《Using entries to cultivate immortality in chaotic times》


 Chapter 1 This Immortal has a filthy mouth.

    Fufeng City, under the setting sun.Chen Qiu, dressed in hemp garments, was staring blankly toward the nearby city gate, where a sect called "Sky-bursting Gang" was recruiting disciples en masse. A chubby man, who claimed to be an elder of the outer sect, was enthusiastically shouting through a wooden megaphone.


    "The annual disciple recruitment event of the Sky-bursting Gang has begun!"


    "Don''t miss out as you pass by!"


    "The day of becoming an Immortal is today!"


    "Just by joining the sect, you''ll instantly receive 100 coins!"


    ...


    His name was Chen Qiu, and he had transmigrated not long ago.


    Today was his thirty-first day since arriving, and after thirty days of hard labor chopping wood, he had finally saved up over two thousand coins, allowing him to rent a small house for himself in this unfamiliar city.


    Chopping wood was a physically demanding job.


    The employer specifically requested "Iron Wood," a type of tree extremely hard to chop, and the areas where these trees grew were monopolized by local tyrants, charging an entrance fee for anyone wishing to chop wood on their land.


    He spent 29 days only managing to scrape together scraps of Iron Wood that the local tyrants neglected, competing with villagers for the sparse growth and earning barely enough daily to make ends meet.


    He was somewhat clumsy and really couldn''t master the skill of chopping wood. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Fortunately, on the 30th day, he learned how to chop people.


    That''s how he made a small fortune.


    ...


    Since he had a good day starting his work yesterday, he took a day off for himself today; spending 300 coins to rent a small house, wandered around during the day, and spent a few more coins on pork head meat, peanuts, and a half jin of liquor to celebrate in his house.


    He took a break for the day and would chop wood again tomorrow.


    He was looking forward to this feast, the most sumptuous dinner since his transmigration.


    It seemed a small step.


    But it represented a significant step in establishing himself in this strange world.


    His mood was quite good all the way, even excited to hear that a theatrical troupe from the Capital would soon enter the city; he went specifically to join the crowd. Before this, his mood had been very good, until he heard the three words "Sky-bursting Gang."


    He began to feel a bit dazed.


    This oddly familiar unfamiliarity almost made him wonder if he hadn''t transmigrated but had fallen asleep instead.


    This world had Immortals, he knew.


    But he rarely entertained the thought of pursuing Cultivation; he just wanted to survive, and if he could be slightly extravagant, to have pork head meat at every meal and to never get caught for chopping people, because even securing food and warmth was hard, let alone dare to think about Cultivation.


    And this "Sky-bursting Gang" sect felt tacky to him: even a mere external elder was an Immortal, but why was he shouting so vulgarly like a peddler?


    Most of the people around merely glanced and passed by; for so long, not a single one paused, maybe this world''s longing for Cultivation was really that low?


    Chen Qiu shook his head and did not linger much longer; perhaps it was just a coincidence in name. At that moment, the theatrical troupe also made a grand entry into the city surrounded by a bustling crowd.


    The status of performers in this world was not high.


    But it couldn''t hold back the fact that this troupe had a famous Capital singer, who performed without selling her body. It was said that a high-ranking official from the Capital once offered three Spirit Stones for a night of romance but was tactfully refused, naturally, many wanted to see what this woman worth three Spirit Stones looked like.


    He tiptoed for a glance and thought she was alright; it seemed like people in this world hadn''t seen much luxury.


    ...


    After watching the spectacle, Chen Qiu didn''t linger and directly turned and walked towards the inner city.


    Just then¡ª


    Perhaps he had stood still for too long, or maybe because he was moving against the flow in the crowd, in any case, the shouting elder of the "Sky-bursting Gang" noticed him, bellowed, and quickly ran toward him.


    "Fellow Daoist, halt!"


    "..."


    Chen Qiu''s mouth twitched slightly, holding the oil-paper wrapped pork head and the porcelain bottle of liquor, without any hesitation, he turned and walked away.


    "Fellow Daoist, please halt."


    The voice behind him grew louder.


    His stride also increased.


    But after all, being an Immortal, the elder was faster and quickly caught up, panting and angrily accosting him with hands on his hips, "What the hell are you running for?"


    This Immortal really had a foul mouth.


