Although Jin Xia was well-versed in all kinds of weapons and artifacts when he was a deity, he did not have his deity form now. Thus, he made sure to only select weapons that his current mortal body could use.


    After reading over the manuals, Jin Xia placed the books down and sank into a meditative state.


    He entered his soul domain and began to divide his consciousness into seven different compartments.


    In each soul¡¯s compartment, Jin Xia would place a bit of his consciousness there and focus on one of the low-level techniques he had decided to learn.


    Along the way, Jin Xia decided to renovate the techniques themselves and greatly improve them so that they would be more effective for Jin Xia to use in the future.


    Because of Jin Xia¡¯s powerful soul, he was able to utilise a little trick he had learned once regarding souls, back when he was a high immortal, allowing him to effectively cut down on the time spent mastering certain skillsets.


    As such, several hours quickly passed by with Jin Xia sitting quietly in his bedroom, his eyes closed and fully lost in a trance.


    ¡°Huuu¡­¡±


    After a moment longer, Jin Xia slowly opened his eyes as he let out a soft breath.


    He had finished improving and grasping the ¡®new¡¯ skills he had, after re-merging the several soul pieces back into one again.


    Since all the techniques were relatively low-leveled, it was extremely easy for Jin Xia to understand their essence within a few simple glances.


    Thus, he was able to quickly master all the skills under an hour, with the rest of the hours spent improvising the methods themselves to their peak.


    After he had completed this, the seven techniques had transformed into almost something completely different. While a small trace of its original roots remained, the overall moves and strength of the martial arts had taken a leap through grades.


    Jin Xia estimated that the grades of his skills at this moment should at least be around Jade-grade, with the exception of the [Rising Over Heaven] which could even be said to infinitely near the Soul-grade level¡­


    With such a vast difference from its predecessors, Jin Xia promptly decided to rename some of the skills in honor of their evolution:


    Thus, he changed¡­


    [Night Moon Palm] to [Half Moon Palm], Jade-grade; conjures up an illusion of a great half-moon devastating the world.


    [Six Sun Finger] to [Twelve Sun Finger], Jade-grade; forms twelve large condensed form of golden floating light balls around oneself, capable of mass destruction and dispersion of high temperature flames upon contact.


    [Shadow Sword Basic Arts] to [Eclipse Sword Arts], Jade-grade; merges sword with one¡¯s shadow to launch hidden attacks, a dark environment is the absolute domain of the shadow sword, at peak power it could conjure an illusion of eclipsing darkness.


    [Bright Light Spear Basic Arts] to[Seven Luminous Spear Arts], Jade-grade; blinding light which overshadows all beneath one¡¯s feet, seven tyrannical pillars of lights that bring judgement to evil.


    [Lightning Fist] to [Thunderous Dream Fist], Jaded-grade; a fist which comes and goes like a ephemeral dream, without realizing without grasping, only woken up after a thunderous impact.


    Only the names of [Firefly Evasion], Jade-grade, and [Rising Over Heaven], Quasi Soul-grade, remained the same.


    Since the skills were not very powerful to begin with, they were much easier to make adjustments compared to more high level techniques.


    And given Jin Xia¡¯s previous identity as a martial arts-obsessed deity, if he was unable to bring a few low level martial arts grade up by a few levels, then that would actually be considered the strange part!


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    Now that Jin Xia had a set of means to sustain his battle prowess, he was feeling a bit more assured. Even if his current methods were only of Jade-grade, they could already be considered pinnacle level techniques within the Great Azure Country.


    Although he could barge right through into the Emperor Realm and start learning a few of the more powerful skills from his memories, Jin Xia did want to rush his advancement towards this realm yet.


    The Emperor realm in the world of WuDang was practically a whole different plane, in terms of power and ability.


    Not only would a strong Emperor-level practitioner be able to resist the flow of natural law and be able to briefly walk on air, the cultivator would possess the strength to easily lay waste to a Greater-ranked city.


    But to be able to reach this realm was a different story. The requirements and methods were also much different than the usual trainings.


    This is because when one transitions into the Emperor realm, one would have to assimilate the elemental energy within their Mortal Domain.


    To more precise, one would have to absorb a least one type of elemental energy.


    In this world, there are countless forms of elemental energy ranging from fire to thunder to darkness. and more.


    Once a peak Xing Profound expert absorbs a great quantity of one of these elements, their Dantian and Qi would go through a fusion, fully grasping the element¡¯s characteristics.


    Once this is achieved, the cultivator would have the ability to incorporate their element into their Qi and physical attacks, giving them an incredible boost in power.


    And to do this, there are naturally many different methods with varying effectiveness. There are two well known methods.


    For the first method, one could find a spot where a certain elemental energy is abundant and absorb it along with the World Qi into one¡¯s Dantian. Absorbing the elemental from rare herbs and objects with certain elemental energy is fine as well.


    While this is a steady and sure way to assimilate an elemental energy and break into the Emperor realm, the time it takes to achieve it is naturally exceedingly long.


    The other method is to find an elemental beast and absorb its nuclear core, or energy core. And if the elemental beast is strong enough and possesses a mountainous amount of a certain elemental energy within its core, then simply absorbing it would instantly help a peak cultivator break into the Emperor realm and be in possession of that said element.


    Of course, this is also taking in the fact that the cultivator has a great enough comprehension ability to understand the principles of the element they wish to assimilate.


    Otherwise, simply by relying on brute force is useless. Even if successfully absorbed, that cultivator would only be a weak Emperor-level expert compared to others.


    While they would have the characteristics of the elements, it did not mean they had grasped the ¡°essence¡± of it. But if the latter process is achieved, one can expect to move on to the next big realm, though that is separate topic altogether¡­


    Also, naturally, this second method was much harder. Not only was it hard to come by a powerful elemental beast, it was even more difficult to defeat one, much less kill it and take its core.


    ¡°The surrounding of Tian City is mostly forests and a few paved roads for travel¡­there should be no Elemental beasts or animals of similar strength around here.¡± Jin Xia sighed.


    In WuDang, there are countless monsters known as Savage Beasts. These differ from the regular beasts such as a tigers, and are famed for their bloodthirsty nature and great strength. The prerequisite to be differentiate a Savage Beast is its aura. These beasts would all possess, at minimum, the strength and aura of a Wudan realm practitioner.


    Moreover, they seemed to possess no conscious, with their only agenda being to spread death everywhere they go, thus most people do not feel any qualms of killing such animals.


    And above them is what are known as Elemental Beasts, which are those that have the natural ability to call forth elemental energy. They are much stronger than normal beasts of the same level.


    All beasts can be categorized according to the cultivation ranking, but a key point is that as beasts, they are groomed by nature for battle and hunting.


    Thus, if a beast at the same cultivation level fought against a normal cultivator with the same level, it would actually be the beast that would hold an advantage.


    This was why many cultivators would not go out of their way to hunt beasts of the same cultivation or above, even for training purposes sometimes.


    Only the truly strong practitioners would be able to do that.


    <hr />


    Host''s note: Got in contact with the author. He doesn''t want a donation button in general for now. As for the next chapters, the author is planning on wrapping up the rest of the first book/volume before brainstorming on the next one. So, I''m guessing that he wants to finish up the last few chapters of the book before resuming updates.

 Chapter 25: Two Groups a Powerful Clan May Need

    Author''s note: This lovely chapter was sponsored by Kevin R and Jennifer R! Your contributions are eternally appreciated!


    Host''s note: I''m rehosting this on RRL for the author.


    <hr />


    In order to ensure that he would be able to find suitable elementals for his advancement, Jin Xia had decided to slowly progress his cultivation within the Xing Profound realm for the time being.


    Only after he discovered a compatible elemental beast to his liking, would Jin Xia consider breaking straight into the Emperor Realm.


    And with his ancient experiences, Jin Xia was not afraid he would die so easily, even if his opponents were a bit stronger than him in cultivation.


    Thus, while Jin Xia may feel a faint pressure to quickly grow stronger, he continued to suppress that feeling within his heart.


    Like this, several days quickly turned into two months as time, like butterflies, peacefully flew by.


    During this extended period of time, Jin Xia had solidified a thorough understanding of his improvised techniques and broke into the 7th stage Xing Profound realm from the 6th stage, after spending only four days cultivating. An unprecedented speed of cultivation.


    Likewise, Xie Mei, who had been studying diligently, was able to finally step into the 5th stage of the Wudan Realm. She grasped the first layer of [Four Season Palm], ¡®Falling Leaves over the Sun¡¯, and reached the first part of [Celestial Fairies Tempering Body Art], ¡®Purifying the Mortal Core.¡¯


    Moreover, with Xie Mei practicing faithfully to the [Soul Transformation] mantra, Jin Xia had noticed that the girl¡¯s innate quality had become increasingly pure. It seems that at anytime her innate quality of 4 may ¡®transform¡¯ into that of the 5th quality!


    On the other hand, Fei Yu and Fei Qing did not slack off either. With their naturally given talent of 5th innate quality, their cultivation and practice speed were quite swift.


    Fei Yu had already completely mastered the first layers of the [Lotus Body Art], Budding Flower, and [Seven Petals Sword Arts], First Petal: Breezing the Silent Air. Her cultivation had reached the 9th stage of Wudan from the 6th stage of Wudan.


    Fei Qing had likewise managed to master the first layers of the methods Jin Xia gave her: [Golden Spring Body Art], Bronze Body, and [Moonlight Sword Arts], Dancing Under the Moon. She had also stepped into the 8th stage of Wudan from the 5th stage.


    Naturally, these rapid results in this world that lacks the necessary resources were only possible due to Jin Xia¡¯s generous supplements of high-quality pills each day. And given the high innate qualities of the three girls, the results were as Jin Xia¡¯s expected.


    While the three girls had improved their strength, the overall prowess of the Jin family had taken a leap in power.


    Under the occasional guidance of Jin Xia and his medicinal pills, the younger generations of the Jin Clan had rose in cultivation, with the weakest now already being in the 4th Wudan stage and the stronger ones in the 5th or even 6th Wudan stage.


    Even the older generation members, such as the family elders and Jin Xia¡¯s father, had benefited from Jin Xia¡¯s advice. Most of them are now within the 6th Wudan stage, with the higher ranked elders being in the 7th stage and Liu Dan Xia being in the 9th stage of Wudan.


    The latter¡¯s improvement, even without opening a whole deal of meridians or purification of innate quality, was only possible because Jin Xia had treated his father to one of the rarer pills within his Eternal Gourd collection.


    Otherwise, with his father¡¯s innate quality of 3, he would not be able to jump from the 6th Wudan stage to the 9th in two months¡¯ time.


    With this huge rise in power, everyone in the Jin Clan had been feeling excited and brimming with confidence.


    They knew all of this was due to a single person, who had ¡°once deluded the entire family¡± ¡ª Jin Xia.


    By now, to some of the younger family generations, Jin Xia had become someone akin to a god, a living legend, whom they adored to the extreme.


    Little did they know, their worship was more than appropriate¡­


    _______________


    ¡°It¡¯s about time I should begin¡­¡± Jin Xia murmured softly as he stared at the clear pond in his yard.


    ¡°With the Jin Clan¡¯s overall strength having greatly increased, they will at least be able to defend themselves much better now.¡± Jin Xia mused.


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    He had patiently waited for the Jin clansmen¡¯s strength to grow for the past two months. This way, even if Jin Xia was not home, the clan itself will be able to support itself and resist against outsiders.


    Now that there was a visible improvement in the clan, Jin Xia finally decided to propel his plans forward.


    ¡°As of now, we have family guards, competent servants, and a stronger young generation.¡± Jin Xia thought.


    But Jin Xia did not feel as though it was enough. The lineup the Jin Clan has now may be great for a small clan, but with Jin Xia here, the clan¡¯s growth is destined to not stay stagnant. In the future, it would require stronger entities to protect it from enemies.


    And what types of personal entity do a typical powerful clan possess?


    Although the groups may vary from clan to clan, two kinds of group have always been observed in such large clans.


    And those are a personal elite army and a group which operates behind the scene in the clan, otherwise known as an assassin guild.


    These are the two companies that Jin Xia wishes to assemble for the Jin Clan before he sets out on his journey to explore this world. They will inevitably make up the true core of the Jin Clan.


    The clan had been simply too poor and weak to afford, or even sustain, such large factions. But Jin Xia was different.


    He was more or less a walking encyclopedia. And a very, very rich one at that!


    ¡°I should start looking for some mortals to supplement these two groups.¡± Jin Xia mused as he paced around his yard. ¡°Perhaps I will pay a visit to a few distant villages and select some young personages to train¡­¡±


    There were hundreds of small villages scattered around in the forests and woodlands of the Great Azure Country. These were all poor families, who did not have any cultivators within their ranks. They led ordinary lives in the forest, toiling and working all day on soil of this land.


    Likewise, due to limited food sources a family from a village could acquire, there is often not enough to feed everyone in the family.


    Because of this, many villagers would choose to abandon their children. There was simply not enough food for even the parents to sustain themselves, less the children.


    Like this, there were many orphans living in the forest as well. Some may be fortunate enough to be taken in by a capable patron, while others may not be so lucky, dying by either the fangs of wild beasts or by starvation.


    Having a set plan in mind, Jin Xia leisurely walked out of his backyard.


    Feeling of the excited auras of the Fei sisters and Xie Mei nearby, Jin Xia smiled as he noticed that the girls were still diligently training. It seems they may have been training since morning.


    This level of assiduity was quite praiseworthy, given the fact not everyone was as studious in their training. Some people, even though they were born with the opportunity to cultivate, tend not to treasure it until it¡¯s too late and they come to realize the cruelty of the outside world¡­


    Catching a male servant who was hurriedly walking past, Jin Xia gave him an empty spatial ring and had the servant go fill it up with large quantities of food.


    Only after the servant came back from completing the task, did Jin Xia decide to leave.


    As he passed through the Xia courtyard, servants and elders alike who saw him all paused their steps and politely greeted him. Jin Xia nodded his head in silent acknowledgement as he continued to walk.


    When he arrived in front of the Jin mansion¡¯s door, two guards were situated on both side of the entrance. When these two guards saw the white-clothed youth approaching, a trace of reverence flashed through their eyes before they quickly shouted out:


    ¡°¡°Greetings, Young master Jin Xia!¡±¡±


    Jin Xia gave them a nod before saying: ¡°I am going to leave to personally do something important. Tell my father and mother that I should be back by tonight.¡±


    ¡°¡±We will be sure to inform them, young master!¡±¡± The two guards saluted in unison.


    ¡°Mn.¡±


    Jin Xia turned and walked out of the Jin mansion. With a light tap of his feet, Jin Xia propelled himself forward as he speedily raced towards the outskirts of Tian City.


    <hr />


    Host''s note: This chapter felt shorter than the others.

 Chapter 26: Assembling The Pieces

    Author¡¯s note: Sponsored by Jake V and John M!!


    Host¡¯s note: I¡¯m not the author; I¡¯m a rehoster. I was sick and moving into college yesterday so I couldn¡¯t keep to the 3 chapters per day I had been doing here.


    <hr />


    As Jin Xia leisurely traveled towards the outskirts of Tian City, he started to contemplate on his next move.


    His destination was the Kaitech Mountain.


    This was the mountain range that was the closest to Tian City, and was rumored to have one of the largest population of villages within the Great Azure Country, according to the ¡°old Jin Xia¡¯s¡± memory.


    Upon arriving outside the forest, Jin Xia flew into dense thickets without hesitation.


    While common people and weak cultivators would be avoid traveling through the forests of the Kaitech Mountain due to various savage beasts and wild animals inhabiting the area, this was not an issue for Jin Xia.


    According to Jin Xia¡¯s speculation, based on the previous host¡¯s knowledge, the strongest savage beast within the Kaitech Mountain was only at the Wudan 8th stage. With only this level, the beasts in the mountain range would barely pose as threats for Jin XIa.


    Spreading out his soul awareness to the surrounding areas, Jin Xia was able to quickly locate several human presences within the forest. This was much effective than using his mortal senses to search his environment.


    Even though upon reaching the Xing Profound Realm, one would start developing an ability known as their 6th sense. The early stages of this skill would allow a Xing Profound expert to be aware of their surrounding at all times, and would let them search for enemies that were hiding nearby. Though, their effective range of detection would be merely 500 feets.


    But with Jin Xia¡¯s powerful soul, he was able to utilise it in a much more efficient manner, allowing him to scour everything within 110 miles around him! And this length would only continue to slowly stretch as Jin Xia¡¯s cultivation grows, up until he regains back the strength of his former soul.


    After all, his godly soul was damaged during the time when Jin Xia had forcefully escaped from the reincarnation cycle.


    If not, with just his soul power alone, completely dominating the continents in WuDang would be, but a simple matter!


    Moreover, to search one¡¯s soul ensures that nothing could hide from it, lest the other person possess a much stronger soul. And with Jin Xia¡¯s guess, there should be relatively few individuals in this world whose soul could compare to his, and this is still when Jin Xia¡¯s soul is at its weakest state after forcefully enduring escaping the reincarnation cycle.


    Sensing a quite a few number of presences nearby, Jin Xia made a turn and head towards the direction where he felt the energy coming from.


    When Jin Xia arrived, he saw a small village where the ¡°walls¡± were made of long sticks and trimmed tree trunks. He could see people in dirty rags and grim moving around within the village, going about their daily duty. There was no one guarding the village.


    ¡°I should be able to find some little mortals here¡­¡± Jin Xia murmured as he head towards the village.


    *rustle*


    When the villagers heard the rustling of leaves, all of them immediately turned towards the source of the noise. They feared that it might be a savage beast.


    After all, in the Kaitech Mountain, savage beasts attacking villages are a common occurrence, so everyone was always on guard.


    But when they saw a handsome youth in clean, white clothes walk out from the forest towards them, the villagers were struck dumbfounded.


    Besides being clad in luxurious clothes, the youth gave off an extraordinary aura that made him seem unreal. He was almost like a painting coming to life, in the eyes of the commoners.


    Jin Xia noticed the stares, but he did not bother with them. After entering the village, Jin Xia stopped when he was near the center of the place. Without bothering to wait for the village chief to show up, he directly transmitted a little Qi into his voice, Jin Xia said:


    ¡°This young master is from the Jin Clan in Tian City; my name is Jin Xia. Today, I have personally come to receive any child who is 12 years of age or under to be a part of my Jin Clan.¡± Jin Xia¡¯s voice vibrated throughout the village, such that even those in the tiny, straw huts could clearly hear his voice.


    Jin Xia continued: ¡°If you are willing, then everything from foods to medicines to even a proper home would be provided for you. Of course, only as long as you work hard for my Jin Clan. And upon joining the Jin Clan, it does not matter if you are an orphan or a poor commoner, I will personally make sure you receive a new identity as a member of the Jin Clan!


    And if you perform well enough, perhaps, someday you would even be able to traverse to the outside world by yourself. My Jin Clan will never force you to stay.¡±


    Jin Xia paused for a moment as he let his words sink in. Then he said:


    ¡°Now, the children who are willing to pledge loyalty to my Jin Clan, step forward towards me. I will only wait ten breaths of time.¡±


    Almost at the same time, shuffling of feets could be heard in the village as several children scurried out from huts and other areas they were hiding in. In a moment, nine young children were standing in front of Jin Xia. Three of them were girls, while the rest were all boys.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Seeing that there no adults who seemed particularly attached to them, Jin Xia confirmed that these nine children must be orphans.


    Jin Xia gave a slight nod as he turned around to leave: ¡°Follow me.¡±


    The children all obediently shuffled after Jin Xia in their bare feet, trying to keep up.


    The surrounding villagers looked at the departing children with envious gazes. Some even wished they were ten years younger. Perhaps then, they would be able to enjoy the offer that Jin Xia had specifically proposed to the younger ones.


    But no one dared complained. After seeing Jin Xia¡¯s expensive, white clothes and his powerful aura, the villagers knew that the youth before them was no ordinary person.


    Jin Xia¡¯s introduction had further confirmed for them that the youth must be from a powerful clan. He was absolutely someone the people from this tiny village could not afford to provoke.


    From start to finish, no one spoke in the village except for Jin Xia. And that was fine with him. Since, he was an outsider and the villagers were originally vigilant and hesitant to interact with those from the outside. Even their village chief, an old wise man,  was unqualified to speak with the youth, and had blended in among the crowd.


    The other party had already introduced himself and seemed to be impatient, thus the village chief chose to stay quiet. The youth¡¯s objective was already known, anyways.


    Right before Jin Xia left through the village entrance, he paused in his steps. With a flick of his wrist, several large bags flew out and crashed into the ground.


    Without turning back, Jin Xia said: ¡°I heard about the poor diet of the surrounding villagers in Kaitech Mountain. So to thank you all for your cooperation, I¡¯ve decided to gift you these aliments as repayment. Now then, farewell.¡±


    This time, the village chief went forward and continually thank Jin Xia, along with the other villagers. ¡°Thank you, great young master! Oh thank you!!¡±


    Even if they were afraid of Jin Xia, they did not forget their manners.


    After leaving the small village, Jin Xia moved to a safer area of the forest. When he had settled the children down, Jin Xia began to draw strange symbols on the surrounding trees.


    Concentrating his Qi energy to the tip of his index finger, Jin Xia carved various symbols and patterns on the tree trunks as well as the ground around him. Within a few minutes, the surrounding trees and land from, where the children were situated at the center, all had some kind of mark on them.


    ¡°I¡¯ve set up a concealment formation around here. With this, as long as the children stay within this area, even if a few savage beasts wander into this area by accident, they would not be able to harm these little mortals.¡± Jin Xia thought as he looked around at his work.


    Although Jin Xia did not specialize in symbols as a Rune Inscriptionist, he had still picked up on it over the course the years. And naturally, the symbols he laid would be several times stronger than those of  normal Inscriptionists.


    Jin Xia was confident that unless it was a beast or an expert who had a higher cultivation than him, there should be no one who will be able to enter his protective formation.


    After warning the children to stay put within the safe area that he designated, JIn Xia once again took off towards another village that he sensed nearby.


    Once he arrived at the village, Jin Xia once again repeated his message and went through the same process of receiving the willing children, gifting the villagers several bags of food, and bringing them to the concealment formation.


    Moreover, as most of the villages are located closely to one another, it made it easier for Jin Xia to transport the children back to the safer area.


    As he repeated this process, Jin Xia gradually began to notice that there would be children waiting in front of villages, as if they were expecting them. There would even be a few adults standing behind some of the kids, with an eager expression on their face.


    Apparently, without Jin Xia being aware, some of the villagers had already spread the news to the surrounding villages. They told of how a young master from a large family had decided to adopt and teach the orphans and young children in the villages he visit in exchange for large quantities of food.


    When this news spread, several individual children had lined up near their respective village entrance in anticipation for Jin Xia. And naturally, Jin XIa did not mind this. It would save him quite some time explaining and waiting between each village he visit.


    Like this, the process of selecting young village children went along smoothly and expediently.


    Surveying the large crowd of children in the concealment formation after his tenth trip back, Jin Xia gave a small nod in satisfaction. ¡°This amount of mortals should be enough to be divided into two groups quite nicely..¡±


    There were now over 200 village children, who were 12 years of age or younger, crowding around inside the area that Jin Xia had told them to stay.


    It was time for him to set up his Jin Clan¡¯s personal army and assassin guild!

 Chapter 27: Formations and The Reformations

    Author¡¯s note: Chapter sponsored by Jean-Robert L and Evan H! Thank you! ^_^


    Host¡¯s note: I¡¯m not the author. I¡¯m just rehosting here for the author.


    <hr />


    Observing the hundreds of children from a treetop, Jin Xia found that practically all of them were commoners with an innate quality of either 1 or 2. But he was not surprised as the people who live out in these small villagers were mainly mortals of common origins, after all.


    Without a word, Jin Xia immediately went down and began to scribble on the surrounding trees and soil once again. Overwriting and altering many of the symbols, Jin Xia quickly transformed the concealment formation into a completely new construction.


    Once this was done, Jin Xia turned and arrived in front of the large crowd of children.


    The moment the children noticed Jin Xia¡¯s arrival, all of them quickly quiet down.


    Although they were still young, the children understood that the person before them was likely to be their great benefactor in the future.


    Some of the younger ones even thought that Jin Xia might be their father, who had finally came back to pick them up after years ¡ª despite Jin Xia already telling them of his identity¡­


    Sweeping his eyes across the cluster of small bodies, Jin Xia said, in a booming voice: ¡°Children, as of now you all do not need to worry about anything. But a moment from now, I will proceed to unlock all of your potential as cultivators.


    It may be a little painful at the start, but try to endure it. If you are able to endure, then you can eat all the food you want and will be able to stay with me. If you are unable, then I will have to send you back to your village later.¡±


    Some of the kids began to panic when they heard that they might be taken back to their village. To go back to their village meant they would have to continue on their miserable life again. None of them wanted that.


    While some of the kids began to murmur amongst themselves, Jin Xia slightly leaped back as he performed a series of complex hand movements. When his hands formed a triangular shape, Jin Xia softly shouted:


    ¡°Blood Marrow Alignment Formation, activate!¡±


    Suddenly, several symbols that were inscribed on the nearby trees began to glow a hue of light green as blinding lights from the trees shot towards the group children.


    Cleansing the body of purities and heightening the physique!


    Jin Xia¡¯s hands began to once again twist and form new gestures as he focused on the children in the middle.


    ¡°Soul Cleansing Formation, activate!¡±


    Red glows appeared on some of the surrounding trees as they shot towards the children as well.


    Purifying the soul, strengthening it, and possessing the power to even improve innate quality!


    Without slowing down, Jin Xia continuously formed several hand symbols. Sweats were beginning drip down the side of his forehead.


    ¡°Meridians Purging Formation, activate!¡± Blue lights shot up from the symbols on the ground and flew at the children.


    Opening sixteen meridians in one¡¯s body and hardening the stability of inner structure!


    ¡°Nine Blood Bones Formation, activate!¡± White lights beamed at the children.


    Forcefully crushing the bones and reforming them; strengthens the strength and durability of one¡¯s bone by a large margin!


    ¡°Heavenly Healing Lotus Formation, activate!¡± Suddenly, a bright green form burst from under the children¡¯s feet before the children could scream from the sudden discomfort. The shape was similar to that of a giant, blooming lotus.


    Dramatically de-sensitizes extreme pains, suppresses and calms the mind, and speeds up the body¡¯s recovery rate by thirty folds!


    Each time a bone was broken, it healed at such a rate that it looked as if the bones were ¡°shaking.¡± The painful sensation was extinguished before the children could even feel it!


    Jin Xia¡¯s eyes had become bloodshot by now.


    But without stopping, he continued to form the last series of hand signatures.


    This time, there were much more hand movements compared to the last few gestures. Sweat continued to pour heavily from the side of Jin Xia¡¯s head at this time.


    Gritting his teeth, Jin said growled in a low voice:


    ¡°Lost Arts: Mental Harmonization Formation¡­.release!¡±


    The surrounding trees and ground seem to suddenly all glow up with a blazing golden light. The area in which the children and Jin Xia resided were instantly covered in a blinding gold blanket.


    *Shiiing!*


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    From the brilliant area, a majestic golden light suddenly shot up into the evening sky, parting the few clouds that were still floating by.


    Once the light slowly dimmed down, a group of children was revealed to be sprawled all over the ground while a young man stood breathing heavily on the side, with a pale face and a line of blood dripping down from the side of his mouth.


    *cough!* *cough!*


    Jin Xia spat out another mouthful of blood as he clutched his chest.


    This was the price he had to pay for activating so many high level formations all at once consecutively.


    In fact, the constructions that Jin Xia had used were practically all at the Forbidden level.


    Besides forming Symbol Artifacts, Rune Inscriptionists are also capable of forming formations for various mystical effects. The power of the formations can be categorized into Levels as follow:


    Inferior-level, Advanced-level, Primo-level, Saint-Level, Forbidden-level


    Although there exists formations that are even higher than Forbidden-level, in this plane, Jin Xia estimates that the highest construction may only be at best Saint-level.


    He did not think a 2nd rate world would possess something formations of the Forbidden-level, but of course, this was merely his early conjecture.


    Him performing a Forbidden-level formation, and several ones at that, had already long went past his current limit. His body was unable to take the severe backlash.


    But in the end, Jin Xia was still successful in completing the entire process!


    There was no need to say how powerful and effective the formations that a monster, who had lived for aeons, laid for the children.


    Not only had he thoroughly purified the physical bodies of the children, Jin Xia had expanded their soul strength by forcefully imparting bits of his soul energy to them in his formation.


    This way, the children¡¯s innate quality should go through a drastic transformation, with Jin Xia already being able to sense that some of them now possessing an innate quality of at least 6 or even 7!


    In order to help the children grow stronger, Jin Xia had sacrificed a few bits of his already broken soul. But it was a sacrifice he was willing to pay, if it meant allowing his clan to progress further and the people around him to stay alive longer!


    Furthermore, Jin Xia had even passed on a tiny portion of his memories on certain martial art techniques and battle experiences, tailored specifically, to each of the juveniles.


    While they may not immediately understand those bits of memories, the knowledge would slowly spread throughout their mind as they age.


    This was to prevent them from going insane from the overflow of information, albeit those were only a very tiny portion of Jin Xia¡¯s ancient memories¡­


    In the end, to accomplish all of this, Jin Xia had not only overdrafted Qi reserves, he had forcefully consumed a terrifying amount of  spirit and energy, causing his cultivation to drop by more than whole realm!


    At this moment, Jin Xia¡¯s cultivation had went from being at the 7th stage of Xing Profound to the 3rd stage of Spiritual Dan realm.


    Unlike weakened states, where one¡¯s Qi would restore back to its original level, returning the person¡¯s original cultivation, Jin Xia had directly used his cultivation as price. In other words, he had given up his cultivation in order to temporarily to those forbidden formations, with him using his soul energy to cover any additional consumption.


    From now on, Jin Xia would have to once again re-cultivate upwards again starting from the 3rd stage of Spiritual Dan.


    ¡°Damn, to think just a few Forbidden-level formations and I¡¯m already beat up like this.¡± Jin Xia softly cursed as he struggled to support his weakened body.


    ¡°If I did not cleanse this body and allow it to reach its peak potential, perhaps even with my soul aiding the process, this body would have long exploded¡­¡±


    Looking at the fallen children, Jin Xia¡¯s lips curled up into a faint smile. ¡°But at least everything went well accordingly. Ah, thank god I have a powerful soul¡­oh wait, I assume I am a god as well, or at least was, huh¡­.¡±


    Lightly chuckling to himself, Jin Xia stood upward as he silently guarded the unconscious children. He was quite contented with tonight¡¯s result¡­


    <hr />


    Host¡¯s note: About the comment about things not matching up on chapter 3, I¡¯ll look into that tomorrow. I¡¯m sick and hot without AC. Tomorrow I¡¯ll have access to AC and will be able to concentrate enough to look into it.

 Chapter 28: Cerulean Night

    Author¡¯s note: This episode was sponsored by Shomari A, Frostwolf06,  and Yeshkumar C! Thank you!!


    Host¡¯s note: I¡¯m not the author. I¡¯m just rehosting here for the author.


    <hr />


    At this moment, Jin Xia¡¯s cultivation had went from being at the 7th stage of Xing Profound to the 3rd stage of Spiritual Dan realm.


    While the effectiveness of the formations may be great, the repercussions are likewise equally great. Moreover, the reformations are not exactly the most powerful to use, so Jin Xia was unwilling to expend it on Xie Mei, the Fei sisters, or even his parents.


    Jin Xia had much more potent formations, but those would require him to reach a much higher realm before he could perform them. And he could not wait that long.


    He wanted to wait until he was much stronger later on to perform a stronger formation technique on the ones who he is more close to.


    Although Jin Xia could have used the formations on the Jin clansmen, he did not place much trust in the Jin clansmen overall at this point in time. Jin Xia needed two separate powers who were exclusive to only him and his parents to command, entities who would are completely devoted to them.


    And the fastest method to obtain such entities is to create them with your own hands!


    That¡¯s why Jin Xia had decided to take in young children, transform them into high cultivators, and then properly nurture them, so that in the future they will be fully committed to him only.


    Wiping off the blood on his face and calming his spirit, Jin Xia patiently stood on guard as he waited for the children to awaken. Although he was unable to use his Qi energies after overspending them, Jin Xia was determined to protect the children even if he has to overdraft his spirit once again.


    He was not willing to let his hard work go to waste, much less let the ones whom he had carefully decided to nurture die so easily.


    Jin Xia was willing to give his life up for them. This is his resolution as a deity. His conviction and obsession to something once he had set his mind on it. A stubbornness sculptured through aeons after aeons.


    Unbeknownst to Jin Xia, several of the cities and human populated areas were currently in a turmoil. This was naturally due to the strange pillar of light they had seen in the sky moments before. Some stronger experts who were near could even feel a terrifying aura emanating from the blinding light. A few could roughly tell it was coming from the Kaitech Mountain.


    In response to their curiosity and unease, several nearby factions had sent over their elders and scouting team to investigate the phenomenon. Many practitioners soon went rushing towards the direction where the pillar of light was last seen.


    However, strangely, they were unable to discover anything. In fact, wherever they scouted, they could not find anything out of the ordinary. Even the forests and mountain ranges they visited were normal, with no rare treasures, that they thought to be the cause of the light, in sight.


    After a few more hours of searching, these cultivators could only return back to their sect and clan in frustration and deject. No one discovered Jin Xia or the large group of children¡­


    Of course, none of them knew that the reason why they were unable to find the ¡°source¡± was related to Jin Xia having laid down a complex illusion formation within his surrounding.


    After purposefully selecting a place populated with trees, Jin Xia had not only set up the formations used to help the children, but also an Advanced Illusion formation. In a small country like the Great Azure, a formation of this level was already more than enough.


    After all, while inscripting symbols was a difficult feat, creating and breaking formations were even harder. Some powerful inscriptionists could even go through their entire career without being able to create a single formation, as such methods are often only obtained through rare scrolls and tablets.


    It¡¯s not something that a normal Rune Inscriptionist could simply ¡°make¡± on their whim, contrast to making symbols where a few comprehensions would suffice. Only Inscriptionists above the Supreme realm would possess the qualification to create formations. Even the weakest formation would one to be a Level 8 Rune Inscriptionist.


    While breaking a formation solely depended on a cultivator¡¯s cultivators, the fact that it requires such a high level of cultivation and comprehension already goes to show the difficulty of making formations.


    Thus, it was often better for lower leveled Rune Inscriptionists to learn formations left behind by great Inscriptionists. This way, they would not only possess a stronger method at an earlier stage, they could also gain a few insights into the art of formations!


    But in a country like Great Azure, Jin Xia doubted there would any Rune Inscriptionist who possess a formation skill, much less the ability to break his formation!


    It was only after night fell did the children groggily awoke from their slumber. Because of Jin Xia¡¯s ¡°Heavenly Healing Lotus Formation¡±, the children did not feel much pain during the ¡°baptism¡±. Thus, they only felt their body being powered by a vigorous energy the moment they woke up, rather than being struck with excruciating pain .


    Upon seeing that the children had awoken, Jin Xia quickly ordered them to follow him as he began to find the exit of Kaitech Mountain.


    As the mountain range was quite small, only about ten miles north of Tian City, it was not a problem escorting the bunch of children.


    It was finally time to head home after an extremely tiring day¡­


    ______


    Arriving back at the Jin mansion, Jin Xia ordered the servants to prepare a large living quarter for the children. Although the sight of Jin Xia bringing home a large group of over 200 little children was quite strange, no one said anything.


    Afterwards, Jin Xia visited his parents¡¯ bedroom and spoke over the matter of creating the two groups with them. Jin Liu Dan was naturally very happy when he heard that their family would increase in power.


    And with his son¡¯s status in the family now, even he, the father, feels that it is quite hard to reject any of Jin Xia¡¯s proposals.


    With the matter easily settled, Jin Xia finally went back to his room to mediate and recover his energy.


    As for training the children, Jin Xia had naturally already thought it over on their way back home. He decided that the next morning, he would personally divide up the children into two groups.


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    Jin Xia would hand the authority to command and the responsibility of training the children over to the Fei sisters.


    He would let Qing Fei manage the personal Xia army and let Yu Fei be the head of the Jin assassin guild. As ex-princesses of a whole country, the two girls were well versed in various arts, including dancing, playing an instrument, commanding a military and strategizing war tactics, etc.


    And over the two months, Jin Xia had begun to place his trust in the two girls a bit more after seeing that they were willing to follow him.


    This had put his heart to ease, as he was afraid he would have to kick them out of the Jin Clan should they decide to stay with rebellious intentions.


    Taking out a few elixirs from his Eternal Gourd and throwing them into his mouth, Jin Xia quickly began to cultivate.


    As he quietly meditated, the night quickly passed and a new morning unceremoniously arrived.


    ***


    Somewhere in the dense forests of the Kaitech Mountain range, loud roars and animalistic cries could be heard ringing throughout the night. It was now the beasts¡¯ time of the day to roam the mountain as they please.


    A few hours after Jin Xia had led the group of children back to the Jin Clan, a sudden tear appeared in the blue night sky.


    *Riiiip*


    Like a vertical eye, the space distorted and opened, revealing an endless darkness within.


    Shortly, an aged man wearing golden robes stepped out from within the spatial tear.


    Standing above on the air, the old man had a head full of white hair along with a touch of gentleness to his countenance, making him seem quite approachable and friendly. On his clothes¡¯ chest area, was a brilliantly engraved character, ¡°Wang.¡±


    The moment the old man stepped out from the tear, the entire Kaitech Mountain range instantly quiet down. Except for the soft chirping of the crickets, there was not a single beast cry to be heard.


    The rip in the sky slowly closed itself behind the old man.


    The white haired man squinted his eyes as he surveyed the mountain range, as if he was looking for something.


    When his search yielded no results, the elder gave a light sigh as he softly muttered:


    ¡°Master said the huge source of Qi fluctuation should here somewhere¡­aai¡­ was I too late? Even after master had personally ripped open a spatial hole and sent me here, the preparation had in the end still taken quite some time¡­¡±


    While the white haired elder was still scanning the forest below and muttering to himself, the sky was suddenly forced open once again. This time, a hole appeared in front of the elder.


