《Invincible Cultivation System》 Chapter 1: Betrayal and Retribution Amid the crumbling hall of a declining sect, a cacophony of angry voices filled the air. ¡°What¡¯s with all this noise?¡± Chu Tian groggily opened his eyes, only to be stunned by the sight before him¡ªa group of people clad in ancient robes were hurling insults at him. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Where am I?¡± He tried to move but found his body paralyzed, his entire form numb. At the same time, fragmented memories flooded his mind as though forcefully uploaded. ¡°What the hell? Did I¡­ transmigrate? No way! All I did was celebrate finishing college exams with a few drinks, and now this?¡± Panic gripped him as he tried to sit up, but his body refused to obey. Slumped like a heap of useless flesh in a chair, he could only stare at the angry faces pointing fingers at him. A middle-aged man in a green robe, his eyes red with emotion, stood nearby, bowing and apologizing profusely to the crowd. ¡°Please, spare his life!¡± ¡°Spare him? Sect Master Chu, stop shielding him! Hand him over to the Tianxing Sect, or they¡¯ll destroy our tiny sect with just a few elite disciples!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! He dared to spy on the Tianxing Sect Master¡¯s daughter while she was bathing. We cannot shelter such behavior!¡± ¡°For the future of the sect, Sect Master, you must surrender him.¡± The room was in chaos, and the Sect Master looked as if he were being publicly condemned. Chu Tian¡¯s gaze darted between the accusatory crowd and the fragmented memories flooding his mind. He quickly pieced together the situation¡ªhe had been framed by a young woman. That woman, Feng Luo, was the daughter of the Tianxing Sect Master, a third-tier sect. Chu Tian, however, belonged to the insignificant Tianyun Sect and was none other than the son of its Sect Master, likely to inherit the position. What made him a target was his exceptional talent. At just sixteen, he had already reached the pinnacle of the Golden Core stage. This should have been a cause for celebration in the Tianyun Sect, but it posed a threat to the Tianxing Sect. They feared that if he continued to progress, Tianyun might rise to a third-tier sect, potentially surpassing them. Thus, Feng Luo conspired with the son of Tianyun¡¯s Grand Elder, a young man named Fang Long. Together, they lured Chu Tian to a secluded spot where Tianxing Sect assassins awaited. Feng Luo staged the scene to make it look like Chu Tian was peeping on her while she bathed. Though Chu Tian saw nothing, he was labeled a pervert, and a group attacked him. In the end, Chu Tian¡¯s body burned out his Golden Core in a desperate escape, leaving him crippled. Now, paralyzed and on the verge of death, he watched his last traces of soul dissipate.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. As he pitied the fading soul, Chu Tian silently promised, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take care of your family.¡± But his resolve was immediately tested as he realized he couldn¡¯t move a muscle. The Sect Master, determined to protect Chu Tian, pleaded, ¡°Everyone, as members of the Tianyun Sect, let¡¯s at least hide Tian¡¯er. If the Tianxing Sect comes asking, we¡¯ll say he fled. How about that?¡± Fang Long sneered. ¡°Sect Master, you can¡¯t cover this up. Just hand him over!¡± The Sect Master, cornered, turned cold. ¡°If you won¡¯t relent, then I¡¯ll take my son and leave the sect!¡± The Grand Elder, Fang Long¡¯s father, smirked. ¡°Leave? Do you think you can get past us elders?¡± The Sect Master clenched his teeth and stood protectively before Chu Tian. With a determined look, he declared, ¡°Tian¡¯er, don¡¯t be afraid. If it comes to it, I¡¯ll renounce my position as Sect Master and fight our way out!¡± Moved by this selfless act, Chu Tian¡¯s heart swelled with warmth. On Earth, he was an orphan who had never known a father¡¯s love. Though this man wasn¡¯t his real father, his genuine care struck a chord deep within. Realizing that escape was impossible, Chu Tian mustered his courage and said, ¡°Father, don¡¯t worry about me!¡± Hearing Chu Tian speak, the Sect Master¡¯s eyes lit up with hope. ¡°You can talk?!¡± Chu Tian nodded, exhilarated to find his voice. His gaze locked onto Fang Long, and his voice rang with fury. ¡°Fang Long, you despicable traitor! You lured me to Feng Luo¡¯s bathing spot to frame me!¡± The revelation stunned the other elders, who exchanged uneasy glances. Fang Long immediately denied it. ¡°You¡¯re slandering me!¡± ¡°Slandering you? Pfft! Do I need to? Who do you think you are, you cowardly scum?¡± Fang Long¡¯s face darkened with rage. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Desperate to silence Chu Tian before the truth spread, Fang Long lunged forward. Just then, a mechanical voice echoed in Chu Tian¡¯s mind. ¡°Ding~ Congratulations, Host! You have activated the Taunt and Fury System. Current Level: 0. Spiritual Spring depleted. Would you like to repair it?¡± Chu Tian blinked in surprise. A taunt system? And it rewards me for making people angry? As the Sect Master continued to shield him from attacks, Chu Tian shouted in his mind, ¡°Repair it! Quickly!¡± A surge of warmth coursed through his body, and when he checked internally, he saw a restored Spiritual Spring forming in his dantian. ¡°Spiritual Spring restored. Level: 0. Newcomer Gift Pack received. Would you like to open it?¡± ¡°Yes! Open it now!¡± ¡°Gift Pack Contents: One Beginner¡¯s Experience Pill, Two Basic Earth Immortal Possession Tokens, Level 10 Growth Pack, and a defensive technique¡ª¡®Thousand Layers Demon Armor¡¯ (unlocked at Level 5).¡± Without hesitation, Chu Tian consumed the pill. ¡°Experience gained: 10,000. Level up to 9th Stage of Qi Refinement!¡± As his cultivation soared, Chu Tian felt strength flood his body. He sprang to his feet, clad in the Thousand Layers Demon Armor¡ªa shimmering black aura enveloping him like an unyielding fortress. With a fierce roar, he charged forward, grabbing Fang Long and slamming him into the ground. The crowd was stunned into silence. Chu Tian glared at the Grand Elder and his followers, his voice booming, ¡°Anyone else? Step forward if you dare!¡± Panic spread among the elders. The Sect Master, bloodied but alive, beamed with pride. ¡°Tian¡¯er¡­¡± Chu Tian turned and smiled. ¡°Father, rest now. Leave the rest to me.¡± But the Grand Elder seethed. ¡°You little brat! The Tianxing Sect will have your head!¡± Chu Tian smirked. ¡°Let them come. I¡¯ll stomp them just like I stomped your useless son!¡± ¡°Ding~ Taunt successful. Fury Points +1.¡± As Fang Long writhed beneath Chu Tian¡¯s foot, spitting blood, he screamed, ¡°Wait until Feng Luo¡¯s people arrive! You¡¯re dead!¡± ¡°Ding~ Fury Points +1.¡± Chu Tian pressed harder, laughing coldly. ¡°Let them come. You¡¯ll all meet the same end!¡± At that moment, a disciple burst into the hall, panicking. ¡°Bad news! Two Golden Core experts from the Tianxing Sect are here for the Young Master¡¯s life!¡± Chapter 2: Isn鈥檛 This Impressive? Bring It On! Just as those words fell, before anyone could react, two young men in their twenties, clad in brown robes and stepping on swords, appeared at the doorway. Without saying a word, the two descended. With a series of hand gestures and incantations, their swords roared like ferocious beasts and charged straight at Chu Tian. The crowd was horrified. They hadn''t expected these two to immediately go for Chu Tian''s life. Chu Tian himself cursed Feng Luo, that treacherous woman, for her ruthlessness. In Chu Tian¡¯s eyes, this was no longer a simple matter of demanding accountability. This was clearly an attempt to silence him forever. His hatred for Feng Luo deepened, and he swore to himself that he would capture her and see what kind of heartless person she truly was. But now, faced with a dire enemy, he had to focus on survival. After all, he knew that cultivators at the Golden Core stage were far superior to those in the Qi Refining stage. Even with his five-layer magical armor for defense, it was at best effective against Foundation Establishment cultivators. Against the Golden Core stage, it was utterly inadequate. In this life-and-death moment, he thought of the Beginner Earth Immortal Possession Experience Talisman. Without hesitation, he shouted, "Quick! Activate the Beginner Earth Immortal Possession Experience Talisman!" ¡°Ding~ Beginner Earth Immortal Possession Experience Talisman successfully activated. Character level: 9. You may borrow 0.9% of an Earth Immortal''s power! Duration: 10 minutes.¡± ¡°What the¡ª0.9%?!¡± Just then, the two massive swords struck Chu Tian, only to be deflected. They clanged to the ground with a loud crash, leaving the onlookers dumbfounded. Chu Tian himself was stunned. He quickly checked his internal strength and realized that even 0.9% of an Earth Immortal¡¯s power far exceeded his peak strength during the Golden Core stage. This realization filled him with exhilaration. He laughed heartily, "Hahaha! Is that pathetic swordsmanship all you¡¯ve got? And you think you can hurt me?" The two attackers were enraged and once again directed their swords at Chu Tian. ¡°Ding~ Congratulations, host! You¡¯ve gained +1 Rage Point.¡± Chu Tian was delighted. "Come on! Keep going! If you can''t kill me, you''re my grandsons!" The crowd witnessed an unbelievable sight: the two swords kept striking Chu Tian, but it was as though they were hitting an impenetrable stone wall. The black aura surrounding Chu Tian repelled every attack. Meanwhile, his Rage Points continued to accumulate, until the system chimed again: ¡°Taunt limit reached. No more Rage Points can be gained from these targets.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Chu Tian felt a bit disappointed but, noticing that he had accumulated ten Rage Points, he grinned and said, "Not bad. Time to deal with these two." Chu Tian turned to the two exhausted attackers with a cold smile. ¡°You two are useless now. Time to die!¡± In a flash, Chu Tian appeared behind the two men and struck with his fists. The sheer force of his attacks sent the two flying. With the power of 0.9% of an Earth Immortal, killing two Golden Core cultivators was as easy as slaughtering pigs. As their lifeless bodies fell, the crowd shivered. Fang Long, who was lying on the ground, fainted from fright. The Grand Elder''s face turned ashen, resembling pig liver. The crowd was dead silent, save for the sound of trembling.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Chu Tian glanced at the two corpses indifferently, then looked at the terrified Grand Elder and sneered. ¡°Old Turtle, take these two corpses back to the Heavenly Star Sect. Tell them that if they dare come again, I¡¯ll send them off in the same way!¡± Hearing that he could leave, the Grand Elder, who had been so domineering moments ago, immediately turned meek. Stammering and trembling, he said, ¡°Y-Young Sect Master, w-what about my son?¡± Chu Tian smirked at the change in tone and said coldly, ¡°That bastard caused me no small amount of trouble. Do you think I¡¯ll let him go? Or do you want to stay here with him?¡± The Grand Elder, now terrified, hurriedly turned to leave. But just a few steps away, a sudden palm strike from behind sent him flying. Spitting out a mouthful of blood, he gasped in horror. ¡°Y-you... You went back on your word!¡± Chu Tian sneered. ¡°I said you could take them away, but I never said you¡¯d leave unscathed. Old Turtle!¡± ¡°You!¡± ¡°Go now. Maybe you¡¯ll make it back in time for the Heavenly Star Sect to save your life.¡± Barely able to stand, the Grand Elder yelled weakly at his companions, ¡°Help me leave!¡± Watching the Grand Elder¡¯s miserable state, the onlookers immediately bowed and congratulated, ¡°Congratulations, Young Sect Master!¡± Chu Tian scanned the crowd and sneered, ¡°Whoever laid hands on my father earlier, step forward now.¡± Several people turned pale. Chu Tian''s father, the Sect Master, snapped out of his shock and anxiously said, ¡°Tian¡¯er, let this go.¡± Chu Tian shook his head. ¡°No, Father. If we don¡¯t teach these people a lesson, there¡¯ll only be more traitors next time.¡± The Sect Master, sensing the change in his son, said nothing further. The culprits stepped forward one by one. Chu Tian wasted no time. Using his overwhelming strength, he crippled their cultivation bases on the spot and warned, ¡°Consider yourselves lucky to leave with your lives. Next time, you won¡¯t be so fortunate!¡± The crippled cultivators, surprisingly, expressed gratitude. ¡°Thank you, Young Sect Master!¡± Chu Tian, however, knew that keeping such disloyal people in the sect was meaningless. He ordered their removal from the sect entirely. In an instant, the sect was plunged into turmoil. Even the Grand Elder¡¯s son, Fang Long, was executed on the spot. The already small sect was reduced to a mere two or three hundred members. After everything was settled, Chu Tian slumped into a chair in the grand hall, utterly drained. Only the heavily injured Sect Master remained. He stared at Chu Tian in disbelief. ¡°Tian¡¯er, you¡­¡± Chu Tian forced a smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Father. Just exhausted.¡± The Sect Master¡¯s expression grew serious. ¡°Maybe we should leave the sect behind and avoid further trouble.¡± Chu Tian chuckled. ¡°Father, are you worried the Heavenly Star Sect will come for us?¡± The Sect Master said nothing, but Chu Tian understood. The Heavenly Star Sect was a third-rate sect with thousands of members, far stronger than their own Tianyun Sect. Destroying them would be effortless. But Chu Tian, brimming with confidence, declared, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Father. As long as I¡¯m here, anyone who comes will leave as my grandson!¡± Seeing Chu Tian¡¯s resolute confidence and recalling the immense power he had displayed earlier, the Sect Master finally smiled. ¡°Alright.¡± After helping his father to rest, Chu Tian returned to his room to examine the system. ¡°Ten Rage Points. What should I exchange them for?¡± The system¡¯s shop offered countless options¡ªpills, techniques, magical weapons, materials, and even more powerful Earth Immortal Possession Talismans. However, the more powerful items required far more Rage Points. Chu Tian sighed. ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll have to settle for something basic.¡± He scrolled through the options until one item caught his eye. ¡°Beginner Treasure Map Locator and Teleportation Talisman. Costs ten Rage Points.¡± ¡°A treasure map teleportation talisman? Does this mean it¡¯ll teleport me directly to treasure?¡± Skeptical but with no other choice, Chu Tian redeemed it. ¡°Beginner Treasure Map Locator and Teleportation Talisman obtained. Use now?¡± ¡°Use it!¡± In a flash of white light, Chu Tian found himself in a warehouse filled with bottles and a strong medicinal scent. ¡°What the¡­ Where am I?¡± Seeing a sign nearby that read ¡°Hundred Herbs Hall Warehouse,¡± Chu Tian was both shocked and overjoyed. ¡°Haha! Isn¡¯t this the big pharmacy owned by the Heavenly Star Sect?¡± Realizing it belonged to the Heavenly Star Sect, Chu Tian¡¯s eyes gleamed with greed. He began consuming the most valuable herbs and pills, stuffing the rest into a spatial pouch. After emptying the warehouse, Chu Tian let out a satisfied burp. But suddenly, his body felt like it was about to explode. ¡°What¡¯s happening?!¡± As his meridians began to rupture, Chu Tian panicked. ¡°I overdid it! I¡¯m going to explode!¡± He had always known the saying ¡°medicine is three parts poison,¡± but his greed had overtaken his reason. Now, the accumulated potency of the pills was wreaking havoc inside him. ¡°Ding~ Congratulations, host! Reached Qi Refining Stage 10. Would you like to open the Level 10 Growth Gift Pack?¡± ¡°Open a gift pack now?!¡± Lying weakly on the ground, Chu Tian despaired. But knowing he couldn¡¯t die here and risk the Heavenly Star Sect desecrating his corpse, he clung to hope and shouted, ¡°Open it!¡± Chapter 3: The Madmans Foundation "Congratulations, Host! You''ve obtained: a fire-element lower-grade mortal weapon, the Fire Dragon Sword; a Foundation Establishment cultivation method, Nine-Nine Madman''s Foundation; and a Level 15 Growth Pack." Chu Tian looked at the sword in his hand, but its presence didn¡¯t comfort him¡ªhe still faced imminent death. Disheartened, he shifted his gaze to the Foundation Establishment method, Nine-Nine Madman''s Foundation. Upon reading it, his eyes lit up with hope. "There''s a way out¡ªI''m saved!" In the past, Foundation Establishment for Chu Tian involved forcefully consuming a Foundation Pill at the tenth level of Qi Refinement. This method came with an alarmingly high failure rate, and on this continent, fewer than one in ten thousand succeeded. But Nine-Nine Madman''s Foundation was different. It relied on self-cultivation, requiring the practitioner to complete 81 cycles of Foundation Establishment to achieve true success. However, the process demanded an enormous amount of energy. Right now, Chu Tian''s body was brimming with the medicinal power of various pills. If he could convert this energy into what the cultivation method required, he could save himself. Elated, Chu Tian began cultivating according to the method. The spiritual energy exploding within his body was redirected into his dantian, calming the sense of swelling and imminent collapse. After an hour, Chu Tian let out a burp, exhaled deeply, and smiled in relief. "Ah, that feels amazing!" Unfortunately, he had only completed 36 cycles, far from the required 81. After a quick glance at the loot he had packed, Chu Tian decided to return home and continue his attempts. For now, leaving this place was the priority. Just as he approached the door, a warehouse manager disciple entered and froze upon seeing Chu Tian amidst the chaos. Panicking, the disciple shouted, "Thief! You''re dead meat!" The disciple charged at Chu Tian, who sneered. "With your strength? You think you can take me down? Go train for a few more years!" "I''m in the early Foundation Establishment stage!" the disciple retorted indignantly. "Ding~ Anger value +1." Chu Tian found this amusing. Seeing that he couldn''t overpower Chu Tian, the disciple bolted, yelling, "You just wait! I''m getting reinforcements!" Chu Tian smirked and followed him leisurely. Before long, the hallway was swarming with ordinary disciples stationed at the Hundred Herbs Hall. Most were only in the early or mid Foundation Establishment stage. None of them could even scratch Chu Tian''s magical armor barrier. In fact, they were easily defeated, allowing Chu Tian to leave the Hundred Herbs Hall unscathed. By the time the experts of the Heavenly Star Sect heard of the incident, Chu Tian had long vanished. Enraged, the sect''s leadership convened an emergency meeting to discuss how to handle Chu Tian''s alarming resurgence in power. Back at the sect, Chu Tian consumed the stolen pills with abandon and continued cultivating Nine-Nine Madman''s Foundation. However, days later, he had only progressed from 36 to 60 cycles. The process grew increasingly difficult. Sighing, Chu Tian muttered, "To complete this Foundation Establishment, I might have to consume the resources of an entire small sect." The thought left him incredulous but undeterred. He believed that once completed, this cultivation method would result in an unparalleled dantian. Determined, he stepped outside, only to see his father, Sect Master Chu, pacing anxiously nearby.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "Father, waiting for me?" Sect Master Chu hesitated, his expression troubled. Chu Tian smiled. "Father, whatever it is, just say it." After a pause, the sect master sighed. "The sect is losing members daily. In a few more days, it''ll just be us." Chu Tian''s face darkened. "What do you mean?" "The Heavenly Star Sect issued a decree a few days ago: any member of the Heavenly Cloud Sect will be accepted unconditionally." Chu Tian laughed bitterly. "The Heavenly Star Sect? A mere third-rate sect? Poaching members from our nameless sect? Isn¡¯t that ridiculous?" Sect Master Chu sighed again. "Tian¡¯er, though this sect was founded by your maternal grandfather, we can''t go on like this." Chu Tian shook his head resolutely. "Father, didn¡¯t you say that Mother would return once the sect becomes first-rate?" The mention of this caused the sect master''s face to fall. A buried memory surfaced in Chu Tian''s mind¡ªthree years ago, his mother left a letter, stating that she would return once the Heavenly Cloud Sect achieved first-rate status. Though the circumstances were unclear, this was undoubtedly the deepest regret of his predecessor''s soul. The sect master sighed in defeat. "Forget it. The sect is on the verge of collapse." "No," Chu Tian said firmly. "I¡¯ve worked so hard all these years to lead the Heavenly Cloud Sect to become first-rate." Sect Master Chu looked at his son''s determined gaze and shook his head helplessly. "Tian¡¯er, why this stubbornness?" "Father, this isn''t stubbornness. If I run away now, won''t it show that I fear the Heavenly Star Sect? And if we leave, how will we ever see Mother again? Can you accept that?" These words struck a chord with the sect master, who nodded heavily. "You''re right. We must see her again!" Chu Tian smiled. "That¡¯s the spirit. Leave the sect¡¯s affairs to me." "What¡¯s your plan?" the sect master asked. "The Heavenly Star Sect has a spirit mine nearby, right? I¡¯ll go stir up some trouble!" Alarmed, the sect master warned, "Be careful. They say even Golden Core experts guard that place¡ª" "Relax! It¡¯s a minor matter." Chu Tian slipped away. Standing at the edge of a dense forest, he smirked coldly. "Heavenly Star Sect, and you, you vile woman¡ªthink you can dismantle my Heavenly Cloud Sect? Just wait. One day, I¡¯ll have you all kneeling before me!" Through the forest, Chu Tian spotted a canyon dotted with numerous caves. Foundation Establishment disciples guarded the entrances, while Qi Refinement disciples, the lowest-ranking members of the Heavenly Star Sect, worked tirelessly, mining spirit stones. Spirit stones, the currency of cultivators, were extracted from such mines, much like gold from Earth¡¯s mines. Chu Tian¡¯s goal was simple: to acquire enough spirit stones to cultivate Nine-Nine Madman''s Foundation. The canyon, however, was heavily guarded by hidden Golden Core experts. While Chu Tian¡¯s Earth Immortal Possession Talisman could overpower them, he hesitated to waste such a precious resource. If the Heavenly Star Sect launched a full-scale attack later, he would need it as a trump card. As night fell, the canyon was lit by scattered torches, and Chu Tian saw his chance. Knocking out a Foundation Establishment disciple on the outskirts, he donned the man¡¯s uniform, smeared his face with dirt, and strolled confidently into the mine. The sheer number of disciples, most of whom were strangers to one another, allowed Chu Tian to blend in effortlessly. Inside a cave filled with Qi Refinement disciples, Chu Tian roamed freely. No one dared question him. Just as he prepared to act, a shout echoed ahead. "You scoundrel! How dare you steal spirit stones?" Startled, Chu Tian thought he¡¯d been discovered. However, a trembling voice pleaded, "Steward Li, I was wrong! Please forgive me!" Curious, Chu Tian approached. A chubby boy in tattered clothes, likely at the sixth level of Qi Refinement, was pinned to the ground. Before him stood a middle-aged man in the mid Foundation Establishment stage, flanked by several early Foundation Establishment disciples who mocked and humiliated the boy. "Speak! Why did you steal?" roared the steward. The boy, trembling, suddenly pulled out a pill and shouted, "I¡¯ll take you all down with me!" The pill released a surge of powerful energy, knocking everyone aside. However, the boy himself was injured, slumping against a wall. The steward¡¯s eyes gleamed with recognition. "Ah, so you¡¯re a survivor of the Tu family!" The boy spat angrily, "Heavenly Star Sect, remember this¡ªone day, the heavens will bring you to justice!" Chu Tian''s memories stirred. The Tu family, an alchemy clan, had been annihilated half a year ago after offending powerful cultivators. Their precious pill recipes had been stolen¡ªno doubt by the Heavenly Star Sect. Unable to stomach the injustice, Chu Tian stepped forward. "So many of you bullying a mere Qi Refinement disciple? Have you no shame?" Chapter 4: Robbery and Strange Encounters! The words exploded like a bomb, catching everyone off guard. The steward glared at Chu Tian and demanded, ¡°Who the hell are you? How dare you speak to me like that?