    Since he couldn''t outrun him, Chen Qiu no longer struggled; instead, he changed his expression to one of sincere dread, bowed deeply, and carefully said, "Forgive me, Immortal. I didn''t realize the Immortal was calling out to me. May I know what commands you have?"


    But unbeknownst to the man, Chen Qiu''s eyebrows furrowed slightly.


    An Immortal?


    An Immortal who could barely run a few steps without gasping for breath? That was a pretty lame Immortal.


    "Don''t play dumb!"


    The chubby man, irate, pointed at Chen Qiu''s nose and scolded, "I am the outer sect elder of the ''Sky-bursting Gang,'' responsible for recruiting disciples in Fufeng City. To Cultivate or not, just say the word!"


    A vulgar and physically weak Immortal.


    Seemed like he could be killed with just a couple of swings.


    Chen Qiu unconsciously felt for his wood-chopping knife, yet his expression remained respectful as he straightened up and explained, "Respectfully, Immortal, I was born without any Cultivation Talent, so I never thought about stepping onto the path of seeking Immortality..."


    "Forget it, never mind."


    After the man took a few deep breaths, just as he was about to speak, his expression suddenly turned peculiar, "Dude, what did you just say? Cultivation Talent?"


    Chen Qiu was slightly startled, at a loss for words for a moment - were the Immortals in this world so down-to-earth? To use the word "dude" when talking to mortals?


    Although slightly perplexed, he still instinctively responded, "Yes."


    "Hahahaha!!"


    Upon hearing this, the plump man drenched in cold sweat wiped his forehead, snatched the pig''s head meat from Chen Qiu''s hand without caring about his image, tore open the oil paper, and began chewing vigorously, noticeably excited, "Very good, very good!"


    "..."


    What the man didn''t see, however,


    was that Chen Qiu''s expression had visibly cooled. This pig''s head meat was something he had been looking forward to for a month, possibly the happiest event since he had traveled through time. Everything he had done today was in preparation for enjoying this meal.


    And now...


    His cherished pig''s head meat had just been snatched away by this pig-headed man in front of him, inspiring a hatred far surpassing that of a cuckolded husband.


    Chen Qiu scanned the surroundings. Since a troupe had entered the city today, the city gate was crowded with onlookers. The place was bustling, and quite a few soldiers were maintaining order, making it inconvenient to start a fight here.


    There was a bamboo grove not far away, which might suffice for a chopping spree.


    Just as he was calculating where to strike, the man finally wiped the grease from his mouth corners, "Big hammer 80, how much for the small one?"


    "..."


    Chen Qiu was stunned, a trace of disbelief flashing through his eyes, thinking he was the only one who had traveled through time, but apparently, it was a group!"


    After hesitating for a moment,


    "40?"


    "Palace Jade Liquor, what comes next?"


    "One hundred and eight per cup."


    "Good brother." The plump man contentedly hugged Chen Qiu''s shoulders, then, after packing up his ''Sky-bursting Gang'' flag at his stall, led Chen Qiu to the nearby bamboo grove.


    ...


    "Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Fat Long. Back on Blue Star, I was a startup company CEO. How should I address you, brother?"


    "My name is Chen Qiu. Back on Blue Star...I was self-employed."


    Chen Qiu nodded thoughtfully, getting a preliminary hold on this chubby man¡ªan entrepreneurial company, likely one barely afloat.


    Outsourced all financing; never paid social security.


    Guaranteed no holidays on Saturdays; no guarantees of holidays on Sundays.


    Employees would file lawsuits just as the company was about to collapse.


    "But are you sure your name is Fat Long? Does Blue Star even have that surname?"


    "No."


    Fat Long nodded confidently, "I picked it myself. When you''re away from home, you craft your own identity. It''s so hard to recruit disciples these days. If you don''t create a prominent name for yourself, who would follow you?"


    "The story I made up for myself goes like this, ''When I was born, a celestial phenomenon appeared in the sky, a fat five-clawed dragon circled the sky nine times before entering my body, proving that one day I would rise to greatness!''"


    "People can find messages in fish, so a birth accompanied by a five-clawed golden dragon seems reasonable, right?"


    After taking a deep breath, Fat Long casually took the liquor from Chen Qiu''s hand, drank it in one gulp, then contentedly burped, "It''s been a long time since I had such good food and drink."