    The old man immediately looked up at the rip in front of him. Then, with wide eyes, he quickly adopted a semi-bowing posture facing the direction of the fissure.


    The dark abyss within was once more revealed, except this time, no one stepped out from within the darkness.


    Instead, a soothing and melodious voice floated out from within the spatial rift:


    ¡°Wang Ji, were you able to find the person?¡±


    The old man gave cupped his hands towards the fissure and respectfully said: ¡°Wang Ji, greets the master!¡±


    Lifting his head up, the white haired elder had a glint of admiration and veneration as he looked at the dark rift.


    ¡°Judging from the faint human aura around this place, the person we are seeking had most likely already left a few hours ago. If you wish, I will search continue to search around the nearby vicinities for this person.


    If not, this disciple of yours is willing to take any punishment for his lack of ability to complete this task that master had given me.¡±


    The old man once again deeply bowed.


    There was a moment of silence before the musical voice floated out once more: ¡°There is no need for any punishment. We can only have ourselves to blame for being behind this time around. It took quite sometime to pinpoint this distant location¡­ For now, do not give chase.


    For someone who was able to cause such a large fluctuation of Qi that could even be felt across such lengthy distance¡­I can only imagine that such a person would most likely be an incredibly powerful expert.


    Perhaps even comparable to I. If you were to be discovered by that expert, instead of making a friend, we would have made another mighty foe¡­alright, that is enough for tonight. Return now. We will talk later.¡±


    Wang visibly shuddered when he heard last few sentences of his master.


    The person they were looking for could possibly be someone ¡°even comparable to¡± his master herself?


    If that was true, then Wang Ji dared not imagine what might¡¯ve happened to him if he had actually found the cultivator in question¡­


    Having arrogantly scanned the mountain at the start and boldly releasing his aura, Wang Ji feared that if the hidden expert had still been around, he would have likely been killed several times over for acting so brazen!


    After all, many high level experts hate being abruptly ¡°felt¡± through others¡¯ Qi sensing or investigated, especially by someone who was lower in cultivation. In many cases, it would end with the investigator dying at the hands of that superior expert. The personalities of these great experts were often quirky, sometimes even unreasonable to some extent.


    Containing his horror to himself, the old man raised his head as he replied: ¡°Your disciple understands, Master Jiu!¡±


    With that, the white haired elder walked forth towards the spatial tear before completely disappearing into the obscurity. Afterwards, the tear slowly closed before the sky returned to its former cerulean hue.


    Several moments after the old man left, a few powerful auras appeared above the sky again. Some even landed on the forest ground, while some other stronger experts chose to arrogantly scan their surroundings with their sixth sense.


    Upon seeing that there were nothing out the ordinary, these peak experts could only furrow their eyebrows before vanishing and speeding away into the night sky.


    After a long while, with no one else appearing again, the Kaitech Mountain once again regained its liveliness as if the previous period of silence had never happened.


    Beasts loudly roared and insects madly chirped as the night slowly melted into the horizon.

 Chapter 29: The Devas Regiment & The Eidolon Assassin Guild

    Author¡¯s note: I wanted to clear the Queues first, so here¡¯s the last sponsored chapter by our generous Shomari A!


    Host¡¯s note: I¡¯m a host and the one posting the story here.


    <hr />


    Early in the afternoon, a large group of children were crowding around in the yard of the Jin mansion. Everyone was excited and constantly chattering nonstop amongst themselves.


    Then, a youth in white clothes stepped out from his room and entered the Jin Yard. THe moment the children saw this handsome youth, they all quieted down.


    Jin Xia looked around as he gave a small nod. Fei Yu and Fei Qing followed right after him as they arrived within the yard a moment later. Jin Xia had a servant notify them to come.


    When Fei Yu and Fei Qing saw the group of children, they were both surprised. They had sensed a type of aura that was unique to only cultivators coming from each of the children. But this Qi aura could only be sensed by those either at the mid-stages of the Spiritual Dan realm and above.


    Although the Fei sisters were nearing the Spiritual Dan Realm, they logically should not be able to detect such Qi fluctuation. But after being taught by Jin Xia for the past several days, consuming luxurious herbs and practicing high-quality skills, the girls¡¯ senses had prematurely heightened to a new level.


    This improvement had allowed them to vaguely sense the Qi aura of others from around them, while still merely being at the late stages of the Wudan Realm!


    It was because of this new sense that the Fei sisters had been able to begin differentiating the aura coming from a normal person as compared to a cultivator, allowing them to notice the different Qi aura that the children were faintly emitting.


    ¡°Amazing¡­this many young children and they¡¯re all cultivators? Then¡­that would mean they should all have at least stepped into the 1st stage of Wudan! Just where did these children come from?!¡± Fei Qing muttered to herself in disbelief as she scanned the crowd.


    While Fei Qing¡¯s guess was not incorrect, it was not fully accurate either. The children had all indeed stepped into the Wudan realm, but they were, instead, already at the 4th stage of Wudan!


    This is because the first three stages of Wudan are merely of cleansing the body. And with Jin Xia¡¯s baptizing formations, the children¡¯s body were all thoroughly purified, allowing them to effortlessly step into the 4th stage of Wudan.


    In one go, they had attained a strength that many normal people could only hope to obtain.


    If anyone was to know the actual cultivation level of these children and spread it, then it would instantly shock the entire country and would even alert those large clans from foreign regions!


    Wudan 4th stage cultivators who are twelve years old or even younger!


    This phenomenon had never happened before in the Great Azure County, and it is reckoned that only those super-leveled clans out in the world would possess the means to quickly nurture their younger generations to this degree. But even then, the speed of breaking through would not be as quick as Jin Xia¡¯s methods¡­


    With everyone assembled, Jin Xia spoke towards the group of children:


    ¡°From today onwards, you are all now a part of my Jin Clan. You will become the true backbone that would support the Jin Clan through its countless generations. You all, from this moment onwards, are commoners no more, but real cultivators.


    I will not ask each of you to fight for my Jin Clan, but to fight for yourself. To Live for yourself. Train hard and grasp your own destiny in your hands. From this moment onwards, you now possess the identity as members of the Jin Clan.


    If, in the future when you are powerful enough, and any one of you wishes to leave, my Jin Clan will not stop you. This place may merely be the starting point for some of you, while the last for many. My clan¡¯s glory is your glory, and yours shall linked to our clan¡¯s!¡±


    A moment of pause. By now, many of the children who were old enough to understand Jin Xia¡¯s words had a determined expression on their face. Some even had their tiny fists balled up at their side, excitement dancing within the irises of their eyes.


    Then, Jin Xia continued: ¡°And now, I will proceed to split you into two groups.¡±


    Jin Xia had thought over the members that he would select for each group. After surveying the children¡¯s soul on their way home, he had more or less grasped a few characteristics that would allow them to succeed either as a soldier or assassin.


    Although his guess was no more than speculation, Jin XIa still chose to go by that gut feeling that was honed through aeons of experience.


    Like this, the selection process went by quickly as the crowd was split into two batches, one which holds 108 members while the other group had a total of 99 children.


    Once the company was organized, Jin Xia turned to the group of a hundred and eight children, saying: ¡°You guys will be the main army of our Jin Clan. The army name, let¡¯s see¡­¡°


    Jin Xia thought for a few seconds before he continued: ¡°¡­Alright, let¡¯s call you all the ¡°Devas Regiment.¡±


    Turning to the other group, Jin Xia said: ¡°And for you guys¡­your group will be known as the ¡°Eidolon Assasin Guild.¡± Your batch will be in charge of finding and spreading information for the Jin Clan, and dispatching our enemies behind the scene. Well, you might not comprehend my words right now, but you will all understand in the future.¡±


    After speaking, Jin Xia looked over to the Fei sisters who were standing behind the two groups and beckoned with his hand for them to come over. The girls nervously looked at each other before walking towards Jin Xia.


    ¡°And these two here will be your supervisors.¡± Jin Xia said to the children, once Fei Yu and Fei Qing arrived beside him. ¡°This sister in light green clothes is called Fei Qing, she will be the commander of the Devas Regiment. The other sister in light blue dress is called Fei Yu. She will be in charge of the Eidolon Assassins. These two will be also be your training instructors. So, you are all to strictly follow their orders, or face serious punishment!¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±Yes~! We greet Big Sister Fei Yu (Qing)i!¡±¡±¡± The two groups of children all shouted together in a childish voice.


    Jin Xia nodded as he smiled at them. On his two sides, Fei Yu and Fei Qing were both feeling completely lost at the sudden heap of responsibility being placed on them.


    ¡°Jin Xia¡­isn¡¯t this¡­¡± Fei Yu softly said as she looked over at Jin Xia.


    ¡°Do not worry. As you both were once princesses of a large country, you girls possess greater knowledge on military arts and things such as assassins compared to our little Jin Clan at the moment. You and Fei Qing are the ideal people to take on such roles. Also, these young mortals, I mean, children, are still too young. They will have to wait until they¡¯re at least fourteen before we can let them go out for experience!¡±


    In WuDang, one is considered an adult at the age of fourteen. In a jungle-like world, children tend to grow up faster, especially mentally. They are helplessly forced to.


    ¡°But, giving us such responsibilities and power while we aren¡¯t even your immediate family members¡­¡± Fei Yu said softly.


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    ¡°No, the moment you both agreed to follow me, I have started to count you guys in as a part of my people. And to my people, it doesn¡¯t matter even if I were to give you a few hundred more armies to control over. And like I already said, you girls have much more experience on this than any of my clansmen.


    Moreover, did you not want revenge on those officials of the Great Azure Country? Guiding these children to adulthood would help you get use to commanding an army when the time comes¡­¡± Jin Xia said as he smiled faintly back at Fei Yu.


    Fei Yu blushed as she lowered her head and gave a timid nod in response. A determined glint had once again resurfaced in her eyes, and Fei Qing, who was standing close and had heard Jin Xia¡¯s words, also had her feelings likewise ignited.


    Seeing that the two had finally decided to take on the positions, Jin Xia swiftly took out two golden embroidered bags and handed one of each over to Fei Yu and Fei Qing.


    ¡°Since you both have no objections, you will now be in command of these children. Here are two Spatial bags. In each of the bags, there are several dozens of medicinal herbs and martial pill along with multiple Symbol Artifacts and Graded Skills.


    For the pills, pick any one of the bottles and distribute one pellet to each of the children, before they start cultivating. They¡¯re all high quality pills anyways. And for each breakthrough they achieve, you may award them any amount of technique books or artifacts as you deem appropriate.


    Remember, all the items inside, including skill books, are at minimum Mid-grade while the highest ones are Jade-grade. If you see any items inside that catches your eye, you may take it if you wish and inform me later.¡±  Jin Xia explained.


    The pills Jin Xia had placed inside the spatial bags were all 10-stars pill. Even with the high innate qualities of the children now, if they were not nourished with equally high ingredients, they would not be able to maximize their potential.


    And what¡¯s more, a 10-stars pill was already the most potent medicine a mortal could consume without any fatal consequences.


    To consume any pills above 10-stars would require that person to be at least in the Xing Profound realm.


    Otherwise, the backlash they may face could very well lead them to immediate death!


    Fei Yu and Fei Qing unconsciously swallowed as they stared wide-eyed at the bag in their palms. The items and pills that Jin Xia had given them to nurture the young ones were simply unbelievably precious in their eyes.


    He truly cared about his clan, so much that he was willing to give up such rare possessions¡­


    A person who valued families over riches, was a person to be highly respected, regardless where they go.


    With these thoughts flashing through the Fei sister¡¯s¡¯ mind, the girls looked up just in time to see Jin Xia turning around and leaving the courtyard.


    A strange light was present in their eyes as their emotions were stirred.


    Naturally, Jin Xia did not know how the two girls felt. While the items and medicines that Jin Xia had gave out were indeed worldly precious, that was only in the perspective of those who live in this kind of mortal plane. To an ex-deity like Jin Xia, those ¡°rare artifacts¡± were barely worth any in his eyes. But even if they did worth something in his eyes, he would still likewise give it to his families and friends.


    If not for Jin Xia trying to secretly nurture the children, he would have already taken out much higher leveled artifacts and laid several more great formations to help their cultivation. But alas, he did not want to attract any attention from those truly strong ones outside of the Great Azure Country, so early on.


    He was sure that the last formation he had laid back in Kaitech Mountain had already brought over some problems. He was forced to lie low for a bit.


    With his weak ability right now, if Jin Xia were to reveal any unusually precious artifact or have any of his formations leak, and the news of this was to spread, then misfortune would definitely come rushing towards him. Although he himself could escape without much problem, Jin Xia was not confident in being able to protect his entire family.


    And if a true expert came¡­then, even protecting himself may be an issue, much less his close ones!


    While the chance of this was naturally quite slim, with Jin Xia¡¯s ageless experience, he knew that anything was possible among the Three Great Realms and over.


    And he was unwilling to take even that one percent of a chance.


    Jin Xia was determined to raise the children in strong warriors by the time they are grown up.


    Walking away, Jin Xia had on a pensive expression.


    ¡°Hmm¡­three years¡­I will have to wait three years before some of these children reach adulthood. But then, there¡¯s also a few young mortals who¡¯re only 11 years old. So, if I wish to employ them, I would have to wait four years total. By that time, in mortal age, I would be 20 years old?


    This time frame can be already considered quite short in comparison to the longevity cultivators. Ahhh, I really want to use some more formations to help them grow stronger! If only I was strong enough to not worry about those old hermits who may be lurking somewhere¡­¡± Jin Xia grumbled in his mind.


    Although some strong cultivators from other nearby countries may have also seen his pillar of light, he knew that they would not move towards the Great Azure country so brazenly.


    There are power checks all across the Great Azure country and even within those foreign countries, preventing some clans from carelessly leaving and going to investigate.


    Thus, not many true experts could come investigate. But the ones who could afford to do so¡­are the real ones that Jin Xia were wary of.


    At this time, if he were to carelessly attract those old mortals over to his Tian City, or even his Tian province, then he was in for some trouble.


    Fortunately, many of these cultivators did not know Jin Xia was the cause, and thus had only searched within the vicinity of Kaitech Mountain. Some had indeed even searched the Tian Province, but for a weak area like that, they had merely given a lazy glance and found nothing.


    As for the other three weaker Fao Province, You Province, and Gen Province that bordered southwest, southeast and northwest respectively of the Tian Province; the expert barely gave it a search. These provinces were nearby of the Kaitech Mountain, but they were simply much smaller and even weaker in comparison.


    As such, Jin Xia was able to evade detection as expected, and focus on training the children in secret.


    Little did Jin Xia know, that in near future, the Devas Regiment that he had created to be the personal aides to his Jin Clan would become one of the most feared army within WuDang.


    It would later be called by many, as the ¡°army of gods.¡±


    While the Eidolon Assassins would strike fear into the hearts of those who inhabit the mysterious underground societies.


    These two private troops of Jin Xia would inevitably push the Jin Clan into unimaginable heights of fame, glory, and power.

 Chapter 30: One Month from Now

    Host¡¯s note: Going to post 3 chapters in succession to make up for how irregular things have gotten. I¡¯ve been busy with college and other stuff and I¡¯m having a hard time keeping track of even simple things. Remember, I¡¯m not the author but someone hosting this here.


    <hr />


    After explaining the usage of the pills, skill books and artifacts within the Spatial bags, Jin Xia left Fei Yu and Fei Qing to allow them to begin training the children immediately.


    The Jin Clan needed to get stronger, as soon as possible, if Jin Xia wanted to travel to the outside world without worry.


    When Jin Xia returned to his own yard, he saw a middle-aged man in brown clothes waiting for him.


    Walking up to the man, Jin Xia greeted: ¡°Father.¡±


    Jin Liu Dan smiled when he saw Jin Xia coming towards him. ¡°Ah, Xia¡¯er, you are back.¡±


    ¡°Mn. Is there anything father needs from me? You could have asked the servants to notify me, there was no need to personally wait for me.¡± Jin Xia said.


    ¡°Haha, it¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. I have an important matter that I wanted to personally tell you.¡± Jin Liu Dan laughed.


    ¡°Oh? What is it?¡± Jin Xia asked curiously.


    ¡°It is this: As you should already know, next month, the Great Azure Country¡¯s Annual Clans Gathering will be taking place.¡± Liu Dan said as his face was replaced with a serious expression.


    Jin Xia¡¯s eyes slightly narrowed as he searched his memories on this particular term. After a while, he found it.


    The Great Azure Country¡¯s Annual Clans Gathering was a kind of competition that takes place between various clans from the twelve provinces.


    Each clan would send forth three of their best younger generations, under the age of twenty, to compete in a friendly bout, showcasing off their clan¡¯s strength to the entire country.


    The competition was always hosted by the royal family of the Great Azure Country, the Azure Imperial Clan. They were also the overlord of all the twelve provinces within the Great Azure Country.


    It is said that the top three winners of the Annual Clans Gathering would receive unimaginable benefits and a status boost from the royal family.


    Moreover, the competition was also a way for other clans to test each other¡¯s ability, allowing them to decide whether to conquer, submit, or ally themselves with one another.


    These were the two main reasons why many clans and people across the Great Azure Country would travel over a day¡¯s worth of journey to attend this event, which was hosted in Azure City of the Azure Province! The location itself was comfortably situated in the center of the entire country.


    Each province was separated by a small patch of forests or woods, with only around ten cities in each area. But the amount of clans in the Great Azure Country combined was still a lot, numbering at around a hundred.


    The Azure City was also one of the two ranked Noble City, being home to the powerful royal family.


    ¡°As you already know, the last few years when our Jin Clan had attended the Clans Gathering, we were not even able to place within the top 70 out of the hundred clans that attended. Though it was not bad, it could not be considered any good, either. Only those within the top thirty matters.


    But this time, with our newfound strength, I believe getting into that top 30 ranking would be no issue!


    It¡¯s just that..¡± Jin Liu Dan said as his voice trailed off.


    Looking at Jin Xia, Jin Liu Dan slowly continued: ¡°..It¡¯s just that, would Xia¡¯er be interested in¡­participating in this event as well?¡±


    In the previous years, whenever the date of the Annual Clans Gathering neared, the Jin Clan would carefully select a batch of the brightest clansmen from the younger generation to represent them in the competition.


    The decisions were usually anonymous and the chosen younger generations would have no say in whether they would like to participate or not. This was the same for many clans in WuDang.


    After all, it was matter that concerned the prestige of the clan itself; saying no would only bring a flood of scoldings from the elders and other family members.


    And since Jin Xia was a part of the younger generation, it should have been given that there was no need to ask for his opinion, had the elders in the family selected Jin Xia for the competition.


    But because of Jin Xia¡¯s incredibly high status within the family nowadays, neither Jin Liu Dan nor the elders dared to make a decision for Jin Xia without asking for his consent.


    Although even without Jin Xia engaging in the Annual Clans Gathering, Jin Liu Dan was still confident that with their current younger generations, it would be easy for them to snatch a spot within the top 30.


    But if they were to put Jin Xia into the mix¡­it would be hard for them to imagine just what sort of ranking their clan could place within the Annual Clans Gathering!


    This was why Jin Liu Dan had decided to personally inform Jin Xia of the Annual Clans Gathering. He wanted to ask if Jin Xia was willing to participate.


    Moreover, it could even be said that this was first time that Jin Xia was directly informed of the event, as in the previous years, Jin Xia had never been selected as a participant.  His previous strength was simply too low.


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    But with Jin Xia¡¯s new status and strength, he was naturally qualified to earn the clan¡¯s admiration and attention.


    Seeing his father¡¯s awkward countenance, Jin Xia laughed as he said: ¡°Haha, why would father need to ask for my opinion on such a small matter? As a member of the younger generation, it is my duty to bring honor to our Jin Clan. If father wishes for me to participate in the Annual Clans Gathering, I will of course follow father¡¯s decision.¡±


    Jin Liu Dan was, after all, technically Jin Xia¡¯s ¡°father¡± in this world. Jin Xia was wholeheartedly willing to support those whom he deem worthy of trust and companionship.


    Anyhow, Jin Xia was confident that he would be able to regain back his previous cultivation by then. Though, even if he was unable to recover enough by then, it would still be sufficient to bring honor to his clan..


    Jin Liu Dan¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard his son¡¯s words.


    ¡°Bwahaha! Good! Good! This is how my son should be! Alright, since you are not against it, we will have to trouble you to attend the Annual Clans Gathering in a month¡¯s¡¯ time.¡± Jin Liu Dan smiled widely as his eyes seemed to radiate stars of joy.


    Jin Xia smiled as he nodded his head in response. ¡°I will do as father say. Oh, but I also have something to discuss with father.¡±


    ¡°What is it? If you need something, just say it. Even though your father is useless now, I will do my best to meet your request!¡± Jin Liu Dan said with a pleased expression. His mood was extremely good.


    These were the words that he had not been able to say for years. Being suppressed by the Jin branch families and the patriarch himself, the lack of attention and love he had given his son had filled him with regret and guilt.


    Even Jin Xia¡¯s mother was unable to provide Jin Xia a proper childhood, with herself being kept busy dealing with those vile women from the branch families. They did it to protect their weak son. But in return, they only made their son more spoiled and further highlighted their helplessness.


    But it was not so now! Now, Jin Liu Dan could finally let go of his worries and properly take on his duty as a father now. There was nothing he wouldn¡¯t do for his son at this point, and nothing that he and his wife won¡¯t dare to sacrifice for Jin Xia!


    ¡°It¡¯s not so much of a materialistic desire, but I want to leave Tian City for a month. I will be leaving immediately tonight.¡± Jin Xia said.


    ¡°Huh? Why would you need to leave so hastily? You have just returned back yesterday, after all..¡± Jin Liu Dan asked with a puzzled expression. This was an unexpected request.


    ¡°It is nothing important. It¡¯s just that I merely wish to explore the other cities and areas outside of Tian City to get some experience.¡± Jin Xia replied with a calm face.


    Jin Liu Dan slowly nodded his head as he thought for a moment. ¡°Mn. Getting more experience is always a good thing, Since your cultivation has already passed everyone in this city, there is not much you can learn here anymore. Alright, you may journey outside for a while.


    But remember, you must be extra careful outside. The world is a big place and there are many dangers lurking by. If you ever feel something is not right, you must quickly leave and¡­¡±


    After several long minutes of lecturing on the ¡°cruelty of the outside world¡±, Jin Liu Dan finally gave his parting speech, albeit with a bit of reluctance:


    ¡°And Xia¡¯er, before you leave, you should visit the Jin Treasure Hall to stock up on some protective armors and pills and money and¡­¡±


    Before Liu Dan could go on another tangent, Jin Xia quickly  interrupted: ¡°I understand, father. You do not need to worry so much. I am merely visiting another province; nothing major.


    ¡°Eh? Ah..alright, then I will not keep you for long. As long as you remain safe. I will tell your mother about this, so do not worry,¡± Jin Liu Dan awkwardly replied with a smile.


    ¡°Exactly a month from today, we will meet in Azure City. Everyone will be waiting for you inside the Blue Imperial Colosseum. With how lively that day will be, I am sure you can simply follow the crowd to the location.¡±.


    ¡°I understand, father. I will come find you guys then.¡± Jin Xia said.


    Jin Liu Dan had a pleased smile on his face while he nodded gently at Jin Xia. The two father and son stood chatting for a while in the middle of the yard before Jin Liu Dan finally left to take care of some business in the clan.


    Afterwards, Jin Xia entered his room and sat down promptly on his bed.


    ¡°I have to quickly raise my strength up again¡­with my current level, traveling across provinces is fine, but I¡¯m afraid there would be much danger if I were to travel outside of this country in the near future..¡± Jin Xia thought wryly.


    Moments later, Jin Xia closed his eyes as he began to cultivate in silence. The air around him visibly twisted as it gradually gravitated towards Jin Xia¡¯s body.


    Soon, night fell.


    Jin Xia slowly opened his eyes.


    He slightly frowned as he stood up from his bed.

 Chapter 31: Gathering Intelligence

    Author¡¯s note: Episode is sponsored by Noremac! Thank You!! ^o^


    Host¡¯s note: I¡¯m not the author; I¡¯m hosting this with author¡¯s permission


    <hr />


    Jin Xia slowly opened his eyes. He slightly frowned as he stood up from his bed.


    ¡°I have cultivated for nearly the entire day and have only managed to reach the pinnacle of the 4th stage of Spiritual Dan. It seems I had seriously overdraft my Qi and soul energy yesterday¡­¡± Jin Xia sighed in his mind.


    After pushing his entire being way past his limit, Jin Xia¡¯s body had experienced a small set back, causing his cultivation speed to slow down significantly. While it was not permanent, Jin Xia understood that he would not be able to increase his level as rapidly as before, at this time.


    But his cultivation speed was still yet several times faster than the inhabitants of this world. And if anyone was able to hear Jin Xia¡¯s thought, they would¡¯ve vomited blood on the spot!


    To reach the pinnacle of the 4th stage of Spiritual Dan using barely an entire day could already be considered a dream-like progress. After all, as one¡¯s level increases, the difficulty of passing another stage increases as well.


    ¡°Seems like I¡¯ll have to start using a few pills if I want to cruise through my cultivation now.¡± Jin Xia muttered.


    Before, he did not rely on high quality pills to enhance his cultivation. It was all due to his ancient knowledge that he was able to easily maneuver the Qi flow inside his body, allowing the maximum efficiency when cultivating.


    And by understanding these little tricks coupled with his purified body and two 4-stars pills, Jin Xia was able to cultivate at an extreme rate. He did not want to rely on pills too much. Not because it would harm his cultivation, but because there was no need to. His knowledge alone was enough.


    But now that his cultivation had suffered, he would now be forced to consume a few stronger pills to progress his cultivation faster. While using pills would create a shallow foundation, as long as Jin Xia utilizes his soul to completely absorb the pills¡¯ essence and stabilize his base, then there should be no detriments.


    Like a ghost, Jin Xia quickly prepared himself and left the Jin mansion without anyone noticing. Without wasting time, Jin Xia immediately darted across the empty streets of Tian City before stealthily leaping across the city wall and hitting the darkened road, all without a pause in between his movements.


    As Jin Xia traveled across the forest outside of Tian City, he began to head northeast towards a city in a nearby province, the Harbin City.


    Since the Great Azure Country was not that big to start with in comparison to other countries, much of the provinces were quite near each, with only small patches of forests separating each sector.


    Many people would be able to reach another province within several hours of travel, with a full day or two being the longest time it takes to arrive at the innermost province from the outskirt of the country.


    Although Jin Xia had told his father that he wanted to leave for the outside in order to gain experience, that was only half truth and half lie. After all, given Jin Xia¡¯s plethora of experiences as an ex-deity, was he really lacking such wisdom? Naturally, the response was ¡°no¡±.


    The reason why Jin Xia wanted to go explore the areas outside of Tian City was because he wanted to gain a greater understanding of his surrounding environments.


    He wanted to fully grasp the different forces and situations in the Great Azure Country, so that when his Jin Clan rose in power, Jin Xia would know the proper steps to take care of any nuisances that may arise.


    The Jin Clan¡¯s fame and influence are only limited within the surroundings of Tian City, and no further. If Jin Xia was to leave in the near future, and a greater force from a different province came to attack his clan, the Jin Clan would undoubtedly perish.


    And Jin Xia did not wish to see that happen. But with complete power, a scenario such as this could easily be avoided!


    Thus, Jin Xia had directed his aim to bring his Jin Clan into even greater heights, one that would envelop the entire Great Azure Country and deter any forces within ¡ª and possibly even outside as well!


    But to do this, Jin Xia had to first understand the strength of those clans and powerhouses within the Great Azure Country.


    After all, if you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle!*


    (TL: *A famous quote; To be victorious, you need to know your enemy and yourself).


    Since JIn Xia had already gained a thorough understanding his own Jin Clan, the next step is naturally to understand his clan¡¯s potential enemies.


    And what¡¯s better than to personally collect these data, while freely enjoying the delicacies from the other cities?


    Therefore, Jin Xia had decided to visit Hu Feng in Harbin City, who was the first person to come to his mind when he thought of going out.


    He wanted to have the youth guide him around, while learning about the situations in the country from the latter. Since, this Hu Feng had given him a good impression when they had first met.


    And Jin Xia was also quite interested in why he was unable to see through that person¡¯s soul¡­


    Furthermore, someone from a Greater city would undoubtedly know more about the other clans within the Great Azure Country than those from a Lesser city.


    By the time the sun rose fully into the sky, Jin Xia had already arrived in the bustling city of Harbin. Although it may seem like Jin Xia did not sleep for the entire night, for cultivators, having no sleep is not an issue.


    Since when one cultivates, they are not only cleansing their body but calming their mind as well. And after cultivating, the practitioner would feel a refreshing energy course through their body, rejuvenating them. That¡¯s why, while a person cultivates they are likewise revitalizing their body.


    As such, the rest that a person gets from cultivating may even be several times better than a person who merely sleeps.


    As Jin Xia wandered around the city in search for the Feng Clan, he continuously drifted towards the restaurants and food stands in the streets. And because of his stunning visuals, Jin Xia would involuntarily attract the attentions of the female walking around the street.


    Some would even send him a flirtatious glance as they walked by him, but Jin Xia had steeled his heart and pretended to not see them.


    After Jin Xia became a mortal, many hues of emotions had begun to surface within his heart. When he was a still a deity, many of Jin Xia¡¯s emotions were greatly dulled, like other gods after living for several millenniums and more. The longer a deity lived, the duller their emotions became for them.


    Feelings such as lust, anger, jealousy, or even joy, became almost nonexistent for him. It was very rare for him to feel these emotions. That time when he was banished out of the Heaven Domain could be said to one of those rare moments when he felt anger at those who wronged him, as a deity.


    It was only after occupying a mortal¡¯s body, did Jin Xia began to fully ¡°feel¡± once again. After all, a mortal¡¯s body was a far cry of a difference from a great deity¡¯s physique.


    And it was only because Jin Xia was able to ¡°feel¡± such emotions did he thought of bringing along companions back to the Heaven Domain in the future. He was able to reflect on his previous solitude, and once again understand what exactly was compassion, what exactly was familial care. These emotions were all resurfacing rapidly inside Jin Xia¡¯s mortal heart.


    After searching for a while, Jin Xia finally located the Hu Clan¡¯s mansion. Although the huge residence was quite eye-catching in the city, with its huge structures and bright red pillars, because Jin Xia had been busy indulging in delicacies around the city, he had failed to take proper notice.


    Or it could even be said that he didn¡¯t want to notice, after being attracted to the foods and all.


    Upon arriving in front of the Hu residence, Jin Xia saw two guards in bronze clothing standing at either side of the entrance. Walking up to them, Jin Xia casually threw light brown colored seal towards one of the guards.


    ¡°I want to see your young master, Hu Feng.¡±


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    The guard, who caught the brown seal, narrowed his eyes at Jin Xia. But when he looked down and saw the authentic ¡°Hu¡± emblem in his hands, he immediately readjusted his attitude.


    Giving a small bow to Jin Xia, the guard said respectfully: ¡°I will go inform him right away, sir.¡±


    Then, after returning the emblem, the bronze guard quickly rushed into the Feng mansion. Moments later, Hu Feng came out and arrived at the entrance.


    ¡°Haha, Brother Jin Xia! We meet once again.¡± Hu Feng laughed as he went forward.


    Jin Xia smiled and replied: ¡°Brother Hu Feng, it has been a while.¡±


    ¡°I was wondering when you would visit me, but I did not expect it would be so soon! Come inside, I cannot have my guest standing there on the doorway, now could I?¡± Hu Feng said as he respectfully led Jin Xia into a private room reserved for honoured guests.


    As Jin Xia followed Hu Feng into the residence, the two guards looked at each as they began to whisper quietly.


    ¡°Who is that person that the trash master brought in? To think he gave away our Hu Clan¡¯s authority emblem to a stranger so casually¡­¡± A buff, grizzly beard guard whispered.


    ¡°Heh, who knows. At least he looks much better than our useless master. Peh! If not for the Hu emblem that¡¯s equivalent to the patriarch¡¯s word, I wouldn¡¯t even want to act respectful towards that Hu Feng.¡± A scrawny guard spat.


    ¡°Hehe, you do not need to worry. Soon enough, we do not need to worry about giving face to that useless young master anymore. I heard that some of the upper Hu elders are planning to pressure the patriarch into giving up his position after the Annual Clans Gathering¡­¡± The grizzled beard guard sneered.


    ¡°Hmph! Wasn¡¯t that to be expected? With a dog son like that, how could the Hu Clan survive in the future? From what I see, Hu Mang¡¯s son, Hu Long,  is much better! I heard he¡¯s at the 7th stage of Wudan!¡± The scrawny guard softly said, a look of admiration in his beady eyes.


    ***


    Inside the guest room, it was beautifully decorated with expensive-looking vases and items carefully set up around the area. Jin Xia and Hu Feng began to start chatting among themselves over a table of fine wine and dishes.


    Occasionally, Jin Xia would catch a glimpse of displeasure and disdain in the servants¡¯ eyes when they looked at Hu Feng. But it would be quickly covered up when they turned to serve Jin Xia.


    ¡°Hoh¡­¡± Jin Xia mused in his head. ¡°This Hu Feng doesn¡¯t seem to be quite popular in his family, eh.¡±


    As the two chatted, in the middle of their conversation, Jin Xia suddenly asked: ¡°By the way, Brother Hu Feng, as I¡¯ve already told you, I am away from my clan this time in order to gain some experiences.


    But I am embarrassed to say that I truly do not understand much of the things that are going on in our Great Azure Country. As such, I was wondering if Brother Hu Feng would be able to enlighten me?¡±


    Hu Feng smiled, with his chubby inflating upward, as he replied: ¡°Brother Jin Xia thinks too highly of me. While I do know some things about the current situations in our Great Azure Country, I do not dare claim I know them all. But since Brother Jin Xia have personally asked me, I will tell you everything that I know of so far.¡±


    Hu Feng then began to describe the various clans and powers in Harbin City as well as from other provinces. Strifes between certain clans, the wars that the Great Azure Country had fought, the strength of armies of the country, the strongest clans and renowned geniuses among the twelve provinces; these details were all noted by Hu Feng.


    In this way, Hu Feng had practically almost narrated the entire history of the Great Azure Country, and even some information beyond.


    In short, the country itself was an independent faction. In the Eastern Moon Continent, there were numerous countries, sects, and territories scattered everywhere. The Great Azure Country was bordered by the Lan Country, Fei Vermillion Country, Kang Country, and Niu Country. There were eleven other countries as well.


    With all sixteen of them being independent and vulnerable to invasion, such as the Great Azure Country and the Fei Vermillion country. Wars often occur between these independent countries as they struggle to gain authority over one another.


    These 16 countries were all apart of a large land, collectively known as the Da Jiang Region. This area was littered with forests, woods, and green mountains.


    West of the Da Jiang Region, there are four combined countries that were collectively known as the Golden Tai Empire.


    These countries represent a single entity, which was several times stronger than any one of the sixteen countries. Because the sixteen countries were independent, and no powers within the Da Jiang Region had been strong enough to unite them, they were much weaker than the Golden Tai Empire in general.


    Fortunately, there were several mountains and dangerous geographic landscapes that separate these four closely knitted countries from the rest of the sixteen countries.


    Otherwise, it could be said that the Golden Tai Empire would have invaded the other nations long ago. But as time passed, the Empire soon gave up on this ambition.


    The Golden Tai Empire and the sixteen independent countries were considered different entities. But all forces within the Da Jiang Region had unknowingly came to revere and fear the Golden Tai Empire. This was because a few of the independent countries before had once gathered a large army and attempted to take over the Golden Tai Empire for its rich resources.


    But in the end, not only did they fail, the entire army was annihilated, with not a single person alive. It was only after a month of no news did a country send a spy to check on the Golden Tai Empire. It was then that they came to realize the demise of their entire united army.


    Thus, while the Empire was not in direct control of the other countries, its influence was already widespread, reaching the level of some of those top sects.


    It was said that because the Golden Tai Empire realized their level of influence, that they decided to halt their invasion. After all, if the other countries were willing to recognize it as the overlord, why would the Empire still waste manpower to try to convince them? ¡ª was what the people thought.


    Moreover, a treaty was later struck between the Empire and the Da Jiang Region. The Golden Tai Empire will promise to not invade their country, and each country would elect to send over large amounts of resources and goods in return for their ¡°freedom.¡± This action likewise further abated the Empire¡¯s ambition, as they were receiving resources for doing practically nothing.


    It was also because of this that many countries, such as the Great Azure Country were lacking resources. People were willingly carving up these natural resources and basically offering them to someone else!


    But according to Hu Feng, the country of Great Azure was still able to produce a few stunning geniuses in this generation. There were six renowned geniuses from five different provinces, with two of the geniuses coming from the same province.


    These six figures from the younger generation were collectively known as ¡°The Six Great Azure Experts.¡± It was said that these youths even possessed the ability to rival the older generation practitioners. Their exact cultivation level was unknown, but Hu Feng said they would be able to meet them during this year¡¯s Annual Clans Gathering.


    As for the rest of Hu Feng¡¯s narration, Jin Xia continued to listen closely, storing the newfound information into the back of his mind for the future.


    After all, while the previous ¡®Jin Xia¡¯ had considerable knowledge, it was not entirely complete nor extremely vast. The host only knew the mainstream concepts and gleamed some knowledge from several written textbooks. In regards to the overall, current situation in the Great Azure Country, or the number of influential forces within it, the previous Jin Xia simply had no clue.


    But for Hu Feng, who came from a Greater City, the amount of things he knew in the Great Azure Country and even a bit beyond, were naturally much more than Jin Xia who came from a Lesser City with a limited information network.


    As such, this time around Jin Xia had gained a much more concrete picture of the overall situations of the Great Azure Country.


    In short, if Jin Xia was to describe the strength of the Great Azure Country, it can be easily summed up in three words: Weak as f*ck.

 Chapter 32: Noble Ranked City

    Author¡¯s note: Chapter is sponsored by Jean-Robert L !!?


    Host¡¯s note: As always, I¡¯m just a host. My apologies for the irregular posting times.


    <hr />


    After conversing with Hu Feng for a while longer, Jin Xia finally decided to head on his way. He had already accomplished his goal on gathering some information on the current Great Azure Country.