¡± Thinking about the mocking system, Chu Tian smirked and replied, ¡°I¡¯m your grandpa.¡± The moment he said that, the crowd went wild with anger. Seeing the rage levels skyrocket, Chu Tian laughed excitedly, ¡°Yes, you! The one leading the pack. Don¡¯t look around; I¡¯m talking about you!¡± The crowd looked at Chu Tian as if he were a madman. The steward was especially furious. Chanting an incantation under his breath, he summoned a fireball and hurled it at Chu Tian. But Chu Tian easily dodged and sneered, ¡°Is that all you¡¯ve got? You actually think you can hurt me? Dream on!¡± ¡°Damn you! Everyone, attack! Tie him up for me!¡± The Qi Refining disciples rushed forward, attempting to restrain Chu Tian. However, Chu Tian drew a sharp Fire Dragon Sword and swung it. A wave of fiery red sword energy spread out, injuring the disciples at the front. ¡°Haha, come on! You bunch of fools!¡± The steward roared in rage, ¡°Move aside! I¡¯ll handle him myself!¡± Ding! Rage points +1. Watching the rage points skyrocket, Chu Tian felt delighted. But what pleased him even more was his Dantian, which had gone through countless breakthroughs before. Despite being at the tenth level of Qi Refining, Chu Tian knew that his explosive strength could rival that of mid- or even late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators. Adding to that, his sword was a spiritual artifact with weak sentience, far superior to ordinary weapons. By channeling spiritual energy into the blade, he could unleash devastating sword energy. As the steward stepped forward, Chu Tian thrust his sword at him. The steward, overconfident, activated a protective barrier that shimmered with green light. But before the light could hold, Chu Tian¡¯s sword pierced through the barrier and stabbed the steward heavily. The crowd was stunned. The steward glared at Chu Tian and stammered, ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°With that level of skill, you thought you could block my sword? How delusional!¡± Before the steward could respond, Chu Tian pulled out his sword, and the steward collapsed with a heavy thud. The other disciples, terrified, tried to flee. However, Chu Tian knew that if they escaped, a Golden Core expert would soon arrive. Swiftly, Chu Tian incapacitated their legs with precise strikes, then knocked them unconscious and tossed them into a corner. Only a dumbfounded chubby youth was left.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°You okay?¡± Chu Tian asked. The chubby youth snapped out of his daze and said gratefully, ¡°Thank you, big brother.¡± ¡°Big brother?¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re older than me, so I¡¯ll call you big brother.¡± Chu Tian couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°I¡¯m not that much older than you.¡± The youth excitedly introduced himself, ¡°I¡¯m Tu Feng, from the Tu family.¡± Chu Tian raised an eyebrow. ¡°Your Tu family? Are there any others left?¡± Tu Feng¡¯s eyes dimmed before they flared with anger. ¡°No, they¡¯re all gone! The members of the Heavenly Star Sect killed them all!¡± ¡°Then why are you here?¡± With a heavy sigh, Chu Tian asked, and Tu Feng explained, ¡°That night, the Heavenly Star Sect attacked our family. My father injured an outer disciple of theirs and had me disguise myself to infiltrate this place.¡± Understanding the situation, Chu Tian patted Tu Feng on the shoulder. ¡°If you trust me, follow me. I¡¯ll get you out of here.¡± Tu Feng was moved. ¡°Who are you?¡± Chu Tian smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later.¡± Tu Feng nodded solemnly. Chu Tian approached a wall and examined the glowing green spiritual ore embedded within, frowning. ¡°These impurities are too much.¡± Tu Feng curiously asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Chu Tian chuckled awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯m here to steal spiritual ores!¡± Hearing this, Tu Feng quickly pulled out a map. ¡°Big brother, look at this.¡± It was a beast-hide map with various routes drawn on it. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°This is a map of the mine. The circle marks the warehouse where all the mined spiritual stones are stored. If you want purer stones, you¡¯ll have to go there.¡± Chu Tian¡¯s face lit up mischievously. ¡°Got it. Let¡¯s go!¡± Tu Feng hesitated. ¡°But there are guards outside that place, including a Golden Core expert!¡± Chu Tian thought for a moment. ¡°How are these stones usually transported?¡± Tu Feng explained, ¡°Each steward takes their assigned stones to the warehouse daily for recordkeeping.¡± Chu Tian glanced at the unconscious men. ¡°Like these guys?¡± Tu Feng was shocked. ¡°You¡ª¡± Chu Tian grinned and dressed in the steward¡¯s uniform. Grabbing the steward¡¯s token, he handed Tu Feng a disciple¡¯s uniform. Together, they confidently headed toward the warehouse. ¡°Big brother, I... I¡¯m scared,¡± Tu Feng whispered nervously. Chu Tian kept walking, speaking in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. If you panic, we¡¯re dead. Got it?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Soon, they arrived at a stone gate surrounded by guards. A Golden Core cultivator sat cross-legged outside, eyes closed as if meditating. Chu Tian felt a twinge of nervousness but remained calm. He stepped forward and greeted respectfully, ¡°Senior Brother Jin.¡± This cultivator, Jin Cheng, was the person in charge. Glancing at Chu Tian¡¯s attire, he asked, ¡°Which district?¡± ¡°District 36.¡± Chu Tian presented the token. ¡°Hmm, place your stones inside quickly and leave. Don¡¯t linger.¡± ¡°Yes, Senior Brother.¡± Chu Tian entered the stone gate, which closed behind him. Turning to the shocked Tu Feng, he grinned. ¡°What are you staring at? Quickly, take as much as you can carry!¡± ¡°B-Big brother, if they check our stuff, we¡¯re done for!¡± Chu Tian considered this and nodded. ¡°Fine. Stay here and alert me if anyone comes.¡± Though puzzled, Tu Feng trusted Chu Tian and nodded. Meanwhile, Chu Tian ventured deeper inside, discovering boxes filled with spiritual stones. ¡°These stones are a form of energy... I should be able to absorb them, right?¡± Chu Tian thought. Grabbing a stone, he began to absorb it. The stone turned into green mist that flowed into his body. However, the effects were minimal. Frustrated, Chu Tian muttered, ¡°At this rate, it¡¯ll take forever.¡± Suddenly, one of the boxes beneath him collapsed with a loud bang. Stunned, Chu Tian exclaimed, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± More boxes began falling one by one. Before long, the ground beneath him gave way, and he fell along with the boxes. As he fell, Chu Tian shouted, ¡°Tu Feng, get over here!¡± Shocked, Tu Feng rushed to the edge and froze at the sight of the deep pit. ¡°Big brother, you¡¯re incredible... Did you just dig a tunnel?¡± Chapter 5: Stealing from the Tigers Mouth Chu Tian couldn''t possibly have created such a pathway himself. Looking up at the plump young man above, he shouted, ¡°Hurry, get down here! There''s an exit!¡± Chu Tian understood perfectly well that someone else had already dug this tunnel. What he needed now was for Tu Feng to follow him quickly, or they''d be blamed when the guards outside discovered what had happened. That wasn''t a situation Chu Tian was willing to face. Trusting Chu Tian wouldn¡¯t harm him, Tu Feng carefully climbed down the collapsed path. When he reached the bottom and saw the long tunnel stretching out before him, he gasped. ¡°Big Brother, your skills are unbelievable! You made this tunnel so quickly?¡± ¡°Do you think your big brother is a god? This was already here!¡± ¡°Already here? What do you mean?¡± ¡°You''ll see soon enough. Let¡¯s go!¡± Tu Feng nodded and followed Chu Tian. Chu Tian was eager to see who had dared to dig a tunnel straight into the Tianxing Sect''s spirit stone warehouse. As they emerged from the tunnel, they spotted piles of crates and a man dressed in black. Chu Tian shouted, ¡°Who are you? You¡¯ve got some nerve stealing from the Tianxing Sect!¡± The man was startled by Chu Tian and Tu Feng¡¯s outfits and immediately turned to flee. Chu Tian didn¡¯t bother chasing him. Instead, he smirked at the crates and said to Tu Feng, ¡°What are you waiting for? Start packing up those crates!¡± Still in disbelief, Tu Feng scrambled to load the spirit stones into bags. Before long, the crates were nearly emptied, but voices echoed from the tunnel entrance. ¡°Quick! Chase them down and catch them!¡± Chu Tian immediately turned to Tu Feng. ¡°Go to the Tianyun Sect and wait for me there. I''ll distract them!¡± Tu Feng was filled with gratitude. ¡°But, Big Brother¡ª¡± ¡°Stop wasting time! If you stay here, neither of us will make it out alive.¡± Realizing his own limited strength would only slow Chu Tian down, Tu Feng gritted his teeth and fled. Chu Tian, meanwhile, stayed back a little longer before taking off in another direction. Soon, Jin Cheng, a Golden Core cultivator, flew in on his sword and spotted Chu Tian. Enraged, he shouted, ¡°You¡¯ve got some nerve stealing from this sect!¡± Knowing he couldn¡¯t outrun a flying sword, Chu Tian stopped and turned around. Just then, the system chimed in. ¡°Ding! Mystery Quest triggered: Pluck a hair from the tiger. Reward: 50 anger points.¡± ¡°What? Pluck a hair? Isn¡¯t this like stealing from a tiger¡¯s mouth? How is that even possible? Unless I use my last life-saving talisman?¡± There was no choice now. Jin Cheng was already closing in on him. Chu Tian wiped his face clean, grinned, and said, ¡°Do you recognize me?¡± Jin Cheng, initially brimming with anger, froze in shock when he saw Chu Tian. ¡°What? It¡¯s you?¡± ¡°Heh, scared now?¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Jin Cheng gritted his teeth. ¡°Chu Tian, you¡¯ve got some nerve. Not only did you rob our Tianxing Sect''s warehouse, but you dare to flaunt it?¡± Chu Tian crossed his arms. ¡°Let me tell you, your Hundred Herbs Hall has already been emptied by me. Soon, every single one of your mines will meet the same fate. As for your sect leader¡¯s daughter, it¡¯s only a matter of time before I toss her onto my bed and teach her a lesson for framing me!¡± ¡°You insolent¡ª!¡± Seeing that Jin Cheng was too afraid to act, Chu Tian smirked. ¡°What? Scared? Do you want me to turn you into a pulp right here?¡± Jin Cheng had heard of Chu Tian¡¯s deeds, including how he had taken down two Golden Core experts before they could even react. Terrified, he tightened his grip on his sword and stammered, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± Chu Tian casually walked closer, all the while keeping his trump card¡ªa beginner-grade Earth Immortal Possession Talisman¡ªat the ready in case Jin Cheng attacked. He took full advantage of Jin Cheng¡¯s fear, slowly closing the distance. When they were just an arm¡¯s length apart, Jin Cheng pointed his trembling sword at Chu Tian. ¡°Don¡¯t come any closer!¡± ¡°Relax, Jin Cheng. I¡¯m not going to kill you. I just need you to deliver a message to your young mistress for me.¡± Jin Cheng hesitated. ¡°You really won¡¯t kill me?¡± Chu Tian nodded. ¡°Of course not, as long as you deliver the message.¡± Still wary, Jin Cheng reluctantly agreed. ¡°Fine. What¡¯s the message?¡± Chu Tian extended his hand, only for Jin Cheng to block him with his sword. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Chu Tian chuckled. ¡°Relax. I just want to pat you on the shoulder.¡± Jin Cheng stared at Chu Tian skeptically but allowed him to proceed. Chu Tian¡¯s hand landed on his shoulder, and in one swift motion, he plucked a strand of Jin Cheng¡¯s hair and leapt back, laughing. ¡°See that? You¡¯ve got a white hair already, and you¡¯re still so young!¡± He casually tossed the hair aside, leaving Jin Cheng sweating and trembling. ¡°W-White hair?¡± ¡°Alright, we¡¯re done here. Go tell your young mistress that Chu Tian will make her pay for framing me!¡± With that, Chu Tian turned and swaggered away. Jin Cheng was too scared to give chase. ¡°Ding! Congratulations, Host, for completing the mystery quest. Reward: +50 anger points.¡± Checking his status, Chu Tian was delighted to see he now had 55 anger points. ¡°Time to exchange these for something good. But will Jin Cheng really leave me alone?¡± Meanwhile, Jin Cheng, still watching from afar, hesitated. ¡°Could he really be that powerful?¡± Unwilling to risk his life, Jin Cheng quickly retreated. Seeing that the coast was clear, Chu Tian patted his chest. ¡°That was way too close!¡± He then opened the system¡¯s exchange store. Many items were now highlighted, indicating they were available for redemption. With 55 anger points, he considered exchanging for five beginner-grade treasure locator teleportation talismans. Just as he was about to confirm, the system chimed in. ¡°Items can only be redeemed once per month.¡± ¡°What? Once per month? What¡¯s the point of that?!¡± Grumbling, Chu Tian scrolled through the store and noticed a sword technique section. For 50 points, he could unlock the first stage of an exceptional-grade Earth-tier sword technique. ¡°With the Fire Dragon Sword and this exceptional-grade sword technique, my power will skyrocket!¡± Excited, Chu Tian redeemed the technique. ¡°Ding! Congratulations, Host, on learning the exceptional-grade Earth-tier sword technique: Blazing Sword Star, Stage One.¡± Chu Tian was amazed. ¡°What? I learned it instantly? This system is amazing!¡± He immediately tested the technique with his Fire Dragon Sword. As he executed a move, the blade emitted fiery red sparks, resembling twinkling stars. When the attack landed on a boulder, it exploded instantly. Chu Tian burst out laughing. ¡°Haha, incredible! An exceptional-grade Earth-tier technique really is something else!¡± On the continent of cultivation, techniques were ranked into four main qualities: Earth, Heaven, Mystic, and Golden. Each quality had four sub-ranks: inferior, moderate, superior, and exceptional. Now possessing an exceptional-grade Earth-tier technique, Chu Tian was ecstatic. With his newfound strength, he could easily face late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators and even challenge weak Golden Core cultivators once he broke through to Foundation Establishment himself. ¡°Time to head back and figure out how to use these stolen spirit stones to buy some powerful elixirs!¡± But upon returning to his sect, Chu Tian was met with an eerie silence. The entire area was deserted, making him wonder if he had arrived at an abandoned sect. Curious, he headed straight for the main hall, only to find the doors tightly shut. Feeling a sense of foreboding, Chu Tian pushed the doors open. Inside the dark hall, lights powered by spirit stones flickered on, illuminating a young woman dressed in black sitting on the sect leader¡¯s throne, smiling at him. Chapter 6: A Beautiful Woman Wants to Share a Bed Though the woman was dressed in a tight night outfit, her impressive curves were still unmistakable. Her face was uncovered, revealing fair, delicate skin, luscious lips, and sparkling eyes. This sight left Chu Tian marveling inwardly, "This is way more exciting than watching a short clip!" A surge of heat coursed through Chu Tian''s body. Considering his time on Earth where he had remained inexperienced in such matters, this situation was overwhelmingly tempting. He couldn¡¯t help but feel a strong urge to pounce and experience the allure of this beauty firsthand. ¡°Big brother!¡± A voice suddenly echoed from a corner, as if pouring cold water over Chu Tian¡¯s burning desires. Instantly sobered, he turned to see the little chubby boy and Chu Sect Master sitting silently nearby. ¡°What are you two doing here? And who is this lovely young lady?¡± Chu Tian asked in surprise. ¡°Young lady? Kid, are you asking for a beating?¡± the woman retorted. Ding! Rage value +1. Chu Tian was momentarily stunned as he studied her. ¡°Wait, are you not some relative of mine?¡± At this moment, Chu Tian assumed she must be a family member or someone related, or why else would she sit so boldly on the throne? However, Chu Sect Master was sweating profusely and shook his head in denial. Tu Feng, the little chubby boy, looked at Chu Tian with an expression as if trying to warn him. Suddenly, the woman whipped out a lash and struck at Chu Tian. The glow of his Thousand Demon Armor flickered instantly. Already at the sixth tier of protection, Chu Tian had six times the normal defense. The whip strike wasn¡¯t particularly powerful, so it was blocked with ease. ¡°This¡­ how is this possible?¡± the woman exclaimed in shock. Chu Tian grabbed the end of the whip with one hand and smiled, ¡°Beautiful girl, your body is impressive, flexible too, but your attacks? Not so much.¡± ¡°You¡¯re insufferable!¡± she hissed. Ding! Rage value +1. She stood up and unleashed the whip with great force. The resounding crack of the lash echoed through the hall as Chu Tian dodged swiftly, laughing, ¡°Nope, not good enough. Keep trying.¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± she roared again. Ding! Rage value +1. ¡°Come on, keep going,¡± Chu Tian taunted. His endless provocation pushed the woman to lash out with increasing power. Yet despite her efforts, her rage value stopped increasing. Instead, the surroundings were being destroyed by her attacks. Chu Tian sighed, ¡°I¡¯m done playing with you.¡± From his storage bag, Chu Tian pulled out the Fire Dragon Sword. Activating its Blazing Sword Star ability, he unleashed a fast and powerful attack capable of overwhelming even a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. Caught off guard, the woman was struck, and her clothes caught fire. Frightened, the woman quickly chanted a spell. A water-blue glow shimmered across her body, extinguishing the flames, but she was left drenched. She stood there, soaked and furious, glaring daggers at Chu Tian. Tu Feng leapt to his feet excitedly, ¡°Big brother, you¡¯re incredible!¡±The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Even Chu Sect Master breathed a sigh of relief, having been worried they might be beaten by this fierce woman. Meanwhile, Chu Tian was momentarily stunned. The sight of the soaked woman, her figure even more alluring now, was dangerously seductive. Her wet clothes clung to her body, and Chu Tian¡¯s blood surged again. As she turned her back to them, seemingly adjusting her attire, Chu Tian snapped out of it and grinned. ¡°I recognize you. You¡¯re the one from the spirit mine earlier, aren¡¯t you?¡± The woman adjusted her clothes before turning around with a charming smile. ¡°Little brother, I¡¯ve come from afar and have nowhere to go. May I stay with you tonight? If there¡¯s no other place, your room will do. I don¡¯t mind sharing a bed.¡± Chu Tian was not one to believe in free lunches, especially when such a stunning woman was involved. If she wasn¡¯t a vixen, she was surely trouble. Still, his curiosity got the better of him, and he smiled, ¡°Sure, my room is in a quiet spot in the sect. No one will disturb you.¡± ¡°Thank you, little brother,¡± she replied sweetly. Chu Tian turned to Chu Sect Master, whose expression was one of pure shock. ¡°Father, this chubby boy is my friend. Find a place for him to stay. As for this young lady, leave her to me.¡± Tu Feng looked both envious and worried. ¡°Big brother, be careful. What if she¡¯s a demoness?¡± Chu Tian chuckled mischievously, ¡°If she¡¯s a demoness, I¡¯ll deal with her in bed!¡± Tu Feng and Chu Sect Master exchanged speechless glances. Meanwhile, Chu Tian led the woman to his room. Closing the door, he leaned against it and grinned at the coquettish woman. ¡°Beautiful lady, you¡¯re making it hard for me to behave.¡± The woman pouted playfully. ¡°I don¡¯t care. The spirit stones you took earlier were ones I worked hard to mine for half a month. I need you to share half of them with me!¡± Realizing she was after the spirit stones, Chu Tian relaxed. ¡°Spirit stones? There are plenty, but¡­¡± ¡°But what?¡± she asked with a pitiful, watery-eyed expression. As Chu Tian stepped closer with a teasing smile, the woman backed away nervously. ¡°Don¡¯t come any closer! I¡¯m a proper lady!¡± ¡°Proper? Then why did you come to a strange man¡¯s room?¡± Chu Tian countered. ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡± ¡°Because you realized you couldn¡¯t seduce me, so you¡¯re giving up?¡± The woman hesitated before admitting softly. Chu Tian laughed and stepped closer again. Panicked, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal!¡± ¡°A deal? You mean trading your body for spirit stones?¡± Chu Tian teased. ¡°Dream on! I¡¯ll help you deal with the Heavenly Star Sect if you give me spirit stones and don¡¯t make things difficult for me,¡± she proposed. Curious, Chu Tian asked, ¡°How do you know I have a grudge against the Heavenly Star Sect?¡± The woman pulled out a recruitment notice from the Heavenly Star Sect and explained. Chu Tian also learned her identity¡ªshe was Ling Zi, a notorious thief who wandered from place to place. Ling Zi eagerly proposed, ¡°How about it? If we team up, we can rebuild your Sky Cloud Sect and defeat the Heavenly Star Sect.¡± ¡°You?¡± Chu Tian raised a skeptical eyebrow. ¡°Of course! I¡¯m a master digger!¡± she declared confidently. Chu Tian¡¯s eyes gleamed with interest. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, how about you help me dig into the Heavenly Star Sect¡¯s pill storage? Do you dare?¡± ¡°What?¡± she asked, startled. ¡°What? Are you scared?¡± Chu Tian smirked. Ling Zi shook her head. ¡°No, but if you have a map, I¡¯ll do it!¡± Unfortunately, Chu Tian didn¡¯t have a map. To infiltrate the sect, investigate, and locate the storage would take too much time and effort. He sighed, ¡°It seems you have nothing to offer me aside from your perfect body.¡± To prove her worth, Ling Zi pulled out a map. ¡°Look! I have detailed records of five Heavenly Star Sect mines and their storage locations. If we team up, we can steal everything!¡± Chu Tian examined her carefully. ¡°If it¡¯s so great, why don¡¯t you do it yourself? Why involve me?¡± Ling Zi hesitated awkwardly. ¡°After today¡¯s incident, security will be tight elsewhere. I can¡¯t pull it off alone.¡± Understanding the situation, Chu Tian agreed. ¡°Fine, deal. But you¡¯ll need to help me with something first.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Ling Zi asked curiously. ¡°Use today¡¯s spirit stones to buy rare spirit-replenishing pills from the city for me,¡± Chu Tian requested. Ling Zi bit her lip. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll do it.¡± Handing her a storage bag full of spirit stones, Chu Tian watched her leave, smiling slyly. ¡°Change your clothes first. You¡¯ll be uncomfortable staying wet like that.¡± Ling Zi paused and smiled, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so thoughtful.¡± As she left, Chu Tian exhaled deeply. ¡°The beauties of this cultivation world are too tempting. I almost couldn¡¯t control myself.