    "..."


    Chen Qiu looked at the now empty porcelain bottle, touched the woodcutter''s hatchet he had in his clothes calmly, glanced around without saying a word, and softly asked, "Aren''t you an outer sect elder of the Sky-bursting Gang? Can''t you afford pig''s head meat?"


    "Didn''t I tell you, when you''re out, identities are what you make of them; Sky-bursting Gang is just me."


    "So you mean you have no sect? Nor are you an outer sect elder?"


    "No."


    "You recruit disciples without a sect?"


    "With disciples, doesn''t a sect naturally form?"


    "..."


    Chen Qiu fell silent again, saying nothing. Most people would think to establish a sect before recruiting disciples. This man''s idea was to have disciples first and the sect would naturally exist. He wouldn''t judge who was right or wrong but could only say this man had guts.


    "Then you promise to give 100 wen just for joining? Do you have the money?"


    "No money, ah."


    Fat Long nodded seriously, "But I always send new disciples into the Secret Realm. If they survive, they get paid afterward. If they die, no need to pay. And if they survive, the treasures they bring out from the Secret Realm will be worth far more than 100 wen."


    "Is the mortality rate in the Secret Realm very high?"


    "Very high."


    "What if they survive and refuse to give you the treasures?"


    "I''m in the sixth level of Qi Refinement Realm, definitely stronger than the newbies. If they don''t give, I can just take it by force."


    "If you''re already at the sixth level of Qi Refinement, why don''t you enter the Secret Realm yourself?"


    "Didn''t I mention, the mortality rate in Secret Realm is very high, I''m a bit afraid of dying, aren''t you?"


    "I am too."


    "Even so, how will you handle your sect''s mountain gate? A sect must have a mountain gate, right?"


    "Our sect focuses on having outer disciples travel abroad. Only when promoted to Inner Sect Disciple can one see the Mountain Gate."


    The two exchanged glances, and Chen Qiu found himself momentarily at a loss for words.


    He just knew it, none of these startup CEOs were trustworthy.


    This isn''t recruiting disciples at all, this is just recruiting people to die for you, and you only offer them cakes without any tangible benefits¡ªno wonder no one is joining. If anyone actually joined, it would be a miracle.

 Chapter 2 Entry Name Step by Step.

    "Alright."Fat Long took a deep breath and said earnestly, "Since we are compatriots in this foreign world, we are practically family now. It looks like you don''t quite understand this world yet; otherwise, you wouldn''t have mentioned ''Cultivation Talent.'' Let me give you a rough idea of what this world is like."


    "This is a Cultivation World."


    "But it''s not quite the same as the worlds we''ve seen in Cultivation novels. There''s no such thing as ''talent'' here; anyone can cultivate if they are willing, or it depends on whether their Initial Entry is suitable for cultivation."


    "Entry?"


    "Exactly!"


    Fat Long nodded vigorously, "This world is like a massive Cultivation game, with Secret Realms even having fixed opening times, and there are various leaderboards, such as the ''Heavenly Pride Leaderboard,'' ''Beauty Leaderboard,'' ''Cultivation Leaderboard,'' and so on."


    "Every now and then, there are regional announcements indicating when and where opportunities will arise, and countless cultivators will gather at these locations."


    "There are also things like ''Sect Establishment Order,'' ''City Building Order,'' ''Country Establishment Order,'' and if you''re wanted, you''ll have a red name displayed above your head."


    "Right now, I am at the sixth layer of the Qi Refinement Realm, having just broken through. It''s been almost five months since I came to this world."


    "When I first got my entry, I thought it was my golden finger, but later I found out that everyone has this thing."


    "Everyone who breaks through to the first layer of the Qi Refinement Realm will get an entry, which is totally random. Most of them are the lowest white entries, like ''Logging Sacred Body,'' which can chop wood much faster than others."


    "Like ''Medicinal Herb Saint Hand,'' it significantly increases the survival rate of planting Spirit Grass. It''s not quite suitable for cultivation, but it can also enter the cultivation world to serve Alchemists."


    "Basically, the entry you get when you break through to the first layer of the Qi Refinement Realm will determine most mortals'' future career path."