    While Jin Xia knew that Hu Feng¡¯s knowledge was not extensive, the fact that the latter already knew so much was sufficient enough for Jin Xia. A gist of the situations was really all Jin Xia required.


    After all, the main thing that Jin Xia wanted to know was the average strength of all the forces in the Great Azure Country. And from listening to Hu Feng, it did not seem to be very high; with early staged Xing Profound experts already being at the top of apex of cultivation here¡­


    Perhaps, other countries would have more top level talents. Since, according to Hu Feng, the Great Azure Country was ranked as the third to last weakest country, out of the sixteen countries. The other two lower countries were long conquered by a separate nation a few years back.


    Even if Hu Feng was wrong, Jin Xia was still not worried. In the end, he believe he will have various means to deal with any problem that comes up along the way. If not, then he would have lived aeons in vain.


    Now that Jin Xia had more or less achieved his goal, he decided to spend the rest of his time wandering around the provinces.


    Unlike other martial artists who are always desperately trying to upgrade their strength, Jin Xia was completely confident in his own ability. Be it arrogance or absolute faith, Jin Xia was certain he would not fall behind others, even if he were to ¡°slack off¡± once in awhile.


    As an ex-martial deity who had once poured his entire soul into learning the Way of Martial Arts, Jin Xia wanted to instead use this lifetime to enjoy the delicacies and ways of a mortal life. He wanted to explore the regions in this world and desired for those whom he could call brothers and comrades.


    Just as Jin Xia was leaving, Hu Feng suddenly asked:


    ¡°Brother Jin Xia, where do you plan to go now?¡±


    Jin Xia thought for a moment before saying: ¡°Red Sun City.¡±


    Red Sun City, which was a part of the Taiyang Province, was one of the two Noble Cities in the Great Azure Country. It is said the amount of resources and level of cultivators who live there are much higher than those from a Greater ranked City. Jin Xia was interested in the types of delicacies that such a high class city might have.


    As for the other Noble ranked City, Azure City, Jin Xia decided not to visit there for now since he would be going there for the Annual competition a month later. And as for the other cities, Jin Xia was not a great deal interested in them.


    After all, the foods and resources of a Noble ranked city were much more extravagant than the rest of the lower cities. It was said that any food you find in the other cities, would definitely be available in even greater quantities in a higher city. Thus, Jin Xia did not pay much attention to the rest of the cities, be it Greater or Lesser ranked.


    Hu Feng paused for a moment, before he took a deep breath and slowly asked Jin Xia:


    ¡°Then, Brother Jin Xia, since you are journeying out to other provinces to gain experiences¡­I was wondering if I could come along with you? To be honest, with your strength, I would feel more assured traveling outside. And of course, I can also act as a guide for you along the way; I have studied up on the many provinces since I was young¡­¡±


    Although Hu Feng was not exactly afraid to travel by himself outside, he wanted to take this opportunity to observe Jin Xia more closely. He still suspected Jin Xia was a reincarnated person like him.


    Hu Feng still remembered the day when Jin Xia had revealed to him his cultivation level as a Xing Profound expert. With such strength, Hu Feng was confident that they would be unhindered even if they were to walk across the entire Great Azure Country. After all, only a handful of people would even possess a cultivation such as the Xing Profound realm! He would also get to ¡°understand¡± Jin Xia better if he were to travel alongside him as well.


    Of course, Hu Feng did not know that Jin Xia¡¯s cultivation had dropped back down to the 4th Spiritual Dan realm, and Jin Xia did bother to reveal his condition. Since even with his current level, Jin Xia was still higher than any of the experts present in Harbin City.


    The strongest being here was only, at best, in the 1st stage of Spiritual Dan, with the weakest being in the 4th stage of Wudan. This was what Jin Xia had discovered when he used his soul to search the current inhabitants within Harbin City; without considering the young children who Jin Xia identified based on the ¡°age¡± of their soul.


    Hearing Hu Feng¡¯s request, Jin Xia stopped and thought for a few moments before he nodded his head: ¡°Mn. Alright, if I have Brother Hu Feng guiding me through the provinces, it would be of great help. Then, shall we leave now?¡±


    Hu Feng broke into a wide smile when he heard Jin Xia¡¯s compliance. ¡°Alright, but first let me have someone get a carriage ready for us. After all, Red Sun City is still quite a distance away from Harbin City. As for any necessary items, I have them all inside my Spatial ring already.¡±


    ¡°Do you not need to inform your parents or someone that you¡¯re leaving?¡± Jin Xia asked.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Eh? Ah¡­haha, it¡¯s fine. I¡­doubt they¡¯ll care.¡± Hu Feng replied with an awkward smile.


    Jin Xia shrugged and did not question any further.


    Several minutes later, wearing a barely suitably sized blue robe, Hu Feng was ready to leave. Boarding the carriage with Jin Xia, Hu feng told the carriage driver their destination as they began to rush towards Red Sun City.


    Within half a day, Jin Xia and Hu Feng arrived in Red Sun City. It was almost night time outside, but there was still many people walking around on the streets.


    The city was lit up with beautiful, round lanterns the color of red apples, and many restaurants and food stands remained open. The two youths got off the carriage as they slowly wandered through the dark sea of people on the streets.


    Jin Xia was feeling a bit excited when he saw that the city was still ¡°alive¡± even at night. He was afraid he would not have made it in time to enjoy the delicacies of the city. Hu Feng, who was walking besides Jin Xia, was likewise feeling enthusiastic. This was also his first time visiting a Noble ranked City that he had heard so much about from others. Normally, he would only visit those nearby Greater or Lesser ranked cities.


    Even at night, Red Sun City was still truly appealing to the eyes.


    Jin Xia¡¯s eyes were continually darting left and right as he scanned the mass of restaurants. The city itself was much larger than Harbin City, thus even after walking for a while, Jin Xia could still see that there were several more restaurants lined up in distance.


    Moreover, Jin Xia had also noticed that the level of cultivators here in Red Sun City were stronger than he had initially expected, albeit still weak in his opinion. Using his soul, Jin Xia had sensed that many of the cultivators here ranged from the Wudan 6th stage to the Spiritual Dan 2nd stage. Even the weakest cultivators here were at least Wudan 5th stage.


    With so many high level experts gathered in one place, it would seem the title of a Noble City was not merely for decoration purposes. Its strength was truly higher than a Greater ranked City.


    Furthermore, Jin Xia had also detected two strong presences hidden within the city. Those two people were surprisingly in the 9th stage of Spiritual Dan realm!


    Though, they were still quite weak in Jin Xia¡¯s eyes, he guessed that the two must be the head of their respective major clans in Red Sun City, given their ¡°better-than-average¡± strength.


    After gathering intel on his surroundings, Jin Xia faintly wryly at the lack of threat he found in the city. He had been secretly hoping that there might some slightly stronger experts here that would pique his interest, but alas, there was none¡­


    Burying his disappointment in his heart, Jin Xia focused his entire attention on the restaurants around him as he debated to himself which one to taste first. Hu Feng, who saw Jin Xia fervently looking around at the restaurants with eyes that almost seemed to sparkle, gave a light chuckle to himself.


    ¡°So even a Xing Profound expert can act like this, huh¡­¡± Hu Feng thought to himself. His initial impression of Jin Xia had been that of a scholarly and mysterious individual. Thus, when he saw Jin Xia behaving almost childish like, he could not help but modify his impression of Jin Xia once more. Hu Feng could not read the mysterious youth in white at all.


    After a while, seeing that Jin Xia still could not decide where to dine, Hu Feng spoke up, snapping Jin Xia back to reality:


    ¡°Brother Jin Xia, we have wandering around the city for quite some time now¡­how about we go to the Flower Bridge Restaurant. I overheard my father, who have visited here before, saying that the food there is very good.¡±


    Hu Feng took a moment to look around him before he said wryly: ¡°After all, it seems if we don¡¯t settle down somewhere soon, we will be swarm with people soon because of Brother Jin Xia¡­¡±


    Jin Xia looked at Hu Feng with a slightly confused expression. But when he lifted his head and looked around, he finally understood what the youth had meant.


    There were several females of varying ages crowding near their location, staring attentively at the duo, or to be more precise, at Jin Xia.


    From the moment the two people had entered Red Sun City, many of the residents were quickly attracted to Jin Xia¡¯s stunning visuals. His handsome appearance gave others a strong feeling that the youth in white clothes was not of ordinary origin.


    Hu Feng¡¯s outrageous belly also attracted some shock.


    While the strange atmosphere surrounding Jin Xia prevented many from approaching or even causing trouble for them, it did not stop many of the females from gathering to see Jin Xia.


    Scratching his hand in a slightly awkward manner, Jin Xia gave a dry cough before he followed Hu Feng. He was not used to getting such attentions from the females, especially after his emotions were unsealed in his mortal form.


    Even after living aeons, he was still unable to let go of various emotions and childish feelings. But perhaps that was what made the ex-deity so ¡°pure.¡±


    To be able to retain one¡¯s childish heart and emotion, just how many could achieve it?


    To be able to remain unchanging in the face of the brutally changing ages, just how many would have such heart?

 Chapter 33: Disturbance at Flower Bridge Restaraunt

    Author¡¯s note: Chapter is sponsored by Noremac !!


    Host¡¯s note: Not the author; just a rehoster.


    <hr />


    Jin Xia and Hu Feng quickly found the Flower Bridge restaurant. The two of them entered the restaurant and sat down on brown wooden table.


    After ordering a few side dishes and main courses, Jin Xia and Hu Feng chatted amongst themselves. When the food was ready, Jin Xia¡¯s eyes visibly lit up, although he had tried to contain his emotions. Without waiting, he immediately started to happily dig into his food.


    Seeing Jin Xia¡¯s reaction to the dish of stirred fried Demon Tiger and Shallow-fried Herbs, Hu Feng could not help but give Jin Xia a doubtful glance. This fellow¡¯s attitude seems to changes whenever it came to food¡­


    While Jin Xia and Hu Feng were enjoying their meals, a loud noise rang from above them. It was coming from the upper floor level of the restaurant. Jin Xia did not paid any attention to it as he continued to eat, but Hu Feng was more sensitive as he briefly glanced upward when he heard the noise.


    Just as Hu Feng was about to go back eating, the wooden ceiling suddenly came crashing down as two figure fell from above.


    *Boom!*


    As the two figures landed within five feets away from Jin Xia and Hu Feng¡¯s table, they quickly broke apart as they backed away from each other.


    ¡°Fan Lei Yi , today I will make sure to teach you a lesson for daring to disrespect my Meng Clan!¡± One of the figure, a youth in dark blue clothes, growled as he glared at the opposing figure.


    ¡°Hmphf, Meng Bei, with just your ability, are even qualified to teach me a lesson? I¡¯ll see just how you are going to deal with me today!¡± The youth in black clothes named ¡®Fan Lei Yi ¡¯ sneered as he looked at the other youth in disdain.


    Almost right after the two had separated, several more figures came flying out from the ceiling and nimbly landing on the ground. Loud footsteps could be heard as several people in black clothes came streaming down the stairways.


    The people who were originally eating happily in the restaurant quickly all left in fright when they saw the commotion and the large hole in the ceiling. It seems there was a fight going on in the restaurant!


    Those people hastily left the restaurant but did not go far as they began to turn around and crowd near the entrance of the restaurant.


    Soon, the restaurant became empty except for the Jin Xia and Hu Feng, who were still sitting in their table. They were situated right in the middle of the two opposing factions, who were already glaring at one another. On each side, there was around twenty people.


    Although Hu Feng initially wanted to leave the restaurant as well, but when he noticed Jin Xia¡¯s unconcerned attitude, he had somewhat calmed down. And when he remembered about Jin Xia¡¯s strength, Hu Feng felt even more assured and decided stay in his table.


    Meng Bei glared at the group on the opposite of him as he said: ¡°Fan Lei Yi , your Fan Clan has been the archnemesis of my Meng Clan for several years now. Today, since you have dared provoked me, watch as I break you all into pieces!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, with just a bunch of trash? Let this young master here show you the vast difference between you and I!¡± Fan Lei Yi  mockingly smiled as he suddenly shot out a palm.


    ¡°Destructive Wind Palm!¡±


    *Phoosh!*


    Fan Lei Yi ¡¯s palm suddenly shot towards the youth in dark blue clothes.


    Seeing this, Meng Bei snorted as he lashed out a fist against the approaching youth.


    ¡°Scorching Sun Fist!¡±


    *Boom!* *Boom!*


    The two youth¡¯s confrontation of techniques suddenly caused the surrounding tables to be blown back from the powerful collision of inner Qi.


    As fellow Wudan 9th stage practitioners, their body had gone through vigourous training regimens, making their physique as strong as steel. Coupled with absorbing World Qi each day, every time they leveled up a stage, their muscle would slowly strengthen and harden, giving them greater might and defense. At each Wudan stage, they would gain the power to lift about 10,000 jin, increasing more or less at that number rate onwards.


    So at the two youths¡¯ current level, they each possess the strength of 90,000 jin in each of their arms. The clash of such power caused wind to generate from their forceful confrontation. It was like two giant boulders smashing into each other at top speed, a bit of shock wave was bound to occur.


    *Crash!* *Crash!*


    The entire time, Jin Xia had completely ignored the battle that was going on around him as he contentedly ate. Only Hu Feng was paying attention nervously to the battle, as he had noticed the two youths were not definitely not simple characters. But with Jin Xia at his side, Hu Feng had managed talked himself into staying put without losing his composure.


    But, when the two youths collided this time, the strong after wind that were generated had blown Hu Feng back as he rolled into a nearby wall. Luckily the wind was not too fierce and Hu Feng did not sustain any injuries at all.


    As for Jin Xia, he was just about to stuff a mouthful of delicious Shallow-fried Herbs, when the sudden wind blew the food right off of his chopsticks.


    in another short moment, even the table Jin Xia was currently sitting at was blown away.


    Only Jin Xia and the seat he was sitting on remained untouched. It was as if the wind did not even affect him at all.


    Hu Feng, who was blasted away, slowly got up as he looked towards his table only to see Jin Xia sitting calmly on a wooden chair amidst an empty space, with his chopsticks posed near his lips and his mouth slightly open as if he was ready to eat something.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    This strange scene almost made Hu Feng want to laugh, but when he noticed Jin Xia¡¯s eerily calm expression, he suddenly felt a chill go down his spine.


    As Fan Lei Yi  and Meng Bei continued to fight, they did not seem to notice Jin Xia who had slowly placed his chopsticks on the side of his chair as he closed his lips.


    ¡°It seems you are pretty good for a trash!¡± Fan Lei Yi  mocked as he dodged an incoming fist.


    ¡°Ha, so are you. I have to say, your skill at dodging like a pathetic monkey is definitely top notch!¡± Meng Bei spited in returned as he continued to parry against Fan Lei Yi ¡¯s strikes.


    Meanwhile, the followers of the two youths continued to stay where they were as they watched the fight between their young masters. Without their young master¡¯s order, the groups of people did not dare carelessly intervene.


    *Boom!*


    Fan Lei Yi  and Meng Bei glared at each other as their fists and palms collide against each other once more. This time, they did not part as both attempted to forcefully push the other back.


    In the Wudan stages, the muscles and bones in one¡¯s body is trained. Because of that, it is often painful when training due the tearing and recovering of bones and flesh! They essentially ¡°break¡± their body through physical training during the day and then ¡°repair¡± them at night through absorbing World Qi to give depth to their cultivation and strengthen their physique.


    There are even some who are skilled enough to directly absorb World Qi, use that Qi to break apart their muscles and bones, and then repair it ¨Call during meditation. But the process is much more painful and concise, having less than 1 in 500 people attempt such method in the Wudan realm. This was method that Jin Xia often trained in.


    Because of the grueling process of refining one¡¯s body, it takes great patience and endurance that many could not achieve. And for many people who was born with low innate quality and a few open meridians, they could only absorb the World Qi around them at a snail-like pace; causing problems with their breakthroughs!


    So after years of hard trainings and eating good elixirs that the two youths¡¯ wealthy family could afford, both youths¡¯ body were as extremely tough, having reached the peak of the Wudan realm. A few external pain by now was not an issue for them.


    ¡°Hmph¡­let¡¯s see how long you¡¯ll last against my Golden Sun Palm!¡± Meng Bei growled as he continued to exert strength into his palm.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡­with just your little technique, you are one who may not last any longer!¡± Fan Lei Yi  grinned evilly as he tightened his fist and continued to push forward.


    *Whoosh!*


    But while the two youths were interlocked with each other, a white blur appeared on the right side in between them.


    Without waiting for Fan Lei Yi  or Meng Bei to react, Jin Xia grabbed the back of two youth¡¯s head and ruthlessly smashed them towards each other.


    *Phat!*


    When the two youths¡¯ face slammed into one another, blood effortlessly spurted from their noses and mouths. Some of their teeths even fell out due to the impact.


    Before Fan Lei Yi  and Meng Bei could grasp what¡¯s happening, Jin Xia swiftly chopped horizontally at the back of the two youth¡¯s neck. Having their acupoints hit, the two young masters quickly fainted from the overload of pain.


    In a mere moment after Jin Xia had appeared, the bystanders had only witness the two youths crumpling lifelessly right after. They barely even perceived what Jin Xia had done.


    It was as if the moment he appeared, the two youths were instantly defeated!


    Jin Xia did not kill the two youths.


    He had merely gave them a quick, painful lesson and then put them to sleep. Though, he was still feeling a strange feeling of irritation rising in his heart from having his meal disturbed.


    ¡°Did I let them off too lightly?¡± Jin Xia silently pondered to himself.


    ¡°Y-you..who are you? What have you done to our young master!¡± One of the people in black clothes suddenly shouted while pointing at Jin Xia in anger.


    ¡°Yeah! You won¡¯t get away with this!¡±


    ¡°Capture him! We must not let him get away! To offend our Meng Clan like this, only death awaits him!¡±


    Very quickly, both side began to close in Jin Xia as they unleashed their respective martial arts. Looking at the approaching waves of people from both sides, Jin Xia suddenly had a faint smile on his face.


    ¡°Ah¡­this was what I was waiting for.¡± Jin Xia thought as he used his Firefly Evasion agility skill and instantly disappeared from his original spot.


    Interweaving among the two groups of cultivators, Jin Xia fiercely struck out left and right. With each single attack, an attacker would fall to the ground. They barely even had the time to cry out in pain, much less properly defend themselves before they were struck down by Jin Xia.


    But even for those who managed to put up a defense, their so called ¡°defense¡± was utterly useless in front of Jin Xia. They were equally beaten down in one fluid move from Jin Xia.


    Like a ghost, Jin Xia easily moved between the groups of youths. No one was able to touch him at all, yet one by one the number of people began to dwindle.


    Several moments later, there was no one left standing besides Jin Xia and Hu Feng, who was still standing on the side with his eyes slightly bulging in utter shock.


    <hr />


    Host¡¯s note: I still have to look into that comment on chapter 3 but I keep forgetting or get busy, like now as I have class in ten minutes. I¡¯ll try to take a look at it before I post the next chapter.

 Chapter 34: We Will Make Him Pay!

    Host¡¯s note: Hello, your friendly fellow reader and host here, posting with the author¡¯s permission. Just tell me if these reminders are getting annoying and I¡¯ll stop. I¡¯ve just done it so far because there most definitely are people skipping over these notes and thinking I¡¯m the author.


    <hr />


    Standing upright among a pile of fallen bodies, Jin Xia looked like a majestic war god. Those who went against him were only destined to be doomed.


    The crowd who were watching from the restaurant¡¯s entrance was speechless when they saw what had transpired.


    These two major clans which have reigned over Red Sun City without fear had suddenly met their match today, with two of their arrogant young masters being beaten down almost in an instant by an outsider. Even the large group of their followers had also met the same fate as their master.


    Without even glancing at the bodies piled around him, Jin Xia coolly strolled towards the exit. ¡°Now I¡¯ve lost my appetite. Hu Feng, let us be on our way.¡±


    Hu Feng, who was standing dumbfoundedly on the side, gave Jin Xia a strange look before he quickly gathered himself and followed.


    It was apparent that what he had initially thought wrong earlier. This fellow¡¯s attitude did not just seem to change when it came to food ¡ª it does change, especially when he was disturbed during his meal.


    Although Hu Feng found the entire incident weird, he kept his thoughts to himself, and secretly made note to himself not to interrupt Jin Xia when he is eating in the future¡­


    The crowd, when they saw Jin Xia approaching, wordlessly made way for the youth to pass through. Although they were still in disbelief, they did not dare get in the mysterious youth¡¯s way.


    To have the guts to beat down two groups of prominent figures could only mean that the white robed youth must not be of a simple identity at all.


    He was someone no one in the crowd wanted to offend.


    Afterwards, Jin Xia and Hu Feng walked around the city for a while longer.


    None of them spoke about what happened at the Flower Bridge restaurant, as if it had never happened at all. Like this, the two wordlessly strolled about the city as the crowd behind continued to buzz with excitement.


    Before long, they found a decent inn to stay at for the night.


    Renting out two rooms for two nights for 10 Gold coins, the two youths exchanged a brief goodbye before leaving for their respective room.


    The room he rented was quite ordinary, with a proper bed, table, and a few nice paintings hanging on the walls. Although it was not extravagant, it was enough for Jin Xia to sleep comfortably in, not that he does sleep much either. Once Jin Xia was alone, he sat down on his bed and entered a meditative state.


    Meanwhile, outside an old man with fuzzy white hair was standing on top of a rooftop, directly opposite from the hotel Jin Xia was in. Although the elder¡¯s was not small, his appearance was that of a person who¡¯s in his early thirties, with few visible wrinkles on his face.


    Wearing a completely black robe of fine silk, the elder had on a faint frown.


    ¡°That¡¯s it? After beating two brats up, he¡¯s going to leave everything as it is?¡­That kid¡­¡± The black robed elder murmured, as a strange light shone in his eyes.


    Then, he suddenly burst into laughter. ¡°Wahaha! Interesting! That boy is quite the fresh one!¡±


    As the black robed elder continued to laugh, an aged voice descended from above.


    ¡°Brother Zhou He, why are you here laughing by yourself? Almost everyone has left already.¡±


    A white haired elder in dark green robe, laced with leafy patterns, gently floated down and landed beside the black robed elder ¡®Zhou He¡¯.


    Zhou He stopped his laughter as he turned towards the other elder, grinning: ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s you, Brother Luo Yi! You have not left yet either?¡±


    The dark green robed elder named ¡®Luo Yi¡¯ had on a faint smile when he faced the other elder. His appearance was handsome, and his hair was neatly combed backward; his appearance looking to be in his mid-thirties.


    Smiling, Luo Yi replied: ¡°Mmn, I just came back from searching a province nearby the Kaitech Mountain. But alas, like the others, I was unable to get a single clue as to where that mysterious pillar of energy had come from¡­that terrifying power that could sense from nearly several thousands miles away¡­it truly is not simple.


    I heard that this time, even those elders from the Heavenly Ashura Sect,  Ancient Sword Hall, and Xiandu Sect, who came, could not discern the phenomenon. And after searching for quite some time with this much people, yet still coming up with no results, I decided take my group and leave¡­


    How about you, Brother Zhou He? What are you going to do now? Ah, and why were you laughing by yourself? Perhaps something caught your interest?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, with so much experts and not finding anything¡­perhaps we came to the wrong place since the beginning¡­¡± Zhou He said.


    ¡°Impossible. Several elites living around in this area,whom we investigated, testified they saw a blinding pillar of light coming from the direction of the Kaitech Mountain. They even said they felt the strange Qi energy coming from there as well.¡±


    Zhou He shrugged as he turned away from Luo Yi.


    ¡°And you still haven¡¯t told me why you were laughing by yourself here, Brother Zhou He. You seem to be hiding something from me¡­¡± Luo Yi slightly narrowed his eyes as he looked at the latter.


    Zhou He continued to look off into the distance, as a peculiar light glinted in his eyes. ¡°Ahh, I do not know myself, Brother Luo Yi. But I found an interesting boy today¡­¡±


    Luo Yi¡¯s eyes widened as he asked: ¡°What? Brother Zhou He, you¡¯re saying a child was able to catch your eyes? Don¡¯t tell me you took a fancy to one of those Heavenly Ashura disciples or those Xiandu disc¡ª¡±


    ¡°Bah! I¡¯m speaking about a child of this city!¡± Zhou He interrupted Luo Yi.


    ¡°Someone from this backwater country? But this kind of place¡­I reckon Brother Zhou He would be able to find a true young talent here¡­unless, you want those old men..¡± Luo Yi said slowly as he gave Zhou He a strange look.


    Then, just as Zhou He turned to glare at him, Luo Yi glanced in the distant inn that the Zhou He had been looking at and extended his sixth sense outward.


    ¡°Oh? A boy at the 4th stage of Spiritual Dan? Could he be a disciple of one of those large sects that came¡­no, no, they all left already and there¡¯s no reason to bring along a disciple. But if that young man truly attained his cultivation while being a poor place like this¡­I¡¯d have to admit that¡¯s quite rare.¡±


    After attaining a certain level of cultivate, one¡¯s senses would peak and sharpen, including one¡¯s sixth sense. It could reach to the point where a cultivator would be able to ¡°see¡± another person merely through using their sixth sense, and not just only their presence


    And if one becomes even more powerful enough, one could even begin using their Divine Sense¡­


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he? Hehe, but it¡¯s not the level of his cultivation that piqued me¡­that boy gives off a strange aura that I just can¡¯t seem to figure out why¡­¡± Zhou He nodded happily as he turned back to face the inn.


    ¡°Aura? Hmm, he does indeed give off a feeling that does not match his appearance from what I saw with my sixth sense¡­but alas, if we compare the boy, his cultivation will barely qualify him as an inner disciple in those big sects. If you want to take him as a disciple, I advise you to think it over and choose someone else with a greater potential. Preferably, one who could compete on the level of those core disciples. I can even introduce you to a few, if you would like¡­otherwise, for someone of your status, if your first disciple is so weak¡­¡± Luo Yi trailed off.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°Bah! Who said I was getting a disciple? I only said I found the boy a bit ¡®interesting¡¯ , that¡¯s all. And who cares if my disciple happens to weak, with the great me around, who would dare bully him/her!


    Ahh, whatever, I¡¯m done with this. I¡¯ll be leaving ahead.¡± Zhou He grunted as he waved his long sleeve.


    Promptly, a 6 foot tall hole in the sky opened up in front of him as he walked into the darkness. Then, the hole slowly closed until the air was once again restored.


    Luo Yi could only keep silent and smile wryly as Zhou He left, knowing that his words must have brought displeasure for his old pal.


    But Luo Yi was only thinking for the best of his friend. He did not want his aged old brother to be laughed by others, should his disciple be weak. After all, if Zhou He did recruit a disciple, it would be his first time doing so.


    And for someone with a relatively high status across the Black Moon Continent, such as Zhou He, naturally the expectation for that person¡¯s disciple would be quite high as well.


    Letting out a quiet sigh, Luo Yi could only shake his head as he waved his right sleeve. Another tear appeared in the sky, before a dark shadow leaped into it. A short second later, the sky once again regained its calm air.


    As the tear had only happened briefly, no one in the city had detected the change. In fact, not a single person was able to detect the two beings who had been standing on a roof, much less even see the ripple in the sky.


    It was as if they were ghosts, moving yet unseen.


    ______


    In the middle of night, inside a grand looking mansion, supported by big red pillars. A distinct sound rang through the quiet air.


    *Pa!*


    A red palmprint was left on Fan Lei Yi¡¯s left cheek as the youth endured the scorching pain. An aged, wrinkly faced man, who looked to be about sixty five years old, was currently fuming in front of Fan Lei Yi.


    ¡°Useless!¡± The old man shouted. ¡°You actually let an unknown junior beat you black and blue without even knowing who he was! How dare you still have the face to come back to me like this!¡±


    Fan Lei Yi, who was feeling quite aggrieved inside, did not dare to talk back. That was because this elderly man before him was his father, who was precisely the patriarch of the Fan Clan. He was called Fan Boqin, a cultivator who was at the 9th stage of Spiritual Dan


    Not only the Fan Clan, but even across the entire Great Azure Country, a peak Spiritual Dan cultivator such as like himself was highly respected by all. As such, Fan Boqin had rarely suffered any sort of humiliation since he ascended to this level.


    And it was precisely because of that, that Fan Boqin became angered when he found out that his son was humiliated in public. To shame his son was the same as not giving him, Fan Boqin, any face!


    After a while, Fan Lei Yi finally gathered his courage and timidly spoke: ¡°F-father, Lei¡¯er knows he is wrong. But, I never would have expected someone to jump in during the middle of my duel with Meng Bei. I was caught off guard. If not, how could I have suffered such a defeat¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmph! In the world of cultivation, there are many twists and turns, even in battles. In a life and death duel, it won¡¯t matter what means one has to use to win! Thinking that Meng Bei was your only opponent during battle was simply too naive!¡± Fan Boqin solemnly said.


    Fan Lei Yi lowered his head as he became quiet again. Today, he had simply suffered too much humiliation! First it was that damned Meng Bei, then that mysterious person who sneak attacked him, and now he was getting severely scolded by his father! It was truly hateful.


    After ranting on for nearly an hour, Fan Boqin finally eased a bit of the anger that was on his chest. At this time, a male servant came into the room. After bowing respectfully to the clan master and the young master, the servant said:


    ¡°Reporting to the clan master! As per your instruction, we have questioned many of the people, who were near the Flower Bridge restaurant, about the culprit who attacked the young master. We were able to gather the details and make a rough sketch of the person¡¯s facial features; he appears to be a male cultivator as well. Some people were saying the youth gives off a distinct aura, and is extremely handsome, so recognizing him should not be a problem!¡±


    Hearing this, Fan Lei Yi¡¯s eyes lit up while Fan Boqin nodded. ¡°Good! Good! To dare touch my son, I must make that person pay the full price!¡±


    Turning to the servant, Fan Boqin ordered: ¡°Go gather a group of people and have them put up wanted posters all over the city tomorrow morning! We must find this person at all cost. Our Fan Clan will not take this shame lying down!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± The male servant replied as he retreated from the room.


    ¡°Lei¡¯er.¡± Fan Boqin said.


    ¡°Yes, father.¡± Lei Yi Fei hurriedly replied.


    ¡°When we catch ahold of this person, make sure to teach him a lesson in front of everybody. Show them the price they¡¯ll have to pay for tarnishing our Fan Clan¡¯s reputation!¡± Fan Boqin coldly said as he turned to his son.


    ¡°Lei¡¯er understands, father.¡± Lei Yi Fei answered, a hint of killing intent was surging in his eyes.


    ______


    On this same night, at another nearby large mansion, a similar ordeal was happening within the Meng Clan.


    ¡°So you are saying the person is still in this city?¡± A old man with a hair full of white hair, who was sitting on a large chair, questioned sternly as he looked at Meng Bei.


    ¡°Yes, father. What¡¯s more, a few of my followers have even seen this person¡¯s face! If we were to have them draw a rough sketch of this person and spread it through the city tomorrow, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be able to find him soon enough.¡± Meng Bei said. The earlier traces of arrogance he had when he fought with Fan Lei Yi at the restaurant was gone. There was only a strong tone of respect and fear in his voice.


    ¡°Mm. Alright, since we have discussed this over an hour of time, I will have you carry out the plans tomorrow. Make sure to find that junior and make them pay the highest price for offending our Meng Clan!¡± The old man growled as faint traces of coldness flashed through his eyes.


    This elder was called Meng Pao Zhan. He was naturally Meng Bei¡¯s father, and the patriarch of the Meng Clan; a 9th stage Spiritual Dan expert.


    Similar to Fan Boqin, this Meng Pao Zhan had a strong sense of arrogance with his cultivation being near the top of the Great Azure Country. There was not many people who could match him, fueling his sense of pride. As such, his attitude and mindset could be said to be no different than Fan Boqin. They were both quite narrow minded.


    ¡°You do not have to worry, father. I will make sure thoroughly waste that person¡¯s cultivation and have him suffer a life not worth living for!¡± Meng Bei said fiercely.


    After being scolded by his father for so long, Meng Bei was feeling quite depressed and had a belly full of anger for the person who had attacked him and made him suffer a humiliating loss.


    The night slowly washed away the evening¡¯s memories as a new day arrived once more.


    <hr />


    Host¡¯s note: Looked at the comment on chapter 3 and the commenter is right, there is a bit of a mismatch between the amount of realms stated and the amount described. So, I contacted the author about it. I¡¯ll leave the mistake as is for now because I don¡¯t know if the author will correct it to saying there are 10 realms or if he¡¯ll cut out 2 realms. Either way, it doesn¡¯t affect the story much as not much is stated about the higher realms so far.

 Chapter 35 Medical Master(1)

    Author¡¯s note: Chapter is sponsored by Noremac, Lorenzo M, John M, and Abdirahman A!  :)


    Host¡¯s note: I host this, not write it \o/


    <hr />


    The night slowly washed away the evening¡¯s memories as a new day arrived once more.


    Jin Xia slowly opened his eyes as he let out a light breath. The misty air in his room quickly dissipated after a few moments.


    ¡°Only at the peak of Spiritual Dan 5th stage¡­still a bit slow¡­¡± Jin Xia muttered as he got up and left his room.


    Looking out the silk covered window, Jin Xia thought to himself: ¡°Those two who were outside my room last night¡­I wonder what they were up to. Sighh¡­to think my last feat would have attracted so many unnecessary people here. Fortunately, it seems like those people have already left this large area.¡±


    Having scoured the entire city and a few miles beyond with his soul, Jin Xia had been keeping tally on all those experts who came swarming towards Kaitech Mountain, from the start. With his powerful soul, he was not afraid of being detected by another cultivator.


    Unless, that person was nearing the Supreme realm, detecting a fragment of Jin Xia¡¯s soul would be exceedingly difficult.


    But if such an expert did appear here, then perhaps Jin Xia would have already been captured long ago. The sensing ability and methods of a being of that caliber was not a joke, after all¡­


    As such, with him being vigilant, Jin Xia had naturally noticed Zhou He and Luo Yi last night. However, as none of them made a move, Jin Xia had left them be, in order to keep a low profile for now.


    Meeting Hu Feng outside of the inn, the two exchanged a brief greeting before they started strolling around the city once again.


    At the same time, in another area of Red Sun City, there were several people putting up wanted posters on the street walls. People gathered around whispering, as they discussed the person drawn on the posters.


    ¡°Who could that person be? Daring to offend the Meng Clan¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not only the Meng Clan. Look over there. The Fan Clan is also putting up similar posters!¡±


    ¡°This person looks quite familiar¡­could he be the same one whom we saw at the restaurant last night??¡±


    ¡°Aiyah¡­the person in the poster looks so young and already his fate is sealed..¡±


    Oblivious to the two major clans¡¯ actions, Jin Xia was strolling around the Sun Heart Market leisurely, indulging himself in delicacies of all sorts.


    If the Black Pearl Market could be considered the largest marketplace within a thousand miles, then the Sun Heart Market could be classified as the largest, and most prestigious, marketplace of the entire Great Azure Country.


    Even those wealthy people from Azure City would visit this market to purchase exotic items that are often not found anywhere else in the country.


    As such, the amount and variety of foods in this marketplace can be considered to be abundant. This was also one of the reasons why Jin Xia had chosen Red Sun City as his next stop; there were several pieces of gossips on the deliciousness of the meals here.


    While Jin Xia was enjoying a Bu-Ti Fox skewer, Hu Feng suddenly stopped near one of the stands. Noticing this, Jin Xia paused as well.


    (TL: ¡°Bu-Ti Fox¡± = ¡°²½ÌãºüÀꡱ ? Stepped Hoof Fox? Sounded weird, so I just left it as Pinyin.)


    Hu Feng¡¯s eyes sparkled as he stared the sets of jade bottles placed on the stand table. In front of each bottle was a price tag along with the pills¡¯ name and star rating.


    ¡°Are you interested in those pills?¡± Jin Xia asked casually when he saw Hu Feng¡¯s enthusiasm.


    ¡°Ah¡­I was only looking. These are 2 star pills after all, they¡¯re still a rarity in our country. Alas, the price is just too extravagant and I did not bring enough coins on me today.¡± Hu Feng said helplessly.


    An middle aged man, who was sitting behind the stand slightly puffed up his chest in pride when he heard Hu Feng¡¯s words.


    ¡°Oh? And here I thought you must¡¯ve smelled some roast pork or something, looking all excited like that¡­ Well, which pill were you interested in?¡± Jin Xia asked lazily.


    Hu Feng chose to ignore Jin Xia¡¯s initial comment as he pointed at one of the white bottles with tag: 10 Mind Clearing Essence Pills, 100 Gold Coins, 2 stars.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been having a hard time concentrating during cultivation when I¡¯m at home. There¡¯s been a few...issues in my family that has been distracting me for a while. If I had a pill like this, perhaps I could finally focus and break away from the 5th stage of Wudan¡­¡± Hu Feng sighed.


    Although Hu Feng had expected that he may have to spend a bit on this trip, he had never been a favorite one at night. In fact, he did not even receive a coin of an allowance from his family. And with his status as a young master of the Hu Clan, he was even prevented from going out to do any ¡®commoner¡¯s labor¡¯ for money. Adding on the dangers of mercenary work, hunting Savage beasts, and his low cultivation, there was practically no way for him to earn any substantial money.


    The total asset on Hu Feng right now was only a mere 500 Silver coins ¡ª and that was all small pocket donations from elderly servants in the family who had either pitied or still felt affection for Hu Feng. In truth, with his current money he should not have been able to afford the inn¡¯s fee they were staying at. But as Jin Xia was open with his money, he had paid for Hu Feng¡¯s half without needing to consult him.


    As such, Hu Feng had felt gratitude in his heart, and felt a bit awkward mentioning the pills to his ¡®brother.¡¯


    Jin Xia furrowed his eyebrows when he saw the pills. ¡°What? You want pills like these? Aiya, just leave them be. Wait until we get back, and I¡¯ll give you some pills that are hundred times better than those. Think of it as a few gifts for your help so far.¡±


    Hearing this, both Hu Feng and the old man¡¯s face changed.


    ¡°Brother Jin Xia, do you know how to make pills?¡± Hu Feng asked.