¡± He glanced down at himself, already stirred, and muttered, ¡°Plenty of time. I¡¯ll definitely win you over one day.¡± Thinking about the many beauties in this world, Chu Tian grew too excited to sleep, tossing and turning until late into the night before finally dozing off. Chapter 7: Rapid Level-Up The next morning, as Chu Tian was still groggy from sleep, a delicate fragrance wafted into his senses. He half-opened his eyes and was startled to see a woman standing beside him, dressed in a light green ancient-style gown, gazing at him with a playful smile. Startled, Chu Tian scrambled up. ¡°You¡ª¡± Ling Zi¡¯s bright, water-like eyes sparkled as she looked at him. ¡°What? Don¡¯t recognize me anymore?¡± At this moment, Ling Zi looked to Chu Tian like a celestial maiden descended from heaven, and he couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Clearly, you could live off your beauty, so why rely on your strength?¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Chu Tian quickly waved it off with a grin. ¡°Nothing! It¡¯s just that your outfit today is stunning.¡± ¡°Oh? How does it compare to Feng Luo?¡± The mention of that scheming woman¡¯s sly smile made Chu Tian sneer. ¡°That wretched woman? How could she compare to you? It¡¯s like heaven and earth!¡± Ling Zi smiled, satisfied. ¡°At least you have good taste.¡± ¡°Heh, but saying you¡¯re beautiful has made you so smug. Where¡¯s your modesty?¡± ¡°Modesty? What¡¯s that?¡± Chu Tian wasn¡¯t about to waste his breath explaining and instead stretched out his hand. ¡°Come on, give me the pills.¡± Ling Zi produced ten bottles. ¡°Here are ten bottles of Spirit Recovery Pills, ten pills in each bottle, for a total of 100 pills.¡± Chu Tian knew these pills were highly potent, capable of restoring the spiritual energy of a Foundation Establishment cultivator from empty to peak. However, each pill was costly, requiring tens of thousands of spirit stones. Seeing the bottles, Chu Tian asked gravely, ¡°Did you trade everything for these?¡± ¡°Yep, a few million spirit stones, all gone.¡± Chu Tian wasn¡¯t sure if this would be enough, but it was certainly better than slowly absorbing spirit stones. He smiled and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± After receiving the pills, Ling Zi looked at him curiously. ¡°Everyone in the Heavenly Star Sect says your strength is at the Golden Core peak, and that¡¯s why they don¡¯t dare provoke you. Is that true?¡± Chu Tian smiled mysteriously. ¡°That¡¯s a secret.¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°All right, I need to cultivate now. You can leave.¡± ¡°Ugh, acting so smug! Fine, I¡¯ll go. As if I care to watch you!¡± Ling Zi stuck out her tongue before leaving. Chu Tian, both amused and exasperated, ensured the door was securely shut and began swallowing the pills one bottle at a time. If anyone had seen him, they would have been horrified by his actions. But Chu Tian showed no concern and, after consuming all the pills, delved into cultivating his Ninefold Frenzied Demon Art. Three days passed in the blink of an eye. When Chu Tian opened his eyes, a powerful force swirled within his dantian, emitting a faint black glow. Warm energy spread throughout his body, and he found he could now activate his divine sense. Divine sense was akin to a god¡¯s-eye view, allowing one to scan their surroundings. It was a skill exclusive to those at or above the Foundation Establishment stage. Chu Tian¡¯s breakthrough signaled his advancement to this stage.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Ding~ Congratulations, Host! Level 11 achieved. EXP: 0/10,000. Corresponds to Foundation Establishment Early Stage. ¡°Killing to level up? Injuring to level up?¡± Chu Tian inhaled sharply. This was clearly faster than traditional cultivation. However, to reach level 12 and advance to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment required 10,000 EXP. That meant killing 1,000 same-tier opponents, 100 one-tier-above opponents, 10 two-tiers-above opponents, or 1 three-tiers-above opponent. Such an opponent would be at the peak of Foundation Establishment. Chu Tian grinned. ¡°Let¡¯s go raid the Heavenly Star Sect¡¯s mines!¡± As Chu Tian prepared to leave the sect, Ling Zi appeared in front of him, hands on her hips. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re planning to sneak off without me?¡± Chu Tian had almost forgotten about her. Laughing, he said, ¡°Miss Ling, you¡¯ve misunderstood. Seeing how beautiful and delicate you are, it wouldn¡¯t be right to involve you in something as shady as stealing!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been doing this for years. What¡¯s the big deal? Besides, do you have my digging skills?¡± Chu Tian didn¡¯t want her to get in the way, so he bolted. ¡°If you can catch me, then come along!¡± With a whoosh, Chu Tian sped off, marveling at his newfound agility. ¡°The Ninefold Frenzied Demon Art¡¯s Foundation Establishment dantian is incredible¡ªit¡¯s boosted my power twentyfold!¡± Relishing his breakthrough, Chu Tian arrived at the mine. The area was bustling with people, mostly at the Foundation Establishment stage. Chu Tian guessed that the Golden Core experts were deeper inside the mine. He needed to lure them out to defeat them individually. Standing atop a cliff, he shouted, ¡°Heavenly Star Sect! Your grandpa is here! Come out and face me!¡± The Foundation Establishment cultivators fled toward the mine in fear at the sight of Chu Tian. Spotting one at the peak of Foundation Establishment, Chu Tian yelled, ¡°Don¡¯t run! Let me kill you!¡± The cultivator, terrified, dashed into the mine as if fleeing from a monster. Chu Tian sighed in disappointment. ¡°Just missed him!¡± Moments later, a group of Golden Core experts emerged from the mine, forming a line ready for battle. Among them was Jin Cheng, who roared, ¡°Chu Tian! Our young mistress has decreed that you must be killed on sight!¡± ¡°Kill me? By you lot? Just don¡¯t let me stomp you into the mud!¡± Infuriated, the group¡¯s killing intent surged. Chu Tian taunted, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it! Come at me if you dare! If not, bow down and let your grandpa step on you!¡± Though Jin Cheng feared Chu Tian, the sect had issued orders: anyone who killed him would be richly rewarded, while failure meant severe punishment. Left with no choice, Jin Cheng shouted, ¡°Attack! Kill him!¡± Chu Tian dashed into the mine with a whoosh. Thinking Chu Tian was running in fear, Jin Cheng was elated and ordered, ¡°Chase him! Kill him!¡± The group swarmed into the labyrinthine mine. Chu Tian, familiar with its layout thanks to a map, navigated it effortlessly. Any Foundation Establishment cultivators blocking his path were quickly slain, sending his EXP and anger value soaring. Suddenly, a notification rang out. Ding~ Congratulations! EXP full. Level up? ¡°Already full?¡± Chu Tian exclaimed excitedly. ¡°Level up!¡± Ding~ Level 12 achieved. EXP: 0/100,000. Corresponds to Foundation Establishment Mid-Stage. ¡°100,000 EXP? To level up now, I¡¯d have to kill 1,000 mid-stage opponents, 100 late-stage ones, or 10 at the peak of Foundation Establishment!¡± Frustrated by the escalating difficulty, Chu Tian noticed he had reached the spirit stone vault. Elated, he exclaimed, ¡°What luck! Might as well take it all!¡± He swiftly looted the vault, but footsteps soon echoed outside. Jin Cheng¡¯s voice roared, ¡°Chu Tian, you scoundrel! You¡¯re cornered now!¡± After finishing, Chu Tian taunted, ¡°Jin Cheng, you shrew! Come in if you¡¯ve got guts! But remember, only two of you can fit through the door at a time. Whoever comes in first dies first!¡± His threat had the Golden Core experts hesitating. The sight of corpses along the way only deepened their fear, as they couldn¡¯t gauge Chu Tian¡¯s strength. Furious, Jin Cheng shouted at his men, ¡°What are you afraid of? You two, go first!¡± The weaker Golden Core cultivators reluctantly stepped forward, while Jin Cheng prepared to strike once Chu Tian attacked them. Chapter 8: Impressive? I鈥檒l Kill You Anyway! For Chu Tian, who had already reached the mid-stage of the Foundation Establishment realm, he could barely contain his eagerness. Especially now, with the immense power of his Dantian enhanced by the Nine-Nine Madness Foundation Technique, both his spiritual energy and physical strength were overwhelming. The Fire Dragon Sword in his hand trembled slightly, emitting a humming sound. As soon as the two enemies charged in, Chu Tian moved swiftly. His Fire Dragon Sword unleashed a barrage of fiery sword stars, like meteors streaking through the sky. The fireballs struck the two men, sending them flying backward and leaving them severely injured on the ground. The rest of Jin Cheng¡¯s group, who had been ready to rush in, froze in shock. Chu Tian, holding his glowing red sword, smirked darkly. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you¡ªyou''re nothing but prey to be cut down!¡± Many of them clenched their fists in anger and frustration. Ding! Anger value +1. Total anger value reaches 100 points. New items are available for exchange in the system shop! ¡°What perfect timing!¡± Chu Tian was overjoyed and quickly scanned the shop. He noticed that 100 anger points could be exchanged for the second stage of the Blazing Flame Sword Art: Flame Scatter. ¡°Let¡¯s do it! Flame Scatter!¡± Ding! Successfully learned the second stage of the Blazing Flame Sword Art: Flame Scatter. Eager to test the newly acquired sword skill, Chu Tian shouted, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with all of you? Afraid of me, a lone man?¡± ¡°Chu Tian! If you¡¯ve got the guts, come out! Stop hiding inside!¡± Jin Cheng yelled angrily, and the rest of his men joined in, jeering like a mob at a street fight, daring each other to make the first move. ¡°Fine,¡± Chu Tian said casually. ¡°Let me finish collecting these spirit stones first, and then I¡¯ll be on my way.¡± This remark only made them angrier. Meanwhile, Chu Tian took his time, leisurely sweeping up the remaining spirit stones scattered in the corners. When he finally reappeared, Jin Cheng and the others instinctively stepped back in fear. Chu Tian¡¯s eyes sparkled with amusement. ¡°The lot of you from the Heavenly Star Sect are truly pathetic. A dignified Golden Core cultivator, afraid of someone like me?¡± Enraged, Jin Cheng roared, ¡°What are you waiting for? Get him!¡± Reluctantly, his men surged forward, assuming Chu Tian could only take out one or two of them at a time. Chu Tian, however, merely sneered. ¡°Flame Scatter!¡± With a quick motion, Chu Tian¡¯s sword carved an intricate circular pattern in the air. A blazing ring of fire shot forward, engulfing his enemies. The powerful flaming sword energy ricocheted on impact, creating waves of searing heat that struck like flying blades. Weaker cultivators were instantly blasted away, their bodies flung like ragdolls. Even the stronger ones were forced back several steps. However, Jin Cheng, noticing that the attack had only slightly injured him, grinned and shouted, ¡°Everyone, charge! His strength has its limits!¡±Stolen novel; please report. Many of the attackers charged forward like madmen. Chu Tian chuckled darkly. ¡°Sorry, but I wasn¡¯t even using my full power earlier.¡± As he spoke, Chu Tian channeled all the energy from his Dantian into his sword. The blade began to hum and glow intensely, radiating a massive surge of fiery sword energy. When Chu Tian repeated the circular motion with his sword, the resulting flames were brighter, the energy fiercer, and the damage greater. Those nearest him were pierced through instantly. Even the stronger cultivators, though retreating, were visibly shaken. Chu Tian assessed the situation. Seeing that many of his opponents were still Golden Core cultivators with abundant spiritual energy, he frowned inwardly. ¡°This Flame Scatter is strong, but it consumes one-tenth of my strength per use. If this continues, each attack will grow weaker!¡± Still, Chu Tian had backup plans and wasn¡¯t worried. With a smirk, he taunted, ¡°Want more? But let me warn you¡ªmy next strike will be even deadlier!¡± Terrified, the group hesitated and began retreating step by step. Chu Tian took advantage of their fear, striding out boldly. Reaching a fork in the cave, he smiled sinisterly. ¡°Enough playing around with you lot!¡± In the blink of an eye, Chu Tian disappeared. Jin Cheng¡¯s group heaved sighs of relief. However, Jin Cheng¡¯s expression darkened as he surveyed the scattered corpses around him. ¡°Report this to the sect immediately!¡± Meanwhile, Chu Tian returned triumphantly to his sect. Ling Zi, sitting idly on a rock, greeted him with a snide remark. ¡°What¡¯s this? You¡¯re still alive?¡± ¡°Alive? Of course! Why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡± Chu Tian grinned. Ling Zi scrutinized him curiously. ¡°You were just at the Qi Refining stage a few days ago, and now you¡¯re already mid-stage Foundation Establishment? What¡¯s going on?¡± Chu Tian had already prepared an excuse. Smiling, he replied, ¡°Simple. I used to be a Golden Core cultivator, but my cultivation was crippled. Now, I just need to cultivate slowly to restore it.¡± ¡°Is it really that easy?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Though skeptical, Ling Zi said nothing more. Chu Tian tossed her a spatial pouch. ¡°This is today¡¯s haul. As promised, I¡¯m splitting it with you. Consider it thanks for helping me buy those pills.¡± Before Ling Zi could respond, a group of unfamiliar figures approached. Chu Tian initially thought the Heavenly Star Sect had come to retaliate, but seeing their peculiar attire, he realized they weren¡¯t from the sect. ¡°Who are these strangers?¡± Ling Zi¡¯s expression changed, and she turned to leave. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Don¡¯t get involved.¡± ¡°Trying to leave?¡± The leading young man spoke, his arm adorned with a badge carved with the words Heavenly Saint. Ling Zi feigned ignorance. ¡°I don¡¯t know you people.¡± ¡°Junior Sister Ling, we¡¯ve searched everywhere for you, and now you pretend not to know us?¡± Several people pulled out chains, ready to apprehend Ling Zi. Chu Tian stepped forward coldly. ¡°This is my turf. You¡¯re not welcome here. Get lost!¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°You heard me¡ªscram!¡± Enraged, the young man ordered, ¡°Take him down!¡± One of his men, confident in his strength, stepped forward, only to be repelled by the eighth-layer defensive light surrounding Chu Tian. Shocked, the others hesitated. ¡°Try harder!¡± the leader shouted. The man attacked again, but Chu Tian deflected him easily, sending him flying. Chu Tian mocked, ¡°That¡¯s all you¡¯ve got? Go practice catching worms instead.¡± ¡°You!¡± ¡°Ding! Anger value +1.¡± The leader, furious, brandished nunchaku. Ling Zi panicked, trying to pull Chu Tian back. ¡°This has nothing to do with him. I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°Too late!¡± the leader declared, striking with his weapon. Chu Tian drew his sword, parried the attack effortlessly, and sneered, ¡°That¡¯s it? Pathetic.¡± The leader, humiliated, launched another attack. Chu Tian retaliated with Flame Scatter, severely injuring the group. Collapsed and pale, the leader glared at Chu Tian. ¡°Do you know who I am? I¡¯m from the Heavenly Saint Sect! Your lowly sect dares to cross us? I¡¯ll return with reinforcements to crush you!¡± Ling Zi pleaded, ¡°Senior Brother, don¡¯t!¡± But the leader, livid, stormed off with his men. Chu Tian¡¯s gaze darkened. ¡°I can¡¯t let them leave.¡± In an instant, Chu Tian¡¯s sword flashed, cutting them down one by one. Bodies fell like logs, thudding to the ground. Ling Zi stood frozen in shock. Chapter 9: Nothing Beats a Group Fight Chu Tian sheathed his sword, his demeanor shifting as he smiled and asked, "What¡¯s the matter? Scared?" Ling Zi snapped out of her daze and replied, "You¡¯ve provoked Tian Sheng Sect. Do you know how dangerous that is?" Chu Tian chuckled, "I don¡¯t know what¡¯s so terrifying about Tian Sheng Sect, but I do know this¡ªonce you¡¯ve offended someone, it¡¯s like water spilled on the ground: you can¡¯t take it back." With that, Chu Tian began disposing of the corpses. Ling Zi stood frozen, staring at his retreating figure. She couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that there was much more to Chu Tian than met the eye, though she couldn¡¯t put her finger on it. Realizing she¡¯d only bring trouble to the sect if she stayed, Ling Zi decided to leave. She returned to her quarters, left a letter behind, and quietly departed. When Chu Tian returned to the sect after disposing of the bodies, he went looking for Ling Zi, only to find her gone. In the kitchen, he saw Tu Feng busy cooking alongside his father. Curious, Chu Tian asked, "Hey, have you seen Ling Zi?" "No idea. Maybe she¡¯s in her room," Tu Feng replied. Chu Tian headed to Ling Zi¡¯s guest quarters, but when he arrived, all he found was a letter on the table. Picking it up, he read it quickly before rushing out of the sect, shouting, "Ling Zi!" But there was no response. Chu Tian could only sigh as he looked at the letter, her smiling face flashing through his mind. "She¡¯s gone," he muttered to himself. Left with no choice, Chu Tian set the matter aside. He knew he had more pressing issues¡ªstrengthening himself. The Tian Xing Sect wouldn¡¯t take their losses lying down and would certainly retaliate. Chu Tian warned the sect master and Tu Feng to stay vigilant and to retreat to the underground shelter at the first sign of trouble. Then, he left the sect to raid the other four mines belonging to Tian Xing Sect. Over the course of several days, Chu Tian looted every mine, enraging Tian Xing Sect to the point that they sent a large force to surround Tian Yun Sect. When Tu Feng hurriedly informed Chu Tian that the sect was surrounded, Chu Tian remained calm and confident, as if he had been expecting this. "Finally, they¡¯ve arrived!" he said with a smirk. Tu Feng, panicking, said, "Big Brother, the sect master wants us to hide!" Chu Tian shook his head with a smile. "You take care of my father. Keep him safe in the shelter. Leave the rest to me." "But¡ª" "Just go. Take care of my dad. Make sure he stays put." Tu Feng had no choice but to comply. Meanwhile, Chu Tian walked out of the main hall, his smile growing as he took in the scene outside. The skies and ground were filled with Tian Xing Sect disciples.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Leading them was a young man Chu Tian recognized¡ªFeng Luo''s elder brother, Feng You. Upon seeing Chu Tian, Feng You seethed with anger. "Chu Tian! Let¡¯s see where you¡¯ll run this time!" Chu Tian looked at him mockingly. "Oh? I thought I heard a dog barking. Turns out it was you, little grandson!" Feng You¡¯s face turned red with rage. "You bastard! Today, I¡¯ll wipe Tian Yun Sect off the map!" "Ding! Rage points +1." Chu Tian, delighted at the system prompt, teased, "What, just you and your lackeys? Why don¡¯t you go back home and play in the mud instead of embarrassing yourselves here? We don¡¯t have any mud for you to play with here!" His words enraged the Tian Xing Sect disciples, and rage points kept accumulating. Chu Tian, pleased, thought, "This is great! Rage points are building up so fast. Looks like group fights are the way to go!" Feng You, fuming, yelled, "Enough! We¡¯ve brought 50 Golden Core experts and 200 Foundation Establishment disciples today. Let¡¯s see if you can survive this!" Chu Tian scanned the crowd and sneered. "What¡¯s this? Where¡¯s your daddy? The elders? And your bratty little sister?" "I¡¯m enough to deal with you!" Chu Tian smirked. "Alright then. Let¡¯s see how you and your little gang handle my swordsmanship!" He drew his sword, the red glow it emitted even stronger than before. Over the past few days, Chu Tian¡¯s cultivation had advanced to the late Foundation Establishment stage, reaching system level 13. His Thousand-Layer Demon Armor had reached the ninth layer, and he had unlocked the third stage of the Blazing Sword Technique: Blazing Firestorm. Blazing Firestorm was a terrifying technique. A massive wave of sword energy laced with flames erupted from Chu Tian¡¯s sword, instantly forcing Golden Core disciples out of the sky. Even mid- and late-stage Golden Core cultivators were so shaken that they landed, unwilling to remain airborne. Chu Tian laughed triumphantly. "What¡¯s wrong? Not staying in the air as targets anymore?" Feng You, furious, shouted at the others, "He¡¯s just one man! Everyone, attack together!" The disciples were emboldened and launched a coordinated attack. Feng You sneered. "Let¡¯s see how you dodge this, you bastard!" As countless attacks surged toward him, Chu Tian moved toward the Foundation Establishment disciples, their attacks harmlessly absorbed by his ninth-layer Demon Armor. Grinning like a demon, Chu Tian said, "You¡¯ve got a death wish!" The Foundation Establishment disciples were terrified. The Golden Core experts tried to redirect their attacks, but it was too late. Chu Tian unleashed his sword energy, explosions erupting as dozens of disciples fell injured. In no time, all 200 Foundation Establishment disciples were incapacitated. Feng You was dumbfounded. Chu Tian turned his gaze to the remaining Golden Core experts and smirked. "Your turn." Panicked, Feng You shouted, "Retreat! Retreat!" The Golden Core experts quickly gathered to protect Feng You as they attempted to flee. But Chu Tian, not letting them off so easily, sent a blazing sword energy toward Feng You. The explosion sent him crashing to the ground. Just as Chu Tian was about to finish him off, a system alert sounded. "Ding! Rage points +5. Self-destruction imminent!" "Self-destruction?!" Chu Tian¡¯s face changed. Feng You, consumed by rage, was about to detonate himself. Chu Tian quickly activated his Demon Armor and retreated. A deafening explosion followed, shaking the ground. Chu Tian steadied himself, unscathed thanks to his precautions. But as he looked at the ruins of Tian Yun Sect, he inhaled sharply. "What a terrifying self-destruction." A golden light streaked from the rubble¡ªFeng You¡¯s Golden Core. Before fleeing, he roared, "You bastard! My sister and the elders will avenge me!" The Golden Core vanished into the horizon. Chu Tian sighed at Feng You¡¯s cunning but quickly turned cold. He made sure no Tian Xing Sect disciples were left alive, eliminating all survivors. As the dust settled, the system chimed again. "Ding! Mysterious task: Kill Feng You. Reward: Celestial Maiden Illustration." "An illustration? Of a celestial maiden? What¡¯s it for?" Chapter 10: Fly? Ill Make You Fly! Unfortunately, the description of the rewards wasn¡¯t detailed, but Chu Tian¡¯s heart was burning with excitement. He decided to take advantage of the Star Sect''s weakened state and hunt down Feng You. Without hesitation, he rushed out of the sect, heading straight toward the Star Sect. On his way, Chu Tian reviewed the data from the recent battle to check if there was anything worth exchanging. "Character Level: 13, 600,000/1,000,000, Rage Points: 280, Thousand Demonic Armor: Level 9." Chu Tian frowned. "Strange. I killed so many people just now, but I only gained 280 rage points?" After some investigation, Chu Tian realized the reason: killing opponents of lower cultivation levels wouldn¡¯t generate rage points. Only opponents of higher levels provided rage points, and the amount varied depending on their cultivation level. Understanding this, Chu Tian checked the system shop to see what he could exchange for with 280 points. Scanning through, he noticed that 280 points could be exchanged for several pills, but none of them piqued his interest. Then his eyes landed on a technique called Flying Cloud Steps. The technique had three