    "The entry gained at the first layer of the Qi Refinement Realm is mostly unrelated to combat power; they are basic entries. Only after reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage do you have the chance to get some awesome entries. Many originally unremarkable fellow Daoists, after breaking through to Foundation Establishment Stage, luck out and get an extremely awesome entry, and then suddenly take off."


    "After Qi Refinement Realm, every time you break through a Great Realm, you can choose one entry out of three random ones, such as the stages of Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and so on."


    "To survive in this world, you must become an Immortal, otherwise, someone with Cultivation like mine can easily kill you. Think about it, isn''t that dangerous?"


    Chen Qiu nodded, although he did not understand why an Immortal at the sixth layer of the Qi Refinement Realm would be so frail, he did not agree with Fat Long''s claim that killing him would be easy.


    That was what he thought internally, but verbally he did not object. He roughly understood the situation of this world¡ªit was like a game, yet it was reality, a fusion of game and Cultivation World.


    "So, what was the entry you got when you broke through to the first layer of the Qi Refinement Realm?"


    "This..."


    Fat Long''s face suddenly showed a hint of difficulty, and after hesitating for a long time, he sighed deeply, "Well, showing you won''t hurt. My luck wasn''t very good; otherwise, I wouldn''t have planned to establish a sect to pave the way for my Cultivation."


    With a wave of his large hand,


    a semi-transparent panel enveloped in mist suddenly appeared in mid-air. This sort of technique did indeed seem like something an Immortal would use.


    ''Entry Name'': Nine Ox Power.


    ''Entry Level'': White.


    ''Entry Effect'': Possess nine oxen.


    "..."


    Chen Qiu''s mouth unconsciously slowly opened, and after a while, he muttered, "What does ''possess nine oxen'' mean... It''s not literal, is it?"


    "Hmm."


    Fat Long nodded, a bit irritated. The first entry one got usually dictated a person''s career path, yet he had randomly received this one, which irritated him every time he thought about it.


    "Um... If I may ask, can I see it in action?"


    "What do you think?"


    "Then never mind."


    Despite his irritation, Fat Long still took a deep breath and said earnestly, "Reaching the first layer of the Qi Refinement Stage is simple as long as you can perform introspection. All you need to do is concentrate, and if you can see the pathways of your body amidst the darkness, then you''re successful."


    "This is for free."


    "Every City Lord Mansion of different cities offers this kind of free service. They will have you drink a Potion, and then help you perform introspection to successfully obtain the first entry. But, as the saying goes, the most expensive things are those that are free."


    "If you happen to randomly get an entry suitable for ''Demon Cultivation'' or ''Evil Cultivation,'' which are somewhat negative, congratulations, you''ll be beheaded on the spot."


    "If you happen to randomly get an entry suitable for ''planting Spirit Grass'' or ''cultivating Spirit Beasts,'' congratulations, soon you''ll be captured by some Cultivation sects like a Palu and spend your whole life doing these tasks in the sect."


    "Of course, if you get some other normal entries, the government will recommend a career path suited for you."


    "These are the paths the destitute take. Many still buy their own Potion to test their first entry on their own, so at least there''s no danger to their lives." S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I just happen to have a bottle of Potion here. As a compatriot and seeing that you have a sharp mind, I''ll give it to you. Afterward, would you recognize me as your boss and follow me without a problem?"


    "..."


    Chen Qiu remained silent, simply looking at the broken porcelain bottle in Fat Long''s hand. After a moment of contemplation, he took the bottle and drank its contents in one gulp.


    In the span of a moment.


    He felt his head reel with dizziness, his eyelids involuntarily closing, and his body beginning to weaken.


    At the same time.


    A loud shout reached his ears.


    "Sit cross-legged, close your eyes, and calm your heart!"


    Chen Qiu did as instructed, and after a few breaths, he suddenly felt a ray of light appear in the darkness. He focused hard and saw the light growing ever further away, followed by an explosive brightness, and in that moment, he clearly saw the meridians within his body.


    Simultaneously.


    A panel enshrouded in clouds and mist, visible only to him, appeared before his eyes.


    ''Cultivation has greatly increased, officially entering the first layer of the Qi Refinement Realm.''


    ''Acquired a random entry for the first time.''


    ''Randomizing...''


    ''Randomization successful, entry name "Step by Step".''


    -


    ''Entry Name'': Step by Step.


    ''Entry Level'': Seven-colored.