    ¡°Hm? It¡¯s just making a few pills, of course I know how to. But I wasn¡¯t saying I¡¯ll make some pills for you. I already have a few pills ready to give you, was what I meant.¡±


    Hu Feng¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard Jin Xia. ¡°That¡¯s great, Brother Jin Xia! I¡¯ll have to thank you in advance. Hehe, I never knew Brother Jin Xia was a Medical Master!¡±


    ¡°Medical Master?¡± Jin Xia repeated to himself.


    In the previous host¡¯s memories, there was a bit of information on Medical Masters. These were special professions where a cultivator focuses on the arts of healing and pill making. Although medical masters were also broken down into ranks, Jin Xia had no previous knowledge on how they were divided.


    But he did know that a peak leveled medical master was much more luxurious and desired than a peak leveled rune inscriptionist!


    That is because it was rumored that a peak medical master would be able to create godly magical pills that could easily elevate a person¡¯s strength, and would be so heaven-defying that they could even supposedly bring back a person from the brink of death! There were even more exaggerated rumors of peak medical masters bringing back the dead, too!


    But of course, those were mere rumors from ancient times, though many people still believed in them even now. Thus, while rune inscriptionists generally hold a higher status than medical masters, if they were to be compared at their peaks, the medical masters would outrank the former by far. After all, who wouldn¡¯t want another layer of protection for themselves and their people, while having the opportunity to raise their strength greatly?


    Even so, both were still highly respected positions, as not everyone can be a medical master nor rune inscriptionist.


    ¡°I only know a bit of medicine, so I can¡¯t really be considered this ¡®medical master¡¯ you speak of.¡± Jin Xia replied as he continued to stroll around the market.


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°Really? But since Brother Jin Xia claims himself able to create pills, you should generally be considered a medical master¡­but if you¡¯re not, then I¡¯ll assume you do not have a medical robe?¡± Hu Feng asked.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Jin Xia asked back.


    ¡°Eh?¡± Hu Feng asked, a slight surprise flitted across his eyes. ¡°Only those who possess a medical robe would be considered a medical master and could even set up their own official stores. Unlike these pill stands where only uncertified, or even second-hand sellers use to sell their pills.¡±


    Since Brother Jin Xia does not possess the robe, how about we go register you for one? That way, I would also be able to witness Brother Jin Xia¡¯s skills.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care either way, but is there any benefits registering? Jin Xia asked, with a bit laziness in his tone.


    ¡°Of course there would be benefits! Brother Jin Xia, did you not know that medical masters are the second most coveted people in the world? Not speaking of other countries, but even in other continents, medical masters are often in high demand, and a high leveled medical master would not only be sought after by powerful clans, just their status alone would present a big deterrence for others.¡± Hu Feng said excitedly with a yearning expression in his eyes.


    ¡°Oh? Serving as a deterrent force, huh¡­¡± Jin Xia muttered. ¡°If I become a medical master, it should serve to further heighten the Jin Clan¡¯s power and status.¡±


    After a moment of thinking, Jin Xia asked: ¡°Alright, so how do I register to be a medical master?¡±


    ¡°I heard there is a famous pill shop around here where one could not only purchase high quality pills made by certified medical masters, but could also take an exam to become one!¡± Hu Feng replied. ¡°I think it was called the Red Sun Healing Tower.¡±


    ¡°Then, let us be on our way there.¡± Jin Xia said. ¡°I want to see just how difficult it is to become a medical master.¡±


    The two walked deeper into the city before they reached the Healing Tower. The shop was one of the largest building within its surrounding, with its structure covered with glamorous golden tiles and pillars. A large, wooden board was displayed out front with the following words: ¡°Red Sun Healing Tower¡±. It looked quite grand and imposing.


    When the two youths walked into the big shop, they saw an old man, who looked to be around the age of fifty with a hair full of whiteness, sitting behind a wide counter, He looked to be immersed in reading the yellow, aged pamphlet in front of him. Behind the elder was a large wall, concealing the inside the shop.


    Walking up to the elder, Hu Feng gave a polite greeting and said: ¡°Greetings, elder. This junior wants to know if this is the place where one could take an exam to become a medical master?¡±


    The elder behind the counter did not look up as he replied: ¡°Yes, yes, this is place. If you want to take the exam, that¡¯ll cost you a fee of 10 Crystal Coins for a try, regardless of failure or success.¡±


    Hu Feng¡¯s mouth twitched. Ten Crystal coins as a fee just for an attempt? Outrageous! That was equivalent to handing out a thousand gold coins just like that!


    Before Hu Feng could say something, Jin Xia stepped forward and loudly slapped ten Crystal coins on the counter.


    The noise startled the elder as he lifted his head and glared at Jin Xia. Ignoring the elder¡¯s displeased look, Jin Xia indifferently said: ¡°I want to take the medical master exam.¡±


    The white haired elder collected the ten Crystal coins and said: ¡°Go through the left door. An examiner will be there to instruct you on what to do.¡±


    Jin Xia turned his head and began to towards the left wooden door. Since Hu Feng was not taking the test, he could not follow after Jin Xia, and thus could wait patiently in front of shop.


    After entering the left door, Jin Xia walked into wide room. Inside the room was a long table, where a bunch of ingredients and a cauldron was presented on top. The walls were dully colored with a dark tinted green color, with the room looking almost naked and plain.


    A middle aged was also sitting near the table. The man had a gentle disposition and his face was quite normal to look at.


    But his entire body gave off a powerful feeling to whoever that looks upon him. On his blue robe, there was a flower-shaped crest on his left chest, but it looked incomplete.


    The flower shaped crest seemed to have seven petals, but only two of the petals were filled with in with a deep, pink color.


    Seeing Jin Xia entered, a surprised look flashed across the middle aged man¡¯s face before he got up and gave a simple greeting to the youth. He did not expect the test taker to be so young this time around.


    Although the man did not usually give such a greeting, upon witnessing the extraordinary demeanor that the white robed youth gave off, he had deduced the latter may have come from a prominent family. As such, he did not take a risk to test his patience and instead, politely acknowledged Jin Xia.


    ¡°I am here to take the medical master test. So, what should I do?¡± Jin Xia asked as he stood looking around the table. He recognized many of the ingredients present, but to him, they were basically trash-like materials.


    Just by looking at the ingredients, Jin Xia could already somewhat guess that he would be required to create a pill and then present it for the examiner to inspect. A typical examination process.


    ¡°Hmm, such a young age and already aspiring to be a medical master! I am guessing you must be here to get a feel for the test? I have seen many youths come take this test initially. before failing and coming back years later again for a retest.¡± The middle aged man spoke with a smile on his face. ¡°It¡¯s good to gain some experience for the future. But remember to take things slowly. Only by building up a solid foundation, would one be able to walk far on the roads of medicine and cultivation!¡±


    Jin Xia gave a nod as he listened to the middle aged man. Although these were basic things he already knew, it was always respectful to acknowledge those who wish to teach you with goodwill.


    The middle aged man smiled and said: ¡°Alright, then I shall introduce myself and explain the rules first before we begin. I am known as Instructor Guang, a 2nd Petal medical master. Since you are here to register to be a medical master, I¡¯ll assume this your first time and that you¡¯re here to take the 1st Petal exam. Even if you have a medical master as teacher, I am still required to give an introduction, so bear with me.


    But if you want to be promoted to 2nd Petal, you will have to visit another medical hall to take the exam for 2nd Petal medical masters, and so forth.


    As medical masters, we do not base our ranks on cultivation, but rather on the strength and control of our soul. With a powerful soul, we would be able to refine better pills and be able to perform more effective healing methods. As such, each time you want to level up a rank, you would have to take a higher leveled exam to test the strength of your soul. Our status can be divided up into seven ranks, or as we call it, Seven Petals. Each time you are promoted, a petal on your medical robe will be filled in, symbolising your new medical rank¡­are you following me so far?¡±


    Jin Xia gave a knowing nod as he listened to Instructor Guang.


    ¡°Good. Now, for each petal, we are also broken down into titles.¡± Instructor Guang continued.


    ¡°A 1st Petal master is known as a Medical Adept,  2nd Petal is Medical Grandmaster, 3rd Petal is Medical Bishop, 4th Petal is Medical Lord, 5th Petal is Medical Sprite, 6th Petal is Medical Saint, and someone with 7 Petals would be revered as a Medical God. And to tell you, as of now, the 7th Petal is at most, only a legend in this world.


    No continents have ever produced a Medical God before. Not even a speck of rumor exists for such a being.¡±

 Chapter 36: Medical Master Exam(2)

    Author¡¯s note: Chapter is sponsored by Adinugraha T, Aliyah C, and Jesus A!! Thank you so much!


    Host¡¯s note: Host here, not the author.


    <hr />


    After explaining the rules and giving a brief guide to the rankings of medical masters, Instructor Guang finally started the test.


    ¡°Each medical master¡¯s exam has only one part. For 1st Petal masters, you need to be able to create at least a 2-star pill. And for today¡¯s test, I would like you to make a Blood Cleansing Pill using the ingredients provided to you on this table. You have approximately one and a half hour to complete this exam. If you are unable to finish in time, or if your pill is not up to quality, I will unfortunately have to disqualify you. You may begin now.¡±


    Instructor Guang finished saying as he went back to sit down on his seat.


    One and a half hour? Jin Xia glanced at the ingredients on the table. ¡°To make such a simple pill, a few minutes should be more than enough!¡± Jin Xia thought as he got to work.


    In one fluid movement after another, he began to toss the ingredients into the cauldron. While Jin Xia looked as if he was just randomly tossing in the materials, he was in fact being extremely precise in his pickings, making sure that neither too much or too little of one ingredient is put into the kettle.


    Seeing this, Instructor Guang was secretly shock in his heart. He did not imagine the youth in front of him could have such precise skills. The latter did not look like an amateur at all.


    In a minute, Jin Xia finished compiling his ingredients into the cauldron. Placing his palms around the cauldron, he began to channel his soul force into as he refined the materials inside. The herbs and special ingredients started to condense and merge under the pressure of Jin Xia¡¯s soul force.


    In a few minutes later, a soft explosion sounded out from within the cauldron before black smokes began slowly pouring out of its holes.


    Hearing this, Instructor Guang slightly furrowed his eyebrows as he sighed in his head: ¡°Aiya¡­as expected, he failed, eh¡­.but to think it didn¡¯t even take a quarter of an hour before he messed..¡±


    Jin Xia still looked calm as he turned to Instructor Guang. ¡°Instructor, I have finished. Please take a look.¡±


    Instructor Guang strolled over to Jin Xia¡¯s side as he reached to open the cauldron. Although he himself already felt that Jin Xia had messed up during the pill making process due to the soft explosion he had heard earlier, he did not neglect his duty as an examiner and still went over to take a proper assessment.


    But the moment Instructor Guang opened the cauldron, a powerful, fragrance assailed his nostrils. Startled, he glanced down at the cauldron and saw a light red colored pill. Picking up the pill and examining it, Instructor Guang felt surprised as he thought in heart:


    ¡°Oh? To think the pill was not destroyed during that explosion and was still able to take complete form, not bad at all¡­¡±


    But he turned the pill over and carefully scrutinized it, his body immediately froze on the spot.


    ¡°This¡­this is a 4 Stars Pill?!¡± If Instructor Guang had felt surprised when he saw the complete pill, it could be said that now he felt a deep shock upon seeing the four small star imprints on the pill.


    To create a 4 stars pill would require an expert with a powerful soul, a condition that many would not be able to meet in the Great Azure Country. Moreover, the control over one¡¯s soul must be high, otherwise it risks destroying the pill in the making process. Adding on to the extreme scarcity of 4 stars pills in the Great Azure Country, only the true elites of the country would be able to procure such luxury.


    Even Instructor Guang had only been able to make a 4 stars pill at best, with a varying 30-40% chance of success at that!


    Thus, it took him a while to recollect himself, before Instructor Guang slowly turned to look at Jin Xia once more. This time, he was carefully assessing Jin Xia from head to toe, memorising the youth¡¯s face into his memory. After all, to be able to create such a ¡°high rank¡± pill at such a young age was very rare.


    While Instructor Guang knew that there were geniuses across the world who could create high quality pills at a young age, those were only rumors and sayings of the people. This was the first time he had actually met a youth who could create a 4 stars pill, even if the latter¡¯s success rate was low. To be able to create a 4 stars pill once would already be enough to consider the other party a true medical master.


    Jin Xia silently waited for the instructor to finish the appraisal. This time around, given the poor quality of the ingredients, Jin Xia was only able to create a 4 stars pill after bringing out the entire essence of the ingredients to make a pure quality pellet. But if the ingredients had been of greater quality, with Jin Xia¡¯s immense soul, even if it¡¯s still damaged, it would definitely not have ended with merely a 4 stars pill¡­


    ¡°Have I passed the exam, Instructor Guang?¡± Jin Xia asked as he looked calmly at the middle aged man,


    Snapping himself back to reality, Instructor Guang hurriedly replied with a smile: ¡°Y-yes, haha, you did extremely well, young man! Never would I have thought you could bring out a 4 stars pill at your age; truly a talent that would make one envious!¡±


    ¡°It was merely luck.¡± Jin Xia humbly replied as he smiled back. ¡°Since I have completed the first exam, I was thinking of trying out the 2nd medical master exam as well. Is that possible?¡±


    Hearing this, Instructor Guang did not seem surprised as he answered: ¡°Haha, young man, since you were able to make a 4 stars pill, you have already passed the 2nd medical master exam! As such, you will naturally receive a 2nd Petal Medical Master robe, and the status that comes with it.¡±


    ¡°To think I took one exam and came home with double the rewards¡­truly timesaving.¡± Jin Xia thought to himself as he nodded to the instructor.


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    After another moment, Jin Xia asked: ¡°Then¡­what if I wish to try the 3rd medical master exam?¡±


    Given Jin Xia¡¯s soul level, passing a few mortals¡¯ exams should be simple, even if his soul was still recovering. Jin Xia estimates that if the exams later on continued to test one¡¯s ability to concoct pills, then he should be able to last till the 5th or even 6th exam!


    Instructor Guang had a complex look in his eyes when he heard Jin Xia¡¯s question this time. With a slightly awkward tone, he said:


    ¡°Although you have indeed created a 4 stars pill, remember to not get overconfident and rush on ahead. Otherwise, you will only fall that much quicker. Moreover, being a Medical Grandmaster would already be considered of incredibly high status in this country. I¡¯d assure you even the royal family would wish to befriend a genius such as yourself once they find out about you.


    Now, as for exams for 3rd medical masters and up, unfortunately, our Great Azure Country do not possess the power nor the necessary test materials to grant such ranks. If you wish to take the 3rd medical masters exam and higher, then you would have to travel outside the country.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Then where should I go to take this 3rd Petal exam?¡± Jin Xia asked.


    ¡°The country of Luo Sheng.¡± Instructor Guang softly said. There was a look of reverence in his eyes.


    He continued on to explain: ¡°If you go there, it should sustain you up until the 4th level exam when you wish to become a 4th Petal medical master. After that, for even higher exams, you will have to seek out another location to take higher leveled exams, possibly at a more distant country.


    ¡°But it should take you quite long time before you reach that level, so going to the Luo Sheng country should be sufficient for now. It is the second largest country after all, besides the Golden Tai Empire. Its resources and manpower far outstrips many of the countries in the Eastern Moon Continent.


    And to tell you the truth, not many people know about this, but many countries, including our Great Azure Country, also have to pay a small amount of contributions to the Luo Sheng Country every year. Otherwise, even if we do not get invaded by the Golden Tai Empire, we would¡¯ve long been conquered by the Luo Sheng Country instead.¡±


    While most people know that each country has to pay an offering to the Golden Tai Empire, very few actually know about the fact of other countries having to pay a contribution to the Luo Sheng Country as well.


    Only those at the upper echelon of the society would know about this. Since two petal medical masters were so rare in the Great Azure Country, naturally, Instructor Guang was able to access knowledge of such degree.


    By telling Jin Xia of this sensitive information, however, was a mean on Instructor Guang¡¯s part to curry favors from the youth.


    After all, given the high potential of Jin Xia, it won¡¯t be long before a prominent being would rise up in this country. Befriending such a person early on would then, most likely bring great benefits later on!


    Jin Xia nodded as he thought: ¡°Since I¡¯ll be leaving the Great Azure country in the near future, I will visit Luo Sheng country one of those days. I¡¯m not in any hurry to tackle all those annoying exams anyways.¡±


    Later, after chatting a while longer and getting to know Jin Xia¡¯s name, Instructor Guang left the room to fetch the medical master robe for Jin Xia. When he came back, there was a clean, white robe in his hands. Two pink colored petals were present on the chest area of the robe.


    ¡°Oh, if I may inquire, young master Jin Xia, who is your honorable master? To be able to raise such a great disciple, I imagine they must be of incredible status,¡± Instructor Guang suddenly asked while he was personally escorting Jin Xia out of the testing room.


    His tone had shifted towards a much more respectful tone, when he spoke with Jin Xia.


    ¡°My master? I do not¡­¡± Jin Xia was about a reply when suddenly, a fuzzy image flashed in his mind. His head was instantly flooded with strange memories and a particular scene began to play before him.


    Jin Xia saw the back of an old man standing on top a large mountain of corpses. Blood were constantly flowing everywhere and tiny sparks lingered around the air.


    The old man was wielding what seemed to be a heavy sword, yet that sword was almost three times the length and twice the width. He had a hair full of white, but there were black and gold colored streaks mixed within in.


    Standing upon what seems to be a battlefield, the old man looked like a tyrant of war. Blood was slowly trickling down his arms, but the elder remained standing; the flames of blood flickered around him.


    The old man slightly tilted his face to the right, Jin Xia saw a line of blood on the side of the elder¡¯s face. There was even a strange black horn protruding from the man¡¯s forehead, and the elder¡¯s scleras was pitch black, except for his crimson irises.


    He seemed to be saying something, but Jin Xia could only make out parts of his words..


    ¡°¡­.Your master, I¡­after death¡­watching over you¡­.must never forget¡­us¡­[???]¡­don¡¯t die yet.¡±


    (TL note: ¡°[???]¡± is Jin Xia¡¯s deity name that was not revealed.)


    *Bzzt!*


    A sudden sharp invaded Jin Xia¡¯s head after the strange scene appeared in his mind. Clutching his head, Jin Xia struggled to endure the piercing sensation.


    ¡°Master? I have a master? Who? Arghh¡­wh-what is this pain¡­¡± Jin Xia¡¯s thoughts raced as he tried to recall his master, but as if something was blocking his memories, he could not recall anything. Instead, the pain in his head became increasingly sharp. The level of pain Jin Xia was feeling made even his battle-hardened heart tremble.


    ¡°Y-young master Jin Xia? Are you alright?!¡± Instructor Guang hurriedly asked when he saw Jin Xia¡¯s pale expression. What was happening?

 Chapter 37: The Early Bird gets the Worm

    Author¡¯s note: This episode was made possible by Tyler F and Jesus A !


    Host¡¯s note: I¡¯m not the author; I¡¯m rehosting for the author.


    <hr />


    ¡°Y-young master Jin Xia? Are you alright?!¡±


    Instructor Guang hurriedly asked when he saw Jin Xia¡¯s pale expression.


    Jin Xia gradually returned from the river of pain as his head started to clear. But by this time, the image of the old man had completely vanished from his mind.


    ¡°I¡­I¡¯m fine.¡± Jin Xia said, a tinge of weakness was present in his tone due to the previous intense pain. ¡°Right, what did you ask earlier?¡±


    Seeing that Jin Xia was not in pain anymore, Instructor Guang felt relieved as he asked gingerly: ¡°Ah, I was asking about the name of young master Jin Xia¡¯s honorable master.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I do not have a master, Instructor Guang.¡± Jin Xia mildly replied; the strength in his voice was returning back to him.


    ¡°Huh? No master? Then, then how did you learn the arts of medicine at your age?¡± Instructor asked in shock.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t much. I merely dabbled in the field of medicine once in awhile, that¡¯s all.¡± Jin Xia replied.


    ¡°Merely dabbled in the field of medicine? If it was as easy as you¡¯ve said, then everyone would¡¯ve been able to become a medical master!¡± Instructor Guang thought wryly.


    Thinking that Jin Xia was purposely trying to hide his master¡¯s identity, Instructor Guang decided to not pursue any further.


    After all, there are many hidden masters out there in WuDang who do not like their name being revealed. When accepting disciples, they would¡¯ve naturally told them to keep their lips sealed tight, or even place a special restriction on them to prevent them from spilling the beans.


    Thus, it was not strange for Jin Xia to be unwilling to talk about his master¡¯s name.


    In fact, because Jin Xia did not tell him his master¡¯s name, Instructor Guang had become even more convinced that Jin Xia¡¯s master must have been a superior person.


    After all, it was said that the stronger a master was, the less likely they would want to be known by the world. Once their cultivation reach a certain level, mundane matters simply start to appear less attractive to them¡­


    As for Jin Xia, by now, he could not recall the previous scene that had appeared in his mind.


    In fact, he does not even remember about it anymore. The last thing Jin Xia remembered was a sudden pain attacking his head.


    ¡°What exactly happened¡­my head suddenly started hurting for no reason? Could it be due to my soul is still merging with the original host¡¯s soul, giving rise to a slight disturbance of my mental state..? But I thought I had already completely fused our souls¡­I even personally erased his, so how¡­?¡±


    But no matter how much Jin Xia hypothesized in his mind, he could not arrive at a definite answer. He did not bother asking Instructor Guang, since if even Jin Xia doesn¡¯t know what happened in his body, a mere mortal would not have been able to solve this mystery either..


    In the end, Jin Xia decided to place this matter at the back of mind, as he did not feel any adverse effect after the headache. Should anything negative happen in his body in the future, he¡¯ll simply deal with it then.


    Walking out of the testing room, Jin Xia was escorted by Instructor Guang to entrance. The old white haired elder was still immersed in his pamphlet, unaware of two people¡¯s existence.


    Passing by the elder¡¯s counter, Jin Xia briefly glanced over at the pamphlet that was laid openly in front of the elder.


    Then, turning his face away, Jin Xia muttered:


    ¡°Blue Blood flower is corrosive in nature¡­to create a pill out of it, one would require Green Sun leaves, Nine Moon Sapling, and River Tubular to subdue its property¡­only then could one use it as ingredient, increasing the quality of the pill¡­such a simple thing, how could you take so long to figure it out¡­¡±


    The elderly man, who was sharp with his senses, naturally heard Jin Xia¡¯s comment.


    He frowned, but just as he was about to say something, he stopped himself. Going through the several properties of the plants that Jin Xia had mentioned quickly through his head, the old man suddenly found sense in Jin Xia¡¯s words.


    With the strong calming nature of the three plants and its similarity in essence, if combined, there will indeed be a great chance of completely eradicating the corrosive property in the Blue Blood flower! But these three plants¡¯ name were quite rare and ancient; barely anyone knew of their property and uses.


    If not given the elder¡¯s extensive knowledge and diligent heart which strived to study the arts of medicine from its roots, perhaps the old man would not have understood Jin Xia¡¯s words.


    And because the plants were rare, naturally there would be almost no mention of it, causing the old man to forget about them almost entirely. If not for Jin Xia¡¯s reminder, the elder may have spent a greater deal of time solving the problem written in the pamphlet¡­


    ¡°So those three plants were the ones I was supposed to look for¡­how could I have been so careless! Oh, Liang Hui ah, Liang Hui, you have really grown senile¡­even a little medical quiz like this had stumped you¡­¡± The old man called ¡®Hu Liang¡¯ wryly thought as he looked up, searching for Jin Xia.


    It was at this time did he finally notice Instructor who was politely escorting the youth out.


    Seeing this, Liang Hui was surprised as he thought: ¡°Why is Guang Ke out here? And even being so polite¡­? But to be able to solve this pamphlet question¡­ that boy must not be ordinary!¡±


    After seeing Jin Xia off, Instructor Guang returned inside the Healing Tower. When he came into the front entrance, Liang Hui quickly asked him:


    ¡°Guang Ke, who was that young man?¡±


    At first, Liang Hui was not interested in the youth as there were many outstanding people coming and going from the Healing Tower.


    If he were to care and fawn over each and every one of them, then he would¡¯ve tired himself to die, and might even complicate things in the end. Thus, he had always aimed to maintain an indifferent attitude towards the guests who arrived at the tower.


    But this time, a mysterious youth had actually been able to solve an issue regarding a high level pill that Liang Hui had been troubled over with merely a glance; it was hard not for Liang Hui to get interested.


    With a smile, Instructor Guang replied: ¡°Elder Liang, that person was called Jin Xia, who¡¯s from Tian City of the Tian Province. Apparently, he¡¯s the young master of his Jin Clan.¡±


    ¡°Oh? From Tian city?¡± Liang Hui said in surprise. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a Lesser ranked city?¡±


    Instructor Guang nodded.


    ¡°Then, how did he do during the test?¡± Liang Hui asked. He wondered what ability that youth had, having come from a Lesser ranked city but yet was able to distinguish such high level plant ingredients¡­


    Instructor Guang¡¯s smile widened as he replied: ¡°He passed. And he was even able to advance to a Medical Grandmaster!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Liang Hui¡¯s eyes widened when he heard Instructor Guang. ¡°That kid was actually a 1st Petal medical master already and was just promoted to a 2nd Petal??¡±


    ¡°No, no, Elder Liang, the boy was not an official medical master when he came to take the test. He was directly promoted to 2nd Petal because of his ability to produce a 4 star Blood Cleansing pill.¡± Instructor Guang said.


    ¡°Directly to 2nd Petal¡­¡± Liang Hui softly murmured as he sunk into shock.


    Instructor Guang continued on to explain everything that transpired between his conversation with Jin Xia, to Elder Liang.


    ¡°To think such a huge talent had graced my Healing Tower and I had blatantly ignored him¡­I really do have eyes but could not see Mt. Tai, ah!


    If he was to truly become famous in the future, and we create a good relationship with him, our Red Sun Healing Tower would definitely benefit as well!¡¯ Instructor said in excitement after hearing about the formidable alchemist ability of Jin Xia.


    ¡°Quick, have a few people pack a few crates of our best 2 and 3 star pills and have them travel to the Jin Clan in Tian city. Have them secure a good relationship with the Jin Clan.¡± Liang Hui said.


    ¡°Eh¡­isn¡¯t that a bit too much, Elder Liang?¡± Instructor Guang asked doubtfully.


    ¡°Too much your mother! It¡¯s called being the early bird to snatch the freshest worm. If we wait any longer, by the time Jin Xia had become powerful, he may not even send a glance our way!


    Moreover, we¡¯ll have some people secretly investigate the youth and his family¡¯s background. If anything seems off, we can always retract ourselves. But if we do not take a risk now¡­¡± Liang Hui said solemnly. ¡°¡­then I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t have a chance in the future anymore. And I was even negligent of him earlier, so it could serve as my apology gift as well. At any rate, the benefits right now marginally outstrips the risk we may carry! Now go!¡±


    ¡°I understand, Elder Liang.¡± Instructor Guang nodded as he went away to prepare.


    In the end, while both people were Medical Grandmasters, this Elder Liang seemed to carry more authority in the Healing Tower. Even without the robe to differentiate the identity, no one dared to underestimate this elder.


    After all, if one were to look at their cultivations, one would see that this Elder Liang was actually at the 7th stage of Spiritual Dan, while the the instructor was only at the 6th stage! This difference in power had ultimately decided the status of the two Medical Grandmasters.


    In WuDang, while jumping over levels in ranks were not impossible, the prerequisites had always been that the person must have the proportional ability to match their rank.


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    It was said that not one person who have been directly promoted to 2nd Petal or higher was a weak person, or an uninfluential power! Thus, Elder Liang Hui had made a quick and decisive choice to make a connection with Jin Xia.


    Unlike others, the elder was much more bold in his decisions and was not afraid to take risks.


    Just based on Jin Xia being able to reach the Medical Grandmaster level at such a young age, was already more than enough to make Elder Liang firmly decide to befriend the youth.


    After all, this was first time a person was able to get promoted to 2 Petals at once. Even he himself had taken at least ten odd years before he advanced!


    And not to mention, that same person could also possibly be the youngest medical Grandmaster to have appeared in the Great Azure Country!


    _____


    At the same time, in a very distant location, directly south of the Great Azure County, a grand palace stood erect among a field of forests.


    The palace had six roofs, fixed with black tiles, and a red exterior.


    Inside the highest floor of the palace, a man who looks to be in his late forties, sat on a high chair. He had thick eyebrows, and a hair full of black; his clothes looked expensive, with a silky golden color. At the corner of arm sleeve, was the boldly embroidered character ¡°Luo¡±.


    The room was plainly decorated, but beautiful drawings and scrolls lined the smooth, brown walls. The floor was matted with a soft, red carpet, with three wide steps leading up to a mini stage where the middle aged man sat.


    Standing patiently five feet away from the small podium, was an elder in deep green clothes. With a hair full of white, Luo Yi bowed respectfully towards the man.


    ¡°Luo Yi greets the patriarch.¡±


    The middle aged stared at the elder before speaking, in a deep voice: ¡°Elder Luo Yi, this time I have troubled you to take a trip to a foreign country. I hope it was not too hard on you.¡±


    ¡°Haha, what are you saying, Patriarch Luo Chang? With my ability, it was only a bit of a distance; nothing much.¡±


    This time, the man named ¡®Luo Chang¡¯ smiled and said: ¡°Good! Elder Luo Yi is faithful to our family! So, did you find out anything about that strange aura we felt a few nights ago?¡±


    Luo Yi gave a helpless sigh as he explained in detail of his expenditure. As Patriarch Luo Chang listened, his face became more solemn. Traces of confusion, anxiety, and frustration flashed briefly in his eyes.


    ¡°But while we did not find anything that may have a solid link to the energy we felt, we did discover a few interesting incidents that occurred recently in the Great Azure Country.¡± Luo Yi said.


    ¡°Hm? What ¡®interesting incidents¡¯ could happen in a country such as the Great Azure?¡± Patriarch Luo Chang asked with a little curiosity, though he was not expecting much.


    ¡°Apparently, a Jade-grade item had appeared at a branch of the Azure Sky Auction House, in Tian Province, a few months ago. It was said to be an emerald colored axe.¡±


    ¡°What? Jade-grade?¡± Patriarch Luo Chang said, his eyes widening a little in surprise. ¡°If I am not mistaken, there should only be two Jade-grade items in Great Azure ¨Cand they¡¯re both in the possession of the royal family. In such a small country like that, how could they possible possess another Jade-grade?¡±


    Although Jade-grade items were of rarity, to grand figures such as these two, they did not pose a huge attraction.


    However, a Jade-grade item was nonetheless a Jade-grade item; it was still powerful, and only a few hundred out of two thousands Luo clansmen were in possession of such items.


    ¡°Yes, I was suspicious of that as well, so I had a few people investigate into that. But it seems no one knew about the true identity of the seller. The auction manager, Hei Mo, had only described the person to have been covered in a dark cloak and wore a white fox mask, decorated with ¡®red vein-like inscriptions.¡¯


    Moreover, I found out that the person, who purchased the axe, was also an immediate family member of royal family ¨CPrince Lan Gu. But it seems that the prince was quite the shrewd and cautious one; he chose to not investigate the seller. In fact, the report stated that by the time the prince even went outside the bidding room to ¡®catch a glimpse¡¯ of the seller, that said person had long left.


    As for the other bidders, none even had the guts to dare think of prying into the other party¡¯s identity. Just the typical weak nobles.


    Approximately two or three months after auction, the city was then attacked by an economic crisis. Though, it was later contained. The new ruler of the city, the Jin Clan, had apparently given each of the households in the city several gold coins as ¡®gifts.¡¯


    But other than those things, there was no further information about the mysterious seller. I believe, for someone who could afford to sell a Jade-grade item, the strange energy we felt may have something to do with this person¡­¡±


    Patriarch Luo Chang nodded solemnly as he said: ¡°Mmn¡­if that energy we felt before was actually related to this mysterious person, then we must seek him out at all cost! That terrifying, yet unique Qi fluctuation¡­if I am not mistaken, it should have been that of a formation technique¡­but the energy level I felt was on a completely whole another level. I have never felt such absurd aura before.


    If my intuition is correct, this person might be a true apex Rune Inscriptionist! If we could even establish a small relation with such a person, then our Luo Clan can definitely flourish and break this hundred thousand years stalemate with that despicable Yen Country¡¯s Yen Clan!¡±


    Luo Yi nodded in agreement with his patriarch¡¯s words. Although Luo Yi was not a Rune Inscriptionist, the patriarch Luo Chang was most definitely one, and not of a low foundation either. And given his patriarch¡¯s powerful strength, Luo Yi did not doubt Luo Chang¡¯s judgement ability on the strange aura they had felt before.


    And similar to the patriarch, Luo Yi despised the Yen Clan, the enemy country that bordered just northeast of their Luo Country. The two royal powers had been at each other¡¯s neck since thousands of years back, but was unable to make that final pull away from one another!


    ¡°Sighh¡­but alas, if that person was truly a peak expert, he/she may have very well left that tiny Great Azure Country long ago.¡± Patriarch Luo Chang gave a depressed sigh as he shook his head. To have missed an opportunity to meet with such a being, it was really a waste!


    ¡°Alright, let us not speak about this any longer. If there is nothing else, you are dismissed.¡± Patriarch Luo Chang said as he closed his tired eyes.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Luo Yi bowed politely as he retreated from the room¡­


    ______


    Back at Red Sun City¡­


    After meeting up with Hu Feng, who had been waiting outside the tower for a while, Jin Xia and him began to once again explore the Red Sun City.


    Although Hu Feng was shocked when Jin Xia had told him he passed the medical master exam, the shock had only lasted a few moments.


    The incredible things that he had personally witnessed Jin Xia doing yesterday, as well as remembering his powerful strength, caused Hu Feng to think it was reasonable that Jin Xia had passed. It would¡¯ve actually been weird if he didn¡¯t!


    Hu Feng, who assumed that Jin Xia was now a 1st Petal Medical Adept, did not inquire his rank. And Jin Xia did not bother correcting Hu Feng¡¯s thoughts either. A mere 2nd Petal Medical Grandmaster was indeed of great importance in the Great Azure Country, but it was of no significant to Jin Xia.


    He had only wished to get certified so that he could provided an additional layer of influence and protection for his Clan. Otherwise, Jin Xia would never have even bothered going to the Healing Tower.


    Walking through the streets, Jin Xia was unreserved with his money. After giving a large sum to his Jin Clan, Jin Xia was still left over with a great deal of coins. And with all his needs already personally stored with him within his Eternal Gourd, there was practically no need for such an excess of wealth.


    Thus, while cruising the streets, Jin Xia was spending his coins left and right. And those were mainly on foods, of course.


    ¡°Oh? This smell..¡± Jin Xia stopped as he slightly tilted his head to smell the air. A sweet fragrance was lingering around in the air. Although others may not have noticed it, with Jin Xia¡¯s particularly sensitive senses, especially when it came to food, he was able to easily detect the unique smell in the air.


    Tracing the source of the smell, Jin Xia was brought to a small pill stand. An aged man, in tattered brown clothes, was sitting behind the counter. His face looked haggard and his hair was a bit disheveled.


    After being unable to sell his 2 stars pills for quite some days already, the old owner was very depressed. If this went on any longer, then he would be forced to close down his shop and move to another far location to set up his stand. Just thinking about the additional work and expenditure caused the browned clothed elder to exhale in helplessness.


    At this moment, Jin Xia had arrived in front of the old man¡¯s food stand, with Hu Feng following behind. Picking a jade bottle, Jin Xia promptly opened it and popped two pills directly in his mouth and started chewing.


    ¡°H-hey! What are you doing?! You have to pay for those pills!¡± The browned clothed owner was disquieted when he saw Jin Xia unscrupulously eating the pills he had out for sale, without purchasing first. Those were several gold coins gone just like that! The old man¡¯s heart ached with pain and anger.


    After tasting the pills, Jin Xia¡¯s eyes lit up as a smile curved up his lips.

 Chapter 38: Not Worthy Enough to Make me Stay

    Author¡¯s note: Chapter was generously sponsored by The Truth!! Thank you!


    Host¡¯s note: I¡¯m rehosting here for the author.


    <hr />


    ¡°What a sweet taste¡­like spring that¡¯s overflowing in my mouth! How refreshing! Hahaha, shopkeeper, please give me all the bottles you have for this pill! I want every single stock you have in store right now! Money is not a problem.¡±


    Jin Xia grinned as he looked at the brown clothed vendor. While he did not know the name of the pill, Jin Xia knew the various ingredients that went into making it. The materials were quite normal, but it was the refreshing, sweet taste that attracted Jin Xia.


    With a swift motion, a blue colored spatial bag landed on the counter.


    ¡°There should be 3,000 gold coins inside that bag of my leftover coins. You can keep the change if it¡¯s too much. You may also keep the spatial bag as well, to cover any additional cost; I¡¯ve got plenty leftover anyways.¡± Jin Xia said.


    The browned clothed elder looked at Jin Xia in a baffled manner, as he switched between looking at the Jin Xia and the hefty amount of money on his counter. 3,000 gold coins? Hell, that was equivalent to several high class meals in Red Sun City! And this young lad wanted to use it on purchasing a bunch of 2 stars pill?!


    One has to know, the 2 star pill that Jin Xia wanted was called ¡°Dream Flower Pill¡±, a pellet that¡¯s eaten to regulate blood flow, relieve digestive problems, and invigorate one¡¯s youthful appearance. But other than that, it has no practical use on martial arts or even cultivation.


    If not for the big amount of ingredients needed to adjust the taste and effect, then the pill might¡¯ve been just 1 star.


    It can be said that even if the owner were to bring out his entire stock of Dream Flower Pills, the sum would absolutely not surpass 1,500 golds! But this youth in front of him had instantly paid twice the amount for his entire batch.


    While martial pills were extremely precious and pricey, in a poor country like the Great Azure, the expensiveness becomes even more evident due to lack of Medical Masters and quality pills!


    ¡°I, uh, this one will, uh, immediately get them you, young master!¡± The old man in tattered brown clothes stammered as he awkwardly went to the retrieve the pills. The inconceivable request and money in front of him had truly left him stunned. He was even vaguely doubting this was a dream¡­


    A few minutes later, the owner had assembled the entire set of Dream Flower pills, numbering a total of 30 bottles with 6 pills in each. By now, there was an fervent look on the shopkeeper¡¯s look when he looked at Jin Xia. After all, Jin Xia¡¯s purchase instantly solved the vendor¡¯s financial issue; the joy and gratitude he felt could not be put into words.