levels¡ªbasic, intermediate, and advanced. The first level, the basic stage, required 200 points. Without hesitation, Chu Tian redeemed it. "Ding~ Basic Flying Cloud Steps. Would you like to learn it?" "Yes!" Immediately, Chu Tian gained the ability to use the basic Flying Cloud Steps. The most remarkable feature of this technique was that even without reaching the Golden Core stage, it allowed short-distance aerial movement. Additionally, it enhanced walking speed by tenfold. Excited, Chu Tian leapt into the air, walking briskly through the sky for a few steps before landing on a tree and continuing to another location. The sensation thrilled him. "This is just like top-tier lightfoot martial arts!" With this skill, Chu Tian¡¯s movement speed drastically increased. He could now launch surprise aerial attacks on Golden Core cultivators, making him even more delighted. "This is definitely worth it!" Curious, Chu Tian checked the price for the intermediate level. His face dropped when he saw it required 2,000 points. "What? That¡¯s daylight robbery!" This wasn¡¯t the first time Chu Tian had been shocked by the system¡¯s exorbitant prices. He took a deep breath to calm himself. "No problem, I¡¯ll save up eventually!" With his spirits lifted, Chu Tian smirked. "With this technique, I can cause even more chaos and kill even more people in the Star Sect!" Using his newfound speed, Chu Tian quickly arrived at the Star Sect. However, he was greeted by an enormous semi-transparent, water-blue barrier surrounding the entire mountain gate. Curious, Chu Tian stepped forward to touch it, only to be bounced back. "What is this?"This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. The system promptly answered. "Ding~ Heaven-grade Formation. Immune to attacks below Nascent Soul stage." Chu Tian was taken aback. He hadn¡¯t expected the system to identify the formation for him. He chuckled, "Your capabilities are far greater than I imagined!" Still, Chu Tian was frustrated. He hadn¡¯t anticipated the Star Sect would activate a protective formation, preventing him from entering. While pondering his next move, Chu Tian noticed movement inside the formation. He quickly hid under a large tree and observed. Before long, familiar faces entered Chu Tian¡¯s line of sight. He grinned mischievously. "Isn¡¯t that Jin Cheng and his group?" Jin Cheng glanced around cautiously, ensuring there was no sign of Chu Tian, then addressed the group. "In a moment, I¡¯ll use the formation token to create an opening. Follow me and move as quickly as possible!" "Understood!" Jin Cheng pulled out a black token, activating it to release a black beam of light. The formation opened a small passage, and Jin Cheng led the group out. Watching this, Chu Tian smirked. "I¡¯ve found my way in." After exiting, Jin Cheng led his group down the mountain path. However, as they rounded a bend, Chu Tian suddenly appeared, mercilessly slaughtering everyone except Jin Cheng. Being a late-stage Golden Core cultivator, Jin Cheng reacted quickly, flying into the air and glaring down at Chu Tian. "You!" Chu Tian glanced at the corpses, then at Jin Cheng, and laughed. "Jin Cheng, you¡¯re such a coward. Every time I visited the mines to find you, you hid like a turtle!" Jin Cheng snapped, "Do you expect me to wait around for you to kill me?" Leaning casually against a tree, Chu Tian grinned. "And yet, here you are!" Jin Cheng gritted his teeth. "Do you think I wanted to come out? The sect needs spirit stones. I had no choice but to oversee the mining. Otherwise, I¡¯d never want to see your face!" After his outburst, Jin Cheng didn¡¯t want to stay a second longer. He turned and tried to fly away. But just as he took off, he heard a sound behind him. Startled, he turned to see Chu Tian just a few steps away, leaping toward him from a tree. Terrified, Jin Cheng tried to defend himself, but it was too late. Chu Tian¡¯s sword slashed through the air, hitting him directly. Jin Cheng was flung to the ground like a ragdoll. Just as he tried to get up, Chu Tian¡¯s sword pierced his dantian. With just a little force, Jin Cheng¡¯s cultivation base would be destroyed. His face turned pale with fear. "Please, don¡¯t kill me!" Chu Tian chuckled. "Fly! Keep flying for me!" Terrified, Jin Cheng begged, "I-I was wrong!" Chu Tian extended his hand. "Good. If you want to make amends, now¡¯s your chance." Jin Cheng hesitated, confused. "What do you mean?" "That token you used to open the formation," Chu Tian demanded. Realizing Chu Tian¡¯s intention, Jin Cheng stammered, "W-what do you want it for?" Chu Tian didn¡¯t bother answering and snatched the token from him. Holding it up, he asked, "Tell me, where are Feng Luo and your sect master? Why was Feng You the only one leading the attack on my sect?" Jin Cheng, too scared to lie, explained, "The young miss and the sect master left the sect yesterday to seek reinforcements. The young master thought he could handle you on his own, so he led the attack. Who could have guessed¡­" Chu Tian¡¯s eyes narrowed. "Reinforcements? Who are they looking for?" "A second-tier sect," Jin Cheng confessed. Chu Tian cursed Feng Luo for her cunning but grinned wickedly. "How long will they be gone?" "At least ten days," Jin Cheng replied. Chu Tian laughed. "Ten days? More than enough!" Confused and scared, Jin Cheng asked, "W-what are you planning?" Chu Tian didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he used his overwhelming strength to destroy Jin Cheng¡¯s cultivation base. Jin Cheng screamed as his Golden Core shattered. Now aged and powerless, he glared at Chu Tian with hatred. "You¡ª!" "If you want to live, you¡¯ll take me on a tour of the Star Sect¡ªstarting with the locations where you store pills, spirit stones, and other valuables." Realizing Chu Tian¡¯s plan, Jin Cheng¡¯s eyes widened in horror. Chu Tian smirked, donned a Star Sect disciple¡¯s robe, and forced Jin Cheng to lead him into the sect using the token. In less than a day, Chu Tian ransacked all the Star Sect¡¯s critical storage areas. Meanwhile, Feng You was still recovering under the care of several elders when one of them rushed into the recovery chamber, stammering, "S-something terrible has happened!" Chapter 11: Explode? Youre Joking! Behind Feng You stood an elder with long eyebrows, glaring fiercely as he demanded, ¡°What¡¯s so urgent?¡± The other elders also looked curiously at the elder who had just entered. The elder respectfully replied, ¡°Grand Elder, that Chu Tian has destroyed our pill vault, herb storage, and treasure repository. Now, he¡¯s at the technique library, and it¡¯s caught fire!¡± The Grand Elder, Li Xing, widened his eyes. ¡°What? Isn¡¯t the formation active? How did he get in?¡± The elder explained the situation, and Li Xing¡¯s face darkened. Feng You, still healing, trembled in fear. ¡°Grand Elder, you must stop him and hold him off until my sister and the Sect Master return!¡± Li Xing withdrew his healing aura and stood up with a snort. ¡°Our Tianxing Sect has stood for thousands of years. How could an insignificant sect less than a century old possibly destroy us?¡± Hearing Li Xing¡¯s readiness to act, Feng You sighed in relief. Li Xing led several elders out. They soon arrived at the burning tower. Only a few disciples were standing nearby, too scared to get close. Li Xing glared at them. ¡°Useless! All of you are useless!¡± At that moment, a window on the highest floor of the tower opened, and Chu Tian leaned out, grinning down at Li Xing and his group. ¡°I thought the Tianxing Sect didn¡¯t have any Golden Core late-stage experts. Turns out there¡¯s one left.¡± Li Xing gritted his teeth. ¡°You¡¯re Chu Tian?¡± ¡°Obviously. Or are your old eyes too blurry to tell?¡± ¡°You¡ª!¡± ¡°Ding~ Rage points +1.¡± Chu Tian, delighted by the notification, thought, Finally, someone who gets angry at me! He realized he needed to stay low-key in the future. If people feared him too much, it would be harder to provoke their anger and earn rage points. Smiling mischievously, he taunted, ¡°Hey, old man, your Tianxing Sect is a joke. A bunch of Golden Core experts afraid of a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator?¡± ¡°You brat! Don¡¯t get cocky!¡± Li Xing crossed his hands, summoning a water-blue pillar of light to extinguish the flames on the tower instantly. Chu Tian chuckled. ¡°Not bad, old man. You put out the fire pretty fast.¡± ¡°Boy, you should never have entered our technique library!¡± Li Xing aimed a stream of blue light at a water-blue orb atop the tower, activating it. The orb released a powerful blue glow, forming a protective barrier around the library like a miniature formation.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Chu Tian tapped the barrier outside the window and was repelled. The system chimed in: ¡°Ding~ High-grade spiritual artifact: Heavenly Spirit Orb. Capable of generating a barrier with Nascent Soul-level defense in a small area.¡± Turning to the injured Jin Cheng behind him, Chu Tian asked, ¡°Where is this Heavenly Spirit Orb located?¡± Weakly, Jin Cheng pointed upward. ¡°The tower¡¯s peak¡­¡± Chu Tian frowned. ¡°And you didn¡¯t tell me?¡± ¡°I¡­ I forgot,¡± Jin Cheng muttered weakly, terror evident in his eyes. Outside, Li Xing¡¯s triumphant voice rang out. ¡°Brat, just stay put. When our Young Mistress and Sect Master return, it¡¯ll be your end!¡± Chu Tian wasn¡¯t one to sit idly by. He headed to the center of the tower and unleashed his strength, smashing through the structure until he reached the orb. The Heavenly Spirit Orb hovered before him, its defenses impenetrable. Jin Cheng muttered feebly, ¡°It¡¯s no use. The orb¡¯s defenses are too strong unless you have Nascent Soul-level power.¡± Chu Tian pulled out a storage pouch, dumping out the treasures he¡¯d looted earlier. Sifting through the pile of pills, his eyes lit up at a particular bottle. ¡°Perfect!¡± Jin Cheng¡¯s eyes widened in horror. ¡°You¡¯re not thinking of taking that, are you?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Chu Tian grinned. ¡°The Tenfold Strength Pill increases strength tenfold for a short time. Two pills give twentyfold, three pills thirtyfold¡­¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Jin Cheng interrupted. ¡°The pill has severe side effects! If you take more than two at once, you¡¯ll explode!¡± Chu Tian shrugged. Confident in his body, refined through eighty-one temperings, he decided to take the risk. He popped one pill into his mouth. The pill¡¯s energy surged through him like popping candy, amplifying his spiritual energy and power tenfold. While his dantian felt like it might burst, his refined Foundation Establishment body quickly stabilized the surge. After confirming he could handle it, Chu Tian laughed gleefully and swallowed the remaining four pills in the bottle. Jin Cheng, terrified, scrambled backward, fearing Chu Tian might explode and take him along. With the five pills consumed, Chu Tian¡¯s strength skyrocketed to fiftyfold. His confidence surged as he unleashed the third stage of his sword technique, slashing the orb. The Heavenly Spirit Orb trembled before being flung away. Seizing it mid-air, Chu Tian landed atop the tower and laughed. ¡°Thank you, Tianxing Sect, for this wonderful gift!¡± Li Xing and the elders were stunned. ¡°He¡­ he took Tenfold Strength Pills!¡± someone exclaimed. Li Xing quickly ordered everyone to retreat, smirking. ¡°Brat, you¡¯ve doomed yourself. Those pills are poison, and you just took several at once.¡± Chu Tian grinned, holding the orb. ¡°Yep, five in one go. But oddly enough, I feel fine.¡± ¡°Ridiculous!¡± Li Xing sneered. ¡°The pill¡¯s effects last for ten breaths. After that, your body will collapse¡ªor worse, explode!¡± As his power ebbed, Chu Tian remained unscathed, laughing. ¡°Old man, sorry to disappoint, but I¡¯m still perfectly fine.¡± The crowd was dumbfounded, and Li Xing stammered, ¡°Impossible! This is impossible!¡± Chu Tian activated his Flying Cloud Steps, gliding down to Li Xing. Channeling energy into the Heavenly Spirit Orb, he trapped Li Xing in its barrier. The other elders fled in terror as Chu Tian smirked at the ensnared Li Xing. ¡°Old man, this spiritual artifact is amazing. Just a little energy, and it¡¯s fully operational. How convenient!¡± Li Xing raged. ¡°Release me, you bastard!¡± ¡°Ding~ Rage points +1.¡± Chu Tian chuckled. ¡°Not enough. Get angrier!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll regret this!¡± Li Xing roared. Suddenly, the ground beneath the Tianxing Sect trembled. Startled, Chu Tian muttered, ¡°What now?¡± A massive tiger emerged from a cracked mountainside. The beast was five to six times larger than a normal tiger, its golden fur bristling like spikes. Li Xing laughed maniacally. ¡°Behold! Our Tianxing Sect¡¯s guardian beast has awakened, and the Young Master is already controlling it!¡± Chapter 12: The Spirit Beast Drops Great Loot! For the first time, Chu Tian saw such a massive tiger. It would be a lie to say he wasn¡¯t startled, but he quickly calmed himself. He understood that the so-called guardian beast was nothing more than a domesticated spirit beast. Spirit beasts, like humans, could cultivate and achieve a certain level of power. At that moment, a flash of golden light appeared¡ªit was Feng You¡¯s golden core. Floating above the tiger¡¯s massive forehead, Feng You furiously shouted, ¡°Chu Tian! Today is the day you die!¡± Feng You had long stopped adding to Chu Tian¡¯s rage points, so Chu Tian couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue. Instead, he smirked at Li Xing and said, ¡°Are you still hoping that a disembodied Feng You and a sick cat will save you?¡± Hearing this, Li Xing looked at Chu Tian like he was an idiot. ¡°Sick cat? That¡¯s a high-level Heavenly Spirit Beast, far stronger than an Earth Spirit Beast. Its power is comparable to a Golden Core pinnacle cultivator!¡± The spirit beast seemed intelligent enough to understand Chu Tian¡¯s insult, and it roared. The blast of air from its mouth swept away the surrounding flowers and grass like a fierce wind. Chu Tian sighed internally but seized the moment. While Li Xing was distracted, Chu Tian withdrew the barrier created by the Heavenly Spirit Pearl and thrust his sword into Li Xing¡¯s dantian. Activating his sword technique, Chu Tian detonated Li Xing¡¯s dantian on the spot. Bloodied and severely injured, Li Xing collapsed in agony, glaring at Chu Tian in fury. ¡°You... you!¡± ¡°Ding~ Rage +1.¡± ¡°Ding~ Gained 10,000 experience. Experience full. Level up?¡± Seeing that he¡¯d finally accumulated enough experience after all this time, Chu Tian laughed. ¡°Level up!¡± ¡°Ding~ Congratulations! Level 14: Foundation Establishment Pinnacle achieved. ¡®Thousand Mystic Demon Armor¡¯ upgraded to level 10. Experience: 0/5,000,000.¡± Li Xing couldn¡¯t understand why Chu Tian¡¯s breakthrough happened immediately after killing him. On the tiger¡¯s massive back, Feng You roared in fury, ¡°You... you killed the Great Elder!¡± Chu Tian sneered. ¡°Not only will I kill him, but I¡¯ll also destroy your entire Tianxing Sect!¡± Feng You shouted angrily, ¡°Attack! Burn him to ashes!¡± The tiger opened its mouth wide and spat a massive fireball. Chu Tian used Flying Cloud Step, his newly enhanced speed allowing him to dodge effortlessly. He landed on a boulder and mocked the tiger, ¡°I told you, you¡¯re just a sick cat. Admit it already!¡± ¡°Roar!¡±¡°Ding~ Rage +1.¡± Chu Tian realized that even spirit beasts could generate rage points for him. Overjoyed, he laughed. ¡°Good kitty! Keep roaring for me!¡± ¡°Roar!¡±¡°Ding~ Rage +1.¡± The tiger, thoroughly enraged, sprayed flames wildly. Chu Tian leaped into the air using Flying Cloud Step, startling Feng You. ¡°Impossible!¡± In the air, Chu Tian moved like he was flying, landing directly on the tiger¡¯s back.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Feng You panicked. ¡°Burn him!¡± The tiger¡¯s back erupted in flames, but Chu Tian jumped away just in time. His sword slashed through the air, and he smirked. ¡°Fiery Burst Slash!¡± The sword aura descended with incredible force, striking the tiger¡¯s back. The tiger howled in pain while Feng You, terrified, yelled, ¡°Stay strong! You have to stay strong!¡± Chu Tian landed another precise strike with his sword, piercing deep into the tiger¡¯s body. He sneered, ¡°Stay strong? I¡¯ll turn this into a crippled cat!¡± With that, the tiger let out one final cry before collapsing, lifeless. ¡°Ding~ Killed high-level Heavenly Spirit Beast ¡®Fire Tiger.¡¯ Gained 20 Spirit Artifact Fragments and 20,000 experience points.¡± ¡°What? Spirit Artifact Fragments? What are they for?¡± While Chu Tian pondered, Feng You tried to flee. Chu Tian quickly activated the Heavenly Spirit Pearl, trapping Feng You in a barrier. Laughing coldly, he taunted, ¡°Run! Go ahead, try to run!¡± Feng You, now just a weak Golden Core soul with limited abilities, had no hope of escaping the Heavenly Spirit Pearl. Terrified, he pleaded, ¡°Chu... Chu Tian, please spare me!¡± Chu Tian smirked. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say your sister would kill me once she returned?¡± ¡°That... that was just something I said!¡± Feng You stammered. Chu Tian¡¯s sword gleamed as he channeled spiritual energy into it. Feng You cried out in fear, ¡°No! Please, don¡¯t kill me! Don¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°Ahhh!¡± Ignoring his pleas, Chu Tian ended Feng You with a decisive strike. ¡°Ding~ Congratulations! Completed mysterious mission. Acquired the first Immortal Maiden Portrait. Collect all six to summon the immortal maiden to descend to the mortal world.¡± ¡°What? Summon an immortal maiden? Is this real?¡± Chu Tian couldn¡¯t believe it. After examining the system¡¯s explanation, he grinned mischievously. ¡°Could I have her warm my bed?¡± The thought of an immortal maiden descending to warm his bed filled Chu Tian with excitement, banishing all his fatigue. Looking up at the sky, he laughed, ¡°Immortal Maiden! Wait for me!¡± However, realizing he needed six portraits dampened his enthusiasm slightly. Returning his focus to the Spirit Artifact Fragments, Chu Tian opened the system¡¯s shop and noticed a new section labeled ¡°Treasures.¡± This section featured Spirit Artifact Sets for exchange, which thrilled Chu Tian. ¡°Spirit Artifact Sets? That¡¯s amazing!¡± But when he saw the price¡ªover a thousand fragments for a single sword and six pieces required for a set¡ªhe nearly spat blood. ¡°Over a thousand for one item? Six pieces cost more than ten thousand? This is robbery!¡± The system chimed in: ¡°Ding~ Blazing Flame Set: Collecting all six pieces¡ªhelmet, bracers, armor, pants, boots, and sword¡ªgrants a 20% burn effect lasting one minute.¡± ¡°A 20% burn effect? Lasting a whole minute?¡± Chu Tian gasped. That meant any attack would cause additional burn damage for a minute¡ªa game-changer. Each piece also had its own unique attribute enhancements: After reviewing the data, Chu Tian was ecstatic. ¡°I like this!¡± Excited, Chu Tian checked how to obtain more Spirit Artifact Fragments. The system informed him that killing Heavenly Spirit Beasts would reward varying amounts of fragments. This made Chu Tian eager to visit nearby beast-filled mountains, but he first needed to wrap things up at Tianxing Sect. Approaching the tiger¡¯s carcass, Chu Tian stored it in his spatial pouch. A dead Heavenly Spirit Beast was valuable¡ªits beast core, hide, bones, and blood could fetch high prices on the market. Returning to the Cultivation Method Tower, Chu Tian smirked at the half-dead Jin Cheng. ¡°Still alive, huh?¡± Jin Cheng, clueless about the chaos outside, looked at Chu Tian in confusion. ¡°Why... why is it so quiet out there?¡± Chu Tian simply smiled without explaining. Leading Jin Cheng, he toured Tianxing Sect, eventually reaching the hiding spot of the remaining disciples. Terrified, they knelt and begged for mercy. Glancing at the hundred or so survivors, Chu Tian chuckled. ¡°How can I ensure you won¡¯t stab me in the back later?¡± The terrified disciples pleaded desperately. Chu Tian checked his rage points¡ªnow at 100¡ªand noticed new items in the system shop. One item, the Soulbinding Stone, caught his eye. Delighted, he laughed. ¡°This looks interesting!¡± Without hesitation, he exchanged for the Soulbinding Stone, holding it up with a sly grin. ¡°If you want to live, inject your spiritual energy into this stone!¡± One sharp-eyed disciple recognized the item and exclaimed in terror, ¡°Soulbinding Stone!¡± Chapter 13: What a Weapon! The Soulbinding Stone? Some didn¡¯t know what it was, but those who did were trembling all over. Chu Tian smirked and explained, ¡°The Soulbinding Stone works like this: once each of you infuses your spiritual energy into it, your life will be tied to it. If any of you betray me, I only need to destroy the strand of energy linked to you, and your soul will dissipate, killing you instantly!¡± Upon hearing this, fear spread among the crowd. Chu Tian, however, was elated inside. ¡°This stone is truly a treasure! With this, I can recruit more experts for the Tianyun Sect. It¡¯s only a matter of time before the sect rises to the ranks of first-class sects!¡± The more he thought about it, the more excited Chu Tian became. To survive, many people stepped forward hesitantly to infuse their spiritual energy, while others hesitated, caught in an internal struggle. Seeing their hesitation, Chu Tian chuckled. ¡°I promise that as long as you don¡¯t betray me or the Tianyun Sect, I won¡¯t harm you. So, feel free to infuse your energy.¡± Encouraged by his words, those who hesitated finally mustered the courage to step forward. Soon, all several hundred people present had completed the process, but Chu Tian knew there were still people outside who needed to be dealt with. He worked with the group to summon everyone from the five mines back to the main base. When they arrived and realized what was happening, it was already too late. One by one, they were subdued by Chu Tian. By the end of the day, the five mines had fallen completely under his control, and the Tianxing Sect had become a vassal of the Tianyun Sect. To avoid suspicion from Feng Luo, Chu Tian ordered the sect to clean up and restore normalcy, pretending as though nothing had happened. He then returned to the Tianyun Sect. Back at the sect, Chu Tian reported everything to Sect Master Chu and Elder Tu Feng before departing again. By the time he appeared, it was already evening, and he was standing outside a misty mountain range. ¡°This is the Cloudmist Mountain Range?¡± The Cloudmist Mountain Range was the largest area of spiritual beast activity nearby. It was also a popular hunting ground for disciples from minor sects, unranked sects, and young members of local families. Chu Tian came here with a clear purpose: to kill as many spiritual beasts as possible within ten days, gain experience, collect spirit weapon fragments, and increase Rage Points. Eager to begin, Chu Tian plunged into the mist without hesitation. However, as a first-time visitor, he was unfamiliar with the terrain and dared not venture too far. Instead, he stayed on the outskirts, hunting whatever came his way. Unfortunately, all he encountered were low-level Earth-class beasts, which offered meager fragments and experience. After a long day of hunting, Chu Tian was left disappointed. Just as he was debating whether to delve deeper into the mountains, the system¡¯s voice suddenly chimed: ¡°Ding~ A Heaven-class spiritual beast has been detected 100 steps ahead.¡± Excited, Chu Tian¡¯s spirits soared. ¡°Finally, a Heaven-class beast!¡± With a burst of Cloudstep, Chu Tian swiftly moved a hundred steps forward. There, he saw a massive snake glowing faintly green, far larger than any giant python he¡¯d seen before.