    ''Entry Effect'': Each time Cultivation advances one small realm, one entry will be obtained, and each time three random entries will appear, allowing the selection of one.


    -


    "How is it?"


    As Chen Qiu slowly opened his eyes, Fat Long couldn''t help moving closer with an expectant look, asking, "Well? Is the entry related to combat power? Typically, the first entry is likely unrelated to combat power."


    "But if you''re lucky enough to get an entry related to combat power, it could smoothly transition you to the Foundation Establishment Stage!"


    "Once you reach the Foundation Establishment Stage, you will get to choose from three random entries each time, then you can freely select the one that suits you best."


    "As soon as you reach the Foundation Establishment Stage, you''re a true Immortal!"


    "Unrelated."


    After a long silence, Chen Qiu shook his head: "It''s more of a long-term entry, not much use for the early stage."


    He didn''t elaborate.


    And Fat Long didn''t press for details.


    At this point, Chen Qiu also discovered that after breaking through to the first layer of the Qi Refinement Realm, as long as he introspected, he could see a panel floating above his meridians, also wrapped in clouds and mist, within his body.


    -


    ''Name'': Chen Qiu.


    ''Cultivation'': Qi Refinement Realm, first layer (0%).


    ''Entry'': ''Step by Step''.


    ''Cultivation Technique'': None.


    ''Spirit Beast'': None.


    ''Force'': None.


    ''Country'': Da Xia Country.


    -


    At this time, his physical strength was almost the same as before, and his only means of attack was the somewhat worn cleaver in his arms, which didn''t really match his stereotypical impression of Cultivation.


    Just then¡ª


    A voice from beyond suddenly exploded in their ears.


    ''Heavenly Dao Decree'': In response to the heartfelt calls of the residents, the Heavenly Dao bestows its blessing. A Heavenly Dao Secret Realm will appear in the bamboo forest three miles east of Fufeng City in Da Xia Country. Only Cultivators below the sixth layer of the Qi Refinement Realm may enter.


    The entrance opens immediately and will close at sunset.

 Chapter 3 The Kill Type Heavenly Dao Secret Realm.

    The moment the voice fell.Chen Qiu instinctively glanced around. Aside from the two of them, there was no one else in the bamboo forest, yet the voice seemed to echo directly in his mind, heavy yet carrying a sense of ethereality.


    "It''s the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm!"


    Just as Fat Long, who was beside him, was about to continue speaking, he heard the voice and immediately his face lit up with excitement, "I can''t believe our luck, we''ve actually encountered the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm!"


    "There are many types of secret realms, some are naturally formed by the Heavenly Dao response, and others are set up by predecessors before their death. There are many types, and although the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm isn''t the one with the highest rewards, it''s the safest."


    "Moreover, everything follows the rules, there''s nothing deliberately set to kill you, very suitable for low-level lackeys like us."


    "I''ve been here for several months and only encountered it once; that time it allowed me to break through from the fourth level of the Qi Refinement Realm to the fifth level."


    At the same time¡ª


    A slowly rotating white vortex, about two people tall, abruptly appeared three yards away from them.


    This is the entrance to the secret realm.


    This so-called voice of the Heavenly Dao is probably what Fat Long mentioned as the regional announcement.


    ...


    "Secret Realm Name": Small World of Beans and Peas.


    "Secret Realm Restriction": Only cultivators at the sixth level of the Qi Refinement Realm and below may enter.


    "Secret Realm Type": ''Kill''.


    "Secret Realm Introduction": Contains a small world with hidden Cultivation Techniques, Spirit Grass, and other treasures. A maximum of 100 cultivators allowed. The survivors by dawn can safely return to the large world.


    -


    Eager to rush into the white vortex entrance, Fat Long, after seeing the secret realm panel shrouded in mist in front of the vortex, suddenly stopped with an ugly expression and involuntarily took a few steps back.


    "It seems our luck isn''t that good after all."


    "It''s the rare ''Kill'' type of Heavenly Dao Secret Realm."


    "This type of Heavenly Dao Secret Realm is essentially like a slaughterhouse, extremely bloody with a high death rate."


    Standing at the entrance to the secret realm, Chen Qiu could already hear a large number of footsteps coming from outside the bamboo forest, clearly, many cultivators were rapidly converging here, looking at the secret realm panel before them.