    In one clean swipe, Jin Xia delivered twenty nine of the bottles into one of his spatial ring, leaving the last jade bottle for himself. While Jin Xia could have placed any item he come across into his Eternal Gourd, he did not choose to do so because each time he takes an item out from the gourd, it requires him to expend some Soul energy.


    Contrast to if he had simply stored it in a spatial ring or bag, which does not consume any energy. That was why he had deliberately purchased several bags of Spatial Bags and a few Spatial Rings for insurance, with him wearing one of the rings for convenience.


    After purchasing the pills, Jin Xia and Hu Feng continued to sightsee around the city. Along way, with one hand holding a jade bottle and the other hand free, Jin Xia would occasionally pop a few Dream Flower Pills into his mouth. Several bottles were quickly consumed by Jin Xia, leaving only 10 bottles left in his storage bag.


    Hu Feng, who was walking besides Jin Xia, had a strange expression on his face when he looked at the latter.


    ¡°Eating so much 2 stars pill like they were candy¡­how does his stomach even fare?!¡± Hu Feng thought wryly. This was the first time he had seen such a bizarre scene of someone eating so many pills at once ¡ª and eating them as if they were snacks!


    But with Jin Xia¡¯s current purified body, his digestive system was strong enough to handle consuming a large sum of medicinal pills at once. Not to mention, with he could easily use his soul to help digest any residual energy in the pill, allowing him to completely refine the medicine in his body.


    Compared to normal practitioners, Jin Xia¡¯s body was way more sturdy, both internally and externally. Thus, he was able to eat the pills consecutively in such a relaxed manner.


    If it were any other practitioners, even higher leveled ones, eating such large quantity of pills would have long diminished the pills¡¯ effect and might have instead harmed their body internally!


    Though Jin Xia was not consuming the Dream Flower Pills for its effect, nor did he have to worry about any internal injuries from eating so much medicines.


    He was merely eating them for personal taste; they were no different from simple refreshments to him.


    While walking down a less crowded street, suddenly, several men in dark blue clothes came streaming from around a corner and surrounded Jin Xia and Hu Feng.


    Standing a few meters away from the two youths, the men all exuded a strong killing intent. Some even had their swords out, seemingly ready for action.


    ¡°Young master Lei Yi! That is the person who attacked you yesterday!¡± An annoying high-pitched squeak came from outside the encirclement.


    ¡°Hahaha, at last, we finally found you!¡±


    A laughter rang out as a section of the blue men moved to the side, opening a pathway for a youth in blue clothes to step forward.


    The moment Fan Lei Yi saw Jin Xia, he glowered maliciously at the latter.


    ¡°Tell me, why did you intervene in my fight yesterday?¡± Lei Yi asked arrogantly. Now that he has Jin Xia surrounded, he was in no hurry to take care of him.


    But unexpectedly, Jin Xia slightly raised his hand up at Lei Yi, in a stopping gesture, and lazily said:


    ¡°Wait, do not continue speaking. The other guy should be here shortly.¡±


    ¡°You..!¡± Lei Yi gritted his teeth in anger when he heard Jin Xia¡¯s words. But before he could continue talking, the sounds of running footsteps could be heard in the near distance. Pausing, Lei Yi looked behind Jin Xia as another stream of men came pouring down the street. These men were all wearing black clothes.


    Seeing the new party, the men in blue clothes quickly moved back and gathered behind Lei Yi, while the black clothed men directly occupied the other end of the street. By now, this street way was already void of any people, with everyone of them gathered at the far end of the street, watching the ¡°show¡± from afar.


    The black clothed men parted ways as a youth in dark clothes walked out. Glaring at Jin Xia, Meng Bei said venomously:


    ¡°Damn bastard, for daring to humiliate me yesterday, I¡¯ll make sure to torture you later so that you¡¯ll wish you were alive, but not, wish you were dead, but can¡¯t!¡±


    When the Meng Clan group arrived behind him, Jin Xia did even bother turning around. And seeing this, had further enraged Meng Bei.


    In a relaxed voice, Jin Xia said: ¡°Ah, it took you guys so long to come find me! I was wondering when I¡¯ll get surrounded, haha,.. I almost got tired strolling around this, waiting for you bunch to show up.¡±


    The group looked at Jin Xia in a confused manner. He was waiting for them to show up? So this kid had purposely stayed in the city even though he knew he had offended the Meng Clan and Fan Clan? Just what sort of lunatic would do that!


    Some of people from the two groups behind Lei Yi and Meng Bei had on a perplexed expression, while some looked at Jin Xia as if he was a fool.


    Tilting his head to glance at Fan Lei Yi, Jin Xia frowned as he said: ¡°You two youngsters had disturbed my meal yesterday, leaving me unable to eat to my fill. Giving you a little lesson was kindness on my part.¡±


    Then, Jin Xia muttered, ¡°Otherwise, if I was as bloodthirsty as I was ages ago, you two may have to continue your little skirmish down at the Yellow Spring River by now¡­¡±


    Hearing Jin Xia¡¯s words, both Lei Yi and Meng Bei gnashed their teeth in anger. They almost wanted to shout: ¡°Aren¡¯t you a youngster yourself?!¡± But to keep some of their faces, they had refrained from doing so.


    They were unable to understand why this person was still so arrogant and confident, when he¡¯s already surrounded by the two strongest faction in Red Sun City?!


    ¡°Enough bullsh*t! Today, watch me skin you alive and hang you out to display at the city gate to show everyone the consequence of offending the Meng Clan!¡± Bei Meng roared as he leaped towards Jin Xia.


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    ¡°No! Our Fan Clan will be the one to deal with him!¡± Lei Yi shouted as he likewise dashed towards the white clothed youth.


    This time, in order to ensure Jin Xia¡¯s capture, the two sides¡¯ clansmen also joined in on the fight. They could not afford to lose Jin Xia this time.


    ¡°I knew it would be useless talking, but still, to directly attack¡­how rude.¡± Jin Xia shooked his head. In the next moment, Jin Xia suddenly grabbed Hu Feng¡¯s arm and leaped up into the air.


    ¡°?!¡±


    The two groups stopped as they saw Jin Xia, grabbing Hu Feng, jump into the air and landing on top of one of the buildings.


    ¡°What an agile technique!¡±


    ¡°To be able to escape encirclement like that, seems like that youth is not simple either¡­¡±


    Speculations came buzzing in when the crowd saw Jin Xia jumping onto a rooftop from afar. Many who saw Jin Xia being surrounded by the groups of practitioners, initially thought that Jin Xia had already been captured by the two great clans, but unexpectedly he was able to escape!


    Looking down at the cluster of men, Jin Xia flashed a faint smile as his voice traveled over: ¡°Since I¡¯m in a good mood today, I don¡¯t feel like wasting my time on you little juniors. If you want to stir up trouble, go trouble someone else. I¡¯ve already taught you two a little lesson yesterday, so I¡¯ll be leaving now. Remember now, it¡¯s rude to interrupt somebody when they¡¯re eating.¡±


    Loud curses and clamoring came from below, but Jin Xia ignored them as he prepared to leave with Hu Feng. But just as he was ready to leap away, a sudden booming voice blasted out nearby:


    ¡°Insolent junior! You want to leave after humiliating my Meng Clan?! Not so easy!¡±


    In a flash, an elder in black clothes appeared on a rooftop not far from Jin Xia.


    When the elder¡¯s eyes landed on Jin Xia¡¯s body, a flicker of shock could be seen in his enraged eyes. But he quickly calmed down.


    While coldly glaring at Jin Xia, Meng Pao Zhan said: ¡°Give up, junior. Although It¡¯s impressive that you¡¯re in the 5th stage of Spiritual Dan at such a young age, unfortunately, you have offended us. You now have no chance to escape. Just obediently follow me back to my clan to receive your just punishment!¡±


    Some of the people who were below, when they heard Meng Pao Zhan¡¯s loud declaration, were shocked speechless. Even Fan Lei Yi and Meng Bei had their mouth slightly open when they heard the elder¡¯s words.


    5th stage of Spiritual Dan? How could that even be possible! The youth had clearly looked to be much younger than Meng Bei and Fan Lei Yi, yet his strength was so much higher! Even though they were hailed as geniuses in this generation, their cultivation had merely been at the 9th stage of Wudan!


    While the crowd were heatedly discussing the shocking cultivation level of Jin Xia, another voice suddenly boomed above.


    ¡°Wait a moment, Old Pao Zhan! That brat shall be punished by my Fan Clan!¡±


    An elder in a deep blue robe came into view, as he stood on top of a building right next to Meng Pao Zhan.


    That person was undoubtedly the patriarch of the Fan Clan, Fan Boqin. Giving Jin Xia a look, Fan Boqin suddenly frowned when he sensed Jin Xia¡¯s cultivation. Although he had heard Old Pao Zhan¡¯s assessment from a few meters away, in the end, seeing was much more reliable.


    But knowing Jin Xia¡¯s cultivation only served to increase Fan Boqin¡¯s killing intent. Such a huge talent, if allowed to grow, would pose an enormous threat to his Fan Clan in the future. Jin Xia had already offended his Fan Clan, and Fan Boqin had even brought people to capture earlier. Most likely, the youth would bear a grudge against them in the future.


    If so, then he had to eliminate the roots today, to prevent any future problems!


    ¡°That junior had offended my Fan Clan, so I must use his blood to wash away this shame! I hope Old Pao Zhan will not contest with me, and let me punish that little brat myself!¡± Fan Boqin said insidiously while looking at Jin Xia.


    Seeing the appearance of the two peak Spiritual Dan cultivators blocking his way, Jin Xia let out a light sigh:


    ¡°I was the first one to walk away, but instead of leaving me be, you two old dogs actually tailed your clansmen and even shamelessly appeared to bully a mere junior¡­But since you know my cultivation level, if you were to kill me, have you asked the permission of the Clan that¡¯s backing me?¡±


    Hearing this, Meng Pao Zhan and Fan Boqin suddenly sobered up.


    Right!


    If this brat already has such a high cultivation at a young age¡­just what sort of powerful group could have nurtured him? If they mindlessly killed Jin Xia and the clan behind him was too strong¡­then the Meng Clan and Fan Clan could very well face extermination!


    The two elders suddenly felt a sense of weakness and helplessness when they finally considered the current situation and Jin Xia¡¯s level carefully. They hesitated.


    But just as they were about to ask Jin Xia for his clan¡¯s name, a mocking voice floated over:


    ¡°Man, so gutless. Just because I said I might be from a strong clan, you guys just lost your motivation. How can you consider yourself true cultivators? As I thought, even after several generations, the actions of you cowardly cultivators are just as predictable as ever¡­But don¡¯t worry, while I¡¯m not from a ¡®powerful clan¡¯, you two are still not enough to make me stay.¡±


    Meng Pao Zhan and Fan Boqin felt their face go a red when they heard Jin Xia¡¯s mocking. An explosive aura filled with killing intent suddenly burst out from the two at the same time.


    ¡°Damn junior! You dare to play with us!¡± Meng Pao Zhan roared as he leaped and shot out a dark, red glowing palm at Jin Xia.


    ¡°Die!¡± Fan Boqin did not waste anymore words as he punched his deep, blue glowing fist towards Jin Xia as well.


    Having been in the 9th stage of Spiritual Dan for several years already, the two elders had long ago solidified their Qi, and were close to breaking through the Xing Profound Realm. As such, the glowing color of their energy was much more dark and thick.


    Seeing that the two strong elders had actually started attacking Jin Xia, Hu Feng, who had been nervously observing by Jin Xia¡¯s side, suddenly felt a strong sense of dread.


    Because while the attacks were aimed at Jin Xia, its destruction radius held no regard for Hu Feng, ensuring that he may get seriously injured, or even die from the residual energy! After all, compared to the attacks from two peak Spiritual Dan practitioners, Hu Feng was merely a child at the 5th stage of Wudan!


    Hu Feng turned and looked at Jin Xia in panic, but the latter still had on a serene face, as if the attacks were not aiming at him and that he was merely a bystander.


    Seeing the enlarging blue fist and red palm coming at him, Jin Xia looked on in disdain as he suddenly pulled back both his arms.


    His left hand balled into a light-blue colored fist, with a slight flickering of electricity around it, while his right hand spread into a white glowing palm. Even though Jin Xia¡¯s level was a quite far from the Xing Profound realm at the moment, the glows on his two hands still had a solid, deep glow to them! The auras did not lose out to the elders¡¯ attack at all either.


    ¡°Since you two old farts want to die so badly, I¡¯ll grant your wish!¡± Jin Xia sneered as he channeled more Qi into his two hands.


    Just as the two attacks were right in front of him, Jin Xia fiercely unleashed his attack, one palm towards Meng Pao Zhan and one fist at Fan Boqin.


    ¡°Rising Over Heaven, 3rd layer: Peak Dream Palm!¡±


    ¡°Thunderous Dream Fist, 3rd layer:Thunder Dragon¡¯s Roar!¡±


    *BOOOOM!*


    After renovating and training all his current mortal techniques to their apex, Jin Xia was able to easily utilise them at the same time, if he wanted.


    Like this, he directly unleashed the last layer of both [Thunderous Dream Fist ]  and [Rising Over Heaven], which each had a total of three forms.


    While it could said that by just using [Rising Over Heaven], Jin Xia would be able to easily counter the two clan heads¡¯ attack. But Jin Xia was not seeking to push them back or just merely injure them.


    He was seeking to kill.


    And to ensure he finishes everything in one fell swoop, Jin Xia did not hesitate to expend two upper Jade-grade techniques at once!

 Chapter 39: The Worlds Loss

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    Host¡¯s note: Host here, not the author. I must insist this every chapter lest you forget or don¡¯t notice.


    <hr />


    BOOOOM!


    When the two opposing forces clashed, it generated a large wind pressure, instantly scattering the surrounding building tiles. Fan Boqin and Meng Pao Zhan were both blown back after making contact for a few seconds with Jin Xia¡¯s attack.


    They were each pushed back onto a separate roof tile, where they had to continue struggling to maintain their balance as they retreated. Two ugly trenches, measured around 3 meters, were left behind by the elders, marking the distance in which they were forcefully pushed back from the impact.


    On the other hand, when Jin Xia sensed the strong resistance energy pushing him backwards, he quickly manipulated a few arm movements in order to ¡°lessen¡± the shockwave around him.


    Upon exhibiting a series of strange movements with his arms, Jin Xia managed to forcefully disperse the residue force generated from the impact.


    He was only pushed back half a step.


    Having spent aeons on studying martial arts, Jin Xia had a much deeper insight into the relationship between one¡¯s body and its surrounding. Each movement has a cause and effect consequence. And by knowing what each set of moves could produce what effect, Jin Xia was able to combine them into a series of movement used towards ¡°guiding¡± the shockwaves away from himself.


    For example, when there is a sudden blow of dust in front of someone¡¯s face, what would that person normally do? They would of course wave their hand in front of them, in an attempt to scatter the dense cloud of dust!


    Jin Xia¡¯s movements were basically used to achieve a similar effect, except for the increased number of moves required to do so. In short, it is like a playing chess with the world. By making the correct moves, one could easily manipulate the energy and law around them; this is also very closely linked to how cultivators at the Emperor realm, and above, could control and use their elemental Qi!


    ¡°Tch¡­seems like I was really getting a bit too greedy. My attacks actually didn¡¯t finish them off in one strike just as I thought¡­¡± Jin Xia muttered as he clenched and unclenched his hands.


    But this outcome was somewhat to expected, given Jin Xia¡¯s current level. He hadn¡¯t even started using this body to ¡°re-learn¡± any of his personal techniques from the time when he was deity.


    He only had the ex-low grade skills to work with. Thus, even though the techniques went through an upgrade, it was not a lot; causing Jin Xia¡¯s battle prowess to somewhat diminish.


    If Jin Xia was still at the Xing Profound realm like before back in Tian City, he could have simply relied on his manifested Qi attacks to deal with the two elders easily, but him currently being at the Spiritual Dan realm had restricted this ability. He was forced to use his techniques in order to match up to the advantaged battle strength of two Xing Profound experts.


    On the opposite twin buildings, although Meng Pao Zhan and Fan Boqin did not die, they had sustained internal injuries from Jin Xia¡¯s counterattack. Especially for Meng Pao Zhan, who had taken on Jin Xia¡¯s [Rising Over Heaven] palm; a Quasi-Soul grade technique!


    Having both used Mid-grade attack skills against Jin Xia, this outcome was naturally to be expected.


    RIght now, Meng Pao Zhan could feel that several bones in his bone were broken at various areas around his chest and even his arms. A few muscle tendons had also been somehow severed, causing his legs to slightly trembled as he struggled to maintain his footing. There was currently a sweet, bubbling feeling at the back of his throat.


    If Meng Pao Zhan¡¯s strength was even a bit lower, perhaps that one attack from Jin Xia would be enough to finish him off!


    Forcing himself to swallow down the blood that was about to spill from his mouth, Meng Pao Zhan had a dark expression. In his eyes, there was rage, humiliation, shock, and even an indescribable fear.


    Meng Pao Zhan would have never thought that a junior at the Spiritual Dan realm could have injured him internally to such an extent; he was practically deprived of his mobility from just one exchange!


    ¡°Is¡­that an Upper category skill?! B-but what grade would it have to be, to be so¡­.¡± Meng Pao Zhan muttered under his breath as he looked at Jin Xia with a barely visible dread in his eyes.


    Although items and martial skills are set into grades, among the Grades, there is a further division of Lower and Upper. But while it was only a mere word difference, the gap in power and effectiveness was huge.


    For example, while Mid-Grade items were relatively rare and expensive in the Great Azure Country, almost all of those Mid-grade items were of Lower level. There were few Upper Mid-grade items.


    In other words, to find a Upper Level Graded item or skill was several times harder than merely obtaining a Lower Level Graded artifact. The strength that it gives its user would naturally be greater as well, with some rumors claiming that a few Upper Level Graded artifact could even compare to another item that¡¯s a Grade higher than itself!


    For example, it¡¯s said that a truly powerful Upper Top-graded item could exhibit the strength that¡¯s comparable to a Lower Jade-graded item!


    One has to remember that the gap between a higher Graded item to a lower one is already like a whole new plane, so to be able to even compare to a higher rank¡¯s ability while being of a lower rank¡­


    Fan Boqin, who had sustained a much lighter damage compared to his counterpart, likewise had an ugly expression on his face. From just one simple bout, he had instantly lost all face within Red Sun City.


    To have been pushed back by a junior and even slightly injured¡­this was a shame that Fan Boqin could never hope to erase from his heart!


    Ignoring the tingling pain in his hands, Fan Boqin¡¯s eyes went red as he let out a savage roar and began madly dashing over towards the other building where Jin Xia was standing. He did not even consider how Jin Xia had been able to injure him, or what exactly had transpired in detail.


    Blinded by the rage and shame that he had never experienced prior to today, Fan Boqin had completely went insane. All he could think of now was to kill Jin Xia and eliminate the source of his humiliation!


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    Seeing the crazed Fan Boqin, Jin Xia slightly frowned as he said disdainfully: ¡°Taking a little hit and already so displeased. What are you, a five years old kid? Utterly stupid.¡±


    ¡°AAHHH!! Devilspawn, I will kill you!!¡± Hearing Jin Xia¡¯s provocative words, Fan Boqin became even more enraged as he promptly leaped over the rooftop towards Jin Xia¡¯s side.


    His left hand pulled back up near his face, while his right hands were outstretched in a palm towards Jin Xia. A deep blue glow could been seen emanating from Fan Boqin¡¯s palm.


    ¡°So noisy!¡± Jin Xia said as his eyes flashed with a trace of annoyance. Using his Firefly Evasion movement skill, JIn Xia flickered away from his spot.


    The next moment, he was in the sky, where he was almost right in front of Fan Boqin, in a leaping position.


    ¡°If one fist wasn¡¯t enough for you, how about another one?¡± Jin Xia sneered as he shot out his right hand. A light blue colored fist shone as it directly landed right on Fan Boqin¡¯s stomach, while the elder was caught off guard.


    *Pfft!* Fan Boqin involuntarily spat out a bit of blood upon taking Jin Xia¡¯s punch.


    ¡°And here¡¯s one more!¡± Jin Xia shouted as brought up his left fist and furiously smashed it across Fan Boqin¡¯s face.


    *Bam!*


    Fan Boqin¡¯s body instantly flew horizontally to the right as it crashed into a nearby building.


    In a single, fast mid-air exchange, Fan Boqin was easily defeated.


    The crowd below who had witnessed this was in turmoil!


    What? How was a late Spiritual Dan expert defeated so easily? What had happened to the superior senses of an expert?


    But little did the crowd know that Jin Xia¡¯s body, which had gone through reconstruction by the Twelve Dragon Transformation PIll, was much more powerful and complete than other practitioners.


    Thus, even while Jin Xia was still merely in the Spiritual Dan realm, his body could already compete with the speed and strength of a late Spiritual Dan practitioner, inching ever closer to even that of an ordinary, early Xing Profound cultivator!


    Even without strong skills, with just Jin Xia¡¯s body alone, he could still withstand fighting against a 9th staged Spiritual Dan expert!


    ¡°O-old Boqin!¡± Meng Pao Zhan cried out as he looked towards the building where Fan Boqin had crashed into.


    He could not feel the latter¡¯s Qi presence anymore.


    With his body sustaining serious internal injuries, he was unable to move, much less help Fan Boqin. Crazily circulating the Qi inside his body, Meng Pao Zhan tried to recover. But alas, the damage done was much more serious than he had estimated.


    No matter how much he tried to recover with his Qi, the internal wounds were closing at a extremely slow rate. It was very unusual and was unlike anything he had experienced when he was healing himself.


    Meng Pao Zhan could start to feel fear ruthlessly invading his heart. Never would he expect the one whom he have called a rival since ages, to be done like this.


    This outcome¡­it, it wasn¡¯t suppose to be like this¡­


    Meng Pao Zhan could not even feel angry anymore. The strength of the youth before had long passed what he could process as logical anymore. Neither the crowd could conceive Jin Xia¡¯s strength now.


    But of course, given the isolation of these people in a small country like Great Azure, they did not have much world experiences to begin with.


    *Whoosh!*


    While Meng Pao Zhan was still in a daze, Jin Xia had already landed on a nearby roof and without a word, he quickly charged towards the other party¡¯s side.


    Noticing the approaching Jin XIa, Meng Pao Zhan felt the fear in his heart suddenly erupt.


    ¡°Ah..ah!¡± Meng Pao Zhan could barely utter a proper word, with his mouth opening and closing like a dying fish, before Jin Xia appeared in front of him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t pursue your clan for your disrespect, and just gave your sons a nice lesson. But you just had to come after me and even bought yourself, an esteemed elder, to my door.¡± Jin Xia said in a low voice. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, I won¡¯t be polite anymore. But don¡¯t worry, seeing that it was only you two who truly attacked me with killing intent, I will spare your families.¡±


    ¡°I¡­I..¡± Meng Pao Zhan continued to try to find his words, his eyes widening at his impending doom.


    In the next moment, Jin Xia struck with his right hand, stretching out all his fingers and forming a spear-like palm.


    ¡°Seven Luminous Spear, First strike!¡±


    *Pshh!*


    Jin Xia¡¯s hand easily penetrated through Meng Pao Zhan¡¯s defenseless chest as it came out the back of the latter¡¯s body.


    Even without an actual weapon in hand, Jin Xia¡¯s familiarity with the arts of weapon had reached an unfathomable level. Fusing spear intent with his body was easy, once he had reached the minimum required Spiritual Dan Realm!


    Meng Pao Zhan¡¯s eyes widened even more, upon feeling Jin Xia¡¯s strike, as he slowly sank into the eternal darkness¡­


    There was no need to talk about the regrets of a dead man.


    In one, fluid move, Jin Xia pulled out his hand as blood splattered the black roof tiles.


    The audience below watched on in silence, each holding their breath in fear.


    Initially, when the people saw two late Spiritual Dan experts go up against a mere early Spiritual Dan realm, they had expected the fight to end quickly.


    Even though it was extremely rare for someone so young to reach such a high stage in the Spiritual Dan realm, it still could not compare to a person who had stayed in the 9th stage of the Spiritual Dan for several years.


    No one was expecting the battle to last long at all.


    And it really did not. Barely five minutes had passed since the fight began, and it was already over.


    However, contrary to popular expectations, WuDang didn¡¯t lost another early staged Spiritual Dan expert.


    ¨Cit lost two late staged ones instead.

 Chapter 40: Nothing To Do With Us

    Author¡¯s note: Episode sponsored by Jamie Griffin-B.! Muchas gracias!


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    <hr />


    Taking out a white cloth and wiping away the bloodstains on his hand, Jin Xia turned and leaped back to the rooftop Hu Feng was on.


    Hu Feng, who witnessed the entire event, had a pale complexion as he looked at the corpses. He could feel his stomach lurching and rolling around.


    ¡°This¡­isn¡¯t this m-murder in broad daylight?!¡± Hu Feng thought in horror.


    Even though he had been in WuDang for the past 18 years, he was quite the sheltered child. While he may have seen someone get severely beaten up, or even had personally experienced a beating, he had never seen someone getting killed in front of him.


    He had merely heard about the chaotic and merciless world out there.


    Today, was actually the first time he had witnessed something so bloody since reincarnating from Earth.


    Arriving besides Hu Feng, Jin Xia grabbed the youth as he once again leaped away. ¡°Let¡¯s go now.¡±


    As the two figures jumped away, a trailing voice was left behind by Jin Xia while the crowd was still stunned.


    ¡°I will leave the Fan and Meng Clan alone today. If you still wish to be foolish¡­then we may meet again at the Great Azure Country¡¯s Annual Clans Gathering¡­ ¡±


    The complexions of Meng Bei and Fan Lei Yi turned pale when they heard Jin Xia¡¯s words. The color of their face was altering between white and green as they struggled with their turmoiled emotions.


    In fact, they still could not come around the reality that their fathers had been killed by Jin Xia.


    ¡°Father..father cannot be dead..no, no, that¡¯s not possible..¡± Lei Yi muttered incoherently to himself as he abruptly turned and bolted towards the direction where his father was blown away to.


    Meng Bei continued to stand where he was, with his jaws tightly clenched shut, and trembling ever so slightly. Unlike Fan Lei Yi, Meng Bei was much level headed.


    Even though his father died before his eyes, he did not immediately lash out. He was able to assess the situation, and understood that the other youth¡¯s strength was much greater than his own. He was more cool headed compared to Lei Yi, a trait that he got from his own father.


    ¡°It¡¯s over¡­¡± Meng Bei thought as he slowly shut his eyes. The previous arrogance and anger he had felt slowly dissipated away. His face, which was originally brimming with confidence and youth,  looked as if he had aged several years.


    Opening his eyes again, a sense of tiredness could be seen within his eyes.


    A sense of voidness.


    With the death of his father, the Meng Clan¡¯s standing in Red Sun City would definitely change sooner or later, just like the Fan clan.


    Even though he was a 9th stage Wudan cultivator and a few of his clan elders were in the early Spiritual Dan realms, they could be compared with the majority of the powers in Red Sun City. Their Meng Clan would soon be overtaken if they do not start leaving the city¡­


    At this moment, Meng Bei regretted.


    He regretted not taking into consideration the other party¡¯s strength and jumping right into a fight. Perhaps the initial shame had blinded his judgement. Or perhaps he had grown too aloof due to his status and strength. But in the end, it was all too late.


    With eyes that opened but did not seem to focus, Meng Bei softly ordered the servants he brought with him today:


    ¡°Hurry and go recover father¡¯s corpse. Then, let us quickly return and warn our entire clan to start packing. We have to leave Red Sun City as soon as possible.¡±


    In that moment, Meng Bei made a quick decision to ensure the survival of his clan. To avoid any trouble, the best thing to do right now was to go into recuperation. Revenge was impossible.


    After all, even though the Meng Clan was strong, it was not like a true major clan. The overall manpower of their Meng Clan is much weaker, thus once they lose their strongest member, then the entire clan will suffer.


    A truly strong clan could still protect themselves even if their head was defeated, as there would be ancestor-level figures or other close powers to watch other the clan in its weakened state.


    The Meng clan and Fan clan had neither type of support.


    One of the servants suddenly asked: ¡°But, but young master, what about the Annual Clans Gathering?¡±


    Meng Bei¡¯s dead expression did not change as he said: ¡°We¡­will not be participating this year. With our standing right now, I do not even know if our clan will be safe¡­and even if we do manage to go, it would all be futile. He will be there as well¡­¡±


    Understanding who that ¡°he¡± referred to, the servant gulped as he hurriedly nodded his head. The servant could still remember the brutal scene of their patriarch being struck straight through the chest¡­


    The Meng Clan and Fan Clan could not hope to worry about a competition when their family¡¯s life was at stake here. The two clans did have many enemies after all. And if they learned of their current predicament, perhaps both clans would be wiped away soon¡­


    The people from the Meng Clan, including Meng Bei, began to hurry back to home as a cloud of gloom hung over their faces.


    In the distant, a cry filled with anguish and hatred suddenly rang out from the other side of Red Sun City¡­


    ***


    Near the entrance of city, a middle-aged man dressed in plain blue clothes was talking to another man, who was dressed in a brown robe with a horse grazing by his side.


    ¡°Go back and report to His Majesty that the Fan Clan and Meng Clan have fallen. The other forces in this city has already begun to move against them; they will most likely last no longer than tomorrow.¡±


    The blue clothed man continued to report on the events that transpired, as the brown clothed messenger listened intently.


    ¡°Make sure to specifically inform His Majesty about the youth whom I had just described, and have some people secretly investigate who this person is!¡± The middle-aged sternly said.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°I understand!¡± The brown robed man promptly answered.


    After the middle-aged man had finished saying everything, the messenger swiftly turned around, jumped onto his horse, and sped off into the distant forest.


    The other man in plain blue clothings, turned around as well, walking back into the streets as if nothing had happened at all¡­


    ______


    After leaving the scene of battle, Jin Xia landed at an empty alleyway, in another area of the city, with Hu Feng.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Jin Xia slightly frowned when he felt the faint trembling from Hu Feng¡¯s left arm, which he was holding.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Brother Hu Feng?¡± Jin Xia asked. ¡°Could it be¡­you were afraid?¡±


    Hu Feng¡¯s round body jiggled as he shook his head in reply. ¡°N-not really, Brother Jin Xia. I¡­was just a bit shocked. I didn¡¯t think things will escalate so quickly like that¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Jin Xia said, nodding his head. It seems like this fellow was sheltered from the world since he was young. No wonder he was shaken up by a few deaths.


    In the world of WuDang, for random fights to break out at a moment¡¯s of notice was normal. And for deaths to result from these fights could even be said to be a norm¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Once you get more experience outside, you¡¯ll get used to things like this.¡± Jin Xia said as he started to stroll out of the alleyway.


    Hu Feng watched Jin Xia walk away as he thought wryly in his head: ¡°Get used to this? Get used to my ass! Am¡­I really going to become like these people?¡±


    The chubby youth took several deep breaths as he tried to calm down. Pinching his arms to quench the trembling, Hu Feng somewhat shakily followed after Jin Xia.


    While he knew that bloodbaths and deaths were most likely normal occurrences in this type world from his knowledge of reading martial arts web novels, he was still startled when someone was actually murdered right in front of him.


    To read about something and to personally experience and see it were truly two different things.


    For Hu Feng, while killing mindless Savage beasts may have been slightly fine, but killing humans was a different story.


    With his mentality that was still mostly from Earth, Hu Feng had been unable to keep his calm. But it was not as if Hu Feng had never seen death before.


    Back on Earth, Hu Feng had seen news of people dying on television and had even personally walked past a few crime scenes. Thus, while he still felt slightly sick in the stomach, Hu Feng was able to cool down after several tens of minutes.


    ¡°Dammit, if I have a nightmare tonight I¡¯ll blame you¡­¡± Hu Feng grumbled bitterly in his head. Then, Hu Feng lifted up head as he suddenly recalled something.


    Walking up next to Jin Xia, Hu Feng asked nervously: ¡°Brother Jin Xia, now that you killed those two patriarchs, won¡¯t the Fan Clan and Meng Clan fully focus on hunting you down now?¡±


    Jin Xia continued to walk as he replied nonchalantly: ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry. While I spared those people, it did not mean those other groups in this city would do the same. Given the conduct of those two clans today, I doubt they were benevolent factions either. They will soon get what they deserved.¡±


    ¡°Ah..¡± Hu Feng said, understanding the hidden meaning in Jin Xia¡¯s words. It seems there was no need to worry about the Meng Clan and Fan Clan anymore ¡ª for ever.


    ¡°This strength and attitude that¡¯s not typical of a sixteen youth¡­if he¡¯s really not an reincarnated person, then he¡¯s no doubt a freak.¡± Hu Feng mused in his mind.


    The Meng Clan and Fan Clan were two major clans of a Noble Ranked city after all. These forces were much stronger than Hu Feng¡¯s Hu Clan, yet they were still unable to do anything to Jin Xia. This kind of end scenario just did not match what Hu Feng had predicted, nor what he knew of this world¡¯s norm.


    ¡°Following him here was the right decision.¡± Hu Feng thought. ¡°Now I¡¯ve personally seen how eccentric his behavior is¡­it¡¯s like he practically doesn¡¯t even care or worry! Even if I am unsure of his ¡°true¡± identity for now, acquainting with this person would still be a good thing in the future¡­¡±


    Looking at Jin Xia¡¯s back, Hu Feng thought back to Jin Xia¡¯s various feats ¡ª none of them had been normal, or not stunning in the least.


    Other people may take those as signs of Jin Xia being a peerless genius, but Hu Feng did not completely buy into that.


    His suspicion of Jin Xia¡¯s identity, as a reincarnated person, only continued to rise each time Jin Xia performed something that was outside the borders of common sense.


    At least, in regards to this country¡¯s standard that he himself understood best.


    Taking out another jade bottle from his spatial ring, Jin Xia began to once again munch on the Dream Flower pills as he walked on.


    ¡°Should we leave this city now? It might get chaotic soon.¡± Hu Feng asked, seeing that they were just strolling around the busy  streets.


    ¡°Why leave? Just because those groups might start fighting here doesn¡¯t mean we aren¡¯t allowed here. It has nothing to do with us.¡± Jin Xia replied, throwing another pill into his mouth.


    ¡°Nothing to do with us? My god, you were the one who instigated this mess in the first place and you still could say that¡­!¡± Hu Feng resorted fiercely in his mind. He could not find the right words to reply, and could only nod along as he followed silently behind Jin Xia.


    Soon, as Hu Feng had predicted, the city became swamped with several forces that seemed to be moving rapidly towards somewhere. The streets were basically congested with large groups of people.


    But to Hu Feng¡¯s surprise, those groups of cultivators all seemed to make way for them as they passed through the street. No matter how many cultivators there were, they would all split into the two groups, running along each side of the street, when they saw Jin Xia.


    No one blocked their way as they rushed past the two youths. It seems these factions were already informed of Jin Xia¡¯s appearance and his deed in this city¡­

 Chapter 41: Heavenly Nightmare Pill

    Author¡¯s note: Sponsored by  Jamie Griffin-B !!!?


    Host¡¯s note: Host not author.


    <hr />


    ¡°Brother Jin Xia, how long will you stay in this city?¡± Hu Feng asked.


    The two youths had been wandering around the city for the past three hours. The city by now had somewhat calmed down, as many of the forces were beginning to disperse. It seems whatever objective they had came for had been accomplished.


    By this same time, whenever JIn Xia visited a shop, there would be people who seemed to recognize him; welcoming Jin Xia with great enthusiasm, or even offering him free meals or gifts.


    Hu Feng had even recognized that the clothes of those manager resembled some of the uniforms of those large groups of cultivators who had previously rushed through the city. However, he was not surprised.


    After all, given Jin Xia¡¯s recent display of talent, it would be no wonder that several factions in Red Sun City would want to get close to Jin Xia and establish a friendly relationship with him.


    Even though the people from those clans did not personally appear, Hu Feng thought that it was most likely due them being¡­afraid of Jin Xia, as they were unsure of his origin. After all, the youth¡¯s strength alone was already enough to put pressure on those clans. They did not dare overstep their boundary, and probably decided to investigate Jin Xia thoroughly before interacting with him.


    Since the stronger a person is, the more likely that person would have great enemies. These small clans could not afford to openly befriend Jin Xia and risk provoking a strong, enemy faction.


    Thus, in the meanwhile, they could only employ specific servants of their clan, who owned some of the shops in Red Sun City, to treat Jin Xia as best as they can.


    As for Jin Xia, he did not seem to mind about the battle he just had earlier in the day. If Hu Feng had not been there to personally witness it, then perhaps he would have believed that the previous fight against the two major clans were a dream. Unfortunately, each time he saw a large group of practitioners rush past them, Hu Feng was reminded of what Jin Xia¡¯s battle a few hours before¡­


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll probably be in this city for about a month. Then, I¡¯ll be heading to Azure City for the Annual Clans Gathering competition.¡± Jin Xia replied, as he finished the last Dream Flower pill.


    ¡°Brother Jin Xia is going to attend the Annual competition?¡± Hu Feng asked, wide-eyed.