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Not only that, but the enormous snake was chasing a ragged young girl who appeared to be around fifteen or sixteen years old. The girl was covered in wounds, with scratches on her face and lips. Her clothing was disheveled, and she held a golden sword in one trembling hand, pointing it weakly at the snake as she stammered, ¡°S-stay back! Don¡¯t come closer!¡± Suddenly, a group of people emerged behind her, throwing a rope around her to restrain her. The girl struggled, shouting angrily, ¡°Let me go! You bastards!¡± A scar-faced middle-aged man leading the group sneered. ¡°Let you go? Do you think that¡¯s possible?¡± The girl was furious. ¡°If my father finds out about this, he won¡¯t let you off!¡± Unfazed, the scar-faced man chuckled darkly. ¡°Miss Luo, don¡¯t bluff. Our young master¡¯s pet snake here is a Giantwood Serpent, highly venomous. You¡¯ve already been exposed to its poison. Without the antidote within an hour, you¡¯ll die!¡± The girl¡¯s face paled, but she still cursed through her fear. ¡°Your Lin family will meet its end!¡± The scar-faced man laughed sinisterly. ¡°Take her away! She¡¯ll warm the young master¡¯s bed nicely!¡± The girl¡¯s face turned ashen. ¡°No! I¡¯d rather die!¡± The scar-faced man sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t bother struggling. You¡¯ll only die faster from the poison.¡± Though the girl resisted, her strength faded quickly. In moments, she was too weak to continue and could only curse feebly, ¡°I¡¯ll never let you bastards get away with this!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see about that after you¡¯re dead!¡± the scar-faced man taunted before turning to his men. ¡°Take her!¡± ¡°Let her go!¡± A clear, loud voice rang out from a distance. The girl looked up in surprise and pleaded, ¡°Senior, please save me!¡± The scar-faced man squinted at Chu Tian, whose aura was at the Foundation Establishment peak, and burst out laughing. ¡°A Foundation Establishment cultivator? Miss Luo, you expect this guy to save you? What a joke!¡± The others laughed as well. Upon hearing this, the girl looked at Chu Tian more closely, and her hope turned to despair. Everyone here was at least in the Golden Core stage, herself included. However, in her poisoned state, she could do nothing but watch helplessly. Chu Tian smirked and taunted, ¡°With you lot? I could kill a hundred of you on my own!¡± ¡°What?!¡± His words immediately ignited their anger. Chu Tian, noticing this, added fuel to the fire with a sneer. ¡°One sword strike, and you¡¯ll all be begging for mercy!¡± ¡°Damn you! Little Wood, attack!¡± the scar-faced man roared. ¡°Ding~ Rage Point +1¡± The massive snake lunged at Chu Tian with its gaping maw, large enough to swallow a person whole. The girl shut her eyes, unable to watch, while the others grinned maliciously, eager to see Chu Tian devoured. However, Chu Tian executed a swift Cloudstep retreat and unleashed the third form of his Blazing Sword Art. The powerful sword aura struck the serpent¡¯s open mouth, triggering an explosion on impact. Everyone froze in shock as the serpent writhed in pain on the ground. Chu Tian stepped forward, pinning it under his foot with a smirk. ¡°You think you can eat me? How¡¯s that? Enjoy the explosion?¡± With a single slash, he disemboweled the serpent, killing it instantly. ¡°Ding~ You have slain a mid-level Heaven-class beast. Spirit Weapon Fragments +10. Experience +10,000.¡± The scar-faced man¡¯s expression twisted with rage. ¡°You¡­ you bastard! How dare you kill the young master¡¯s pet?!¡± ¡°Ding~ Rage Point +1¡± Chu Tian chuckled coldly. ¡°Pet? At best, it¡¯s a glorified worm. Why don¡¯t you try raising minnows instead?¡± Furious, the scar-faced man yelled, ¡°Kill him!¡± The girl, still watching, prayed silently as Chu Tian dodged their attacks with ease, all while taunting them. ¡°Come on! Is that all you¡¯ve got? A bunch of amateurs trying to kill me?¡± ¡°Damn it! Get him!¡± ¡°Ding~ Rage Point +1¡± Chu Tian laughed, ¡°Alright, I¡¯m done playing with you clowns.¡± With a series of quick strikes, he defeated them one by one. The scar-faced man, realizing he was no match, threw a smoke bomb to cover his escape. By the time the smoke cleared, he was gone. The girl sat on the ground, stunned. Chu Tian approached her, muttering, ¡°What a coward.¡± As he drew closer, he looked down from above, and his eyes widened in astonishment. ¡°My god¡­ what a weapon!¡± Just then, the system¡¯s voice chimed: ¡°Ding~ Title unlocked: ¡®Hero Rescues Beauty.¡¯ Charm +10. Accumulate 100 Charm Points to unlock a unique partner ability.¡± Chapter 14: Fighting with Both Hands! Hard Work Feels Like Play! ¡°What? Charm points? Companion spells?¡± This revelation left Chu Tian stunned. Upon closer examination, he realized that the system included a charm value. Charm points could be earned by flirting with women, saving them, or helping them with their tasks. ¡°Haha, even flirting can bring rewards!¡± ¡°Sir, could you untie me?¡± A soft voice snapped Chu Tian out of his excitement. He turned to see a frail young woman struggling to sit up, looking at him with pitiful eyes. Feeling a bit embarrassed, Chu Tian chuckled awkwardly. ¡°My apologies. Let me take care of that for you.¡± With a swift slash of his sword, the ropes fell away. However, as the woman collapsed from exhaustion, Chu Tian instinctively caught her. A light, floral fragrance wafted into his nose, and the parts of her he touched were soft and warm. Having never been so close to a woman before, Chu Tian''s heart pounded uncontrollably. Though the young woman blushed, she knew Chu Tian had saved her. With a slight flush on her face, she looked up at him with her large eyes and said softly, ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± Ding! Charm points +10. Chu Tian was overjoyed. ¡°It¡¯s my honor to save a beautiful young lady!¡± Her face turned crimson as she whispered, ¡°You¡¯re quite the joker.¡± ¡°I¡¯m being serious!¡± Chu Tian responded earnestly. Blushing even more, she asked, ¡°May I know your name, sir?¡± Realizing his oversight, Chu Tian quickly introduced himself. ¡°My name is Chu Tian. What is your name, and who were those people just now?¡± The young woman sighed and explained her situation. Chu Tian learned that her name was Luo Xue, and she came from the Luo family, a third-tier clan. The other group belonged to the Lin family, another third-tier clan. However, the Lin family had a despicable young master named Lin Feng, who was infamous for capturing beautiful women. Lin Feng also kept spirit beasts and often ventured into the Cloud Mist Mountain Range for ¡°hunts.¡± His so-called hunts involved feeding male cultivators to his beasts while using the women for his own pleasure. He was a true villain. After recounting her story, Luo Xue gritted her teeth in anger. ¡°I just came to look for a spiritual herb today but ran into that scoundrel!¡± Chu Tian was about to respond when a round of applause echoed through the forest. A mocking voice followed. ¡°Miss Luo, I didn¡¯t realize you hated me so much.¡± A group of men holding torches emerged, led by a young man of about sixteen or seventeen. Sitting on a sedan chair carried by four Golden Core cultivators, he radiated arrogance. Beside him stood a masked man draped in a black cloak, his arms crossed.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. The group quickly surrounded Chu Tian and Luo Xue. Among them, the scar-faced man who had escaped earlier pointed at Chu Tian and shouted angrily, ¡°Young Master, it¡¯s him!¡± Still in Chu Tian¡¯s arms, Luo Xue glared at the young man. ¡°Lin Feng! My family won¡¯t let you get away with this!¡± The young man, Lin Feng, smirked while fanning himself gracefully. ¡°Miss Luo, it¡¯s been half an hour since you were poisoned. Even if you manage to escape now, you wouldn¡¯t make it back home in time to find the antidote.¡± Luo Xue¡¯s face darkened with despair. Lin Feng shifted his gaze to Chu Tian and sneered, ¡°You¡¯re the one who killed my snake?¡± Chu Tian saw an opportunity to gain experience and anger points. With a grin, he retorted, ¡°Snake? That was just a mud eel. Whoever kept it must have poor eyesight to mistake it for a snake.¡± Lin Feng¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°You dare act arrogant in front of me? I¡¯ll show you just how ruthless I can be!¡± Ding! Anger points +1. ¡°Ruthless? Even with one arm around Miss Luo, I can still beat you all to the ground!¡± Chu Tian taunted. Lin Feng¡¯s eyes narrowed with a murderous gleam. ¡°Qin, cripple his cultivation and chop off his limbs. I want him to bleed to death!¡± Ding! Anger points +1. The masked man beside Lin Feng nodded. ¡°Understood.¡± He unsheathed a golden scimitar and hurled it into the air. The blade flew at astonishing speed, slicing through trees like they were made of tofu. Luo Xue gasped in horror. ¡°How terrifying!¡± Chu Tian, however, remained unfazed. He comforted her with a grin. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Luo. That pathetic blade? I¡¯ll deflect it with a single swing.¡± The onlookers thought Chu Tian was joking. Yet, in the next moment, the sword in his right hand released a surge of spiritual energy. A red sword aura shot out, striking the golden scimitar and sending it crashing to the ground. Luo Xue exclaimed in awe, ¡°Amazing!¡± Chu Tian smirked smugly. ¡°Of course! Do you know who I am?¡± Lin Feng¡¯s face twisted in rage. ¡°Qin! What are you waiting for? Attack him!¡± Ding! Anger points +1. The masked man retrieved his scimitar and launched a massive golden blade projection at Chu Tian. Chu Tian swiftly dodged with Luo Xue in his arms while counterattacking with his sword, targeting the surrounding lackeys. Screams filled the air. Luo Xue watched in shock as Chu Tian¡¯s blade left carnage in its wake. Lin Feng cursed furiously. ¡°Qin! Are you useless?¡± Ding! Anger points +1. Chu Tian chuckled. ¡°Young Master Lin, give it up. He¡¯s clearly trembling in fear and doesn¡¯t dare to face me.¡± The masked man seethed. ¡°You think I¡¯m afraid of you? Who do you think you are?¡± Ding! Anger points +1. ¡°Come at me then, you coward,¡± Chu Tian taunted. ¡°Die!¡± the masked man roared, leaping into the air for an aerial attack. Chu Tian grinned wickedly. ¡°Flying, huh? I¡¯ll make you a perfect target!¡± He unleashed a flurry of sword techniques, creating explosions mid-air. The masked man fell to the ground in a disheveled heap, cursing, ¡°Damn it!¡± Ding! Anger points +1. Lin Feng¡¯s frustration peaked. ¡°Can you do anything right?¡± The masked man, now desperate, charged at Chu Tian like a crazed beast. Chu Tian, still holding Luo Xue, gracefully fended off the attacks. Within moments, the masked man was covered in blood, swaying unsteadily. With one final strike, Chu Tian¡¯s sword shattered his opponent¡¯s body. Terrified, Lin Feng¡¯s lackeys scattered. Lin Feng himself attempted to flee, but Chu Tian used his Cloud Steps to catch him mid-air, slamming him to the ground. Planting his foot on Lin Feng, Chu Tian turned to Luo Xue with a smile. ¡°Miss Luo, consider this scumbag my gift to you.¡± Luo Xue, still in shock, watched as Lin Feng trembled beneath Chu Tian. ¡°You bastard! Do you know who I am?¡± he screamed. Ding! Anger points +1. ¡°Shut up!¡± Chu Tian snapped, silencing Lin Feng with a glare. The young master turned to Luo Xue, pleading, ¡°Miss Luo, I was wrong! Please forgive me!¡± Too weak to respond, Luo Xue murmured through pale lips, ¡°The antidote¡­¡± Lin Feng stammered, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s at my house. There¡¯s no time to retrieve it!¡± Luo Xue¡¯s face turned ashen. Just as Chu Tian was about to console her, the system chimed: Ding! Anger points +5. Initiating self-destruction! Chapter 15: This Companion Spell Is So Unfair! When Chu Tian heard the system''s notification, he wasted no time plunging his sword mercilessly into Lin Feng¡¯s body. A cold snort escaped his lips as sword energy erupted, instantly crippling Lin Feng¡¯s dantian, preventing him from self-detonating. Lin Feng didn¡¯t even have a chance to escape as his golden core was destroyed. Now left in agony, his eyes bulged as he glared at Chu Tian. ¡°You...¡± Luo Xue, watching from the side, was completely stunned, not yet comprehending what had happened. Chu Tian sneered coldly, ¡°Trying to self-destruct?¡± Lin Feng writhed in unbearable pain. The backlash from his failed self-detonation compounded the damage from his shattered dantian and severed meridians, leaving him wishing for death. Through gritted teeth, he cursed, ¡°You bastard, my Lin family won¡¯t let you off!¡± Chu Tian remained unfazed, his tone icy. ¡°You¡¯re worthless now.¡± With that, Chu Tian ended Lin Feng¡¯s life with one swift stroke of his sword.Ding! Golden Core mid-stage defeated. 10,000 experience points gained. Luo Xue, still lying weakly, was shocked at first but quickly became despondent. ¡°It seems I¡¯m about to die too,¡± she muttered. Chu Tian noticed her life force growing weaker, her condition deteriorating by the second. His heart sank, and he quickly reassured her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll find a way to save you!¡± Luo Xue smiled faintly, her face pale. ¡°Meeting someone like you before my death is an honor.¡±Ding! Charm +10. But Chu Tian wasn¡¯t in the mood to celebrate. He insisted, ¡°There¡¯s still time. Half an hour¡ªI''ll get you home.¡± Luo Xue shook her head weakly. ¡°It¡¯s useless. Even if you were at the peak of the Golden Core stage, you wouldn¡¯t make it in time. Just let it go.¡± ¡°But...¡± ¡°Chu Gongzi, if you really consider me a friend, I only have one request: when I die, take my body home and tell my father what happened. That will be enough for me.¡± Chu Tian refused to give up. He frantically searched the system store for something he could use, but with only a dozen or so Rage Points, there was little he could do. As Luo Xue began losing consciousness, he called out to her, ¡°Luo Xue! Stay with me!¡± As her eyelids fluttered shut, Chu Tian panicked. He wasn¡¯t about to let her die like this. He quickly placed his hands on her to sense her internal condition. Guiding his consciousness into her body, he discovered green-black toxic energy coursing through her bloodstream, originating from the venom of the Giant Wood Snake. The venom was rapidly converging toward her head. Chu Tian tried to suppress the venom with his spiritual energy, but the more he pushed, the faster it spread. At that moment, a faint voice echoed within her body, ¡°It¡¯s no use. Don¡¯t waste your effort.¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Startled, Chu Tian asked, ¡°Who¡¯s speaking?¡± ¡°Within my Golden Core,¡± the voice replied. Chu Tian realized it was Luo Xue¡¯s spirit, tethered to her Golden Core. Relieved, he focused on the glowing blue core, which was surrounded by dense, green-black venom. ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± he asked grimly. ¡°The venom is eating away at my core. I won¡¯t last much longer,¡± she explained. ¡°Is there any way to neutralize it?¡± Luo Xue sounded resigned. ¡°Neutralize? It would require a hundredfold or even a thousandfold amplification of spiritual energy to dilute the venom. I¡¯d need someone at the Golden Core peak or consummation stage to continuously provide spiritual energy for half an hour.¡± Chu Tian smiled. ¡°Let me handle it.¡± Luo Xue was stunned. ¡°You¡¯re only at the Foundation Establishment stage. You can¡¯t even produce a fraction of the energy needed!¡± ¡°Just watch,¡± Chu Tian said confidently, withdrawing his consciousness. Back in reality, he opened his storage space and chuckled. ¡°Good thing I grabbed so many pills from the Tianxing Sect¡¯s medicine hall.¡± He began swallowing spiritual energy recovery pills like candy. A normal person would have exploded from the sheer volume, but Chu Tian¡¯s unique Nine-Nine Frenzied Demon physique devoured it all. The pills transformed into a torrent of spiritual energy, which Chu Tian directed into Luo Xue¡¯s body. Inside her Golden Core, Luo Xue watched the sudden influx of energy in shock. ¡°Where is he getting this endless energy?¡± Unaware of her astonishment, Chu Tian continued feeding her the energy she needed. After half an hour, Luo Xue¡¯s eyes fluttered open, her pale cheeks now rosy. Seeing Chu Tian still pouring energy into her, she gasped, ¡°How... how are you doing this?¡± Chu Tian beamed. ¡°What do you think?¡± She turned to face him, noticing the empty pill bottles scattered around. ¡°What are these?¡± ¡°Just some spiritual energy supplements. I never thought I¡¯d actually use them all at once,¡± Chu Tian explained nonchalantly. Luo Xue was baffled by his recovery speed. ¡°You¡¯ve saved my life. From now on, my life belongs to you!¡±Ding! Charm +50. ¡°Whoa! 50 points!¡± Chu Tian exclaimed. Seeing his excited expression, Luo Xue asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Snapping out of it, Chu Tian quickly said, ¡°Oh, nothing.¡± Luo Xue chuckled. ¡°I, Luo Xue, never owe anyone a favor. Tell me, what do you want in return?¡± Chu Tian waved her off. ¡°You already said your life is mine. What else could I possibly ask for?¡± ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want anything else?¡± she teased. Chu Tian glanced at her ample figure and quickly shook his head, trying not to stare. ¡°No, of course not!¡± Seeing his flustered reaction, Luo Xue smiled. ¡°Thank you for not taking advantage of me.¡±Ding! Charm +10. Chu Tian¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Just 10 more to 100!¡± She handed him a jade-green token. ¡°This is my personal token. With it, you¡¯ll get a 40% discount at any Luo family store and can visit me anytime.¡± Ding! Charm +10. Charm has reached 100. A companion spell is now unlocked. Activate it? ¡°Activate!¡± Chu Tian exclaimed excitedly. Luo Xue noticed his dazed expression. ¡°Chu Gongzi, are you alright?¡± Regaining his composure, he smiled. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just... this is too precious for me.¡± At that moment, a group of voices called out in the distance. ¡°Miss!¡± Luo Xue smiled. ¡°I have to go now. Please, keep the token safe.¡± Chu Tian accepted it with a smile. ¡°Take care.¡± As she walked away, he muttered to himself, ¡°What a stunning figure!¡± Ding! Companion spell unlocked: Three-Second Invisibility. Consumes half of your spiritual energy. Can be used up to three times per hour. ¡°What the¡ªthree seconds? Are you kidding me? Do I look like a three-second man?¡± Chapter 16: Here Comes a Delivery of Shards and XP! Chu Tian was both amused and exasperated by his new companion spell. However, after some thought, he realized that being invisible for three seconds could be a lifesaver in this world of cultivation. Sometimes, three seconds could change everything. After grumbling for a while, he calmed down and examined the jade pendant in his hand. Seeing the character "Snow" engraved on it, Chu Tian chuckled. "A 40% discount? Is the Luo family running a shop or something?" Just then, a golden light flashed toward him. The system''s voice rang out urgently: ¡°Ding! Danger alert!¡± Chu Tian quickly used his Cloud Step technique to retreat from his original position. Moments later, a group of people emerged from the forest, many of them at the Golden Core Peak stage. Among them stood a man in a brown robe, holding a silver staff with a skull engraved on its head. A faint purple light emanated from the skull, giving the middle-aged man, who had a face full of wrinkles and wild hair, an ominous presence. Floating in mid-air, he glared at Chu Tian with fury. ¡°Did you kill our young master?¡± the man demanded. Chu Tian glanced at Lin Feng¡¯s lifeless body not far away and replied with a smirk, ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± The middle-aged man¡¯s expression darkened as he glared at the corpse. ¡°You brat! You¡¯re courting death!¡± ¡°Ding! Fury Value +1¡± Sizing up the man, Chu Tian thought, Such strong energy. He¡¯s probably at the Golden Core Perfection stage. He knew that going up against someone at this level would be tough. However, with his companion spell, Chu Tian couldn¡¯t help but grin mischievously. ¡°Hey, old man, who are you supposed to be? His dad? His brother? Or maybe just his lackey?¡± ¡°Ding! Fury Value +1¡± The man¡¯s aura flared with rage. ¡°I am Ghost Meng, an honored guest of the Lin family, also known as Ghost Beast Luo. There¡¯s not a family or sect in the surrounding cities that doesn¡¯t know my name!¡± Chu Tian snorted. ¡°I live around here, and I¡¯ve never heard of you. Talk about overhyping yourself!¡± Ghost Meng sneered. ¡°Ignorant brat! Today, I¡¯ll cripple you and trap your soul in my ghost staff for all eternity!¡± Unfazed, Chu Tian shot back, ¡°Old ghost, don¡¯t think you can scare me with that.¡± Ghost Meng¡¯s tone turned icy. ¡°Scare you? Fine, then I¡¯ll show you my other skill!¡± He channeled spiritual energy into the skull on his staff. The purple glow intensified, and in an instant, numerous spirit beasts began to appear. Most of them were Earth-tier, but soon a few Heaven-tier beasts emerged. These beasts seemed entirely under Ghost Meng¡¯s control, their predatory eyes locked onto Chu Tian like he was prey. Ghost Meng sneered arrogantly, ¡°See that? I can summon all the spirit beasts in the vicinity to do my bidding!¡± Chu Tian¡¯s first thought was how impressive it was. If he had this ability, it would be like having a constant delivery of shards and XP. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t summon beasts himself, so he taunted instead. ¡°That¡¯s it? Just these? Not even enough to clean my teeth.¡±This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°Courting death!¡± ¡°Ding! Fury Value +1¡± At Ghost Meng¡¯s command, the spirit beasts charged at Chu Tian. Using his Cloud Step, Chu Tian dodged swiftly while unleashing sword techniques. The Earth-tier beasts were obliterated in an instant, while even the stronger Heaven-tier ones fell or were severely injured. The system notifications came in rapid succession:¡°Ding! 10,000 XP, 10 shards.¡±¡°Ding! 1,000 XP, 1 shard.¡±¡°Ding! 5,000 XP, 5 shards.¡± ...and so on. Overwhelmed with excitement, Chu Tian laughed maniacally. ¡°Keep them coming, old ghost! Bring it on!¡± Ghost Meng¡¯s face turned red with fury. ¡°Damn it! You¡¯re asking for death!¡± ¡°Ding! Fury Value +1¡± Enraged, Ghost Meng made his move. Like a ghostly wind, he suddenly appeared before Chu Tian, his speed astonishing. Chu Tian was alarmed but had prepared for this moment. He smirked inwardly and activated his companion spell: ¡°Three-Second Invisibility.¡± In an instant, Chu Tian vanished. Ghost Meng¡¯s attack hit nothing but air, leaving him stunned and shouting, ¡°Where are you, you bastard?!¡± Suddenly, Chu Tian reappeared behind him, thrusting his sword forward. ¡°I¡¯m right here, old man! Stop yelling!¡± Ghost Meng¡¯s face twisted in shock as the sword pierced his body. He grunted in pain as a powerful golden light erupted from his body, flinging Chu Tian away. While Chu Tian managed to land safely using Cloud Step, the protective layers of his Thousand Specter Armor absorbed most of the damage. Ghost Meng, on the other hand, was left with a gaping wound, blood pouring out. ¡°You dare hurt me?!¡± Ghost Meng roared. ¡°Ding! Fury Value +1¡± Chu Tian laughed. ¡°Careful, or I might go invisible again and finish you off!¡± Terrified, Ghost Meng shouted to his men, ¡°Retreat!¡± Badly injured, he fled in a panic. When Chu Tian reappeared three seconds later, he stood there exhausted, smirking bitterly. ¡°Good thing I scared him off.¡± Not taking any chances, Chu Tian quickly pulled out bottles of spiritual energy replenishing pills and devoured them. Thanks to his powerful dantian, he recovered rapidly. Reflecting on his close call, he muttered, ¡°This skill eats up half my spiritual energy each time. Using it twice nearly drained me dry. If I hadn¡¯t scared them off, I¡¯d be done for!