    He had been chopping wood for 30 days in this world and had never thought that such a thing existed.


    But he quickly accepted everything before him.


    "You seem very scared. Aren''t you at the sixth level of the Qi Refinement Realm? That''s the highest allowable Cultivation level for this secret realm. Logically, you should be one of those dominating inside, right?"


    "Heh."


    Fat Long forced a smile with a somewhat unpleasant expression, "Brother Chen Qiu, you think too highly of me. Although I''m at the sixth level of the Qi Refinement Realm, I basically have no attack methods."


    "Neither Cultivation Techniques nor spiritual weapons."


    "Just a few talismans I''ve gathered these days for protecting my life."


    "They are totally insufficient in there."


    "The sixth level of the Qi Refinement Realm is a threshold. Only by breaking through it can one substantially enhance their physical strength, and by breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage, releasing Spiritual Energy both defensively and offensively, then one truly becomes an Immortal."


    "To be honest, the sixth level of the Qi Refinement Realm isn''t much stronger than the first level; at most, I could take on three or four at the first level in a duel setting. If it''s a mob fight, three or four would overpower me."


    "If we encounter any cultivator in there who has a solid background, possesses Cultivation Techniques, and owns spiritual weapons at the sixth level of the Qi Refinement Realm, we would all be doomed in this secret realm."


    "Let''s not consider this secret realm; let''s look for another one."


    "Is that so?"


    Chen Qiu glanced at the first batch of people who arrived and casually said, "But it seems like we can''t avoid entering now."


    The first batch of people to arrive, all clad in black hemp garments, each holding a chopping knife, with white cloth straps on their legs, appeared swift and powerful. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Each of them burly, with faces full of brute strength.


    The leader of the group, a muscular man with a ferocious and ruthless expression, glared at Chen Qiu, grinning maliciously, "Kid, didn''t expect to catch you here; you vanished after killing one of our brothers. We''ve been searching for you all day."


    "It really is a case of enemies on a narrow road!"


    Following that, a group of people pressed on even closer with each step.


    Chen Qiu didn''t speak, but he reached into his bosom to pull out a chopping axe. He then took a strip of cloth from his bosom and tightly bound the axe handle to his right hand. After this, he moved his body and scanned the local bullies slowly encroaching upon him.


    He had chopped down a lone bully yesterday.


    There was only one eyewitness at the scene, a woman who claimed to be three months pregnant and a fellow sufferer tormented by the bullies. After begging for a long while, he had felt pity for her.


    And now, that woman was standing among these people, staring at him with malevolent eyes, holding a chopping axe as well, hardly looking like she was three months pregnant.


    Well, consider it a lesson purchased.


    If there''s a next time, it''ll be like a buy-one-get-one-free deal.


    He didn''t speak again but directly entered the white vortex beside him, disappearing from the spot. Not entering the Secret Realm would definitely mean a fierce battle waiting for him, while entering the Secret Realm still offered a slim chance.


    The officials of Fufeng City were maintaining order at the city gate and could not attend to this spot in time.


    ...


    "Uh..."


    Seeing the group closing in, Fat Long unconsciously swallowed, raised both hands, and said with a bitter tone mixed with a crying voice, "I said I don''t know him, do you believe me?"


    "You must not harm innocent people!"


    "What do you think?"


    "Understood."


    Seeing that things had come to this point, Fat Long knew he definitely couldn''t escape alone. He stiffened his neck and shouted as he stepped boldly into the white vortex in front of him. He was naturally timid and, according to his nature, he would definitely not actively enter a ''kill'' type Heavenly Dao Secret Realm.


    But behind him was a pack of wolves.


    ...


    "It''s a ''kill'' type Heavenly Dao Secret Realm."


    Once both men had vanished into the Secret Realm, one of the underlings, after checking the Secret Realm panel, hesitated and then jogged to the side of the leading man, saying, "Boss, should we chase after them?"


    "Chase my ass!"


    The leading man sneered: "A ''kill'' type Heavenly Dao Secret Realm, where if 100 go in, whether even 50 can come out alive is uncertain¡ªit''s a complete bloodbath. We''ll just wait out here."


    "Even if these two luckily come out, they''ll definitely be critically injured. Then we can avenge our fallen brothers."


    "If they die in there, then our brother''s revenge is also claimed."