    ¡°En.¡± Jin Xia nodded as he continued to calmly swagger around the streets. Then, turning to glance at Hu Feng, Jin Xia asked: ¡°I reckon Brother Hu Feng is going as well?¡±


    ¡°That is right.¡± Hu Feng replied. ¡°..But I am not participating in the event itself..¡±


    ¡°Oh? Why?¡± Jin Xia asked. ¡°With your current level, it should already be quite decent for someone your age¡±


    ¡°Ah, Brother Jin Xia is too kind. To tell the truth, the reason I¡¯m not participating is because I have three older cousins who are already at the 6th stage of Wudan, so they¡¯ll be the ones to compete in this year¡¯s competition.¡± Hu Feng replied. ¡°Therefore, I am in no hurry to return. In fact, I can stay here and accompany Brother Jin Xia to Azure city when it¡¯s time.¡±


    Hu Feng was not enthusiastic about returning back to his mansion anytime soon. And he doubt those people at the Hu Clan would care even if he had left forever¡­


    Then, as if he suddenly remembered something, Hu Feng asked cautiously: ¡°If Brother Jin Xia is going to the competition¡­then I assume you are not there to merely watch?¡±


    Jin Xia smiled and turned away, continuing to walk on. Seeing this, Hu Feng could only shake his head as he understood the competition has now just welcomed a dark horse¡­


    After walking a bit more, Jin Xia suddenly stopped as he turned to Hu Feng. ¡°Ah, Brother Hu Feng, I remember you saying you wanted some ¡®mind-clearing¡¯ pills for cultivation? Since you have time to accompany me on this trip, and I have quite some time at hand as well, why not allow me to provide some guidance for your cultivation?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Really?¡± Hu Feng asked, a visible light of excitement in his black eyes. ¡°If Brother Jin Xia could lend a helping hand, I would be more than grateful to you!¡±


    ¡°En. Then, let us head back to the inn for now.¡± Jin Xia said, as he led the way.


    Moments later, back at the inn they had stayed the previous night, Hu Feng sat patiently near a small table in Jin Xia¡¯s room.


    After a quick scan around his surrounding to ensure there were no one hiding, Jin Xia promptly sat down near the table as well. In one fluid motion, Jin Xia willed a light blue colored bottle from his Eternal Gourd to appear in his right hand. Hu Feng did not seem surprise as he saw the light blue bottle in Jin Xia¡¯s hand.


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    Since to others, the appearance of any item would only look like Jin Xia had taken it from his spatial ring that was on his finger. They would not think Jin Xia would have a ¡°special¡± spatial item right in his dantian.


    ¡°Take this bottle.¡± Jin Xia said, handing over the light blue bottle to Hu Feng.


    Opening the bottle, a strong fragrance permeated the air. Smelling this, Hu Feng¡¯s eyes lit up.


    It is said that the stronger and more fragrant the smell is, the more potent its effect was. This was another way to tell a good quality pill from a bad one, without looking for the star markings on a pill.


    ¡°What is this pill called, Brother Jin Xia?¡± Hu Feng asked excitedly. ¡°This fragrance is not like any that I had smelled before.¡±


    Jin Xia faintly smiled as he introduced the pill: ¡°It¡¯s called Heavenly Nightmare Pill.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± Hearing the name, Hu Feng was dumbfounded for a moment. ¡°This¡­why the sinister sounding name?¡±


    ¡°Haha, you are right, it does not sound like something good. But I can promise you that this pill¡¯s effect is top notch.¡± Jin Xia laughed.


    ¡°What this does is, after consuming the pill, your mind will enter a half dream-like, half meditative state of conscious. The pill will bring out both your happiest memories and your darkest past and play it before you in erratic intervals. Hence, the name ¡°Heavenly Nightmare¡±: both your most joyful and heavenly moments are reviewed before you, while your most fearful and nightmarish memories are also present.


    While it will not calm your mind at first, if you are able to resist any emotions when viewing those memories in your mind or come to some sort of enlightenment, then afterwards the strength of your mentality will be greatly heighten. You will thus, be able to concentrate more easily when learning and meditating!


    Humans are often subject to various emotions that usually conflict with their training. But if you are able to control your feelings, then not only in cultivation, but even on the battlefield, you would not lose out easily.


    Moreover, while this method seems quite sick and crude, it is nonetheless very effective in training one¡¯s mind. After all, if you¡¯re able to resist your emotions even a little or gain a moment of understanding of yourself, you will still gain many benefits. And the pills are charged with high quality ingredients that will continuously nourish your body and dantian, so even if you fail to harness your emotions, you will still receive a boost to your cultivation nonetheless!¡±


    Hearing Jin Xia¡¯s extensive explanation, Hu Feng felt a tinge of excitement rising from his heart.


    If he could truly control his emotions and increase his mentality, then afterwards cultivating would not be as difficult. After all, he was always prone to the smallest distraction, and his environment at home was not quite as tranquil as he would have liked¡­


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take this, Brother Jin Xia. And I will have to once again thank you!¡± Hu Feng cupped his hands towards Jin Xia.


    ¡°No need, it is what I owe you for your help as a guide.¡± Jin Xia replied smilingly.


    ¡°Oh, but how many stars is this Heavenly Nightmare pill ranked at?¡± Hu Feng asked curiously.


    ¡°4 stars.¡± Jin Xia replied without hesitation.


    However, in reality, though, the pill¡¯s star ranking was much higher than that.


    It was actually a 10-stars ranked pill.


    But Hu Feng, who had never tasted, or even seen, a 4 stars pill before, did not question Jin Xia¡¯s assessment. After all, with his current standing in the Hu Clan, he was not qualified to even obtain a 4 stars pill.


    Thus, he only felt a little surprise, but was not suspicious. After all, he knew that the pills in this world was very strange and could bring out mysterious effects in a person¡¯ s body; so Hu Feng could only think that a 4 stars pill, that he had only heard so much about, must have even more peculiar influences. Since, this was not on Earth anymore.


    Jin Xia watched as Hu Feng took a deep breath and swallowed a Heavenly Nightmare Pill. Then, walking towards a nearby bed, Hu Feng sat down in a lotus position and closed his eyes, He then began to enter a meditative state.


    A faint smile was on JIn Xia¡¯s face as he observed Hu Feng. After a few moments, when he noticed the changes on Hu Feng¡¯s facial expressions, did Jin Xia get up from his seat and slowly walk over to where the latter sat.


    ¡°Seems like the pill is taking effect already¡­Now, let me see if I can perceive your soul now¡­¡± Jin Xia murmured as he reached his right palm towards Hu Feng¡¯s head.

 Chapter 42: Superior Soul, but Inferior Inner Quality

    Author¡¯s note: A special shout out to 1BrickToRuleThemAll! This chapter was motivated by you, as a token of thanks, lol ~Mochi


    Host¡¯s note: Hosting with author¡¯s permission.


    <hr />


    ¡°Seems like the pill is taking effect already¡­Now, let me see if I can perceive your soul now¡­¡± Jin Xia murmured as he reached his right palm towards Hu Feng¡¯s head.


    From the beginning, Jin Xia had purposely decided to bring Hu Feng back to the inn and have him take the Heavenly Nightmare pill.


    His goal was to attempt to discern Hu Feng¡¯s soul, which he previously could not see at all with his soul eyes.


    Although there were several other pills that Jin Xia could have given Hu Feng to help him harness his mentality and emotions, he selected the Heavenly Nightmare pill in the end due to its certain side effect.


    And this side effect was that when a person takes the Heavenly Nightmare Pill, while they could indeed have a chance to strengthen their mind, the defensive law around their soul would weaken.


    That is because due to the heightened emotions the person would experience, their soul would become unstable.


    After all, if one views both their happiest and most nightmarish memories one after another, it would extremely hard to remain calm, much less avoid having their soul be shaken up by all the distorting emotions.


    Jin Xia wanted to use this chance, when Hu Feng¡¯s soul was at its weakest, to try and see into his defenseless soul. He wanted to know exactly what special secret the soul of this youth sitting before him held, that even he, a high deity, was unable to see through.


    Placing his palm on Hu Feng¡¯s head, Jin Xia forcefully injected a small thread of his soul directly into Hu Feng¡¯s inner soul compartment.


    There was a fierce resistance, as expected. But this time, under its weakened state due to the Heavenly Nightmare pill, the defensive around Hu Feng¡¯s soul did not last long before a thread of Jin Xia¡¯s soul slithered past the barrier.


    Upon bypassing the strange barrier, Jin Xia was finally able to see Hu Feng¡¯s soul.


    But it was nothing like he had expected.


    In a completely void domain, a strange white ball of energy was hovering in darkness. It looked as if it was on fire, but there was neither heat nor coldness emitting from the energy.


    This was Hu Feng¡¯s soul.


    Seeing it now, Jin Xia could detect that this Hu Feng¡¯s innate quality was only around 2¡­


    However, Jin Xia noticed that there were several strange black-colored chains strapped around Hu Feng¡¯s soul.


    Jin Xia could not directly feel the energy emitting from the chains, as only a small thread of his soul was within Hu Feng¡¯s inner compartment. But he could still tell that the chains were definitely not simple.


    ¡°This¡­it looks like¡­ a reincarnation restriction seal?!¡± Jin Xia mused in his mind, his soul trembling with surprise. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t look to be suppressing Hu Feng¡¯s soul, but something else within it?¡±


    Sometimes when a being of great power is reincarnated into another life, there would often be a seal placed on their soul during the reincarnation cycle. This was to prevent their power from running amok the moment they were reincarnated. This kind of restriction was most evident for mighty gods who decided to enter the reincarnation cycle.


    The seal was said to lessen its restrictive power as the host¡¯s body gets stronger, until it¡¯s enough to contain the massive power once again in its body.


    But this level of constraint was rarely placed on the majority of the reincarnates, and only a few extremely strong beings would have such a restriction.


    So how could something like this be on Hu Feng¡¯s soul?!


    Hu Feng¡¯s soul was still burning brightly and calmly, signifying that it was not under any stress. But within that white ball of soul energy, Jin Xia could faintly detect the flickering of a red light and a purple light.


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    But just as he wanted go closer to Hu Feng¡¯s soul, Jin Xia felt his divine sense shake as his soul was suddenly pushed out of Hu Feng¡¯s soul compartment. The force had come from Hu Feng¡¯s soul, or perhaps it would be more correct to say it was from the ¡°thing¡± inside his soul¡­


    ¡°What a strong willpower¡­,¡± Jin Xia murmured in surprise. He had not expect to be forcefully pushed out of someone else¡¯s soul like this, especially one which obviously looked weaker than his own!


    Glancing at Hu Feng, who still had his eyes closed and a tense expression on his face, Jin Xia wryly thought to himself: ¡°And it doesn¡¯t seem like this brat had consciously rejected my soul.


    ¡­Haha, how interesting¡­this fatty, I¡¯ve taken an interest in your potential! For you and I to meet, perhaps destiny had intertwined us somehow. If that is so, then helping you¡­would be equivalent to helping myself!¡±


    At that moment, Jin Xia decided to accept Hu Feng in his mind.


    To have such an abnormal soul that could even resist a great deity¡¯s probing, just how many people on this plane, or even among the several worlds, could do that?


    Innate quality was the measurement of the strength and caliber of a person¡¯s soul, but Hu Feng¡¯s innate quality was clearly low, yet it could still exhibit such resistance. It was a very bizarre phenomenon that was simply unheard of!


    From Jin Xia¡¯s view, Hu Feng¡¯s character was quite to his liking, and even though his innate quality was poor, it was not much of a problem to ¡°correct¡± it later.


    The main important thing was that Hu Feng had a strong soul that did not match the level of his innate quality.


    And in this respect, that was what truly piqued Jin Xia¡¯s interest.


    ***


    Hu Feng slowly opened his eyes as he saw a blank white space in front of him. Turning his head and looking around him, Hu Feng saw that he was in a pitch-white space.


    Everywhere he looked there was only whiteness, and nothing else. The place was void of sound. It gave Hu Feng an empty, yet fulfilling feeling at the same time.


    ¡°Wh..where is this?¡± Hu Feng ¡®said¡¯ in bewilderment. In actuality, he could not hear himself speak. Everything was being said in his mind. It almost sound as if his voice was being echoed right next to his ears.


    *Whoosh!*


    Suddenly, the white world twisted and plunged into darkness, forcing Hu Feng to close his eyes. Moments later, voices and clattering of metals filled the air.


    Gingerly opening his eyes, Hu Feng was instantly stunned by the scene in front of him.


    ¡°D-dad? Mom? Xiao¡¯ mei? And¡­that¡¯s me?¡± Hu Feng stammered. In front, he saw his entire family clustered around a modern wooden table.


    (TL: ¡°Xiao¡¯ mei = little sister)


    A middle aged man, reading a newspaper, sat at end of the table, while a middle aged woman and a young girl with twin tailed hair sat on the right side of the table. A skinny, young man in black jacket sat on the left side.


    Fried chickens, stewed soup and green vegetables were placed on the table. Sitting at all four corners of the table were Hu Feng¡¯s parents, sister, and himself.


    Hu Feng watched as family laughed and chatted happily at the dinner table. Looking around the modern house design of smooth white walls and decorative vases, Hu Feng¡¯s eyes began to tear.


    Am I finally back home?


    *Brzzt Brzzt*


    Turning his head, Hu Feng towards the other end of the dining room, where a large widescreen television was hung on the wall. The monitor was currently on, as a newsreport was being broadcasted. At the top right corner of the television screen projected the present time and date.


    January 21, 2017 07:24:11 P.M.


    This was the exact same year Hu Feng was in, before he was whisked away to WuDang...

 Chapter 43: Hu Fengs Past Memories(1)

    Author¡¯s note: Sponsored by Boss Lertthundorn, Jean F, and Erik G!!  Thank you all so much!?


    Host¡¯s note: Host not author.


    <hr />


    January 21, 2017 07:24:11 P.M.


    This was the exact same year Hu Feng was in, before he was whisked away to WuDang.


    ¡°This¡­is the twenty first century?! I¡¯m not in the Martial Era anymore??¡± Hu Feng¡¯s thoughts raced as excitement, relief, and  disbelief welled up inside him.


    ¡°M-mom¡­I¡­I am home.¡± Hu Feng stammered with emotion, as he looked at the middle aged woman sitting on the table,


    But there was no response from his mother, nor from any of his family members.


    It was as if they did not even realize him standing right next to the table.


    ¡°Eh? Why can¡¯t they hear me?!¡± Hu Feng panicked as he continued to shout.


    No, no, no! This can¡¯t be a dream! Please, no! Mom! Dad! Xiao¡¯mei! I-It¡¯s me, Li Yang!


    Hu Feng moved towards the table and reached out his hand to grab his father¡¯s shoulder. But just as Hu Feng¡¯s hand reached him, it went right through his father¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    Confusion and frustration immediately clouded his eyes, as Hu Feng frantically touch his surrounding; trying to feel something.


    But it was no use.


    His hands merely went right through them.


    Then, the scene in front of Hu Feng began to recede backwards, becoming smaller and more distant.


    ¡°No! Wait, don¡¯t leave me behind! I¡¯m right here! Hey! Heeeeey!¡± Hu Feng shouted as he chased after the fading scene.


    But it was as if some mysterious force was preventing him from doing so; his body felt sluggish and powerless. The scene continued fading further and further and away from him¡­


    (TL: This is exactly how I feel when I¡¯m in my dreams. T^T)


    ¡°Ahhh!!! Damn this fat body of mine!¡± Hu Feng screamed bitterly out loud as he fell to the ground, weakly.


    Suddenly, his surrounding began to warp again.


    In a split second, Hu Feng once again found himself in a white space, except this time, there were several ¡°holographic¡± imageries being played all around him.


    It was as if Hu Feng was a watching several television screens at once, except it seemed that only a select episode would be shown before him, while the rest were all blurred and whirling around Hu Feng in rapid circles.


    Scenes after scenes from his time on Earth flashed before Hu Feng.


    His happiest birthday, his first acceptance to a university, his first date, his first family trip to another country¡­memories of his most joyful times replayed before him. Familiar colors and sounds gushed out all around Hu Feng, enveloping him in an intense feeling of nostalgia.


    Tears slowly streamed down his cheeks, as Hu Feng saw his past memories. Wiping away the tears as they fell, Hu Feng watched on as his environment changed repeatedly.


    This continued for some time before suddenly, everything twisted and Hu Feng¡¯s surrounding was plunged into darkness once again.


    A different scene slowly faded into view. Wooden boards pixelated the ground and the atmosphere lighting was of a fire-like, orange hue ¨Cthe color brought about by a fading afternoon sun.


    ¡°These clothes¡­I am myself again?!¡± Hu Feng exclaimed when he noticed the black jacket and khaki pants he was wearing. At some point, his body had reverted back to his original slim feature. Even his previous semi-long hair had reverted back to his original short haired style, touched with a hint of messiness.


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    Looking up, Hu Feng narrowed his eyes when he saw three men in black suits talking to his parents. They were standing in front of his family door. The surrounding had changed to Hu Feng¡¯s hallway.


    Standing a few feet behind his parents, who were facing the three men, Hu Feng could hear their conversation.


    ¡°Please, just give us another month. We will definitely pay off the debt..¡± A middle aged woman in red shirt and jeans spoke in a pleading voice.


    ¡°This is already the second time, ma¡¯am. If you guys do not start paying up, we will have to confiscate your house as a payment.¡± One of the black suited men standing in the center, a middle aged man with snake-like eyes, said in a flat tone. ¡°Our agency can give you another month, but the interest rate will be doubled this time. Is that fine?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, of course! We will definitely make sure to pay next, definitely! Thank you so much!¡± The middle aged man with round rimmed glasses, standing besides Hu Feng¡¯s mother, spoke up as he furiously bowed towards the three men.


    Seeing this scene, Hu Feng¡¯s heart ached, as he glanced to his left.


    Leaning against the corner of the wall, hidden away from his parents and the men, was a young teenager. His face was ordinary, with ruffled black hair, a few pimples on his face and thick eyebrows.


    It was Hu Feng¡¯s original self: Li Yang.


    Li Yang¡¯s hands were balled into tight fists as he gritted his teeth, having overheard the adults¡¯ conversation¡­


    Before Hu Feng could walk over and say something¡­


    *Whoosh!*


    The scene was once again changed, and Hu Feng found himself looking at his younger self toiling at a construction site in the middle of night. The setting was painted by  devilish blue color, the streets being illuminated by the streetlights and a half covered moon overhead.


    Hu Feng¡¯s eyes glittered with reminiscence, recalling the days he had to secretly work a part-time job at night in order to help pay off his parents¡¯ debt. The stress he had to endure while balancing poor family life, his night job, and school, were tremendous.


    It could be said that those were the most dull and miserable periods of his teenage life.


    *Whoosh!*


    The surrounding again changed, as new scenes appeared one after another.


    His first break up with his girlfriend, him opening the mail letters and seeing that he was rejected to nine out of the ten universities he had applied to, his parents arguing in front of him about where they should go for a trip that was the least expensive, arguing about their meager budget, arguing, arguing, and arguing¡­..


    *Whoosh!*


    Hu Feng¡¯s setting changed another time, as he saw a youth in a black jacket and khaki pants walking in the woods. That was ¡°himself¡±. Sun was peeking down from overgrown trees, illuminating the emerald plants and moist soil.


    ¡°This place¡­I remember it should that time when I came here on a school outing. I had wanted to get some fresh air by myself, and then¡­and then¡­¡± Recalling up to this point, Hu Feng¡¯s eyes suddenly widened.


    ¡°It was here!¡±

 Chapter 44: Hu Fengs Past Memories (2)

    Host¡¯s note: I¡¯m just rehosting on RRL; I¡¯m not the author.


    <hr />


    Just as Hu Feng thought that, he heard a whirring noise to his right. Quickly turning his head to look, Hu Feng saw the morning sky morphing before a black hole suddenly emerged, swallowing the sky inwards.


    Hu Feng saw his younger self being frightened, as the teenager took a few steps back.


    ¡°Oh my god! Run! Run away! Why the hell are you just standing there!¡± Hu Feng shouted agitatedly as he ran towards ¡®himself¡¯. ¡°Don¡¯t let it suck you in! You¡¯ll die! And..and¡­¡±


    But no matter how much Hu Feng shouted, how could the other person hear him? Everything was in his head after all; these were just memories.


    Rushing towards Li Yang, Hu Feng was just about to grab the youth and run away, when his fat body went right through the illusionary body.


    ¡°Dammit!¡± Hu Feng cursed as he turned just in time to see his younger self being gravitated towards the dark hole, along with the nearby trees and mother soil. But before his body even entered, it was torn into pieces by a strange type of force and began to melt away.


    Everything had happened in, but a mere moment.


    Just as Li Yang¡¯s entire body was about fully dissipated, Hu Feng watched wide-eyed as a red hand reached out and seemingly ¡°grasped¡± at Li Yang¡¯s body.


    Looking more closely, Hu Feng saw that the ¡®red hand¡¯ was actually a hand covered in blood red armor, embroidered with golden linings.


    Moments later, someone stepped from within the dark hole.


    ¡°Wh..what?!¡± Hu Feng exclaimed when he saw the red figure.


    This person had on a full ruby armor, covering himself from neck down. His eyes were golden colored, similar to his overflowing hair, which looked as if it was glowing. The man looked to be only around his thirties, with a very handsome face, thick eyebrows, and firm cheekbones.


    The blood red armor on him was decorated with strange carvings and gold colored lines outlined the armor itself. The man gave off a strange feeling, as if he wasn¡¯t real.


    Even in his own mind, Hu Feng could not help but be stunned by that person¡¯s aura.


    Although he realized that everything was only a illusion, Hu Feng could still feel the majestic and heroic pressure the mysterious man gave off¡­


    Was this¡­really only just a dream?


    Just as Li Yang¡¯s entire body disappeared, the red armored man retracted his right hand. A glowing, white ball of light could be seen peaking out from the man¡¯s firm clutch.


    ¡°Ahahaha! I finally made it! Thought I was a goner when my link to the Heaven Domain got severed, but to think I could still make it to this unexplored dimensional plane! Hahaha! This should ought to be more interesting here!¡± The mysterious man bellowed gleefully. ¡°¡ªOh? He¡¯s still conscious?¡±


    Glancing at the soul in his hand, the red-armored man had a surprised look on his face. ¡°What a strong willpower! Haha, I like it!


    Little one, you must have unfortunately perished while I was trying to come through into this realm. While I do not know who you are, seeing that you were already here in this plane, I believe you must be a native of this world.


    Your untimely death, can be said to be my fault! Therefore, I will grant you a safe reincarnation cycle, and give you a bit of my power as compensation; how does that sound, eh?¡± The armored-red man laughed as he looked at Li Yang¡¯s soul. ¡°Of course, if you have any families in this sphere who wishes to seek revenge for you, I will most definitely take responsibility! ¨CThat is, if they have the ability to make me do so! Hahaha!¡±


    The white ball of light trembled visibly.


    ¡°Alright! Now that¡¯s settled, I¡¯ll be sending you off now.


    ¨COh, wait, since you are the first person I met, however briefly, when I came here I guess I will not be stingy, ahaha! Let me imprint a full set of my Profound Veins into your soul for your next body to use! It should contain a tiny bit of my own power as well.


    That way, it¡¯ll definitely be useful to you even if you were to be reincarnated as a pig or chicken!¡± The man chuckled as he sent a red light into Li Yang¡¯s soul. Then, the red armored man paused for a moment before continuing on in a more serious tone.


    ¡°However, I detest cowards the most. Since I do not know your character, I will be placing a small ¡®lock¡¯ on my gift. And the way to ¡®unlock¡¯ and receive my gift will simply depend on when you would have affirmed your own convictions. Its method of trigger will be directly linked with your soul; fake emotions shall not work.


    Only when you have dreams in your heart, will my Profound Veins truly become yours! As for what that means, hehe, you go figure it out yourself!¡±


    The white ball of light trembled slightly before calming down, burning calmly in the wind.


    ¡°Now, off you go!¡± The ruby armored man lifted Li Yang¡¯s soul as he gently casted it towards the dark hole.


    Hu Feng stared wide-eyed in disbelief, with his mouth slightly gaped, at the scientifically impossible scene happening in front of him.


    ¡°So¡­So it was that bastard who killed me?!¡± Hu Feng said in disbelief. Anger flashed through his eyes as he glared at the figure in red.


    ¡°My god, I was just going for frickin¡¯ stroll and this guy just had to come out of nowhere and blow me up? That mother..!¡±


    But before Hu Feng could finish his rant, at that moment the white ball of light entered the black hole, his entire surrounding disappeared. Whiteness returned to replace the entirety of Hu Feng¡¯s world.


    Then, in the next moment, it suddenly shattered as Hu Feng¡¯s vision was replaced with a new scene.


    *Bam!*


    Hu Feng looked on as he saw ¡°himself¡± being kicked across the ground by someone¡¯s foot. He was in his family yard in the Hu Clan now.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    In front of him, six youths in blue clothes were standing around ¡°Hu Feng¡¯s¡± fallen body, mercilessly bashing on him as they cursed out loud. The ¡®Hu Feng¡¯ he saw in front of him was a round sized boy who laid there on the ground, clutching his own head as light streams of tears rolled down his dirtied face.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, young master? Didn¡¯t you tell us not to ¡®bully¡¯ the servants? Why don¡¯t you try standing up for them now? Ah?!¡± A male in a blue robe sneered.


    ¡°Heh, with just your Wudan 1st stage talent, you want to challenge us. And you dare have the face to call yourself our clan¡¯s young master? Even the servants are more helpful than you!¡±


    ¡°Trash! Heh, just wait until my father takes over the clan head position. Now that we all know your crap talent, your father should not hope to be able to protect his position anymore! Hahah!¡± A youth with cold eyes, and ordinary appearance said venomously as he kicked the younger Hu Feng.


    Hu Feng watched from the sideline before casting his eyes down to the side. Seeing this scene had brought back some unpleasant memories after he had first came into this world.


    At first, everything was fine.


    His parents were loving and the clansmen all revered him, as he was the only young master of the Hu Clan. And coupled with the hope that he had a ¡°special cheat¡± to aid him in the future, Hu Feng quickly adapted and could even be said to be quite satisfied with his life. He did not think too much about his past life on Earth, as he felt his life now was quite good. There wasn¡¯t even a shred of desire to return home, surprisingly.


    But when he was eight years old, things began to change.


    One morning, Hu Feng was brought in front of the entire clan to be tested for his innate quality. This was a traditional that all children in the Hu Clan would go through, in order to determine their talent and how much the clan should invest in their future.


    Hu Feng, at that time, was confident. He believed he was destined for great things in this world, even though he had died an abrupt death in his own world. He wanted to thoroughly live out his life in this new world, and achieve the things he could never in the past.


    But alas, the spirit stone that was brought to test Hu Feng¡¯s innate quality did not respond at all after Hu Feng had placed his hand on top of it.


    It should be said that, it could not detect Hu Feng¡¯s innate quality. With Hu Feng¡¯s soul that was not from this plane, and that was even heavily sealed, it was entirely impossible for a mere low quality spirit stone to detect Hu Feng¡¯s soul, much less even grade it!


    However, the Hu clansmen did not know of this. In fact, they could not have known,or even imagine, something as bizarre as this happening.


    So instead, they deemed Hu Feng¡¯s talent to be so low, that it could not even trigger the spirit stone¡¯s response.


    While this was fundamentally impossible, as even the weakest soul would at least give a reaction of 1 innate quality, but at the time where the Hu Clan was quite unstable internally, several people threw out such remarks to lower Hu Feng and his father¡¯s reputation.


    And it succeeded.


    Hu Feng was deemed a trash by his clansmen and from that day on, life became akin to hell for him at home. People stopped caring for him, and instead bullying surfaced among the other younger generation members.


    Hu Feng gritted his teeth as he looked at the ground. Suddenly, the ground blurred before a wooden floor replaced it.


    ¡°It changed again?¡± Hu Feng furrowed his eyebrows as he looked up.


    This time, he saw his parents standing in the open doorway with their back facing the younger Hu Feng. They were in Hu Feng¡¯s room.


    The middle aged man in dark blue clothes slightly turned his head right as he spoke in a solemn voice: ¡°Remember, do not often show your face in public. You must keep our clan¡¯s dignity in your mind! Otherwise, don¡¯t say I did not warn you beforehand!¡±


    Flinging his sleeves behind, the middle-aged man turned and left the room in a stern manner. The middle aged women turned to glance at her son, before sighing and turning to follow after Hu Feng¡¯s father.


    As she left, Hu Feng could hear her softly whispering:


    ¡°To think I gave birth to such a useless thing..,*sigh* I wish you were never born¡­¡±


    Immediately, Hu Feng felt his heart being caught up in his throat as an aching sensation spread through his chest. Even though they were not his real parents, they had still indeed taken care of him for eight years. The feelings he had developed for them in those periods ran deep in his mind. He was unable to take their words lightly in his heart¡­


    Moreover, they were originally not like this in the beginning.


    It was only after Hu Feng¡¯s poor talent was discovered, that the other Hu Clansmen began to put huge pressure on his parents. They were practically humiliated wherever they went.


    And when they finally broke under the pressure, they had instead directed their anger at Hu Feng.


    Hu Feng wanted to believe that those were unintentional actions but in the end, the damages were done nonetheless.


    In a clan that only cared about power and power and more power ¡ª such an insane place, if one did not break down upon failing to meet that high expectation, then that would have been unnatural instead!


    In fact, in this kind of world, bizarreness and illogical actions, as Hu Feng slowly came to realize, seemed to reign as the kings.


    <hr />


    Host¡¯s note: I¡¯m going to slow down releases for now. 1 or 2 a day because we¡¯re starting to catch up to what the author has out so far. Haven¡¯t been able to get into contact with the author since the last friday of August, but apparently he¡¯s going to resume releases soon.

 Chapter 45: Hu Fengs Past Memory(3)

    Author¡¯s note: Sponsored chapter by frostwolf06.


    Host¡¯s note: Host not author.


    <hr />


    As Hu Feng was wallowing self-despise and sorrow, his surrounding teared apart, revealing a complete white world. Hu Feng did not even bother looking up, keeping his head facing the ground.


    Mixed emotions swirled and clashed against each other, like fierce waves, inside Hu Feng¡¯s heart. Anger, frustration, sadness, happiness, confusion, fear¡­feelings of varying degrees interlinked and broke, vying to tear his entire being apart. It felt as he was about to explode from the inside out.


    At the same time, many memories were being replayed over and over again in his mind.


    They were mainly ones that pertained to his period of experiences in WuDang.


    ¡°Weakness in this world is a sin¡­they shun me just because I didn¡¯t have good talent?¡­lawless¡­what kind of bullsh*t is this¡­strength¡­bunch of barbarians¡­get back home¡­mom¡­¡±


    Incoherent mutterings came from Hu Feng, as he struggled to calm his emotions.


    A strange light appeared in his eyes after a several long moments.


    Gritting his teeth, Hu Feng softly whispered: ¡°That person¡­while he looked like a human, I can be certain that he was most definitely not from Earth. He must have come from a place like this¡­


    That must be it! If he could travel to Earth, then¡­then, that means something like traveling through worlds should be possible?¡­No, it must be possible!¡­


    If¡­if only I can be as strong as that person¡­then perhaps I can find a way to go back¡­! Right, in the end it¡¯s all about power!


    The power needed to defeat my enemies! The power to make others acknowledge me!¡­And the power to return home!¡±


    Hu Feng lowered his head as his eyes danced with a slight light of madness; the light of stubborn determination; the light of thirst.


    Having been exposed to the most extremes of his memories almost all at once, had left an irrevocable impression in Hu Feng¡¯s mind. It could even be said to have altered a certain part of his mindset.


    While Hu Feng was unaware of it, this moment had marked the beginning of his change.


    This event had left the first crack left on Hu Feng¡¯s mentality since the first day he was born into WuDang. A tiny split that would perhaps continue to widen down the road¡­..


    *Wooosh!*


    At this moment, an intense aura suddenly burst forth from Hu Feng¡¯s lonely figure.


    *Zzt!*


    The surrounding white world slightly blurred and darkened from the sudden pressure. The pure snow space slowly faded away as darkness began to close in¡­


    *Sssss..*


    ¡°This is¡­?!¡± Jin Xia¡¯s eyes widened slightly when he saw red lines suddenly appear on the surface of Hu Feng¡¯s skin.


    The red lines stretched and connected with one another, like branches of a tree.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    In the next moment, a sharp aura exploded from Hu Feng¡¯s body, blowing back the tables and shredding the curtains. But Jin Xia paid no attention to the ¡°small wind¡± generated from Hu Feng. He was focused on the red lines that were had stopped spreading, and were now glowing an eerie crimson color.


    Hu Feng, by now, had strange red lines glowing on all parts of his body, including his face.


    ¡°Those are¡­special Profound Veins?!¡± Jin Xia thought in deep surprise.


    In a cultivator¡¯s body, besides a set of twenty meridians, there are things known as the Profound Veins. These are special veins that help strengthen a body¡¯s cultivation.


    If opening meridians could help speed up the absorption of World Qi, then having a set of strong Profound Veins could boost the depth of one¡¯s cultivation. That is to say, one would be able to absorb much more World Qi, and their body would also be several times stronger than someone of the same level.


    If the Profound Vein was strong enough, then even battling against someone of a higher level would be, but a simple matter!


    One may be able to exhibit mystical abilities or characteristics when one uses their techniques. Some unique Profound Veins may even be able to change a person¡¯s entire bloodline, granting them even more strength; but the chance of that happening is as rare as a phoenix¡¯s feather.


    Because of that, Profound Veins can be graded into four sets: Ordinary, Rare, Ancient, and Godly.


    However, unlike meridians which can be opened by oneself or by another person¡¯s help, Profound Veins are determined at birth, which was similar to Bloodlines.


    But, if one is fortunate, they could be granted a Profound Vein by a peerless expert. Though the chance of that happening is again, impossibly slim..


    Thus, many people in the WuDang do not possess special Profound Veins, but merely Ordinary ones.


    Closely observing the Profound Veins that were glowing on Hu Feng¡¯s body, Jin Xia narrowed his eyes as a twinkle of shock could be seen growing within.


    ¡°Godly Profound Veins¡­this aura and that distinct glow¡­there¡¯s no doubt about it.¡± Jin Xia thought solemnly as he looked at Hu Feng, who still had his eyes closed and was gritting his teeth tightly.


    ¡°But, just exactly how¡­?¡±


    <hr />


    Host¡¯s note: There was an image in the middle of this chapter. I decided to cut it out and put it below. I think it¡¯s supposed to represent Hu Feng¡¯s depression and other weird stuff during the dream. The author didn¡¯t credit the original artist and there are too many visually similar images to track it down with google image search. Credits to whoever the original artist is.

 Chapter 46: Do You Desire More Power?

    Host¡¯s note: Host not author \o/


    <hr />


    To discern Profound Veins, there are two things to look for: aura and appearance. An Ordinary Profound Vein would show no sign of any phenomenon, while a Rare Profound Vein would have a light color of any sort, contrast to the usual deep blue colored veins; a faint special aura may even be felt at times.


    And further down, an Ancient Profound Vein would show a darker color of any sort, along with a much more clear aura coming from one¡¯s body. As for Godly Profound Veins, they would give off a bright glowing color and an oppressive aura.


    While these color changes may sound obvious, it has to be said that the Profound Veins would look absolutely normal on the outside. Only when observed with special artifacts, eyes, or methods, would one discover these differences! Even the aura would be not be easily discovered, blending in naturally with one¡¯s own cultivation Qi aura; thus it¡¯s hard to find out if a person has a special vein with the naked eye.


    It is said that sometimes, even the cultivator themselves do not know what Profound Veins they have, much less if they have a special one!


    Although Jin Xia indeed had a way to bestow upon his mortal body a Profound Vein, he did not wish to do so while his cultivation was still weak. He wanted to wait until he was at least Emperor realm before attempting to integrate a set of special Profound Vein into his body.


    Since, the special Profound Vein that he wanted integrate with was filled with tyrannical aura and hard to subdue. Otherwise, at that time when he had first reconstructed his mortal body, he would¡¯ve long integrated with a special Profound Vein!


    The ancient aura that Jin Xia felt and the glowing red branch-like veins on Hu Feng¡¯s face, showed that Hu Feng indeed possessed a Godly Profound Vein!


    But before, even though Jin Xia could not see through Hu Feng¡¯s soul, he had still been able to observed Hu Feng¡¯s inner physique. At that time, there was no signs of any special Profound Veins.


    So how could one suddenly appear on Hu Feng¡¯s body out of nowhere?


    Then,  remembering the strange red light in Hu Feng¡¯s soul, Jin Xia¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°Could it actually be that?¡±


    The aura that was being emitted from Hu Feng¡¯s body was very similar to the faint feeling Jin Xia had felt from the tiny red light locked in Hu Feng¡¯s soul.


    ¡°Wait¡­but there was those reincarnation seals binding his soul¡­¡± Jin Xia thought. ¡°If that red light is truly the Godly Profound Vein, and it could escape the chains¡­then, that would mean the seals were not binding it all along¡­it was merely restricted some other way.¡±


    After living for so long, Jin Xia understood that the reincarnation chains that were sealing Hu Feng¡¯s soul could not be undone by anyone or anything.


    It was an absolute imprisonment, set by Destiny and Fate themselves.


    Only time and certain events could release the binding, otherwise forcefully breaking it or escaping is impossible. After all, the seal was meant to keep a certain ¡°balance of power in the world.¡±


    If Jin Xia had not forcefully escape the Reincarnation Cycle and was rebirthed instead, then perhaps, he would have been placed under such restriction for quite some time. Even if it was him, he would not be able to resist.


    Therefore, Jin Xia conjectured that the red light must have never been marked as a target to be sealed. It must have always been in Hu Feng¡¯s soul, waiting to be released after something is triggered.


    ¡°Then¡­that would mean the chains were meant to seal that purple light inside Hu Feng¡¯s soul?¡± Jin Xia thought as he slightly furrowed his brows. If that is so, then just how abnormal is that thing locked away in Hu Feng¡¯s soul?


    Was that strange violet light so powerful that even Fate itself had deemed it dangerous enough to be temporarily sealed?


    And to top it off, Hu Feng was definitely not a deity in his previous life.


    After having a short glimpse at Hu Feng¡¯s soul, Jin Xia can definitely at least determine that much. But that just makes it all the more strange and bizarre.


    This was actually the first time Jin Xia had seen something as interesting as this! His martial heart and desire for knowledge were once again ignited.


    ¡°Good fatty, you¡¯re very interesting!¡± Jin Xia faintly smiled as he continued to observe Hu Feng, who was beginning to awaken. The aura had long dissipated along with the glowing red light. It seemed the Godly Profound Veins had completed its awakening.


    Slowly, Hu Feng opened his eyes, a clear light shone from within..


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­back?¡± Hu Feng muttered, wide-eyed, as he looked around him.


    ¡°Seems like it was a success?¡± Jin Xia asked, with a faint smile. Judging by Hu Feng¡¯s initial reaction, it could be said that the latter most likely didn¡¯t even know about the Godly Profound Veins, or even what had happened.