¡± Determined to stock up on more pills, Chu Tian checked his inventory. Realizing he was low, he sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll have to visit the nearest city and buy more tomorrow.¡± After collecting the beast corpses, crystals, and blood, Chu Tian left the area. The next morning, he arrived at the gates of You City. ¡°So, this is a Tier-3 city? It¡¯s massive!¡± Stepping inside for the first time, Chu Tian felt like a country bumpkin entering the capital. He looked around, grinning foolishly. ¡°It¡¯s almost like the imperial capital from ancient times.¡± After wandering for a while, he found a shop specializing in buying and selling beast materials. At the Sky Beast Pavilion, a well-known chain store in You City, Chu Tian sold all his beast materials. Walking out, his face lit up with joy. ¡°Nice! All those beasts fetched me over three million spiritual stones. I should be able to buy nearly 100 Ten-Spirit Pills.¡± Excited, he headed toward the city¡¯s pill market. While passing a street, he noticed a large wooden board outside a shop with an announcement: ¡°Superior Ten-Spirit Pills Available!¡± Stunned, Chu Tian muttered, ¡°Superior Ten-Spirit Pills?¡± Unlike ordinary Ten-Spirit Pills, superior ones had much better recovery times. Lower-grade pills took half an hour to restore energy, mid-grade ones only a quarter-hour, and high-grade ones just a hundred breaths. Superior pills, however, worked almost instantly, restoring energy in mere seconds. Tempted, Chu Tian moved closer to check it out. Just then, a stern female voice called out, ¡°You¡¯re the one who killed my brother!¡± Puzzled, Chu Tian turned to see Ghost Meng and his group from the previous day. Despite looking pale and still injured, Ghost Meng was there, accompanied by a young woman. The woman, around her early twenties, was slightly shorter than Chu Tian. However, what truly startled him was her appearance: a sallow face, dry skin, a prominent nose with a large black mole beneath it, and her eyes bulging like pigeon eggs. Her hair was tied into two tight buns, adding to her strange look. Horrified, Chu Tian instinctively took a few steps back. ¡°Where did this matchmaker come from?!¡± Chapter 17: Foolish and Rich! "What? Matchmaker! You''re asking for death!""Ding~ Anger value +1" Chu Tian looked at the furious woman and continued to laugh, "Isn''t that so? Look at you, your whole appearance screams matchmaker!" The woman glared at Chu Tian with burning eyes. "I am the eldest miss of the Lin family, Lin He. I''m here to avenge my brother today!""Ding~ Anger value +1" Chu Tian glanced at Gui Meng and teased, "What, you¡¯re bringing an injured person to find me for revenge? Are you out of your mind? Stupid matchmaker!" "Dammit, someone! Take him down!""Ding~ Anger value +1" Soon, a group of Lin family guards appeared and surrounded Chu Tian. Each of them was at the Golden Core level, but Chu Tian wasn''t concerned at all.None of them were Golden Core Great Perfection; the strongest was only at the peak of Golden Core, while the rest were at mid or early Golden Core stages. Seeing Chu Tian¡¯s dismissive gaze, Gui Meng quickly whispered in Lin He''s ear, "Miss, there''s a rule in the city prohibiting fighting. If we destroy any nearby shops, it will be difficult to explain to the city lord''s manor." Lin He arrogantly snorted, "What are you afraid of? Worst case, I''ll compensate!" After speaking, Lin He ordered her people to attack Chu Tian, but before they could act, a stern voice came from the air. "No fighting in the city! Anyone caught will be killed without question!" Hearing this voice, Chu Tian curiously looked up at the sky. He hadn¡¯t expected there to be a powerful expert hiding in the air. Lin He, like a proud flower, suddenly wilted. She glared at Chu Tian and said, "Surround him, but don''t engage! We''ll deal with him outside the city!" The guards reluctantly surrounded Chu Tian, and only then did he realize that fighting in the city was prohibited. He smiled and said, "No fighting, huh? Sounds good, you stupid matchmaker!" Lin He gritted her teeth. "If you dare, stay inside the city forever!" Chu Tian laughed. "No need, I¡¯ll leave the city after I finish shopping. I¡¯ll play with you then." He then swaggered into a shop with no signboard. Once inside, Chu Tian felt something was off. There were two counters on either side¡ªon the left, the prices were clearly marked, while on the right were auction items. Chu Tian was puzzled. "Are they different?" At that moment, a shop attendant came out from behind the curtain and smiled, "Are you here to buy something, or to auction something?" Chu Tian wasn¡¯t sure what the difference was, so he simply said, "I need a Premium Ten-Spirit Pill." The attendant smiled. "That Premium Ten-Spirit Pill belongs to the auction section. It hasn¡¯t started yet; the auction will begin tonight. But, to participate, you''ll need to purchase an entrance ticket, priced at 10,000 spirit stones per ticket." Chu Tian didn¡¯t expect that the pill would be auctioned. Though he had never been to an auction, he had seen it on TV and read about it in novels. He smiled and said, "Alright, here¡¯s 10,000." The attendant immediately handed him an entrance ticket, which was carved from a special wood. At that moment, Lin He walked over. "I''ll take one too."Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. The attendant smiled and handed her a ticket as well. Lin He, holding the ticket, glared coldly at Chu Tian. "No matter what you buy today, I¡¯ll make sure to get in your way! You better leave the city quickly!" Chu Tian hadn¡¯t expected her to buy a ticket just to oppose him. He laughed and said, "Stupid matchmaker! If you can buy the entire city of You City, I¡¯ll consider leaving!" Lin He arrogantly replied, "I may not be able to buy the entire city, but I can stop you!" Chu Tian smiled, "Alright, I¡¯m curious if you really have that much money!" Chu Tian then visited several shops selling medicinal pills. If it was a small shop, Lin He would use her status to pressure the owners into refusing to sell pills to Chu Tian. If it was a larger store, Lin He would buy them at high prices. After visiting a dozen or so stores, Chu Tian hadn¡¯t bought anything, while Lin He was smug, laughing coldly. "Kid, I told you, you won¡¯t buy anything today." Chu Tian remained indifferent and kept walking. He deliberately chose large stores and selected the most expensive pills. After wandering for the better part of the day, Chu Tian smiled and said, "Stupid matchmaker, how do you feel now? You must have spent a lot today." Lin He remained proud, "I have money, and you still won¡¯t get anything." Chu Tian grinned, "Yes, every time I tried to buy something, you jacked up the price by 20%. You really have money, but none of those items were what I wanted. I was just making you bleed money! This feeling... is so satisfying!" This deeply provoked Lin He, making her glare at him with fury."Ding~ Anger value +1" Chu Tian smiled and leaned back, "You guys are really foolish and rich!" With that, he laughed loudly and left, leaving Lin He and the others with ugly expressions. Lin He shouted angrily, "Dammit, bastard! I¡¯ll kill you!" "Ding~ No more anger value can be obtained!" Chu Tian, having drained all of Lin He''s anger, secretly laughed. "Time to get back to business." So, Chu Tian appeared again the next day, at a place called Tian Luo Fang, which sold many pills and spirit herbs. Lin He and her group angrily followed him inside. Chu Tian walked up to the shopkeeper, smiling. "Shopkeeper, I need Ten-Spirit Pills." The shopkeeper, a middle-aged man, who was thin but had a friendly smile, asked, "What quality?" Chu Tian asked, "What types do you have?" "Low grade and medium grade. The low-grade ones are 30,000 spirit stones, while the medium grade ones are 100,000." Chu Tian naturally wanted the best, so he asked, "How many medium-grade ones do you have?" The shopkeeper replied, "We have 50 left in stock." Chu Tian smiled. "I¡¯ll take all 50." "Alright." The shopkeeper immediately sent a waiter to fetch the pills, but Lin He, of course, was there to cause trouble. She shouted, "I¡¯ll pay 120,000 per pill! Give me all of them!" The shopkeeper hesitated. Lin He threw down her token and said, "I¡¯m from the Lin family. Give me some face, or I¡¯ll come to your shop every day!" At this moment, Chu Tian couldn¡¯t help but laugh. The shopkeeper, however, was unmoved and said, "Miss Lin, I¡¯m sorry, but we don¡¯t do business with the Lin family." Lin He was stunned. "Why?" Chu Tian laughed from the side. "Your damned brother tried to harass the Luo family¡¯s young miss yesterday. What do you think?" Lin He looked around and realized this Tian Luo Fang was a business of the Luo family. She glared at Chu Tian, "You¡­" Chu Tian smiled. "What¡¯s wrong? Now that you have money, it doesn¡¯t work anymore, does it?" Lin He, unwilling to accept it, looked at the shopkeeper. "Shopkeeper, you must give them to me." The shopkeeper shook his head. "I won¡¯t." Soon, the waiter appeared and handed Chu Tian all 50 medium-grade Ten-Spirit Pills. Just as Chu Tian was about to pay 5 million spirit stones, the shopkeeper smiled and said, "Since you have the young lady''s jade pendant, you can get a 40% discount. 3 million will be fine." Chu Tian was surprised. "How did you know I have your young miss¡¯s jade pendant?" The shopkeeper chuckled. "As long as you¡¯re carrying it, I can sense it. Moreover, your young miss also gave orders to the shops around You City this morning to treat you well. If you don¡¯t have money, you can go to any Luo family money house and withdraw spirit stones without interest." Chu Tian smiled. "Thanks a lot." "Come again sometime." Chu Tian nodded, then looked at Lin He, who was already red-faced and grinding her teeth. He smiled and said, "Thanks for spending the day with me, stupid matchmaker. I¡¯m heading to the auction area now. If you want to compete with me for something, you can go there. After all, you have money, so you can keep raising the prices, right?" With that, Chu Tian laughed loudly and left. Gui Meng, looking at Lin He with a dark expression, asked, "Miss, what should we do now?" Lin He gritted her teeth and said, "To the auction area!" Chapter 18: The Worldview Has Exploded! Gui Meng and the others were feeling guilty. Today, they had just been scammed out of several hundred million spirit stones by Chu Tian, which was several years'' worth of income for the Lin family. Now, Chu Tian was about to drag Lin He, who was furious and with a high temper, into the auction area, essentially forcing the Lin family to bleed money. However, Lin He had no choice but to do this in order to force Chu Tian out. Chu Tian had been toying with them like they were monkeys, dragging them all the way to the auction area. At this point, night was falling, and after a whole day of commotion, Lin He¡¯s eyes were bloodshot from exhaustion. Meanwhile, Chu Tian cheerfully entered the underground level of the auction house. The underground floor was bustling with activity, with many chairs set up for the auction. Chu Tian walked to an available seat, holding his entry ticket with the seat number. Since Lin He had followed him and bought a ticket as well, she sat next to him, just a little to his right. Her voice was filled with rage as she said, "Boy, just wait!" Chu Tian grinned, "I said, Dead Matchmaker, is your Lin family really that rich?" At this moment, Lin He no longer had the same confident air she had earlier in the day. Instead, she said, "I won''t let you succeed." Chu Tian waved the token from Miss Luo and said with a smile, "This is from Miss Luo. You heard it earlier, I can withdraw spirit stones from any of the Luo family¡¯s banks. Do you think you can outbid me?" Lin He, upon hearing this, saw an opportunity and said, "Then I¡¯ll make you bleed money." Chu Tian didn¡¯t take her seriously and continued observing the surroundings. Suddenly, Lin He stood up. Curious, Chu Tian watched her walk toward a handsome young man and whisper, "Young Master Liu, long time no see." Chu Tian thought the young man would chase her away, given how repulsive she was. But to his surprise, the handsome young man¡¯s expression changed slightly, and he smiled, "Ah, it¡¯s Miss Lin." Lin He leaned in closer and asked, "Did you miss me?" Chu Tian nearly spat in disbelief, thinking, "What an insufferable woman! Does she really think someone would want her? She¡¯s delusional." But the young man smiled back and said, "Of course I missed you." Chu Tian couldn¡¯t hold back his disgust, muttering to himself, "This world is insane!" Meanwhile, Lin He hurriedly began telling the young man about Chu Tian¡¯s ''crimes''. "It¡¯s him, the one who killed my brother. If you take care of him, my father will definitely agree to marry me to you." Hearing this, the young man was elated. He quickly approached Chu Tian and coldly asked, "Are you the one who killed Young Master Lin?" Chu Tian couldn¡¯t help but laugh, "I gotta say, you¡¯re not bad looking. How could you fall for such an ugly woman? What, are you so desperate?" Lin He immediately cursed, "You bastard!" Although the young man knew Chu Tian¡¯s words were the truth, he still gritted his teeth and glared, "What does it matter to you who I like?" Chu Tian nonchalantly responded, "And who I kill, what does it matter to you?"Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! "Seeking death!" the young man yelled. Ding~ Anger +1. The young man quickly threw a flying needle from his sleeve. Since the underground floor was dimly lit, the needle flew toward Chu Tian like a firefly. But as it got close, Chu Tian¡¯s Thousand Demons Armor flashed, and the needle hit it with a "ding" sound, like striking a steel plate, and fell to the ground. Chu Tian shrugged with a helpless look, "Didn''t expect you to be this weak. If I''d known, I wouldn''t have bothered blocking it." The young man, surprised that someone at the peak of Foundation Establishment could stop his hidden weapon, coldly asked, "Which sect are you from?" Chu Tian smiled, "Are you my grandson? Why would I tell you?" "Dammit, you!" Ding~ Anger +1. Seeing that the young man had nothing to say, Chu Tian smirked, "You better go drink some more milk, maybe it¡¯ll help." "Asshole! I''ll kill you!" the young man screamed. Ding~ Anger +1. Just as the young man was about to act, a group of guards from the auction house rushed over, and one of them shouted, "Fighting is prohibited in the auction house! Disqualification for any combat!" The young man was forced to restrain his fury and glared at Chu Tian, "Boy, listen up, my name is Jian Yin from the Jian Long Sect. If you have the guts, don¡¯t run away. I¡¯ll take your life." "Jian Yin, ''Jian'' as in cheap and ''Yin'' as in disgusting? Your parents really have a talent for naming," Chu Tian mocked with a laugh. Jian Yin fumed, "Dammit, you..." Ding~ Anger +1. Chu Tian casually asked, "You want to make a move? But you should ask these big brothers over here." Jian Yin glared at the guards, who were all giving him a cold look. He reluctantly stepped back. Lin He walked up to Jian Yin with a frustrated look and said, "Didn''t you say your flying needle was amazing? How could he block it so easily?" Jian Yin hastily explained, "It was a mistake!" Lin He snapped, "I don¡¯t care! Today, I want to see his corpse, or you can forget about marrying me." Jian Yin immediately suggested, "Let¡¯s talk privately." The two of them began whispering to each other. Chu Tian, noticing their quiet conversation, muttered to himself, "Are they using sound transmission?" Sound transmission was a unique ability used by Golden Core cultivators to communicate privately with others without anyone else hearing. Both Jian Yin and Lin He were indeed at the Golden Core stage, with Jian Yin at the peak of it. Chu Tian couldn¡¯t help but wonder. The Jian Long Sect was a second-tier sect with some renown in the area, but why would a disciple from such a sect be interested in such an ugly woman? After a while, Lin He returned to her seat beside Chu Tian, no longer as furious as before. Instead, she gave him a sinister smile and said, "You won¡¯t leave here alive today." Chu Tian smiled back, "Oh? Is that so? Well, I look forward to seeing how you plan to make a move on me in front of so many people." Lin He continued to smile coldly at him, sending a chill down his spine. "Without makeup, she could star in a horror movie." Lin He didn¡¯t understand what Chu Tian meant, but she seemed convinced that he would die today. Her spirits were much higher than before, and Chu Tian ignored her as the auction began. There were many valuable items up for bid, but Chu Tian wasn¡¯t interested in any of them. When the auctioneer announced the next item, a premium Ten Spirit Pill, he called out, "Starting bid, one million. Each bid increases by a hundred thousand." As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd buzzed with excitement. The Ten Spirit Pill, which could rapidly restore cultivation, was extremely precious. In no time, the price reached ten million, and Chu Tian couldn¡¯t help but gasp, "Ten million? That¡¯s expensive." And the price kept rising. Seeing this, Chu Tian gave up on buying the pill, inwardly sighing, "If I were an alchemist, one pill would easily sell for tens of millions. That would make a fortune." Just then, a system alert popped up. Ding~ Danger detected. Chu Tian quickly snapped back to attention. He felt a black scorpion appear beneath his feet. It was a spirit beast, about the size of a hand, and its tail was poised to strike Chu Tian. Lin He, grinning, clearly couldn¡¯t wait for the scorpion to sting him. But before the scorpion could strike, Chu Tian reacted swiftly, grabbing it and tossing it straight at Lin He. She jumped up in shock, "Ah!" The crowd immediately looked around in confusion. Jian Yin rushed to Lin He¡¯s side, supporting her with a horrified look on his face. "You..." At this moment, Lin He¡¯s chest puffed out, and Chu Tian couldn''t help but gasp, "Holy crap, did she just go from flat to 36H in an instant? Doesn¡¯t she worry about exploding?" Chapter 19: The Duel, Tricking Them Again! As soon as Chu Tian finished speaking, a deep, thunderous explosion rang out, filling the air with the stench of blood. The once bustling auction hall instantly turned silent, with all eyes turning toward the source of the noise. The clamor caused the auction to halt. The guards rushed over, and Jian Yin, holding a disheveled and bloodied Lin He, stammered, "It... exploded, it exploded." For Lin He, this was a tremendous humiliation. She stared at Jian Yin with wide, unblinking eyes, as though forgetting her pain. "This is all your fault!" Jian Yin hurriedly explained, "You told me to do this!" Lin He shot a furious glare at Chu Tian, who shrugged helplessly. "You can''t blame me for this. The scorpion was too rogue¡ªit stung you right there." Lin He screamed in rage, "I''ll kill you!" The guards immediately stepped forward to stop her, and the head guard barked, "You troublemakers, come with me!" Lin He sneered, "Who dares to touch me?" The head guard snorted and immediately surrounded Jian Yin and Lin He. When Jian Yin saw the guard¡¯s cultivation level¡ªpeak Golden Core¡ªhe panicked and said, "Miss Lin, this is their turf. Let''s go with them." Lin He immediately shouted to her subordinates in the distance, "Go fetch my father!" The subordinates hurried off, while Lin He glared at Chu Tian, "Kid, you won¡¯t leave today!" The head guard turned to Chu Tian, "Young master, please." Chu Tian wasn''t scared at all; instead, he secretly laughed. "Let''s go see who¡¯s behind this auction house. I¡¯ve always wondered who owns it." Curious about the auction house¡¯s mysterious background, Chu Tian decided to follow the head guard. They left the underground floor and ascended to the third floor. The third floor was long and quiet, and as they walked, Lin He couldn''t resist turning around and threatening Chu Tian, "Kid, my father will be here soon. I¡¯ll make sure you die today!" Chu Tian casually smiled, "Let¡¯s see. Maybe your father won¡¯t be able to take my life and will end up suffering instead." Lin He fumed but couldn''t find the words to respond. The head guard said nothing and continued leading them ahead until they reached a private room. Inside, there was an old man carving wood in front of a tea table. His movements were slow but precise, and each stroke of his knife emitted a flash of golden light, leaving behind a unique symbol on the wood. When they arrived, the head guard bowed respectfully, "Master, three people are causing trouble. How should we handle it?" The old man set down his knife, raised his head to look at the three, and then at the head guard. "Speak. What happened?" The head guard recounted the events, and after hearing it, the old man¡¯s distinct blue eyebrows twitched, and his almost toothless mouth twitched into a smile.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Lin He immediately snapped, "What are you laughing at?" The head guard shot her a glare, "Shut up!" Lin He huffed, "What? This is the Ghost City. Are you planning to kill me? Be careful of the experts outside¡ªthey¡¯ll come in and kill you!" The old man smiled but didn¡¯t reply, while the head guard unsheathed his sword and glared at her, "Try it!" Lin He was so frightened she took a few steps back, and Jian Yin quickly interjected, "Seniors, please don¡¯t be angry. This was all a misunderstanding. Please don¡¯t hold it against us!" The old man took a sip of tea, then slowly said, "In our auction house, we have a decree from the city lord¡¯s mansion. Anyone who causes trouble here can be dealt with on the spot. No one from outside will interfere." At these words, Lin He and Jian Yin¡¯s faces changed drastically. Suddenly, there was a commotion outside, and a guard yelled, "No one is allowed inside!" But an authoritative voice boomed, "Who dares stop me?" Several guards burst in, and a middle-aged man with wild hair and a vicious expression entered. Lin He, seeing the man, rushed forward excitedly, "Father!" The middle-aged man was Lin Hu, the head of the Lin family. When he saw his bloodied daughter, he immediately turned to Chu Tian in rage, "You killed my son and injured my daughter. You¡¯re asking for death!" Ding~ Anger increased by 1. Chu Tian sucked in a breath. Lin Hu was at least at the peak of the Golden Core stage, and he might even be close to Nascent Soul. His strength was terrifying. The fury emanating from him was like a gust of wind. Lin Hu¡¯s right hand shot out like a fierce tiger¡¯s claws, aiming at Chu Tian. Chu Tian quickly retreated with his Flying Cloud Step, and Lin Hu growled, "Dare to run? Seeking death!" As Lin Hu prepared to attack again, the old man threw a teacup toward them. Lin Hu¡¯s punch collided with the cup, and his attack was blocked as if the cup had absorbed all the force, causing his fist to rebound. Chu Tian turned to the old man and smiled, "Thank you, master." Lin Hu glared at the old man, "Xie Lao, are you protecting him?" The old man chuckled, "Lin family head, this is my place. You want to kill someone? Did you ask for my permission?" "Xie Lao, after I kill him, I¡¯ll give you some spirit stones as compensation. What do you think?" Lin Hu clearly feared the old man, but still tried to negotiate. The old man remained unfazed and smiled, "You know that I maintain neutrality here. No one is allowed to fight, and definitely not allowed to kill." Lin Hu growled, "Then what do you want?" Xie Lao¡¯s eyes gleamed with wisdom. "Let¡¯s solve private grudges the way they¡¯re solved in Ghost City. How about it?" Lin Hu¡¯s eyes flashed with sharpness, and after a pause, he turned to Chu Tian, "Kid, do you dare accept my challenge?" Chu Tian, not knowing how private grudges were settled in Ghost City, looked at Xie Lao. The old man nodded, signaling the head guard to explain the rules. It turned out that in Ghost City, if two people wanted to fight, both had to agree and then designate a specific area for the duel. The fight would continue until one side died. Chu Tian realized that dealing with Lin He and Jian Yin would be too easy, but he wasn¡¯t going to agree for nothing. With a helpless smile, Chu Tian said, "A life-or-death duel? I¡¯m not brave enough." Lin Hu snorted, "You had the guts to kill my son, but you¡¯re afraid to fight me?" Lin He glared at him, "Coward!" Jian Yin chimed in, "Kid, if you have the guts, fight. Don¡¯t be a turtle hiding in its shell." Chu Tian hesitated for a moment, then said, "Sure, but I have one condition." Everyone leaned in, curious about what he would say. Chu Tian looked at the fierce Lin Hu, and the eager Lin He and Jian Yin, and said, "I want to know: who will fight me? Also, if it¡¯s a life-or-death duel, there has to be something in it for me, right?" The old man smiled at Chu Tian, while Lin Hu sneered, "Of course it¡¯ll be me fighting you!" Chu Tian sized him up and said, "You? Even if you gave me all your family¡¯s spirit stones, I still wouldn¡¯t agree." "Then what do you want?" Chu Tian pointed at Jian Yin and Lin He, "Any one of them will do, or both. As for you, family head, you¡¯re not involved. If they both fight me, I expect ten billion spirit stones." At these words, Lin Hu and the others began cursing furiously. Chu Tian just sat back and soaked in the rising anger, while the old man chuckled, "Looks like your private grievances can¡¯t be settled easily." At that moment, Gui Meng appeared beside Lin Hu and whispered something to him. Lin Hu¡¯s anger faded, and he smiled. "Fine, ten billion it is. But once you take the money, you can¡¯t back out." Chu Tian didn¡¯t understand what Gui Meng had said to make Lin Hu agree so quickly, but he wasn¡¯t afraid of Lin He and Jian Yin. He smiled, "Fine, but I want the spirit stones first." Chapter 20: The Temptation of the Spirit Engraver When Chu Tian asked for spirit stones, Lin Hu reluctantly handed over a bag, holding back his pain. ¡°Here, ten billion. Satisfied?