    "Boss is wise!"


    On hearing this, the people behind him also unconsciously relaxed and let out a long breath. They really did not want to enter a kill type Heavenly Dao Secret Realm; it wasn''t just about threatening others with a knife¡ªit meant genuinely fighting for their lives.


    They were just local bullies after all.


    And didn''t really want to lay down their lives.


    ...


    "I say, Brother Chen Qiu,"


    The moment they entered the Secret Realm, Fat Long saw Chen Qiu looking around and said with a helpless expression, "How did you manage to provoke such a group of local bullies? Even if we make it out alive, they''re surely waiting at the entrance, and we''re bound to die at their hands."


    "Hmm."


    Chen Qiu didn''t speak, merely holding the chopping axe and scanning the small world.


    There were forests, grasslands, bushes, and even deserts.


    It wasn''t too small.


    His plan was actually very simple. During his earlier talk with Fat Long, Fat Long had told him quite a few ways to enhance his Cultivation, one of which was to kill demon beasts.


    He just needed to quickly break through to the second level of the Qi Refinement Realm, which would grant him a new entry. If he could acquire a combat type entry,


    it wasn''t impossible for him to survive.

 Chapter 4

    However...Chen Qiu lowered his head to look at his own legs, a slight frown forming on his brow. His legs seemed to be bound by some unknown force, preventing him from moving them no matter how hard he tried.


    "It''s useless."


    Seeing Chen Qiu''s actions, although Fat Long''s complexion wasn''t looking too good, he still mustered the strength to speak, "Before the entrance to the Secret Realm is closed, all cultivators who enter the Secret Realm are unable to move. This is the rule of the Heavenly Dao!"


    "Furthermore, at this time, one cannot exit either. Only after the entrance to the Secret Realm closes can cultivators begin to move freely. This ensures that all cultivators start from the same starting line, avoiding situations where those who enter the Secret Realm first gain a significant advantage."


    "But... even so."


    "Having an early entry into the Secret Realm still has its advantages."


    "Look over there."


    Fat Long extended his hand, pointing towards four red lights soaring into the sky in the west: "In the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm, red light represents the opportunity of ''mental methods''. If you''re more interested in mental methods, you should head west once it starts."


    "There are three blue lights to the east, and blue represents ''Cultivation Techniques'', whether it''s defensive, offensive, or various other techniques like flying and Beast Taming, all are represented by blue."


    "To the north, those seven ''Purple Lights'' will probably attract the most people. Purple Light represents Spiritual Treasures, which are the favorites of all cultivators."


    "Hmm."


    Chen Qiu nodded his head, acknowledging that, although his acquaintance with Fat Long was far from pleasant¡ªthis fat-headed idiot had eaten the pig head meat and liquor he had worked hard to earn¡ªthe information was definitely worth the price!


    This world did not have the internet.


    Information was relatively closed off.


    Just as before, he never knew this information, and exchanging a bit of pig head meat for so much intelligence was a worthwhile trade. From a certain perspective, Fat Long could be considered his benefactor.


    A benefactor doesn''t necessarily mean someone who brings you great wealth and riches. Anyone who can guide your way can also be a benefactor.


    After pausing for a moment, he pointed to the black light rising into the sky in the south: "There is only one black light to the south. What''s there? The greatest opportunity?"


    "Haha."


    The corner of Fat Long''s mouth twitched slightly, "Do you think ''black'' and ''opportunity'' are compatible? Black often signifies that the location harbors the strongest Fierce Beast of the Secret Realm. It would be wiser not to go near it."


    "Understood."


    Chen Qiu gazed towards the forest in the south where he could faintly see numerous demon beasts moving about, his eyes narrowing slightly, then he looked up again into the distance: "The entire small world is enveloped by a huge white membrane. This membrane won''t gradually shrink, will it?"


    "You guessed right, it''s exactly what you''re thinking, similar to the battle royale games we used to play."


    "This is also why I''m so averse to the ''kill'' type of Heavenly Dao Secret Realm. The death rate is really too high!!!"


    At this time¡ª


    Quite a few people had already entered the Secret Realm one after another.


    Most of them were muscular men: some dressed as escort masters, some as peasants, others wearing sect uniforms, clearly disciples of some sect. You could say all sorts of people were present here, and most had rather grim expressions on their faces.