    Lifting his hand and looking at it, Hu Feng felt a surge of power coursing throughout each corner of his body.


    ¡°Ha..,haha! Haha! Amazing! The pill really worked! I feel so clear-headed right now, and this feeling¡­?!¡± Hu Feng¡¯s eyes widened even more when he noticed the change in his body. ¡°I broke through to the sixth stage of Wudan?!¡±


    ¡°Oh my god, I love you, Brother Jin Xia!!¡± Hu Feng screeched with joy as he abruptly got up and threw himself at Jin Xia.


    But in one swift motion, Jin Xia backhanded Hu Feng across the face as he said coldly: ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m not interested in hugs from men.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Ah¡­haha, sorry Brother Jin Xia, I got a bit too excited..¡± Hu Feng laughed as he rubbed his plump right cheek. ¡°But it was really all thanks to you, Brother Jin XIa! I cannot express how grateful I am¡­¡±


    A strange, sentimental  light flashed briefly in Hu Feng¡¯s eyes before instantly being masked over by his cheeky smile.


    ¡°You really don¡¯t know what happened?¡± Jin Xia asked suspiciously.


    ¡°Huh? Did something happen while I was in meditation?¡± Hu Feng asked innocently.


    Then, looking around the room, Hu Feng¡¯s eyes widened as he exclaimed: ¡°Wait, why is this room so messy? Did someone try to rob us?!¡±


    During the time he was in meditation, Hu Feng was truly disconnected with the outside world, so he did not know what was happening outside. He only knew the world inside his mind sank into darkness as he was coming to his ¡®conclusion¡¯¡­


    Jin Xia sighed as he slowly narrated the event that transpired just a moment ago. As he filled Hu Feng in on the detail, the latter¡¯s eyes became wider and wider until it as large as the round moon.


    ¡°Brother Jin Xia, you¡¯re saying¡­that I have this so called ¡®Godly Profound Vein¡¯, and it was awakened when I was still meditating?!¡± Hu Feng asked dumbfoundedly. ¡°How could that even possible?¡±


    ¡°I do not know. But perhaps you were graced by a peerless expert in your previous life and that person decided to grant you a special Profound Vein?¡± Jin Xia replied as he sat down and poured himself a cup of chrysanthemum tea.


    ¡°Previous life¡­¡± Hu Feng murmured as he thought back to the memories he had saw in his mind. The mysterious ruby armored person had indeed said something about granting him a Profound Vein¡­so this special strength was given by that bastard?


    ¡°At least he wasn¡¯t cheap and had given me such a high grade Profound Vein..¡± Hu Feng grumbled in his head. But he still could not bring himself to forgive that person for taking away his life and depriving him of a ¡®normal existence¡¯ back on Earth¡­


    Taking a sip from his chrysanthemum tea, Jin Xia then said: ¡°Since you and I do not know how those Godly Profound Veins came to be, we will leave it as it is. It is not a bad thing after all, and there are many things we do not know of, nor will be able to solve on our own, in this universe.


    But remember, this will be a secret between you and I. Do not let other know, otherwise¡­you may enjoy great misfortune in the future.¡±


    ¡°En. Thank you for the warning, Brother Jin Xia!¡± Hu Feng said as he cupped his dumpling-like fist towards Jin Xia.


    Jin Xia nodded as he continued to sip his tea. Although the strange phenomenons around Hu Feng had indeed given Jin Xia quite a shock and sparked his curiosity, he was never the type to be nosy. He had already asked one of his questions already, and had told Hu Feng of what happened.


    If there were truly secrets in his body, and Hu Feng had wished to tell him on his own accord, then Jin Xia would naturally hear them from him in the future. There was no need to rush and make things too complicated right now.


    In this world, nothing is impossible; as such, why try to make sense of everything? The headaches would simply be endless.


    ¡°Alright, since we have spent quite sometime here, shall we move somewhere else?¡± Jin Xia finally said as he placed his cup down. ¡°Make sure to pack anything you need before we leave.¡±


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.He had been waiting for Hu Feng for nearly six hours, and was getting bored.


    By now, the sun had long set, and a peaceful, yet lively night had taken control of the city.


    Seeing that it was this late, Hu Feng embarrassedly scratched his head as he nodded. In his heart, he was grateful for Jin Xia staying with him for so long. His impression of Jin Xia was growing better and better the longer he stayed with him. Hu Feng almost wished that Jin Xia was the same ¡°kind¡± of person as him¡­


    (TL: By same ¡°kind¡±, I assume like being reincarnated from Earth, etc)


    ¡°Where do you want to eat tonight, Brother Jin Xia?¡± Hu Feng asked as he followed Jin Xia out of inn.


    ¡°We can eat later. Let¡¯s go to the mountains and hunt some savage beasts.¡± Jin Xia said as he headed towards the city gate.


    ¡°What? Now?¡± Hu Feng asked in surprise. ¡°But it¡¯s night now and there¡¯s many dangers lurking about¡­¡±


    ¡°Why are you worrying? With me here, you are still scared of some savage beasts?¡± Jin Xia teased.


    Hu Feng could only sigh as he followed Jin Xia. His eyes glowed with a strange light as he recalled the memories he had seen in his mind. A determined fire was already lit in his once, calm heart.


    As the two youths walked further and further away north from the city, shadowy trees and animalistic cries could be heard more distinctly.


    Walking right besides Jin Xia, Hu Feng visibly gulped as he fearfully looked around him. ¡®H-hey Brother Jin Xia¡­we are already so far from Red Sun City. If we go any deeper into this Sun Forest, we might not make it back for the night.¡±


    ¡°Hm? That¡¯s fine. We are going to be staying in this mountain for the next several days.¡± Jin Xia nonchalantly replied as he continued to walk deeper into the forest.


    At the speed of light, Hu Feng whipped his head around towards Jin Xia.


    ¡°What the f¨C I mean, wait a minute, Brother Jin Xia, what do you mean we¡¯re going to stay here for the next several days? Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯ll be resting in city instead?¡±


    ¡°I decided to change my mind.¡± Jin Xia said. ¡°Anyhow, I¡¯m doing this for you as well.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Hu Feng asked, pointing to himself.


    ¡°En. To be honest with you, Brother Hu Feng, I have already acknowledged you as a fellow brother of mine, since the time you accepted to guide me around this city. Therefore, seeing that you are struggling with your cultivation, as your older brother, I am more than willing to help you.¡± Jin Xia said as he stopped and turned to face Hu Feng. ¡°I want you.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± Hu Feng¡¯s eyes widened as he stared back at Jin Xia. Then, lowering his head, a blushed surfaced on his chubby cheeks as he swayed his body sideways in a coy manner. ¡°But..But..Brother Jin Xia, you cannot get a piece of this¡­I¡¯m not interested in you like that¡­¡±


    Jin Xia stared at Hu Feng with a deadpan expression before a bloodthirsty aura exploded forth from his body. The animals that were near quickly scampered away in fright.


    ¡°Ah¡­hahaha! I-I was just kidding, Brother Jin Xia! Just a small joke¡­a small joke¡­haha¡­¡± Hu Feng took a few steps back as he frantically waved his two hands in front of him. Having spent a day with Jin Xia had made Hu Feng feel much more close around him than he had anticipated¡­perhaps maybe a bit too close¡­


    Jin Xia retracted his aura as he sighed. Then, looking at Hu Feng once again, Jin Xia asked:


    ¡°Brother Hu Feng, I only have one question that I want to ask you: Do you desire more power?¡±


    ¡°Power¡­¡± Hu Feng murmured as his eyes slightly narrowed in seriousness. Remembering his time in inside that blank white world, Hu Feng felt a fire was lit in his heart the moment he heard Jin Xia¡¯s words. He indeed want power! And the more the better!


    Looking straight into Jin Xia¡¯s eyes, Hu Feng said in an iron voice: ¡°Yes!¡±


    Jin Xia nodded in approval, seeing the glint of stubbornness in Hu Feng¡¯s eyes. Turning away, Jin Xia continued to walk on as he said:


    ¡°For now, we¡¯ll train in the mountains for a while. Then, later on I¡¯ll help open all your meridians in one go. That way, with your new Profound Vein and fully opened meridians, your cultivation speed should experience a huge boost!¡±


    Hu Feng¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief when he heard Jin Xia¡¯s words. Even he had already about the difficulty of meridians opening. So to open all meridians at once¡­


    ¡°If this guy is actually able to do it¡­then he¡¯s either a true monster or a reincarnated person.¡± Hu Feng mused in his mind. A task that even aged old hermits were unable to complete, should not have been a feasible feat for a sixteen or seventeen years old youth!


    Even if others could explain Jin Xia¡¯s prowess with the simple word of ¡°prodigy¡±, based on Hu Feng¡¯s experience back on Earth, he could not call those skills ¡°normal¡± in the least ¨Ceven with how bizarre this world already is!


    *Rustle*  *Rustle*


    Jin Xia stopped in his track as he lifted his left hand to stop Hu Feng. A black shadow suddenly leaped out of the bushes in front of the two youths. A bloodthirsty aura was currently being emitted from the opposite party.


    ¡°Oh? That looks like a Silver Striped Tiger King?¡± Jin Xia casually commented as he saw the silver furred body that was being illuminated by the passing moon.


    Seeing the tiger, Hu Feng almost spat out blood as he cursed in his mind. ¡°My god! That¡¯s a Spiritual 4th stage beast! It should be the king of this forest area, but it rarely shows itself. Why the hell would it appear now?!¡±


    The Silver Striped Tiger King was a powerful, mid-staged Spiritual Dan beast of the tiger species that ruled over the entire Sun Forest. Its body was a brown colored underneath, with silver stripes of fur protecting its massive exterior. The beast was standing at least nine feet tall, with large fangs protruding its jaw and its yellow colored eyes that glared disdainfully at the two weak-looking humans in front of it.


    Because the Sun Forest was near Greater and Noble ranked Cities, there were stronger beasts around as well. Encountering a few low leveled Spiritual Dan savage or elemental beasts were not unusual at all.


    ¡°Wait, I read in a book before that this kind of tiger beast tend not to show itself unless it¡¯s challenged by someone¡­¡± Hu Feng recalled in his head. ¡°Then¡­did the burst of bloodlust from Brother Jin Xia attract it over here?! It was actually close by?¡±


    To have called over a Silver Striped Tiger King just because the two had played around a bit, was quite the exaggerated consequence. At least, that was what Hu Feng thought.


    The Silver Striped Tiger King growled impatiently before it suddenly rushed towards the two youths.


    ¡°Crap! It¡¯s coming!¡± Hu Feng panicked as he took several steps back and hid behind Jin Xia.


    This was not the first time Hu Feng had seen large savage beasts; in fact he had even battled against such beasts before as a part of his training regime in the Hu Clan.


    However, this was the first time that Hu Feng had seen a beast that was as strong as the one before him! It was quite rare to see beast kings in the forest.


    And with his lacking inexperience in the wild, Hu Feng was easily startled by the strong bloodlust the Silver Striped Tiger King emanated. It was much stronger than any of the beasts he had encountered in the past!


    Seeing the Silver Striped Tiger King rushing towards him, Jin Xia had on a calm expression and remained motionless. Just as the Silver Striped Tiger King was about to collide with them, Jin Xia¡¯s right hand suddenly struck out at a lightning pace and immediately grabbed onto the tiger¡¯s head.


    The king beast was abruptly halted in his rush, unable to tear away from the iron clutch no matter how much it struggled. Panic and anger began to well up in the tiger¡¯s eyes as it roared with indignation.


    Then, with a faint smile, Jin Xia murmured: ¡°Guess it¡¯ll be tiger stew tonight.¡±


    In the next moment, Jin Xia forcefully tightened his grip as a dark red light glowed from his hand, crushing the Silver Striped Tiger King¡¯s head into pieces. Blood and brain matters splattered across the ground, with a few drops of  blood tainting the corner of Jin Xia¡¯s white clothes.


    A light smile was wore on the corner of Jin Xia¡¯s face the entire time.


    With Jin Xia¡¯s ability to match up to even a 9th staged Spiritual Dan practitioner, a mere 4th staged Spiritual Dan beast was¡­utterly a joke.


    Hu Feng, who was standing behind Jin Xia, had a look of eagerness and resolve when he witnessed Jin Xia¡¯s brief battle.


    He could feel his blood boiling with excitement, as he wiped off a few streaks of tiger blood from his cheek.


    ¡°Just when¡­will I be able to possess such power¡­¡± Hu Feng thought in his mind, as he imprinted the scene before him into memory.


    A strange sense of urgency and bloodlust began to churn in his blood¡­

 Chapter 47: Time to Head Back

    Author¡¯s note: Shout out to Jago Spencer. Any queue is cleared. All donation will be removed, until further notice. Chapters shall be released on a new schedule after hiatus (as we build up more chapters). We wish you all a good day.


    Host¡¯s note: Author went on hiatus when this chapter came out and did some scattered releases. He¡¯s currently on hiatus now at chapter 52. Which we¡¯ll catch up to in 2 days¡­ Releases will stop once we catch up, but I will be checking daily for when the next chapter is out so I can bring it to you. I also contacted the author to see if he was willing to send me chapter 52 early so I can host it here, but I haven¡¯t gotten a response.


    <hr />


    < Jin Clan¡¯s Mansion >


    In a yard decorated with a small pond and a few small trees, a girl in pink dress was flying across the area. With each step and thrust of her palm, a small wind would be generated from her movements.


    After a while, the girl stopped and stood still as she took a deep breath. ¡°Huuu¡­this is the hundred and fortieth time I practiced this moveset. Now that this is the fifth day I¡¯ve been practicing this, I should have already grasped the [Four Season Palm]¡¯s 3rd layer, Spring under Summer¡¯s Wind.¡±


    After comprehending the first layer of [Four Season Palm], the next two layers almost came naturally for Xie Mei. It was as if the skill was meant for her, allowing her to easily understand its concept and integrate its moves.


    Xie Mei looked up at the clear sunny sky as she thought about her young master. A month has nearly passed, with the Annual Clans Gathering happening in just three days. Spring has already skipped away, with the hot humid air replacing the present weather.


    Thinking back to her master¡¯s change for the past few months, Xie Mei felt a strange feeling bubbling in her heart. The original hatred and fear she felt towards Jin Xia had by now, extinguished.


    After all, while the previous Jin Xia did treat her poorly, it was not to the point of being traumatizing. Rather, the good treatment that Jin Xia had given her for the past few months had been so dramatic and life-changing, that Xie Mei truly felt gratitude at the bottom of heart.


    With the hot sun beaming down on her, Xie Mei¡¯s eyes twinkled as she wondered what her young master could be up to now¡­


    ¡°Sister Xie Mei!¡± A sweet voice called.


    Turning around, Xie Mei saw a girl in light green dress skipping over happily. Behind her, were several young children following cutely behind her. They seemed to be enjoying themselves, occasionally laughing and poking at each other while they walked behind Fei Qing.


    Besides Fei Qing, a long haired girl in light purple garment gracefully walked towards Xie Mei. Similarly behind her, several children were attentively following behind her.


    ¡°Sister Fei Qing. Sister Fei Yu. ¡± Xie Mei smiled as she greeted the sisters.


    When her young master Jin Xia had brought over the two girls, Xie Mei had initially felt a bit conflicted in her heart for some reason. But after getting to personally know the girls, and hearing from them how ¡°Jin Xia had taken pity on them so he took them in¡±, only then did Xie Mei relax.


    And with their living quarters situated right next to each other, the three girls naturally many chances to talk with each other, thus strengthening their bond. By now, the girls were quite fond of one another.


    Walking up to Xie Mei, Fei Qing smiled widely as she said excitedly: ¡°Sister Xie Mei, the patriarch told us to start preparing. It seems we¡¯ll be leaving shortly!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Sister Xie Mei, you have been practicing since the break of dawn. It¡¯s already the afternoon now, so you should go rest and get ready to leave soon.¡± Fei Yu kindly added as she gave Xie Mei a smile.


    Although the two Fei sisters told Xie Mei a fictional reason as to why Jin Xia had taken them in, the two girls were still very comfortable with Xie Mei. They did not want to drag her into their own affairs, thus they did not tell her any details about their goals and revenge.


    ¡°Mn. Thank you, Sister Fei Yu and Sister Fei Qing. I will go get my stuff soon.¡± Xie Mei replied smilingly.


    ¡°Hehe, Sister Xie Mei is always so hardworking. Even though I heard you started cultivating later than us, you¡¯re already at the 7th stage of Wudan! This training speed..,I think it would only be right to call Sister Xie Mei a genius now.¡± Fei Qing giggled happily.


    Each time when Xie Mei broke through in the Wudan Realm, she could distinctly feel her bones and muscles strengthening. Her dantian was even expanding a tiny bit as she increased her level.


    Moreover, since Xie Mei had diligently ate the martial pills Jin Xia had given her, while training physically each evening, her breakthrough had been relatively painless; with most of the discomfort being whittled away by the pills and her pain sensors being hardened through grueling practices!


    Xie Mei smiled as she replied: ¡°Sister Fei Qing, what are you saying? Compared to me, you two sisters are even more amazing¡­having broken into the Spiritual Dan realm, you¡¯re practically on the same level as our core family members!¡±


    With Jin Xia¡¯s medicine and martial manuals, the Jin Clan members have gone through a dramatic transformation with their cultivation. By now, most of the elders and high level members of the Jin Clan have broken through the Spiritual Dan realm, with many of them being in the 1st stage, while the patriarch was at the 3rd stage of Spiritual Dan.


    Even Jin Xia¡¯s mother, Jia Yue Bing, reached the 2nd stage of Spiritual Dan, becoming the second most powerful person in the Jin Clan. Although Jia Yue Bing¡¯s innate quality was the same as her husband, quality of three, because she was nourished with more high-graded pills by Jin Xia, she was able to advance through the Wudan stage with much ease, just like Jin Liu Dan.


    This was also how many super-clans tend to ¡®powerlevel¡¯ their younger generations, as truly, with a few potent pills and herbs, getting out of the Wudan Realm is not much of an issue; albeit there are many cases of weaker foundations later on¡­


    But with the rapid pace of advancement and high grade skills those super-clansmen tend to be treated with, the weak foundations are often covered up through quantity, rather than quality.


    And likewise, with this surge of cultivation, Jia Yue Bing, who had been often neglected due to her low cultivation and gentle personality, instantly became one of the more prominent figures in the Jin Clan. With power, naturally comes greater respect and fame.


    As for the younger Jin generation, several of them had reached either the 6th or 7th stage of Wudan, with the strongest now being in the 8th stage.


    This was because almost all of the Jin Clan¡¯s younger practitioners only possessed an innate quality of  2 or 3, with an Ordinary Bloodline. Thus, even though the medicine and techniques helped boosted their cultivation speed, they did not increase it to the point where the lower levels could be ascended more ¡®easily.¡¯


    Besides the Jin Clansmen, though, the Fei sisters made the most progress, having rapidly reached the 3rd stage of Spiritual Dan! However, with their innate quality of 5 combined with great pills and skills, this progress is not out of the expected; if Jin Xia had been there to witness their progress.


    ¡°Hey Big Sis Fei Yu~ Uncle Liu Dan said we¡¯ll be leaving soon~¡±


    As the Fei sisters were chatting with Xie Mei, a short, black haired girl ran up towards Fei Yu¡¯s back and gently tugged the latter¡¯s dress as she said in a high pitched voice.


    Yu Fei turned towards her and smiled gently as she replied: ¡°Alright, Little Cao Cao, sister will get ready soon, so just wait a bit more, ok?¡±


    ¡°Mmn!¡± The little girl named ¡®Cao Cao¡¯ grinned as she turned around and ran towards her friends.


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯ll have to get ready soon.¡± Xie Mei smiled when she saw this scene. Although she did not personally interact with the children much, having been immersed in her training, but the few times she did she could tell that the children were all good. In fact, some even seemed much more mature than their age revealed¡­


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll head back first and get a few things done before I go. I¡¯ll wait for you outside!¡± Fei Qing said as she skipped happily away. ¡°Let¡¯s go, children!¡±


    The group of little kids playing around heard Fei Qing¡¯s call, and immediately ran after her, laughing.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go outside first and wait for you both to get ready.¡± Fei Yu gently nodded towards Xie Mei before she left as well, with the children following behind her.


    Lifting her head towards the sky again, Xie Mei softly murmured to herself. ¡°I wonder how Young Master has been¡­¡±


    ***


    ¡°Grr¡­form for me!¡± Hu Feng growled under his breath.


    His eyes closed, sitting in a lotus-position on a large, gray boulder in the middle of the forest. Beads of sweat was pouring from his forehead, as Hu Feng struggled internally.


    At this time, a stern voice rang out:


    ¡°Focus! Sense your dantian and guide the Qi inside your body towards it! Just imagine as a sea of water being poured into your dantian! If you run out of Qi, or have difficulty locating anymore inside your body, hurry and start drawing more World Qi around you and continue sending it into your dantian!¡±


    Hu Feng gritted his teeth as he tried to follow Jin Xia¡¯s instructions. Slowly, the World Qi that has been accumulating inside his body started to flow towards his dantian. It felt as if all the energy inside his body was focusing on one point.


    ¡°Do not lose your concentration! Do not try to form your Spirit Core yet, let it accumulate! Once you feel as if it¡¯s about to burst, then start condensing it! Imagine the mass of World Qi inside your dantian as a giant, foamy ball; then picture yourself slowly compressing it! Keep on molding it and do not stop! Your core should form by itself automatically afterwards!¡±


    ¡°Ughh¡­¡± Sweat rained from every pore on Hu Feng¡¯s chubby body as he seemed to glisten in the morning sun.


    Directing his entire attention inside his body, the moment Hu Feng felt his dantian start to flare up, he immediately began to imagine a set of ¡®hands¡¯ slowly compressing down ¡®mass of Qi ball¡¯ inside his dantian. As he did so, Hu Feng could slowly feel the energy inside the ¡®mass of Qi ball¡¯ getting stronger and stronger.


    The aura around Hu Feng began to strengthen as well.


    After some time, a sudden *BOOM* sound resonated inside Hu Feng¡¯s body, followed by a relaxing *Pshhh* sound. A surge of powerful aura burst out from Hu Feng at the same time, leveling some of the tall stalks of grass around him.


    Unlike Jin Xia, Hu Feng was unable to minutely control his soul nor his Qi energy, thus he could not hide his newfound aura from bursting out each time he made a breakthrough.


    Usually, within several meters, if a person breaks through, the sudden release of a fresh aura would alert nearby experts. As for whether those experts would visit the person who made a breakthrough with good intention or not¡­only they would know.


    But with Jin Xia by Hu Feng¡¯s side, any dangerous was more or less manageable; adding on to the fact that the duo was in deep in the Sun Forest.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Only extremely few experts could do what Jin Xia did, suppressing his breakthrough aura from leaking.


    This was how he had been able to advance in the Jin Clan without any nearby experts noticing, much less even his family who were residing close to him.


    ¡°Huuuu¡­..¡± Hu Feng slowly exhaled as he opened his eyes.


    Right now, he could vaguely sense a small, bead-sized orb inside his dantian. He could feel a very concentrated energy emanating from the bead.


    ¡°So¡­this is the Spiritual Dan realm¡­?¡± Hu Feng murmured in pleasant surprise. He could feel his body invigorated with a new type of vitality. It was  very different from the usual, coarse energy that Hu Feng had barely felt in his body when he was in the Wudan Realm!


    While Hu Feng was busy inspecting the changes in his body, Jin Xia, who had been leaning against a thick tree and eating a batch of wild grapes, slowly walked over to him.


    ¡°Now, that you¡­*nom*¡­are at the Spiritual Dan 1st stage, you will mainly have to focus on absorbing World Qi and consolidating it into your dantian. This way, your Spirit Core will strengthen and grow. All the World Qi you absorb will be centered in your Spirit Core and will not disperse throughout your body like when you were in the Wudan realm. It¡¯ll be like your Qi energy tank.


    And the more solid colored your core is, the stronger your cultivation would be, and the easier it¡¯ll be to break through to the next stage and realm. But don¡¯t neglect to train your body as well even though you¡¯re not in the Wudan realm anymore.¡± Jin Xia explained as he directly munched on the vine of grapes.


    ¡°Though World Qi may help toughen the body as well, it¡¯s always safe to ensure you know how to control your body¡¯s movement more efficiently through physical training¡­you don¡¯t want to suddenly stumble in a life and death battle!¡± ¡¯


    ¡°Yes, thank you for your guidance Brother Jin Xia!¡± Hu Feng nodded, as he lifted his head and looked at Jin Xia. There was a sharp glint of determination and deep gratitude in his eyes.


    Over the past month, Hu Feng had personally witnessed just how insane and monstrous his fellow brother was.


    After entering the mountains for three days, Jia Xia had directly helped open all twenty of Hu Feng¡¯s meridians at once. The sensation Hu Feng felt afterwards was akin to being born alive.


    He astonishingly found that the speed and volume of World Qi he could absorb have surpassed his past records by a vast margin. It was like comparing being able to take a tiny sip of water to now being able to take chugs of a giant glass of water!


    Because of that though, Hu Feng only needed several minutes before his dantian was full and had to go through another several minutes of a condensing process; compared to his usual tens of days of absorbing and another set of weeks needed to ¡®digest¡¯ the World Qi!


    As for the rest of the days, they were mainly spent having Jin Xia slaughter late staged Wudan beasts or early staged Spiritual Dan beasts in the forest. Jin Xia had to suppress his aura many times, in order to attract beasts to them for battle; especially for Hu Feng to train with.


    Whenever they came across an Earth elemental beast or Water elemental, Hu Feng would always see Jin Xia harvesting their monster core. The latter did not do the same for regular Savage beasts, rather those cores were given to Hu Feng to further cultivate with. But Hu Feng did not pay much attention to that, as he was often busying trying to protect himself.


    Along with the special pills that were given by Jin Xia, his fully opened meridians and his set of Godly Profound Veins, Hu Feng¡¯s cultivation naturally increased at a much rapid rate than normal people¡¯s.


    And besides mediating from night to early morning, with a day or two of full sleep, the hours were spent fighting against savage beast. When they weren¡¯t fighting, Hu Feng would be practicing his martial arts instead, while Jin Xia laid around savoring wild fruits.


    Although Hu Feng had not personally witness Jin Xia cultivate more than a few times at night, each time he saw Jin Xia the next morning, the latter¡¯s aura would have strengthened greatly somehow.


    Then, during a full moon, Jin Xia had asked Hu Feng for his family martial books. If it was any other person, Hu Feng might not have been so inclined to give it, as it was his original family skills. But to Jin Xia, who had helped him without reserve, Hu Feng did not mind at all.


    (TL: ¡°Full moon¡± is usually the 15th or 16th of a month, according to the Chinese Calendar; so it¡¯s like the middle of the month)


    But what he did not imagine was, besides looking at his family¡¯s skill book, Jin Xia had, at the same time, wrote a completely different set of technique in accordance to Hu Feng¡¯s techniques. Jin Xia had said it was a ¡®little modification¡¯ to his techniques.


    While Hu Feng was confused at first, when he actually looked at the ¡®modified¡¯ version of his family techniques, his doubts were covered up with another pang of shock. Interestingly, Hu Feng had found the manual to be much easier to understand, and when tried to practice it, he found that his body almost moved accordingly, step by step, to the instructions in the book!


    Although Hu Feng had many questions, Jin Xia had promptly shut him down by telling him not ask about anything, The youth had told Hu Feng that he was a bit ¡®better with his eyes¡¯ than most people, so he was able to locate a few flaws in his book and fix it. And that everything was done for him because he was Jin Xia¡¯s ¡®first fellow brother.¡¯


    Now, with Hu Feng¡¯s knowledge from Earth, he did not quite believe Jin Xia¡¯s words at all. From the many Wuxia Web novels he had read before, an ability such as modifying skills or even opening meridians were already extremely rare and powerful. So for both techniques to be exhibited by a mere sixteen to seventeen years old¡­? Either Hu Feng was correct in thinking that Jin Xia was a reincarnated human, or this world was just simply absurd.


    Hu Feng chose to believe in the former assumption.


    But he did not say anything. From his initial meeting with Jin Xia, Hu Feng already knew that it was not easy to have Jin Xia say anything if the latter did not wish to. He¡¯ll just have to continue observing by Jin Xia¡¯s side and hope that one day, either he would have solid evidences to prove Jin Xia¡¯s real identity, or the latter tells him straight up.


    Jin Xia, on the other hand, did not know what Hu Feng was thinking, of course.


    The reasons why he chose to modify Hu Feng¡¯s skill books were because one, Jin Xia could not see through Hu Feng¡¯s soul. Even when he had a peek into the chubby youth¡¯s soul domain, most of the latter¡¯s soul was covered and hidden from Jin Xia¡¯s observance.


    Second, while Jin Xia could tell the skill compatibility of a person just through their body and inner physiques, it was not as accurate as directly checking that person¡¯s soul. There was only about 90% chance of compatibility, if observed through physical characteristics only.


    And lastly, because Hu Feng was the ¡®first non-blood related brother¡¯ Jin Xia had acknowledged in this world, he was more inclined to give the latter greater benefits. It was the same for Xie Mei. She was the first female whom Jin Xia had a rather good impression of through the previous host¡¯s memories and his own personal meetings, thus he had opted to directly opened twenty of her meridians at once, contrary to him wanting to wait to open all of the Fei sisters¡¯ meridians.


    As such, Jin Xia decided to help modify Hu Feng¡¯s family skills, since techniques passed down through bloodline were mainly the most compatible with those of same heritage.


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve finally broke through, it¡¯s time to go back.¡± Jin Xia nonchalantly said as he began to head towards a different direction.


    ¡°Eh? Go back?¡± Hu Feng asked, confused.


    ¡°What are you saying? Did you forget about the Annual Clans¡¯ Gathering Competition that¡¯s going to happen tomorrow?¡± Jin Xia responded as he continued to walk.


    Hu Feng awkwardly scratched his hand. ¡°Oh, there was that..¡±


    In truth, he had completely forgotten about the upcoming competition. After being immersed in his training and being busy trying to keep his wits around Jin Xia, Hu Feng almost had no time to worry about other things. Even his life was put at danger everyday, with strong savage beasts popping up left and right¡­just how could he have the time to care about other matters?


    As Hu Feng followed behind Jin Xia, the latter suddenly stopped.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Brother Jin Xia?¡± Hu Feng asked as he looked at Jin Xia.


    Jin Xia slightly turned his head as he gazed at the dense patch of trees to his right, as if he was searching for something.


    Hu Feng followed Jin Xia¡¯s line of sight as well, but all he could see were pillars after pillars of trees and wild grasses. There was no sign of movement either.


    ¡°Did you sense something, Brother Jin Xia?¡± Hu Feng asked cautiously.


    Having been with Jin Xia in the forest for about a month, Hu Feng came to trust Jin Xia¡¯s absolutely keen senses. The latter youth always seemed to be able to detect a monster right before it appears; this was how Hu Feng was able to prepare himself each time before the fight!


    Jin Xia narrowed his eyes and lowered his head slightly as he sank into contemplation, but after a while, he lifted his head and turned around once again.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. I must have sense something¡­wrong, I guess. Let¡¯s go.¡± Jin Xia said casually.


    Seeing that no beast was about to pop out, Hu Feng gave a shrug and walked after Jin Xia. But Jin Xia¡¯s next words made Hu Feng¡¯s body instantly cringe.


    ¡°Since we have nearly a whole day left, let us race on foot to the Azure capital city. It¡¯ll serve as our warm, and it¡¯s only a few miles west from here I believe.¡±


    ¡°Mother of¡ª¡± Hu Feng cursed in his mind as an feeling of despair welled up in him. As a practitioner, one would have almost near perfect memories, so Hu Feng had naturally remembered a map of the Great Azure Country he had seen once.


    While the Azure Province was indeed located west of Taiyang Province area, Hu Feng estimates that if they were to start from the Sun Forest, the distance was at least twenty miles!


    ¡°And even after breaking through, how the hell do I still have this fatass body¡­my god!¡± Hu Feng wailed silently as he chased after Jin Xia, who had suddenly decided to sprint out of the blue.


    After the duo rapidly traveled quite far away from their original spot, the area that Jin Xia had been looking at a while ago slightly twisted. The air and the trees around looked as if they were being compressed for a moment, before they all returned back to normal.


    No one appeared, and the space resumed it original appearance. A barely audible sigh of relief seemingly floated out of nowhere.


    Chirping of birds whistled through the forest, as the hot summer sun gently smiled upon the blooming flowers growing nearby¡­

 Chapter 48: Azure City

    Host¡¯s note: Host not author.


    <hr />


    Azure City.


    Hailed as the greatest city in the entire Great Azure Country; it commanded over eleven other Provinces and was home to the country¡¯s very own royal family, the Lan Clan!


    With a population of over 197,000 people, the city was quite large, being only slightly greater in size than its fellow Noble-ranked municipality, the Red Sun City. While compared to the rest of WuDang, with an estimated total population of twenty billion inhabitants, the Azure City was not much.


    Even if set next to the Eastern Moon Continent, a massive land that stretches an impressive fifty thousand square miles(77700 square km) and hosts nearly seven billion people, there was almost no need for a competition.


    But if compared to the overall Great Azure Country, with a sum population of about 590,000, including villagers, and an surface area spanning 1,746 square miles (4,521 square km), the Azure City practically made up around one-third of the country¡¯s population!


    Since the world of WuDang had existed for nearly a two trillion years, several eras have passed by; such as the earliest Primordial Era, then the Stelliferous, the Ancient Era, and the Hell Era.


    The current period is the Martial Era, an epoch where martial arts and power are kings and each person is aspiring to rise to the top of the hierarchy.


    In this time, where wars are commonly waged between a few weaker countries, the Great Azure Country was one of such participants. A country, that was erected five thousands years ago along, was unable to compare to the stronger countries that existed for nearly tens or even hundreds thousands of years. Thus, it could only attempt to grow its power through conquering other countries.


    The Lan Clan was often the first to wage war against another weaker or slightly comparable country, in an hungry attempt to seize that country¡¯s resources. The royal family did not care what method they used to achieve their goal, be it bribing other country¡¯s officials to start a rebellion, or even launching sneak attacks.


    And while the Lan Clan appeared humble and gentle on the surface, they were extremely wary of anyone who seeks to challenge their authority. Those who had once opposed the royal clan before had all been wiped from the Great Azure Country long ago¡­


    Thus, very few dare to disobey the Lan Clan, regardless of their status. The only result was death.


    However, being aware of subtle fear of their subordinates, the Lan Clan made a tradition where the few hundred clans in the country would compete with one another every year. The winner of the competition would receive great benefits from the royal family, making the Lan Clan look benevolent while asserting its dominance among the many clan masters! It was a way for the royal family to provide benefits to its followers in a way that would make itself appear stronger.


    As such, the Azure City today was packed with a large mass of crowd. Every several minutes, a group of people would be entering the city, chatting excitedly with each other. Loud shouts from nearby vendors rang out, offering discounts and whole deals. The city was practically booming with excitement and liveliness!


    The streets were bustling with different colored uniforms and robes, as each person rushed towards one particular area: The Blue Imperial Colosseum.


    The Blue Imperial Colosseum was a specially constructed arena located at the center of the city. It was quite spacious, with countless stands elevated around a massive, circular battle stage. Many people had already arrived and were sitting patiently on the stands, awaiting for the main event.


    The colosseum was booming with noise, as people streamed in from four different large gates of the building and took their respective seat.


    Sitting at the very front of the stands were all prominent families in the Great Azure Country, while the middle and end seats were filled up by commoners or by practitioners from smaller clans.


    Situated directly north of the huge battle ground, was a particular eye catching seat. With a tall chair spine made of white marble and two solid arms, the big seat was occupied by an aged man with gray hair.


    Wearing a golden robe decorated with expensive gems, the person had a face full of wrinkles, a grecian nose, and small beady eyes that exuded a light of shrewdness, looking to be around his early sixties.


    The old man seated on the marble seat also gave off a dangerous, thick aura; and when he swept his eyes across the other stands, none of small clan masters dared to meet eyes with him. They all lowered their head in respect and fear, with some forcing an awkward smile in response.


    There were two other seats to the left and right side of the old man, albeit at a slightly lower elevation to the middle seat. The right chair was currently empty.


    But to the left of the golden robed old man, sat a forty to forty five years old looking man in mountain patterned armor. His torso, shoulders and thighs were covered in a multitude of iron plates, with alternating brown and red colored designs.


    A thick bloody aura continuously exuded from the middle aged man¡¯s body, and his fierce gaze and scarred face did not help alleviate the fear of the surrounding people who looked at him.


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    Wearing a sword sheathe by his right side, the middle aged man sat with an air full of arrogance, both his hands resting on his thighs of his open legs as he leaned forward, surveying the entering crowd of people.


    The two men sat quietly, looking at the streams of people. No one was willing to approach them, nor dared to disturb them. The several clans masters could only offer a polite bow or a forced smile whenever they faced the two men.


    ¡°Reporting to Royal Father Lan Fu.¡±


    A respectful voice called out, as a young man in his early thirties, wearing an expensive looking, blue robe walked up to the old man seated at the center and gave a low bow.


    The man had two patches moustache under his straight nose, as his eyes were filled with clarity. While he looked quite normal, the young man¡¯s body faintly gave off the aura of an 8th staged Spiritual Dan practitioner!


    The elderly man named ¡®Lan Fu¡¯ looked at the blue robed man with a small smile as he said in a deep, gruff voice: ¡°So you¡¯re back. Speak. After going out collecting information for the past month, how are the numbers this year?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Out of the hundred clans, we have received confirmation from only ninety clans this year. Based on our intelligence report, those clans were either eradicated in a struggle of power or lost their ruling strength over the past year. In particular, we lost five major clans from two different provinces.