¡± Chu Tian took the bag, scanned its contents, and grinned. ¡°The Lin family really knows how to show their wealth!¡± Lin Hu gave a sly smile. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve accepted the money, you¡¯ve agreed to spar with my daughter and Jian Yin, correct?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Hearing this, Lin Hu immediately pulled out a small tower. The tower resembled an upright brown elephant, with its long trunk extending from the top. Lin He¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement. ¡°Father, are you letting me use this?¡± Lin Hu chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s right. This tower contains hundreds of celestial spirit beasts and over a thousand terrestrial spirit beasts under my control. They¡¯ll easily destroy him!¡± The elder frowned slightly. ¡°Patriarch Lin, isn¡¯t this a bit underhanded?¡± However, Chu Tian¡¯s eyes glowed red as he secretly rejoiced. He had been worrying about finding spirit beasts to level up and collect spirit artifact fragments, but now Lin Hu had practically delivered a treasure trove to him. How could he not be thrilled? Lin Hu, noticing Chu Tian clutching the bag of spirit stones, sneered. ¡°Elder Xie, he already agreed. Are you going to intervene? Or go back on your word?¡± The elder looked grim, while Chu Tian simply smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s get started. Don¡¯t waste any more time.¡± The elder observed Chu Tian¡¯s calm demeanor and couldn¡¯t help but wonder, ¡°Is this guy genuinely capable or just putting on a brave front?¡± Lin Hu smirked coldly. ¡°Elder Xie, do you have a venue prepared for us?¡± The elder stood up and said, ¡°On the fourth floor, I have a sealed chamber reinforced with an array. Even someone at the Nascent Soul stage couldn¡¯t break it. You can use it to settle this.¡± Lin Hu was overjoyed and quickly handed the tower to Lin He. Then he turned to Jian Yin. ¡°Jian Yin, make sure you tear him apart! I¡¯ll reward you handsomely afterward!¡± Jian Yin¡¯s excitement was palpable. ¡°No problem!¡± The elder and his guards, certain that Chu Tian wouldn¡¯t survive, refrained from interfering in this matter. Instead, they led the group to the fourth floor. At the end of the hallway was a stone door. When the elder opened it, they saw a large chamber inside. The elder glanced at Chu Tian and the others. ¡°Go in.¡± Lin He and Jian Yin eagerly entered. Lin He clutched the tower with one hand and taunted Chu Tian with a provocative look. ¡°Coward! Hurry up and let my spirit beasts have some fun with you!¡± Chu Tian gave a strange smile and prepared to step inside, but the elder suddenly stopped him. ¡°Young man, do you have any last words? If you do, I might be able to fulfill them for you.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Grateful for the elder¡¯s concern, Chu Tian replied sincerely, ¡°Thank you, Elder, but I don¡¯t have any last words. If anything, it¡¯s they who should be worried!¡± With that, Chu Tian stepped inside and closed the stone door behind him. What happened inside was a mystery to those waiting outside. Lin Hu crossed his arms and sneered. ¡°Elder Xie, once he comes out, there won¡¯t even be bones left.¡± The elder remained silent, quietly pondering Chu Tian¡¯s earlier words. Inside the chamber, chaos erupted. Lin He and Jian Yin were covered in blood after only a brief confrontation with Chu Tian, huddling in a corner. Lin He, trembling, gripped the tower tightly and continuously released spirit beasts. However, each spirit beast was either shattered or slain by Chu Tian¡¯s sword as soon as it appeared. Lin He still hoped that Chu Tian¡¯s spiritual energy would be depleted soon. Jian Yin, glaring at Chu Tian with bloodshot eyes, shouted angrily, ¡°You brat! Your spiritual energy will run out eventually. Let¡¯s see how you survive then!¡± Chu Tian grinned. ¡°Run out of spiritual energy? Sorry to disappoint you. I just bought 50 mid-grade Ten Spirit Pills. Each one restores my energy tenfold, and a single pill can be fully absorbed in 15 minutes. If you¡¯re hoping to exhaust me, that¡¯s not going to happen.¡± Lin He burst into mocking laughter. ¡°Ten Spirit Pills? A person can only take one per day. Any more, and your meridians will rupture!¡± Jian Yin joined in the laughter. ¡°You¡¯re delusional!¡± Chu Tian remained silent, focusing on slaying the spirit beasts. Half an hour later, he had consumed several pills, and the spirit beasts were gone, leaving Lin He and Jian Yin staring at him in terror. Chu Tian took out the Celestial Spirit Orb and encased them in its barrier, smiling. ¡°You won¡¯t even be able to self-destruct now.¡± Desperate, Jian Yin tried to break the barrier, but it was impenetrable. Their hopes of self-destruction extinguished, they fell into despair. Jian Yin, panicking, pleaded, ¡°Young master, this is between you and the Lin family. It has nothing to do with me. Let me go!¡± Lin He was furious. ¡°Jian Yin, how dare you betray me!¡± Jian Yin, fearing for his life, began to reveal Lin He¡¯s secrets, sparking an argument between the two. Chu Tian smirked. ¡°Is this what they call a dog-eat-dog situation?¡± Lin He snapped. ¡°You brat, if you kill me, my father will never let you go!¡± Chu Tian laughed coldly. ¡°I¡¯ve already killed your brother. Do you think your father will let me go either way?¡± Lin He was filled with despair as Chu Tian seized the tower. He began inspecting it but found that an unknown force was preventing him from fully controlling it. Through his inherited memories, Chu Tian understood that only someone at the Golden Core stage could refine such a treasure. For now, he decided to store it away, delighted with the massive gains he had made¡ªmillions of experience points and nearly 2,000 spirit artifact fragments, enough to exchange for a complete six-piece set. However, he still had to deal with the two before him. Holding his sword, Chu Tian was about to strike when Jian Yin hastily said, ¡°Young master, spare me! I can tell you a secret!¡± Chu Tian sneered. ¡°What secret could you possibly have that¡¯s worth your life?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about a powerful Spirit Engraver in the Cloud Mist Mountains. I know the location of their ruins. If you let me go, I¡¯ll take you there.¡± Hearing this, Lin He shouted angrily, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t know?¡± Jian Yin quickly explained, ¡°I only lied to keep the Lin family from forcing it out of me!¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Chu Tian¡¯s interest was piqued. He searched his inherited memories and learned that Spirit Engravers were individuals capable of carving runes onto artifacts, enhancing them with additional attributes like attack, defense, or support. He speculated that the elder might also be a Spirit Engraver, given his earlier carving activities. Jian Yin, seeing Chu Tian deep in thought, continued, ¡°This Spirit Engraver was a master. Think about it¡ªmasters are incredibly rare on this continent. Most are elusive, almost mythical. But this ruin holds a tangible legacy. If you find it, you could become a great Spirit Engraver yourself.¡± Chu Tian¡¯s eyes lit up at the thought. A master could carve at least six-star runes onto an artifact, significantly elevating its power¡ªlike upgrading equipment in a game. Without hesitation, Chu Tian took out a Demon Soul Stone and grinned wickedly. ¡°This is a Demon Soul Stone. I don¡¯t need to explain what it does, do I? If you want to live, you¡¯d better behave.¡± Chapter 21: A Big Haul, How Refreshing! As soon as these words were spoken, Lin He erupted in anger, shouting, "You bastard! My father won''t let you get away with this." In desperation to save his own life, Jian Yin quickly injected his spiritual energy into the stone. Lin He, furious, yelled, "Traitor!" Jian Yin, helpless, replied with a wry smile, "Miss Lin, while I do like your family''s wealth, I value my life even more." Hearing this, Lin He was infuriated. "You... You got close to me because of my family''s fortune?" Seeing no need to hide it anymore, Jian Yin grinned. "Yes, that''s right." Lin He, livid, spat, "I¡¯ll fight you to the death!" Chu Tian interjected with a chuckle. "Listen, Miss Matchmaker, inject your spiritual energy into the stone as well, or I¡¯ll deal with you right now!" Lin He trembled at the sight of Chu Tian¡¯s sword. Under his threat, she reluctantly injected her spiritual energy. Chu Tian then casually stored the Demon Soul Stone and grinned. "You, Jian Yin, was it? You¡¯re coming with me. After I¡¯m done here, you¡¯ll lead me to the Misty Mountain Range." Not daring to disobey, Jian Yin agreed submissively. Lin He, on the other hand, grew even more anxious about her fate. Chu Tian glanced at her with a sly smile. "You¡¯re still of some use. I¡¯ll make good use of you." With that, Chu Tian confidently strode toward the stone door. When everyone outside saw him emerge first, their faces were filled with astonishment. Lin Hu¡¯s eyes widened in anger. "You... How are you still alive?" Ding~ Rage Points +1 Chu Tian smiled. "Why should I be dead?" Unwilling to accept this, Lin Hu quickly looked behind Chu Tian. At that moment, Lin He and Jian Yin emerged, both severely injured. The old man¡¯s once-concerned expression turned into a wide grin. "It seems your grievances have been settled." Lin Hu glared at Lin He and Jian Yin and roared, "Speak! What happened?!" Jian Yin, as if switching sides entirely, walked over to Chu Tian¡¯s side and said with a smirk, "Master Lin, this young man here is extraordinary. We¡¯re no match for him. From today onward, I¡¯ll follow him. As for your daughter, I¡¯ve lost interest. We¡¯re done. And don¡¯t even think about seeking revenge on my new boss; he¡¯s way out of your league!" Jian Yin¡¯s sudden change of allegiance left everyone dumbfounded. Chu Tian chuckled inwardly. "This guy really is shameless." Lin Hu fumed. "You? You betrayed my daughter?" Jian Yin shamelessly replied, "Well, you should ask your daughter about that." Lin Hu turned to Lin He, who reluctantly explained what had happened. Finally, she added, "Father, I¡¯ve already left a spiritual energy imprint on his Demon Soul Stone." This revelation made the crowd gasp. The old man chuckled and said, "Master Lin, I believe it¡¯s time for you to leave now."This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Lin Hu, however, glared at Chu Tian with fury. "Hand over that Demon Soul Stone, or I¡¯ll kill you!" Ding~ Rage Points +1 Chu Tian responded with a sly grin. "If you want me to erase your daughter¡¯s spiritual energy imprint, I can do that too. But it¡¯ll cost you another ten billion." Lin Hu¡¯s anger exploded. He roared like a raging bull, "You scoundrel! I already gave you ten billion, and now you want another ten billion?" Ding~ Rage Points +1 Unfazed, Chu Tian calmly explained, "The previous amount was a gift to secure the duel with your daughter. This is a separate transaction¡ªit¡¯s a matter of saving a life. Isn¡¯t that worth it?" Grinding his teeth, Lin Hu seethed. "The Lin family earns only a few billion a year. Twenty billion is nearly a decade¡¯s profit! How can you demand so much all at once?" "Well," Chu Tian replied nonchalantly, "if you think the stone is more important than your daughter, I won¡¯t argue." Lin Hu was on the verge of losing his mind. If not for the old man¡¯s presence, he would have attacked Chu Tian on the spot. Left with no choice, he snarled through gritted teeth, "Fine! I¡¯ll get the money!" Soon, Lin Hu had another ten billion delivered. Only then did Chu Tian release Lin He, which enraged Lin Hu even more. Yet, unable to cause trouble here, he left the shop with Lin He in tow. The old man, meanwhile, looked at Chu Tian and chuckled. "Young man, angering the Lin family like this won¡¯t end well for you." Chu Tian shrugged indifferently. "A single offense or multiple offenses¡ªit makes no difference, does it?" The old man admired Chu Tian¡¯s boldness and handed him a black token engraved with a golden "Treasure" character. Puzzled, Chu Tian asked, "What¡¯s this?" The old man explained with a smile, "I admire your abilities. If you¡¯re willing to join our Auction Pavilion, this token is yours. It grants you an 80% discount at any of our branches." Hearing this, Jian Yin exclaimed in astonishment, "An item worth a million would cost just 800,000! Something worth ten million would save you two million! This is amazing!" However, Chu Tian remained indifferent. "While this is a great offer, senior, I already belong to a sect, so I can¡¯t join your organization." The old man, aware of Chu Tian¡¯s extraordinary talent, was determined to recruit him. But seeing Chu Tian¡¯s disinterest, he awkwardly said, "Young man, are you sure you don¡¯t want it?" "No, thank you," Chu Tian replied politely. The old man sighed but then smiled. "Even if you don¡¯t join, the token is still yours. Inside, you can view items scheduled for auction in nearby cities. As for discounts, I¡¯ll give you a 10% discount at my shop. How about that?" Jian Yin¡¯s eyes gleamed with greed, while Chu Tian was taken aback by the generosity. After learning about the token¡¯s features, he smiled. "Alright, I¡¯ll accept it. Thank you very much." Relieved, the old man introduced himself. "I¡¯m Xie An. You don¡¯t have to call me ¡®senior.¡¯ Just call me Xie Lao." Chu Tian nodded respectfully. "I¡¯m Chu Tian." Xie An smiled. "If you need anything, feel free to ask. I¡¯ll do my best to help." After exchanging pleasantries, Chu Tian asked, "Xie Lao, do you have more Supreme Ten Spirit Pills besides the one that was auctioned today?" "You¡¯re interested in those?" Xie An asked. Chu Tian nodded, and Xie An replied, "There are two left. If you want them, they¡¯re a million each. I¡¯ll sell them at cost since they weren¡¯t auctioned." Overjoyed, Chu Tian thanked him profusely. "Thank you so much." Jian Yin looked on with envy but didn¡¯t dare say a word. Chu Tian happily spent two million to acquire the pills and said with a smile, "Thanks, Xie Lao. I¡¯ll definitely visit again." "Anytime," Xie An replied warmly. After leaving the Auction Pavilion, Xie An¡¯s head guard asked, "Manager, you gave away so much today. A pill alone cost you a million in losses. And that token¡ªit¡¯s only for VIPs. Why?" Xie An chuckled. "Xiao Shan, when judging someone, don¡¯t just look at the present. Look at their future." The guard nodded thoughtfully. Meanwhile, Chu Tian and Jian Yin reached the city gates, where a thick white mist suddenly appeared in the night. Puzzled, Chu Tian remarked, "Strange. Why is there mist at the city gate?" Jian Yin was equally confused. "No idea." Chu Tian smiled mischievously at Jian Yin. "Go check it out." Jian Yin recoiled. "If I die, I can¡¯t guide you to the mountain range. You should go." "Coward," Chu Tian muttered before walking confidently into the mist. Jian Yin reluctantly followed. As they stepped inside, they heard bursts of laughter, and flames from torches illuminated their surroundings. Chapter 22: Redeeming the Spirit Weapon, Let the Slaughter Begin! Jian Yin was taken aback. ¡°The Lin Family¡¯s Fog Array¡ªso it¡¯s real?¡± Chu Tian, curious about the surrounding torches, asked, ¡°What¡¯s this Fog Array?¡± Jian Yin hurriedly explained, ¡°The Fog Array is a two-star killing formation. It¡¯s a human-based formation set up by countless Golden Core cultivators. Each person acts as a formation core, allowing them to attack anyone trapped within the array. However, those trapped inside cannot harm those outside.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°This formation moves constantly, so it¡¯s hard to hit anyone within it.¡± Sure enough, the surrounding torches began shifting. Jian Yin, trembling with fear, stood frozen. Chu Tian, knowing Jian Yin was a coward, paid him no mind. Instead, he looked around with a smile and said, ¡°Patriarch Lin, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re here too, aren¡¯t you?¡± As expected, the Lin Family Patriarch¡¯s voice rang out angrily. ¡°Boy, this is a two-star killing formation. Surely you understand the intricacies of such an array?¡± Chu Tian knew well enough. Arrays were ranked by stars¡ªone-star being the weakest, and each subsequent rank more powerful. Arrays were also categorized into types such as killing, trapping, and defensive. The Heavenly Star Sect, for instance, used a two-star defensive array, but this killing array was far more dangerous. Yet Chu Tian sneered, ¡°A killing array? Then go ahead and kill me!¡± ¡°Boy! Don¡¯t be so smug. You¡¯ll suffer soon enough!¡± The array began to operate once more. Chu Tian chuckled mischievously. ¡°If you won¡¯t come out, then I¡¯ll come to you!¡± With that, Chu Tian left Jian Yin behind and charged toward one of the torches. However, by the time he reached it, the torch had moved, leaving the area empty. Jian Yin, who had followed, exclaimed in fear, ¡°It¡¯s useless! The people here move too quickly!¡± Ignoring him, Chu Tian heard Lin Hu¡¯s cold voice from the shadows. ¡°Jian Yin! If you reveal the location of the ruins to me, I¡¯ll let you go!¡± Jian Yin was both terrified and tempted but, recalling his tether to Chu Tian, responded reluctantly, ¡°Patriarch Lin, I¡ª¡± ¡°I know. Your essence is bound to his Soul Stone. Don¡¯t worry¡ªI¡¯ll deal with him!¡± Jian Yin glanced nervously at Chu Tian. ¡°I¡ªI won¡¯t betray you.¡± Chu Tian, reading his expression, knew otherwise. However, with the Soul Stone in hand, Chu Tian wasn¡¯t worried about Jian Yin causing trouble. Instead, he decided to use Jian Yin as bait to draw out the Lin Family members. Pointing his sword at Jian Yin, Chu Tian smirked and called out, ¡°Patriarch Lin, since you know he holds secrets, what if I kill him?¡± Lin Hu shouted angrily, ¡°You bastard! Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Ding~ Rage Value +1 Chu Tian, grinning, taunted, ¡°Why don¡¯t you try me?¡± Enraged, Lin Hu yelled, ¡°Attack!¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Suddenly, several fiery dragons flew through the air, targeting Chu Tian. Using his Cloud Step technique, Chu Tian swiftly dodged. Lin Hu, unwilling to give up, ordered further attacks. But at that moment, Chu Tian vanished. Lin Hu, puzzled, asked, ¡°Where did he go?¡± Jian Yin looked around nervously, equally confused. Only Chu Tian knew that he had used his companion spell to turn invisible for three seconds. Chu Tian had already identified several targets¡ªthe Golden Core cultivators hidden within the array. Reappearing, he swiftly eliminated them. With each defeat, the array became unstable. Gradually, the fog dissipated, revealing more and more individuals. Seeing this, Chu Tian was ecstatic. ¡°Experience points, here I come!¡± Like a god of slaughter, Chu Tian darted around, cutting down enemies. Furious, Lin Hu shouted, ¡°Withdraw the array!¡± As the remaining cultivators retreated, Lin Hu emerged, surrounded by heavily injured Golden Core experts. Fuming, he roared, ¡°You bastard, I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Chu Tian, smirking, swallowed a mid-grade Spirit Elixir and taunted, ¡°Patriarch Lin, if you don¡¯t act personally, they¡¯ll all die.¡± Lin Hu extended his arms, his aura surging as flames coiled around him. Soon, a massive fireball materialized before him¡ªa powerful fire spell. Jian Yin, terrified, froze on the spot. Chu Tian, however, dismissed his Fire Dragon Sword and grinned at the system. ¡°Exchange for the Flame Sword from the Flame Set.¡± Ding~ 1,500 shards consumed. Flame Sword obtained! In Chu Tian¡¯s hand appeared a new sword, brimming with vitality. Its faint red glow was visible even in the dark. Intricate fire lion patterns adorned both sides of the blade. Holding a spiritual weapon for the first time, Chu Tian couldn¡¯t help but feel exhilarated. His blood boiled as he thought, ¡°With a 50% damage boost, let¡¯s see how powerful this Flame Sword really is!¡± Unconcerned about Chu Tian¡¯s new weapon, Lin Hu roared, ¡°Die!¡± The fireball shot toward Chu Tian like a gust of wind, exploding upon impact. But Chu Tian had already leaped into the air, gliding gracefully. With a smirk, he slashed his sword, unleashing a powerful wave of sword energy. ¡°Flaming Burst Slash! Explode!¡± At the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, Chu Tian could already kill late-stage Golden Core cultivators with ease. With the 50% damage boost, the devastating sword energy and explosive force left countless Golden Core experts dead before they knew what hit them. Lin Hu himself was blasted backward by the immense power. Staggering to his feet, Lin Hu, eyes bloodshot, exclaimed, ¡°How¡ªhow is this possible?¡± Descending from the sky, Chu Tian admired the twin fire lions glowing on his sword. ¡°What a fine blade!¡± Excited by the prospect of completing the six-piece set, Chu Tian¡¯s confidence soared. Jian Yin, dumbfounded, stood frozen, while the disciples guarding the city gates trembled in fear. Chu Tian pointed his sword at them, unleashing a wave of sword energy that obliterated every last one. The system¡¯s experience notifications kept coming until they stopped at 4.8 million. Chu Tian grinned. ¡°Just 200,000 more for peak Foundation Establishment! Then I can unlock the Level 15 Growth Pack!¡± Lin Hu, clutching his wounds, cursed, ¡°You bastard! Mark my words¡ªI¡¯ll tear you to pieces one day!