    They include the Gao clan, Fei clan, and the Ting clan that were all eliminated by the Jin Clan from Tian City. Then, there were the prominent Meng clan and Fan clan from Red Sun City that both fell from an onslaught by the Ju clan, Bronze Turtle clan, Grass Snake clan, and the Gong clan. The rest of the destroyed clans were all minor ones.¡±


    ¡°Your report would have been perfect, if not for a single omission¡­We already know about the Meng clan and Fan clan. And with their strength, a few combined clans should not have been able to cause their downfall¡­¡± King Lan Fu said, with an intelligent glow in his eyes. ¡°So do you know how they truly fell down, Gan¡¯er?¡±


    (NOTE: Chinese kings tend to refer to themselves as ¡°WE¡± not ¡°I¡±. )


    ¡°Your royal son¡¯s intelligence gathering is too poor. I ask royal father to enlighten your ignorant son!¡± The man named ¡®Lan Gan¡¯ asked politely, seeing that his father already had a crucial piece of information that he did not receive in his own report. As the only son of the king, he had specially trained both mentally and physically at a young age in order to succeed the throne. However, even then it seems his father was always one step ahead of him, be in regards to cultivation or informational networking.


    ¡°It was because their patriarchs were killed beforehand by a someone.¡¯ King Lan Fu said solemnly, a strange smile playing on his lips. ¡°And it was apparently done by an youth, nonetheless.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Lan Gan looked at his father in shock.


    Although the Lan Clan was powerful, there were other great clans that lived nearby; these strong clans mostly inhabited Noble-ranked cities, like the Red Sun City. Thus, in order to ensure that the Lan Clan remains in power, the royal family had taken the initiative to establish a relationship with all those greater clans. The Fan clan and Meng clan were a part of this circle.


    Thus, Lan Gan understood those two clans¡¯  their level of power. With two Spiritual 9th stage practitioners in their arsenal and a few Spiritual Dan leveled elders, Lan Gan had felt that it was weird a few combined clans could shake the position of these two giants in Red Sun City. But hearing his father¡¯s words, Lan Gan was even more in confusion and shock.


    Off to the side, the middle aged man wearing the mountain patterned armor only frowned as his eyes radiated with soft killing intent. As the general of the royal family, Ma Tanzi was often the one in charge of clearing out any potential ¡®threats¡¯ to the Lan Clan. It did not matter what method he used, as the royal family would always help cover him. In return, he had led a life filled with mass murdering and carefree indulgence.


    At this moment, gasps could be heard echoing across the field as groups after groups of cultivators trod into the ground, each holding a distinct air of arrogance and pride.


    ¡°That¡¯s the Hou Clan! Ahh, Hou Jin looks as handsome as always!¡±


    ¡°Ah! That¡¯s the Wen Clan! They came this as well¡­¡±


    As the cultivator clans streamed in took their respective seats, many bystanders could not help but glance at them in awe. Each of those clans present were powers that many of them could not afford to offend as long as they wished to continue staying in the Great Azure Country¡­


    The last group of people did not attract as much attention, albeit a few soft jeering from nearby crowds. But they did not pay attention to those mockeries as they proceeded over to their seats, which were situated at the very back of the western side stand.


    As Jin Liu Dan took his seat, he could not help but glance towards the center of the colosseum, with hope and indignation glowing within his eyes. In a soft voice, he muttered to himself.


    ¡°I wonder when Xia¡¯er would arrive¡­¡±

 Chapter 49: King

    Host¡¯s note: Only chapter hosted for today. Two chapters until we catch up and start the waiting game.


    <hr />


    As stream after stream of people populated the streets of Azure City, two contrasting figures could be seen walking through the crowd.


    Walking on the right, was a handsome white robed youth who was currently holding a stick with tri-colored meat balls skewered through it. Right besides him, was another youth. This one was much more plump, wearing a visibly tattered blue robe; however there was a slightly an air of power around him. These two were obviously Jin Xia and Hu Feng.


    Making their way through the busy street towards the Blue Imperial Colosseum, Jin Xia bit off a blue colored meat ball off from the stick in his hand as he said, ¡°Too bad I can¡¯t fly yet, otherwise we wouldn¡¯t have to walk through this annoying section.¡±


    Hu Feng did not reply, opting to only glance at Jin Xia with a strange look on his face. Flying was an ability that only Emperor practitioners could possess. And for Hu Feng, that was still a long way off.


    When they finally made their way to the entrance of the large colosseum, there was only a small number of people still waiting to enter. By now, almost everyone have already taken their seat inside the colosseum. The competition seemed like it would be beginning very soon.


    At the entrance, Hu Feng suddenly turned to Jin Xia and cupped his hands. ¡°Alright, Brother Jin Xia. Since we¡¯ve finally arrived at the designated location, I will take my leave for now. Once the competition is over, I will be waiting for you at a nearby inn. You can just¨C¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you follow me inside?¡± Jin Xia interrupted, taking a bite off the pink colored meat ball from the skewer stick.


    ¡°Uh, that¡¯s because I was not chosen to represent my Hu clan? I told you this before, Brother Jin Xia¡­and not to mention, if my¡­¡¯family¡¯ sees me here, it won¡¯t too good for me. I haven¡¯t been home for a while, after all¡­¡± Hu Feng said carefully.


    In all honesty, it was not that he did not want to participate in the competition, but rather that he did not want to see his family. Being ridiculed by his family members and shunned by his parents, even now, Hu Feng was unaccustomed to such alienation. He had even thought once before that ¡°if this was back on Earth, he could have filed for a child abuse claim and be saved from this kind of family.¡± But here? He could only lower his head, endure everything, and hide away in the dark corners of his ¡± home¡±.


    A mysterious smile spread across Jin Xia¡¯s face as he looked at Hu Feng. ¡°Haha, Brother Hu Feng do not have to worry about such limitations, I assure you that they will not matter¡­soon. If anything, this will be a great experience for you to look at a battle between higher staged cultivators. And besides, I¡¯ll need you to help¡­identify your family clan in time.¡±


    ¡°?¡± Hu Feng had a confused expression as he looked back at Jin Xia. While Spiritual Dan realm is indeed a high level, considering that it¡¯s in the Great Azure Country, but in end it¡¯s just young people fighting against one another. What could be so ¡®high leveled¡¯ about that? And what did his family have to do with this?!


    Hu Feng hesitated for a long while, but seeing the creepy smile on Jin Xia¡¯s face and that stubborn light in his eyes, the former had no choice to give a helpless sigh in compliance. ¡°I¡­I guess I¡¯ll follow Brother Jin Xia in then. But if I¡¯m forced out, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you.¡±


    ¡°Haha, like I already said, you won¡¯t have to worry about that soon¡­¡± Jin Xia laughed as he bit off the last yellow colored meat ball from his stick. Keep the now cleaned stick in his hand, Jin Xia nonchalantly waved it around as he turned and began walking towards the entrance of the  Blue Imperial Colosseum.


    Hu Feng could only give another sigh before following.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    As the two were passing through the colosseum¡¯s entrance, which was like a short-lived tunnel, Jin Xia saw an attendant tending to the wealthy and influential families on the side.


    When Jin Xia approached, the attendant¡¯s eyes sparked open as the middle aged man came forward to greet Jin Xia. ¡°Young Master, seeing your heroic countenance, I assume you must be here to participate in the Annual Clans Gathering! May I ask which prominent household this young hero is from?¡±


    Judging from Jin Xia¡¯s handsome appearance and neat attire, the middle aged attendant had believed Jin Xia to have come from a powerful family. After all, only such families could afford to produce well groomed characters like this.


    ¡°Jin Xia.¡±


    The moment the attendant heard the name, a frown appeared on his face. An obvious color of disdain streaked across his eyes. As if sizing up Jin Xia once again, the middle aged man said with a voice that completely lacked the previous courtesy:


    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re that Jin Clan. Well, you sure dressed up fine today, huh. Just go right in then.¡±


    Then, without waiting any further, the attendant turned back around with an air of annoyance around him.


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    As for Hu Feng who was standing right besides Jin Xia, the attendant had paid even less attention to him. With the former¡¯s tattered look, it was no wonder.


    Jin Xia did not say anything further as he continued on. He was not dispositioned to argue with fickle minded people like the attendant. And Hu Feng did not speak either. This kind of treatment, he had already seen many times within his clan. Moreover, the victim of such treatments was naturally himself as well.


    Upon entering the Blue Imperial Colosseum, Jin Xia could see the spacious battleground inside. There were still many people walking around, bustling about and finding their seatings. From as far as Jin Xia¡¯s eyes could see, there were waves of people to be seen seated and chattering with the person besides them.


    After searching for a while, Jin Xia¡¯s eyes landed on a particular section at the back of the seating stadium. A gentle smile spread across his face as he began to head over towards that direction. Hu Feng silently followed behind, his head lowered as he tried to hide himself from prying eyes of his family.


    Approaching the back of the seatings, Jin Xia went up towards a seated middle aged man in cyan robe.


    ¡°Father, I am back.¡±


    Jin Liu Dan looked up at his son with delighted eyes as he quickly stood up. ¡°Haha, Xia¡¯er! You¡¯ve finally returned.¡±


    With the initial cold reception of the people in the colosseum, Liu Dan and the other clansmen had opted to cut off any attention to their surrounding. After all, who would want to purposefully hear spiteful words that are being said about them or their lans and yet, be unable to act?


    Only a hard determined light could be seen within the eyes of the Jin clansmen as they endured and tried not to focus on anything for the time being. This time, the competition was going to be different.


    As such, none of them noticed Jin Xia walking up to them until the latter spoke. Gathering themselves to their feet, they quickly greeted Jin Xia respectfully. This was the current number one person in their clan, after all. The other party¡¯s status was not something that these youths could ignore, even if they¡¯re in the same younger generation.


    ¡°Where is mother?¡± Jin Xia asked after giving an acknowledging nod to the others.


    Jin Liu Dan smiled bitterly as he replied: ¡°Your mother is very sensitive, so I did not wish to bring her to this competition. After all, even though our clan may have improved and would prove that here today, the initial reception towards our clan¡­is still unfavorable. I did not want your mother to see all this, so I asked her to stay home for the time being.¡°


    ¡°Mmn¡­I see.¡± Jin Xia nodded his head and took a seat next to his father.


    After Jin Xia sat down, the other members also finally took their seat as well. The commotion caused by the Jin clansmen did not impact anyone within the colosseum. It was simply too loud and bustling with activity for anyone to pay attention to a small Jin Clan.


    While the Jin clansmen waited for the competition to begin, Jin Liu Dan continuously stared towards the other end of the colosseum. That was where the royalty was residing in.


    ¡°We can finally truly rise up in this competition this time¡­finally¡­finally¡­¡± Liu Dan murmured under his breath as he stared ahead.


    Jin Xia glanced at his Jin Liu Dan and saw a subtle look of envy, indignation¡­and desire in his eyes when the latter stared towards the throne.


    ¡°Does father wish to¡­become a king?¡± Jin Xia suddenly asked, turning to look at Jin Liu Dan.


    The middle aged man had a shocked expression before it quickly turned into one of worry. ¡°Wh-what are you, Xia¡¯er! You must not ask such a question here! This is the territory of the royal clan; you must be careful of what you say or you¡¯ll bring calamity upon our clan!¡±


    While Jin Liu Dan had faith in his son¡¯s ability, he was unclear on the power that the royal clan wielded. With the royal family being established in the Great Azure Country for so long, Liu Dan had come to believe in its invincibility.


    As such, even though Liu Dan remembered his son telling him that his cultivation was at the 6th stage of Xing Profound, to Liu Dan himself, he did not know how it would compare to other powerful patriarchs. He could only assume that such large families would already have such powerful experts, from the scratches of overblown rumors that he had heard outside. Little did he know, that his son had already dispatched two of such ¡®invincible experts¡¯; and those two had merely been at the peak of the Spiritual Dan realm!


    Jin Xia did not say anything after that, as he turned to look at the other end of the colosseum.


    Thinking that his son had understood him, Liu Dan breathed a sigh of relief. However, he failed to hear the faint murmuring coming from Jin Xia.


    ¡°Hmm¡­a king, huh. If we have a ¡®king¡¯ that might¡­actually be useful.¡±

 Chapter 50: Tea

    Host¡¯s note: Host not author.


    <hr />


    Inside the grand colosseum, while everyone is settling down, several prominent figures could be seen conversing amongst themselves.


    ¡°Who do you predict will take first place in this year¡¯s Annual Gathering, Wen Zhou?¡± A black robed youth, with a sinister faced asked to the blue clothed youth beside him.


    ¡°The Hou clan has taken first for the past three years. From how I see it, it will most likely be this way today as well. What do you think, Chen Ju?¡± The blue robed youth named ¡®Wen Zhou¡¯ calmly replied. Although his face was ordinary, there are rich aura revolving around him.


    ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m betting on the Niu Clan this time around. They have been trailing behind in second places for a while now, so it should be any day now that they take first place for once!¡± Chen Ju replied with a grin.


    ¡°Then if we were to go by what you¡¯re saying, then clans like our Wen Clan and your Chen clan should have a fair shot, no? We¡¯ve been trailing as third and fourth places after all.¡± Wen Zhou jokingly said.


    ¡°Heh, I won¡¯t deny that possibility.¡± Chen Ju responded, a faint determined light shining within his eyes.


    From the conversation between the two youths, it could be seen that they were quite close to each other, despite the coming from a different family.


    For years, clans like the Wen Clan, Chen Clan, Niu Clan, and Hou Clan have kept their spots among the top ten clans during the Annual Clans Gatherings for years. Their position may have been switched around here and there, but rarely had any one of them fell out of the top ten spots.


    Compared to these large powerhouses, clans like Ju Clan, Bronze Turtle Clan, Grass Snake Clan, and the Gong Clan could at best occupy the top twenty five spots. Other clans could barely even keep their top thirty spots. From this, it could be said that with the exception of the top ten spots, any ranks below that are very volatile.


    The Lan Clan do not participate in the Annual Clans Gathering. Their presence is merely that of a meditator, to be there to showcase their might without making a move.


    It was even said that several tens of years ago, the Annual Clans Gatherings had been a way for the royal family to sniff out any ¡®threats¡¯ to their power. Once they discover that a family was too powerful, they will put the Lan Clan on alert.


    If the Lan Fu finds the clan to have any ill or discontent showing on their face towards his rule, he will immediately dispatch his men on the spot to eradicate them, regardless of their status. But if that rising clan swears loyalty to his family, then Lan Fu would take their top geniuses and have them train within his royal estate; providing them with the greatest resources and ensuring that they do not grow to betray his own clan in the future!


    So while the Annual Clans Gathering was a way for various families to display their might and establish their positions, it was more so for the Lan Clan to ¡®check up¡¯ on them.


    ¡°Ahh¡­I still remember that final showdown between Brother Niu Ken and Brother Hou Lang. It was such an intense duel between two fellow mid-staged Spiritual Dan practitioners that had left my blood boiling for days!¡± Chen Ju recalled as fervent look filled his eyes.


    ¡°Yes, but unfortunately Brother Niu Ken had lost by just a small margin. If he did not spent too much of his spirit qi trying to end the fight quickly, he may have been able to withstand Brother Hou Lang¡¯s ¡®Sky Scraping Strike¡¯! But alas..¡± Wen Zhou seemed to begin reminiscing as well.


    The two youths continued to chat with each other, when suddenly, a loud booming voice filled the air.


    ¡°Anyone have some tea on them?¡±


    The voice was extremely loud, ricocheting across the entire colosseum. The massive crowd of chattering instantly died down as everyone turned towards the direction where the voice came from.


    Standing up at the very end of the seatings, was a handsome white robed holding what looks like a skewer stick in his right hand. The youth had a smile on his face as he continued, his voice strangely filling up the entire colosseum:


    ¡°I have just finished eating this Tri-colored Demon Beef Ball a while ago, and now I¡¯m feeling a bit thirsty. A cool, cherry flower tea would be perfect. Does anyone here have such tea on them at the moment?¡±


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    By now, the eyes of the audience had landed on the body of this youth as frowns and confusion appeared on their face.


    What the hell is this person even saying? Tea? Who would bother carrying around a common good like the Cherry Flower Tea on them, when they could carry more useful stuff?! This person must have something wrong with his head!


    And when people saw that the youth was actually standing at the very back of the stadium, they knew that the other party must not be that influential. Only those with a prominent name were qualified to be seated at the front. Upon noticing this, many annoyed and disdainful expressions appeared on the faces of the people in the crowd, especially the men.


    However, the snow robed youth¡¯s handsome appearance made them feel quite depressed, as they could see several females already being entranced by the other party¡¯s looks¡­


    And that youth who spoke was naturally Jin Xia!


    Jin Liu Dan, who was still seated by Jin Xia, blinked several times as he looked at his son. He was unsure what to say. Several moments before, Jin Xia had been patiently watching the crowd when the former suddenly stood up and spoke out loudly. Even as the father, Liu Dan still could not quite understood his son¡¯s actions; and this feeling had only been growing increasingly stronger over time¡­


    Jin Xia surveyed the quiet crowd briefly, a faint hint of disdain flickered within his eyes. Just as someone was about to say something, Jin Xia leaped from his section towards the stage at the center of the colosseum.


    ¡°Stop! No one is allowed to enter the battle stage before the competition begins!¡±


    ¡°How insolent! Get back here!:


    Immediately, two elders who were standing guard around the stage quickly flew out to intercept Jin Xia.


    From their expensive brown garments and the symbol ¡®Lan¡¯ on their chest area, they were obviously elders from the royal family. And judging from the strong aura that they carried, they seemed to have quite a decent position within the Lan clan!


    As Jin Xia rapidly neared the stage, the two elders likewise honed in on him.


    ¡°Two mere Spiritual Dan ants want to block me¡­and you¡¯re not even a high level one! Scram!¡± Jin Xia sneered as he flicked his sleeve.


    An enormous pressure shot out towards the incoming royal elders. Although the elders had been prepared to attack Jin Xia, the latter¡¯s sudden move was simply too quick. No, it should be said that it was too powerful.


    When the elders felt the energy that was heading towards them, a sense of weakness had instantly washed over them. As if their body knew it was incapable of blocking or even escaping from this attack!


    The only time something like this had happened was when these elders had spared against King Lan Fu ¡­


    A frightening thought appeared briefly in the elders¡¯ mind before the energy crashed against their body.


    *Spew*


    Coughing up blood, the elders¡¯ body bent over as they flew back like a cannonball, crashing against a wall stand. Cries of shock rang out from the sections where the two elders smashed into.


    The crowd looked on in astonishment as they tried to comprehend the entire scene. Because Jin Xia had purposely directed his energy towards the elders, precisely concealing off any Qi leakage, the surrounding observers could not feel Jin Xia¡¯s Qi aura.


    As such, all they saw was Jin Xia slightly flicking his sleeve, before the elders flew back while coughing up blood. No signs of movement came from the elders afterwards. Whether they were dead or alive was questionable.


    King Lan Fu furrowed his brows as he stared at Jin Xia¡¯s figure on the stage. Earlier, during that brief exchange, he was unable to probe the white robed youth¡¯s aura. He wasn¡¯t even sure how Jin Xia had attacked without exposing his Qi aura, which greatly made him feel uneasy.


    The more King Lan Fu stared at Jin Xia, the more solemn his expression became until a faint cold light appeared within his eyes.

 Chapter 51: Crumble

    Host¡¯s note: I hosted this story on RRL for the author. Past tense because the future is unknown from here on out.


    <hr />


    ¡°So it is him¡­¡±


    King Lan Fu murmured to himself as he stared at Jin Xia standing at the center of the colosseum.


    By his side, Lan Gan likewise had a serious expression while looking towards the stage. As royalty, in this kind of situation, it would only be right for the King or the Prince to speak up.


    If it was any other evildoer, the situation would be quickly reversed around.However, following the sudden bizarre turns of event, Lan Gan did not know what to say. The strange comments made by the youth and the instant dispatching of two royal elders without a leak in Qi energy¡­these scenarios had simply never happened before!


    Looking back to his father, Lan Gan could likewise see a pondering look on the former¡¯s face. With a solemn expression, Lan Gan turned towards the section where he had previously saw the white robed youth flew out from.


    ¡°Over there should be where the Jin Clan is situated¡­but with their status and power, how could they dare have someone so audacious. Or could it be the Hanmu Clan besides them? No no, they definitely wouldn¡¯t¡­just¡­what is going on? A rebellion? Or is it simply a madman?¡± Lan Gan¡¯s mind raced as he tried to organize everything he had seen.


    Yet, no matter how hard he tried, he could not think of any clan who would dare go against their royal family. The only explanation was that an anomaly had appeared¡­an anomaly that was a madman!


    While Lan Gan was trying to figure out Jin Xia¡¯s state of mind, another youth was likewise doing the same at a far away corner of the colosseum. With a chubby appearance, the young man had a strange expression while he stared at Jin Xia, who was standing calmly on the stage.


    ¡°This guy¡­just what is trying to do? Is it he not aware tha¡ª wait, why is he not afraid? Could it be¡­his cultivation level has¡­? But, but¡­ during our training, I haven¡¯t even seen him meditate once! Just what is going on¡­¡± Hu Feng, who was sitting among the shocked group of Jin clansmen, tried to understand the ¡®logic¡¯ behind Jin Xia¡¯s move.


    Since he was merely at the first stage of Spiritual Dan, Hu Feng could obviously not feel other practitioner¡¯s cultivation level. As such, even though he had been with Jin Xia for the past month training in the mountain, Hu Feng still had no idea of Jin Xia¡¯s power level.


    ¡°How crude. Two elders moving out at once to attack a youth, is that what the Lan clan like to do?¡± Jin Xia sneered as he stood loftily on stage.


    His voice echoed across the colosseum as everyone stared mutely at the white robed youth. Before, they had been mocking Jin Xia due to his status and sudden appearance. However, now that they had seen the other party¡¯s strength, some even began to think long and hard about Jin Xia¡¯s previous question*, trying to figure out if there were any hidden meanings behind it. There are even some who were still trying to wrap their heads around Jin Xia coming from the Jin Clan¡¯s section, causing a few to feel a certain sense of trepidation¡­


    *The previous question this is referring to, is when Jin Xia asked the crowd if anyone had Cherry Flower Tea on them.


    Lan Fu stared at Jin Xia a while longer before he finally spoke, his rough laugher breaking the silence.


    ¡°Haha, to think a young hero like you to appear in this generation, and to even come from my very own Great Azure country, the Heaven has truly treated my Lan clan well!¡±


    Jin Xia slowly turned to look at the location where the king sat, a strange gleam within his black pupils.


    ¡°Child, what is your name?¡± Lan Fu asked as his raspy voice pierced the air, looking down at Jin Xia from his high seat.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Jin Xia gazed slightly upward at Lan Fu, a thoughtful expression appearing on his face, before he began to walk towards the king.


    A smile silently stretched across Lan Fu¡¯s face when he saw Jin Xia¡¯s action.


    ¡°Look, it seems that kid is going to pay proper respect to the king!¡±


    ¡°Of course he would! Although I¡¯m not sure how he defeated those two elders, in the end, those two guards are nothing in comparison to the king!¡±


    ¡°Originally I thought he would actually cause a ruckus here, but alas, it must have been merely for him to catch the eyes of King Lan Fu. After all, who would dare to truly agitate the royal family?¡±


    ¡°Damn! How ingenious! With that display of strength, even if that boy beat a few royal elders the king would most likely forgive him as long as he is willing to be loyal to the royal family¡­Maybe I should¡¯ve jumped up there earlier as well¡­¡±


    Whispers drifted through the crowd as everyone began to discuss with one another, seeing Jin Xia slowly walking towards the King¡¯s direction.


    After he was approximately ten feet away from the high throne where King Lan Fu sat, Jin Xia stood still. A faint smile glowed on his face.


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    However, contrary to popular expectations, the youth did not bow. Nor did he knelt, much less even a word of acknowledgment and respect to the king.


    Instead, a clear voice rang throughout the colosseum, stunning everyone who heard it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t enjoy people talking down to me, while seated up high. And I can¡¯t see you quite well from here¡­Why don¡¯t you come for me?¡±


    Without waiting, Jin Xia flicked his sleeves as a massive black colored Qi energy shot towards the bottom of the stone stand. With the intense speed it was traveling, in no time, a loud explosion could be heard as the white stone began to break apart.


    Lan Fu¡¯s eyes widened when he saw the black Qi energy. Before, he could not clearly see Jin Xia¡¯s attack, but now that he was close up¡­


    The stone stand beneath the king¡¯s throne soon crumbled to the ground.


    The audience around once again watched on in utter shock, their mouth agape in trepidation.


    He¡­actually dared to attack the king!


    At this moment, many people felt that Jin Xia was doomed. To attack a royal family was naturally already a high offense enough to warrant a complete death. But to dare attack the ruthless Lan clan in a grand occasion such as this¡­one can only imagine the torture the royal family would do to the youth in order for them to gain back their face!


    However, there were a few within the crowd who watched with a strange expression, both mixed with dread and awe.


    ¡°That¡­was materialisation of Qi energy!¡± An elderly man in green robe murmured.


    ¡°An ability like that is something only a Xing Profound eccentric could wield¡­that, that child, how could he send out his Qi energy?!¡± Another old man softly said in shock. ¡°And I cannot even feel a shred of aura from him either¡­¡±


    The old generation within the crowd, who were all at least Spiritual Dan, was able to clearly understand the meaning of the black Qi energy released by Jin Xia.


    Their minds spun as they tried to comprehend everything, while they began to think back about the rumors a few months ago on a sixteen years old who was said to have reached the Xing Profound realm¡­could it be¡­?


    By now, no one dwelled on the fact that Jin Xia came from the Jin Clan. In front of them was only the incomparably audacious youth and the bleak future before him.


    As the dust cleared, a figure could be seen seated on a half shattered throne. While his body and hair remained untouched despite the thick billows of dust, a murderous air had formed around Lan Fu¡¯s body. An evil gleam shone darkly within his eyes as he looked towards Jin Xia, who was now on the same ground level.


    The smile which had been plastered over the king¡¯s face was still there. It was just that a chilling touch was now present. A faint frown could be seen sitting at the center of Lan Fu¡¯s eyebrows.


    ¡°Ah, now I can see you better.¡± Jin Xia smiled as he gazed back at Lan Fu. ¡°I¡¯m called Jin Xia. Now,  tell me, isn¡¯t the ground a more fitting place for you to speak?¡±


    Lan Fu did not continue to reply as he slowly raised his left hand. Quickly, several of auras appeared within the vicinity. And judging from the level of auras, there were at least eight Spiritual Dan practitioners! The rest of the auras ranged between the late stages of Wudan to the peak.


    When the surrounding audience felt the auras, they immediately sucked in an air of cold breath; especially for the various clans present. Although those cultivators had not revealed themselves yet, their auras had already allowed the people to understand the terrifying lineup of the royal family.


    Such number of Spiritual Dan practitioners coupled with several late Wudan practitioners was not something that even major clans from the other provinces within the Great Azure Country could withstand! This was the elite squad of the royal family!


    But on the stage, Jin Xia seemed unperturbed. In fact, he did not even bother glancing around him or attempting to track down the location of these auras.


    To the current him, these levels of aura¡­were insignificant.


    <hr />


    Author¡¯s note: I promise the next chapter will have some more... action.


    Host¡¯s note: We¡¯re all caught up to the latest chapter on the author¡¯s site. Now, time to wait. I¡¯ve contacted the author and I¡¯ll be checking his site daily to find out what comes next in this hosting journey. I encourage you to rate and/or review this story.


    Also, we broke 1000 average views, almost have 200 followers, and over 60 favorites. That is quite impressive stats for a fiction page under one month. Then again, there was 2-3 updates per day and the quality of this story is above average.


    This is either a new beginning or an end. I say goodbye to all of you and wait alongside you for the fabled and elusive chapter 52.

 Chapter 52: Question

    Host¡¯s note: I¡¯m hosting this for the author on RRL; I¡¯m not the author. I also did some PR and fixed a few mistakes before posting, but I think I missed some. Feel free to comment about any mistakes in the chapter.


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    One by one, figures began to slowly emerge and file into the colosseum. Many of them came from the royal family¡¯s section, but there had even been a few who had hidden themselves amongst the dense crowd itself.


    In total, eleven Spiritual Dan practitioners were in the squad, with four being in the middle stages, four being in the early stages, and three at the late 9th stage of Spiritual Dan!


    Within moments, these Dan cultivators had formed a circle around Jin Xia and the king; their eyes shining with a piercing cold light as they glared at the white robed youth. There was a look of awe, fear, and anger mixed within their eyes. They had naturally seen Jin Xia¡¯s prowess when he blew back the two elders¡­ as well as the black energy that Jin Xia attacked with! That¡­ was an ability available to only those who¡¯ve reached the Xing Profound realm!


    However none of them was able to feel even a drop of Qi aura coming from Jin Xia, so they were unsure if the youth had truly reached the Xing Profound realm. Perhaps he had used a trick or special item to launch that Qi energy? After all, such items were rare but not impossible to obtain.


    And seeing how strange Jin Xia was, it might not be a surprise that the youth may have obtained something heavenly!


    A few of the practitioners¡¯ eyes glowed with greed, while the others looked on with caution and skepticism.


    They stood silently, awaiting the order of the king.


    Lan Fu slowly rose from his broken throne as he strained to contain the malicious aura within him from leaking out. Staring intently at Jin Xia the entire time, he tried to ask in a calm manner, though a slight tremble of excitement could be heard in his tone.


    ¡°Child, no, young man¡­ have you reached the¡­ Xing Profound realm?¡±


    The surrounding crowd hushed at the king¡¯s questions. The quiet was due to two reasons: the first being that all the weaker cultivators utterly taken back by the king¡¯s words, and the other being that the few strong experts were awaiting the confirmation of their disbelief.


    Jin Xia smiled for a moment before he coolly replied.


    ¡°Xing Profound realm? I am not at this level.¡±


    At Jin Xia¡¯s words, the king Lan Fu frowned as he looked deeply at Jin Xia. However, he could not detect any falsehood from Jin Xia¡¯s words, nor could he look through the other¡¯s cultivation level.


    Could it be that he had seen wrongly? No! That was impossible. Then, could it be that the child had some sort of rare treasure that he had deployed?


    The surrounding experts also heaved a sigh of relief at Jin Xia¡¯s words, but they did not let their guard down. The more skeptical ones did not relinquish their tenseness at all. These people continued to observe Jin Xia and the situation.


    If Jin Xia was not at the Xing Profound, with his earlier display of strength, he should probably be somewhere in the high ranks of the Spiritual Dan! After all, peak Spiritual Dan practitioners could temporarily release Qi energy attacks as well, but only truly powerful ones would be able to do so.


    As for Jin Xia¡¯s blank aura, many had already guessed that the youth must have used some special method to completely cover it up. Perhaps it could even be a rare sealing treasure!


    Lan Fu thought for a moment longer before he looked back up at Jin Xia. A light of viciousness was now in his eyes as a murderous air leaked out of him freely.


    He had come to the same conclusion as the experts around him: that Jin Xia might have reached the peak of the Spiritual Dan realm and had been able to somehow temporarily use materialised Qi energy attacks.


    If Jin Xia had been at Xing Profound realm, Lan Fu might consider trying to rope Jin Xia. But for peak Spiritual Dan¡­ while this was an impressive feat to have such power at a young age, the other party was rebellious power.


    Unless the youth was near his own cultivation realm, Lan Fu would not consider even sparing him, regardless of the other¡¯s talent. As long as Jin Xia was a threat to his royal family, he was willing to spare any cost to eliminate that budding threat!


    So what if he was a once in a millennium genius? To oppose his Lan family, the only path was death!


    Pushing out Jin Xia¡¯s talented prowess out of his mind, Lan Fu focused his mind solely on his growing killing intent instead. As he silently glared at Jin Xia with a fake, cold smile, he asked in a raspy voice.


    ¡°If so, then do you¡­ have anything you want to say? If you want to explain anything yourself, now is most certainly your only chance, child¡­¡±


    Jin Xia smiled as he said, ¡°I have already explained my reasons earlier. But I do have a question.¡±


    ¡°...And that is?¡± Lan Fu said as the killing intent around began to steadily increase due to Jin Xia¡¯s answer.


    ¡°If I kill you, does that mean I will become king of this country? Or do I have to annihilate the entire royal family?¡± Jin Xia replied with a smile that was not a smile. ¡°Oh, but if you and the royal family surrenders and transfer the position over to me, I can of course let you go.¡±


    Suddenly, an explosive murderous aura rose into the sky. Lan Fu¡¯s face at this time did not possess the smile he originally had. All of it was gone now, replaced with a icy dark expression.


    The onlookers stared with bated breath as shock swirled within their heart. That statement¡­ was equivalent to a declaration of rebellion! Someone was actually rebelling!


    On a distant section, Jin Liu Dan and all the Jin clansmen had a pale expression. They did not know what to do anymore.


    Hu Dang stared at Jin Xia¡¯s figure as questions and shock and confusion all raged within him. Finally, he could not help but sigh to himself.


    ¡®Such a behavior¡­ either you must be a lunatic, a once-in-a-millennium legendary cultivator reborned, or¡­¡¯ Hu Dang thought silently as he gazed at Jin Xia. ¡®...or you are someone similar to me¡­¡¯


    Lan Fu glared venomously at Jin Xia as he growled, his demeanor as a king now completely replaced with coldness and murderous air.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°Good, good! It is unfortunate that a genius such as yourself would choose this route, but I guess all talents have their own phase of arrogance. However, you have truly crossed the limit now. Even if you are a hundred times more talented...vyou, will still die here. Your entire clan will be eradicated as well.¡±


    Each words were said calmly, yet each sentence was filled with strong killing intent.


    Jin Xia¡¯s smile slightly faltered as a faint anger could be felt within his eyes. While his Jin clan was not related to his true self, it was still the family of his current body. And since he occupied this body, the old Jin Xia¡¯s family was likewise his!


    During those previous months, the emotions that had been sealed away when Jin Xia was a deity were surging back inside. He was beginning to feel, like a mortal. There had even possibly been a slight alteration in his train of thought as well, with him placing a bit more emphasis on relations than he had done before!


    ¡°Since I was generous enough to give you a way out, yet you refused to take it¡­ very well. Though given the mindset of cultivators like you and this current predicament, perhaps it cannot be blamed that you would react as such.¡± Jin Xia calmly spoke as he looked towards the Jin clan¡¯s section out of the corner of his eyes.


    ¡°So I will do this: whoever that opposes me now, I will eradicate; but for those who chooses to surrender and leave, I will spare, regardless of your status or cultivation level.¡±


    The surrounding cultivators from the royal family had mocking look on their face as they glared at Jin Xia. Lan Fu had a sneer on his face as he decided to speak no more. The child before was truly arrogant to the extreme, like a naive lamb that has yet to experienced the cruel law of the jungle outside!


    He raised his left hand for a brief moment before flipping it down.


    ¡°Kill.¡± Lan Fu softly ordered at the same time.


    Immediately, several cultivators rapidly shot towards Jin Xia.


    At the same time, royal guards began to approach the Jin Clan section. Since Lan Fu had already seen where Jin Xia had been seated, and after hearing the youth¡¯s name, he had ordered several guards to take care of the group of Jin clansmen who were present. He would then swiftly deal with the rest of the Jin clan later.


    Today, those who were surnamed ¡°Jin¡± will not leave this colosseum alive!


    Right as four mid-staged Spiritual Dan practitioners pounced on Jin Xia, the latter¡¯s figure blurred before disappearing from the spot.


    ¡°?!¡±


    ¡°W-what! Where did that brat go?!¡±


    Their questions were quickly answered when a series of miserable cries rang out from behind. Turning around, they quickly saw several royal guards being dispatched at once. Heads flew, bloods spilt, and limbs were shattered!


    The royal cultivators¡¯ pupils shrunk as they stared in disbelief. Among the pile of fallen royal guards, at its center, stood a white robed figure, Jin Xia!


    ¡°This¡­ how, how was he able to arrive there so quickly?!¡±


    But just as the four Spiritual Dan practitioners, the ones who had pounced on Jin Xia, tried to move, they suddenly felt that they were strangely stuck in place. It was as if their body had lost connection with their brain; no, it was more as if¡­ they could not feeling anything below them!


    The four looked down at their body before their head started to spin.


    At some point, a large hole had appeared in the center of his chest. And they had not even sensed the pain, much less the impact. In fact, they could not even understand when they were attacked at all!


    As blood poured from the giant hole on their chest, the four men, whose cultivation level could easily shake the entire Great Azure country, fell to the ground. Their body, now forever one with the eternal dust...


    The remaining seven Spiritual Dan cultivators were greatly stirred by their comrades¡¯ death, much less the peak Wudan practitioners who stood around in trepidation. None of had even seen the moment of attack!


    Even Lan Fu, who had somewhat regained his cool, furrowed his brows in deep anxiety.


    ¡°With my cultivation level, I could not see through him. Four Spiritual Dan practitioners died right under my nose and I did not even know how they died...And now that movement skill which I couldn¡¯t even sense...¡± Lan Fu silently thought as his expression rapidly darkened.


    Things were starting to look worse and worse, and more questions had begun to sprout.


    ¡°Could he be someone from the outside, who had hid inside the Jin Clan until now?¡±


    After a while, Lan Fu came to another conclusion about Jin Xia¡¯s identity. Given the talent and skills that Jin Xia had displayed, Lan Fu had never even heard of anyone being capable of displaying within the Great Azure Country.


    And with Jin Xia¡¯s sudden emergence, there were truly suspicious points to be carefully considered.


    ¡°Ahh!!¡±


    ¡°S-stop! I-I-Ahh!¡±


    Blood splattered everyone as Jin Xia mercilessly flicked his arms left and right, with black Qi energy firing everyone. None of the royal guards had been able to escape.


    All the along Jin Xia had expected that the royal family would attack his people. Given that the king must have already knew his identity, his clan that was here would naturally suffer the consequence of his forthcoming actions, had he been unprepared.


    When everyone saw the black Qi energy continuously been shot out by Jin Xia, a chill ran down their spine.


    Lan Fu had an extremely heavy expression as he stared at Jin Xia.


    No peak Spiritual Dan practitioner could use materialized Qi energy continuously like Jin Xia did. Only¡­ a Xing Profound expert could do so!


    ¡®Was I¡­ tricked?¡¯ Lan Fu thought as a certain urgency and fear began to rise in him.


    That boy¡­ is hiding too many secrets within him! He must be eliminated at all cost!


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    Host¡¯s note: Managed to get the author to send me 52. The story is officially off hiatus and resuming updates.