¡± Ding~ Rage Value +1 As Lin Hu tried to flee, Chu Tian unleashed another wave of sword energy. Panicked, Lin Hu crushed a talisman, vanishing in a puff of smoke. Chu Tian sighed in frustration. ¡°A teleportation talisman, huh?¡± Jian Yin quickly approached, fawning. ¡°Brother, you¡¯re incredible!¡± Chu Tian shot him a glance and sneered. ¡°I bet you were hoping I¡¯d die just now.¡± Jian Yin, panicked, stammered, ¡°N-no! I wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± Chu Tian smirked coldly. ¡°If I ever catch you scheming, I¡¯ll annihilate your soul.¡± Jian Yin, terrified, promised, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t¡ªnever!¡± Satisfied, Chu Tian collected himself and led Jian Yin away. Outside the city gates, charred corpses lay scattered. Meanwhile, Lin Hu, back at the Lin Family estate, winced in pain as he slammed a table. ¡°Damn him!¡± Lin He, concerned, asked, ¡°Father, are we just going to let this go?¡± Lin Hu snorted. ¡°Our Lin Family has thrived in Ghost City for a reason. Do you think some punk can walk all over us?¡± ¡°Father, what do you mean?¡± ¡°The City Lord has always wanted one of our family treasures. If I give it to him, he¡¯ll definitely help us!¡± Lin He, understanding, replied excitedly, ¡°As long as we can get rid of him, anything¡¯s worth it!¡± Lin Hu nodded reluctantly and left. Meanwhile, under Jian Yin¡¯s guidance, Chu Tian ventured deep into the Cloud Mist Mountain Range in search of the ruins. By the next day, they stood atop a canyon. Looking down, Chu Tian saw only dense black fog. He asked skeptically, ¡°Is this the place?¡± Chapter 23: A Scoundrel Will Always Be a Scoundrel, Courting Death! Jian Yin nervously nodded without daring to lie, "Yes." Chu Tian looked down at the black mist below before turning to Jian Yin with a smile and asking, "How did you know about these ruins?" Jian Yin uneasily took out an animal skin from his pocket. The skin was slightly blackened. He handed it to Chu Tian nervously, saying, "This." Chu Tian took the animal skin and saw that it indeed had a map on it, ending at a location labeled as Black Mist Valley. Puzzled, Chu Tian asked, "Where did you get this map?" "I found it while hunting spiritual beasts in the Cloud Mist Mountains. It was inside the stomach of a beast. I think it might have been left behind by some master before their death." Chu Tian stared at the animal skin for a while, then put it away with a smile. "Alright, let¡¯s go down." With that, Chu Tian grabbed Jian Yin and used his Flying Cloud Step to glide downward. This shocked Jian Yin greatly. Chu Tian passed through layers of black mist and landed in a field of shattered stones. However, he noticed something strange about the black mist. Moments later, his hands began to feel numb. Jian Yin immediately stepped back and sneered coldly, "Are you starting to feel numb?" Jian Yin¡¯s sudden change in demeanor made Chu Tian suspicious. "What¡¯s going on?" Jian Yin smirked with pride. "The black mist in Black Mist Valley is a famous poison gas. Even a Golden Core master would feel numb stepping here, let alone a Foundation Establishment cultivator like you!" Hearing this, Chu Tian asked in confusion, "Then why are you unaffected?" Jian Yin pulled out a green leaf from his pocket. "I bought a Hundred-Cleanse Leaf. It protects me from the poison gas." Chu Tian suddenly understood. "So you deliberately lured me here to kill me?" Jian Yin laughed triumphantly. "Exactly. Once I kill you, I can take the Demon Soul Stone and all your treasures, spirit stones, and the auction house tokens!" Now that Jian Yin had revealed his true nature, Chu Tian pulled out a Supreme Ten-Spirit Pill, swallowed it, and sneered. "You¡¯re courting death, making me waste a Supreme Ten-Spirit Pill just to kill you." Just as Jian Yin was about to mock Chu Tian for taking the pill in vain, Chu Tian neutralized the poison in his body. At the same time, he summoned his Flame Sword, releasing a sword aura that pierced Jian Yin¡¯s body. Jian Yin¡¯s face turned pale as he shouted, "No!" His body exploded on the spot, leaving only the Hundred-Cleanse Leaf fluttering to the ground. Chu Tian picked it up and sneered. "Daring to poison me? Do you even know your limits?"Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. At that moment, a faint breeze swept past, accompanied by a weak voice from a nearby cave. Chu Tian quickly pocketed the leaf to prevent further poisoning and stared at the cave with a heavy expression. "What was that sound?" "Come! Enter!" The voice was eerie, like a ghostly summons. Chu Tian was startled. "Could it be... that master?" With curiosity and caution, Chu Tian approached the cave. Thick grass grew around its entrance. Using his sharp sword, Chu Tian cleared the grass, revealing a dark cave. After a moment of hesitation, Chu Tian couldn¡¯t resist the temptation and entered the cave with his Flame Sword. The sword¡¯s red glow illuminated his surroundings, dispelling any fear. Drip, drip. A faint sound echoed in the darkness, prompting Chu Tian to wonder, "Is that the sound of water?" He pressed onward, and the dripping sound grew louder. Soon, Chu Tian saw a small pool. But instead of water, the pool was filled with blood. He gasped. "What¡­?" A breeze swept across the pool, and Chu Tian raised his sword, illuminating the wall above the pool. There, a man with disheveled hair covering his face was perched, staring down at him. Startled, Chu Tian took a few steps back and demanded, "Who are you?" The man sat silently in a recess of the wall, his body pierced with numerous long golden needles. The exposed parts of the needles glowed faintly, forming a protective light around him. The man finally spoke in a unique, ethereal voice, "Me? I¡¯ve almost forgotten who I am." Chu Tian, sensing the voice but no trace of the man¡¯s aura, asked in shock, "Are you alive or dead?" "Half-dead, half-alive," the man replied. "What does that mean?" Chu Tian asked, puzzled. The man did not elaborate but instead asked, "Who are you, and why are you here?" Chu Tian explained his purpose for coming. The man chuckled bitterly. "Does fate wish to destroy me?" Confused, Chu Tian asked, "Senior, what do you mean?" The man sighed and continued, "Before I was sealed, I carved this map onto a spiritual beast. My intention was for other beasts to carry it out and attract powerful cultivators here to rescue me." Chu Tian was stunned. "Are you¡­ the great spirit inscriber Qiong Feng?" The man let out a weary hum of affirmation. Chu Tian frowned. "How did you end up like this?" Qiong Feng recounted his story. He had been framed and fled to the Cloud Mist Mountains, only to have his body and soul sealed here, unable to leave for eternity. After hearing this, Chu Tian inhaled sharply. "Who would be so ruthless? Why not just kill you outright?" Qiong Feng sighed. "It was my junior brother. He wanted to torture me and use these sealing needles to refine me completely. After my death, my memories and spirit-inscription techniques would be sealed in these needles for him to steal." Chu Tian was shocked. "Then why didn¡¯t he take you away directly?" Qiong Feng sneered. "Before sealing me, I set up a Blood-Siphoning Formation here. As long as I¡¯m alive, the formation will persist. If he tries to move me, the formation will drain his blood into that pool." Chu Tian glanced at the blood-filled pool and asked, "So, this blood isn¡¯t his?" "Of course not. It belongs to the beasts that wandered in and tried to approach me." Chu Tian suddenly understood. "So that¡¯s how it is." Qiong Feng sighed. "You should leave quickly. If he finds you, you¡¯re as good as dead." Chu Tian replied, "Senior, since I¡¯m already here, I¡¯ll try to find a way to free you." Qiong Feng sighed. "The map I created was meant to guide powerful cultivators here. Only someone strong enough to break my Blood-Siphoning Formation can move me. Anyone weaker will be consumed by the formation." Chu Tian examined the bloodstained walls, noticing the strange, glowing runes. He hesitated, but at that moment, the system prompt sounded. Ding! Breaking the Blood-Siphoning Formation to save Qiong Feng will grant you a mysterious spatial treasure. "Are you kidding me? Forcing me to take risks now?" Chu Tian muttered in frustration. Qiong Feng, noticing Chu Tian¡¯s hesitation, sighed. "Leave now. Don¡¯t linger too long, or he¡¯ll find you." Chapter 24: The Magical Immortal Residence, Absolutely Epic! Chu Tian sighed helplessly at the elder''s kind words. "Senior, since fate has brought us together, I''ll take the risk and try to break the array for you." Qiong Feng hesitated and said, "It''s useless. Don¡¯t take the risk. Just leave quickly!" Whether for the system''s mission or to save such a kind-hearted person, Chu Tian felt compelled to give it a shot. He smiled and said, "Senior, don''t underestimate me. What if I really manage to help you?" Qiong Feng wanted to refuse, but Chu Tian added, "Senior, you should tell me quickly. If your junior brother arrives, it¡¯ll be trouble." Seeing Chu Tian''s determination, Qiong Feng relented. "Alright, I¡¯ll tell you. This Bloodthirst Array has ten array cores. Each core must be attacked with a powerful and precise strike. If the attack is too weak or inaccurate, the array will retaliate." Chu Tian grinned after hearing this. "Got it, Senior. Just tell me the positions." Qiong Feng had no choice but to reveal the location of the first core. Chu Tian gripped his Blazing Sword, focused on a faint red glow on the wall, and took a deep breath. Infusing spiritual energy into the sword, he unleashed a powerful strike. The sword energy erupted with immense force, hitting the core and causing an explosion. Qiong Feng was shocked. He was certain Chu Tian would trigger the array because his attack was too dispersive to focus on the core. But to his surprise, the array remained still even after some time. Chu Tian smiled and said, "Senior, the first core is taken care of." Qiong Feng was incredulous. "How... how did you do that?" Chu Tian confidently replied, "Senior, don¡¯t underestimate me. Although I¡¯m only at the peak of Foundation Establishment, I can unleash power comparable to the peak of Golden Core or even near Perfection." This revelation stunned Qiong Feng. "A genius!" Chu Tian also thought of himself as one, though he credited his unique dantian and the fact that he had gone through 81 Foundation Establishment tribulations. He was far from an ordinary cultivator. Unaware of these details, Qiong Feng, filled with hope, excitedly said, "Alright, let''s continue." In less than 15 minutes, Chu Tian dealt with the remaining cores. Then, a system notification rang out: Ding~ Bloodthirst Array dismantled. Acquired a Primary Immortal Residence. Use it now? "Immortal Residence?" Chu Tian was stunned. He had expected some sort of artifact, but this was called an Immortal Residence. Curiosity and excitement surged within him, though he hesitated to summon it in the cave¡ªit might be too conspicuous.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. At that moment, Qiong Feng used a voice transmission to remind him, "Quickly take me away. If he finds us, it¡¯ll be trouble." Chu Tian immediately used his Cloud Step to pull Qiong Feng from the groove and rushed out of the cave. As Qiong Feng clung to Chu Tian''s back, he was shocked. "Is this guy really just at Foundation Establishment?" Once outside, Chu Tian set Qiong Feng down and said with a smile, "Senior, we''re out." Qiong Feng, feeling uneasy, said, "If the needles in my body aren¡¯t removed, he¡¯ll track me." Chu Tian frowned. "How can we remove them?" Qiong Feng sighed. "These needles are incredibly potent. Without sufficient strength, it¡¯s impossible to remove them." Chu Tian, unwilling to give up, tried pulling the needles but to no avail. When Qiong Feng let out a pained groan, Chu Tian quickly stopped and apologized awkwardly, "Sorry!" "Take me to a cliff, throw me somewhere isolated, and leave immediately." Chu Tian shook his head. "That¡¯s not an option. If a spirit beast passes by or that guy tracks you down, wouldn¡¯t it all be for nothing?" Qiong Feng felt helpless. He knew Chu Tian couldn¡¯t take him far. But Chu Tian suddenly addressed the system: Activate the Primary Immortal Residence! In an instant, Chu Tian found himself inside a magnificent residence. He could even see Qiong Feng outside. Qiong Feng, confused, called out, "Young man, where did you go?" Chu Tian realized that outsiders couldn¡¯t perceive him entering the Immortal Residence. Thrilled, he exclaimed, "What an incredible spatial artifact!" Curious, he wondered, "How do I get out?" With just a thought, Chu Tian exited the residence. He was amazed to discover that entering and leaving was as simple as a mental command. The system then notified him:Ding~ The Primary Immortal Residence can hold up to two people. To accommodate more, upgrade to the Intermediate Immortal Residence, available through the system store. Chu Tian checked the store and found that upgrading to the Intermediate Immortal Residence required 10,000 Rage Points. He cursed internally, Damn system, so greedy! At that moment, Qiong Feng shouted, "Young man, run! He¡¯s here!" Chu Tian sensed a terrifying aura approaching from above. He quickly exited the residence and pulled Qiong Feng inside. Qiong Feng was astonished. "What is this place?" Chu Tian pointed beyond the transparent walls, showing the outside. "Senior, this is my spatial artifact." Qiong Feng was amazed by such a miraculous item. Soon, a man descended from the sky. Dressed in red armor with shoulder plates emitting fiery fists, he had crimson eyes and a purple mark on the left side of his face. Qiong Feng asked worriedly, "Can this artifact hide us from him?" Chu Tian, unsure, replied, "It should." Despite his anxiety, Qiong Feng watched as the man entered the cave. A short while later, the man emerged, enraged. His crimson eyes flashed violently as he roared, "Who dares?!" In his fury, trees around him ignited, showcasing his immense power. Chu Tian silently thanked the Immortal Residence for keeping them safe. After a while, the man left. Relieved, Qiong Feng said, "Thank you, young man." Chu Tian smiled. "No problem." Grateful and feeling reborn, Qiong Feng said, "If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll stay in your spatial artifact. When your strength grows, I¡¯ll ask for your help to remove these needles." Chu Tian readily agreed. Qiong Feng calmed down and smiled. "You came here risking your life. Was it to become a great Rune Master?" Chu Tian chuckled. "That¡¯s the plan." "Even if you hadn¡¯t asked, I would¡¯ve taught you." Chu Tian was surprised. "Why?" Qiong Feng explained, "First, your explosive power shows your body¡¯s strength¡ªan ideal trait for a Rune Master. Second, you saved me. Third, I need your help to remove these needles." Thrilled at the prospect of having a master residing in his Immortal Residence, Chu Tian eagerly bowed. "Master, please accept my respect!" Qiong Feng laughed. "You cheeky one. Alright, enough formalities. Let¡¯s discuss what you need to prepare to become a Rune Master." Chapter 25: Indeed, What a Money Burner! Chu Tian could barely contain his excitement to learn how Rune Engravers carve runes. If he could engrave some on his spiritual weapon, its power would surely increase exponentially. The mere thought of it thrilled him. ¡°Master, please, tell me more!¡± ¡°A Rune Engraver must possess exceptional arm strength and precision. Beyond that, they need to master rune crafting. The higher the rune¡¯s level, the more complex and difficult it is to engrave. It also carries a higher risk of failure. If it fails, the spiritual artifact could be destroyed entirely. Furthermore, Rune Engravers are a rare auxiliary profession, and advanced runes are extremely scarce. Even I only know a few of them.¡± Chu Tian gasped. ¡°It¡¯s that complicated?¡± ¡°Of course. However, I have a partially complete cultivation technique called Hundred Transformations Divine Strength. It is said to have a hundred levels, but I only possess the first fifty. Even so, I¡¯ve only mastered the first thirty levels. Thanks to those thirty levels, I¡¯ve achieved great success as a Rune Engraver.¡± Chu Tian¡¯s excitement surged. ¡°If someone mastered all fifty levels, wouldn¡¯t they be even stronger?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± Impatient, Chu Tian pressed his master to explain this Hundred Transformations Divine Strength, and Qiong Feng had no choice but to explain in detail. After several hours of explanation, Chu Tian finally understood. The Hundred Transformations Divine Strength is a technique that allows one to concentrate internal energy into their arms and transfer it to the engraving blade. This enables the engraver to control varying degrees of strength while carving. For example, the first transformation allows the arm to achieve the power of a full-strength strike. The second transformation doubles the strength, and so on. The thirtieth transformation multiplies it by thirty, while the fiftieth transformation increases it fiftyfold. While it sounded impressive, training in this technique was incredibly challenging. According to Qiong Feng, he had spent centuries mastering just thirty transformations. When Chu Tian heard this, he couldn¡¯t help but gasp. The hardest part of mastering this technique was adapting to the pressure of concentrated energy, which caused a swelling sensation in the body. Most people had to undergo extensive training to make their bodies accustomed to this. But Chu Tian was different. His unique dantian, developed after the Nine-Nine Demonic Frenzy, allowed him to advance effortlessly through the levels. From the first transformation to the twentieth, he achieved them all with ease. Qiong Feng was stunned. ¡°You¡­ do it again!¡± Chu Tian, thrilled, repeated the demonstration. Qiong Feng was dumbfounded. ¡°It took me over two centuries to reach the twentieth transformation. You¡¯ve mastered it in just a few hours?¡± Chu Tian laughed proudly. ¡°Master, this is what they mean by the student surpassing the teacher!¡± Qiong Feng burst into hearty laughter. ¡°I¡¯ve truly struck gold with you!¡± Grinning, Chu Tian said, ¡°Master, I can now control my arm strength from the first to the twentieth transformation at will. When can we start learning rune engraving?¡± Even more excited than Chu Tian, Qiong Feng said, ¡°Before we start, let me first explain the types and levels of runes.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°Alright!¡± Chu Tian listened intently like a top student. ¡°There are three main types of runes: offensive, defensive, and auxiliary. Their levels range from one-star to nine-star. Nine-star runes are the strongest, while one-star runes are the weakest. In our profession, a Rune Engraver capable of accurately engraving ten or more one-star runes consecutively is considered a one-star Rune Engraver. This goes up to the highest level of nine-star Rune Engraver.¡± Chu Tian was immediately curious. ¡°Master, what level are you?¡± ¡°Anyone beyond six stars is considered a master. I¡¯m a seven-star Rune Engraver. The only eight-star Engraver on this continent has long disappeared, leaving only three of us at seven stars. My junior brother is a six-star Rune Engraver.¡± Chu Tian was deeply impressed. ¡°Master, you¡¯re amazing!¡± Qiong Feng laughed modestly. ¡°Alright, enough about me. Now, you need to find an engraving blade, also known as a rune blade. These blades have strict rules. For example, a spiritual blade can only engrave runes on artifacts of lower levels. Otherwise, it won¡¯t even scratch the surface.¡± Chu Tian nodded with a smile. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Rune blades are typically sold in three places: auction houses, the Spirit Masters¡¯ Guild, and large cities. Since Rune Engravers are rare, you won¡¯t find them in smaller cities.¡± Chu Tian asked curiously, ¡°Master, what is the Spirit Masters¡¯ Guild?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a place for certification. Once certified there, your Rune Engraver status can be verified anywhere, along with your rank.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to keep your Rune Engraver status a secret?¡± Qiong Feng chuckled. ¡°Kid, Rune Engraving is also known as the money-burning profession.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°To become a skilled Rune Engraver, you need to practice day and night, consuming countless artifacts. The higher your level, the more expensive the materials. A top-level Rune Engraver could burn through millions, tens of millions, or even billions of spirit stones daily. Who can afford that?¡± Chu Tian gasped. ¡°It really is a money burner.¡± ¡°Exactly. That¡¯s why having an official status is important. Wealthy families and powerful sects will invite you to engrave runes for them, giving you a chance to earn money. They only recognize certifications from the Spirit Masters¡¯ Guild. Additionally, three-star and above Rune Engravers are highly sought after in major cities, often gaining powerful allies as a bonus.¡± Chu Tian nodded. ¡°I understand now, Master.¡± ¡°Good. Now go find yourself a rune blade and as many ordinary artifacts as you can. As a beginner, you might burn through dozens or even hundreds of artifacts a day.¡± Chu Tian sighed. ¡°Dozens or hundreds? It really is expensive.¡± ¡°Go on.¡± Chu Tian smiled. ¡°Alright.¡± He then left the celestial abode, which automatically retracted after he exited. Chu Tian marveled, ¡°This celestial abode is truly amazing.¡± Filled with excitement, Chu Tian quickly left the Cloud Mist Mountain Range, not wanting to encounter that terrifying individual again. Soon, he returned to Ghost City. Chu Tian began purchasing ordinary artifacts. Each one cost over a million spirit stones, and buying a thousand of them drained nearly ten billion from his wealth. Heartbroken, he muttered, ¡°This is so expensive. Ten billion, gone in an instant.¡± To his disappointment, despite acquiring so many artifacts, he couldn¡¯t find a rune blade. Left with no choice, he headed to the auction house, deciding that if he couldn¡¯t find one there, he¡¯d borrow one from Xie An, a fellow Rune Engraver. At the auction house, the staff greeted him with utmost respect. ¡°Welcome, Young Master Chu!¡± Feeling a bit embarrassed, Chu Tian asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your manager?¡± ¡°He¡¯s on the third floor. You can go up anytime.¡± Surprised by the special treatment, Chu Tian smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡± He headed to the third floor to find Xie An. When he explained his need for a rune blade, Xie An was initially shocked. ¡°You want to learn rune engraving?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Xie An frowned. ¡°Engraving is costly and difficult without guidance. Are you sure?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, Elder Xie. I¡¯ll handle it.¡± Xie An reluctantly handed Chu Tian a low-grade spiritual blade and said, ¡°Here, use this for now. If a better one appears at the auction, keep an eye on your token and come back.¡± Chu Tian eagerly asked for the price, but Xie An refused to accept any payment. Grateful, Chu Tian said, ¡°Thank you so much, Elder Xie. I¡¯ll always remember this favor.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a blade. No need to be so formal.¡± Chu Tian laughed. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± As he approached the city gates, Chu Tian spotted a familiar figure. Shocked, he murmured, ¡°How did he find me?¡± It was none other than the red-eyed, fierce-looking man. His appearance immediately alerted the Nascent Soul experts guarding the city, who flew into the sky. The man coldly scanned the area and warned, ¡°Don¡¯t mess with me, or you¡¯ll die!¡±