    Of course... in such a situation, it would be rare for anyone to smile.


    Upon entering the small world, everyone could only gather around the white vortex, standing still, patiently waiting. By sunset, a full 100 people had filled the Secret Realm.


    The entrance to the Secret Realm closed early.


    In an instant¡ª


    Everyone suddenly found the inexplicable force binding their legs vanish, and everyone regained their freedom. Immediately afterward, nearly all of them shot off towards the three directions of east, west, and north!


    No one fought! Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Everyone tacitly reserved their strength for the end, focusing on covering ground as quickly as possible. Those with higher cultivation and possessing Spiritual Treasures and Cultivation Techniques ran in the first wave while those with lesser cultivation followed in the second wave. A few clearly with very low cultivation who had come to try their luck stayed in the third wave.


    Over forty people went to the desert in the north, evidently attracted by the Purple Light representing Spiritual Treasures.


    "What are we waiting for?"


    At this moment, Fat Long looked towards Chen Qiu¡ªwho was standing in place without moving¡ªwith some urgency, and said hurriedly, "Let''s hurry up too. Standing here motionless will make us appear timid. I am, after all, a Qi Refinement Realm sixth-layer cultivator!"


    "As long as I sound a bit more arrogant, boast about myself a bit, and they can''t gauge my strength, they probably won''t rashly attack us."


    "Especially since we haven''t obtained any treasure yet, they have no reason to fight with us."


    "But if we show weakness now, we are more likely to be used as sacrifices later!"


    It has to be said.


    In the nearly five months that Fat Long had traversed this world, he had also devised a set of survival strategies suited for himself.


    However...


    Chen Qiu shook his head, his gaze fixed on the distance, "Placing one''s life completely in the hands of others'' fear and consideration lacks a sense of security. I have a better solution, head south."


    Only to the south were there demon beasts active.


    ...


    South.


    In the forest, Fat Long, gasping for air, swung his sword again, severely wounding another demon beast before kicking it in front of Chen Qiu. Only then did he look up uneasily toward the colorful lights dissipating non-stop in the distance.


    With each light fading, it meant a treasure had been taken.


    And with that, a fight was bound to ensue.


    Squandering so much energy now would only lower the chances of survival later.


    Anxiously he turned his head again and spoke to Chen Qiu in a hurried and uneasy voice, "Brother Chen Qiu, are you sure the entry you obtained when your cultivation broke through to the first level of Qi Refinement Realm was just that your strength would increase as soon as you reached the second level of Qi Refinement Realm?"


    "It sounds too vague!"


    "Can it be stronger than the sixth level of Qi Refinement Realm?"


    At this moment, he already had several wounds on his body inflicted in the dying struggles of the demon beasts. They were not serious nor fatal, but they absolutely affected his combat power, as well as others'' assessment of his strength.


    "Hmm."


    Chen Qiu nodded without going into detail but took a deep breath, gripped the hilt of his sword tightly with both hands, bent his knees slightly, and stared unblinkingly at the hungry wolf in front of him that was staring straight back with a menacing glint in its eyes!


    To respond to every change with constancy.


    Finally, the hungry wolf could no longer restrain itself and with a growl charged straight at him. Chen Qiu moved his feet slightly to dodge the attack, then concentrated all the strength of his body in his arms and swung his sword in a fluid motion.


    Blood splattered everywhere.


    With one stroke, the wolf was killed, and he also chopped down the demon beast that Fat Long had kicked over as it was on the brink of death.


    At this point, more than an hour had passed since the beginning of the Secret Realm. He had spent roughly half the time fighting in this forest and was already utterly exhausted. From the clumsy fighting at the beginning, he now had some combat experience.


    He had killed no fewer than twenty Qi Refinement Realm level one Fierce Beasts.


    The Fierce Beasts here were all hungry wolves, with cultivation levels mostly at the first level of the Qi Refinement Realm; otherwise, they wouldn''t be so easy to kill.


    Finally, in front of him emerged once again that familiar panel enveloped by clouds and mist.


    ''Cultivation greatly increased, formally entering the second layer of the Qi Refinement Realm.''


    ''Due to the "Step by Step" entry, you may obtain another entry upon this cultivation breakthrough.''


    ''Please choose from the three random entries below within ten breaths.''


    1:


    ''Entry Name'': Take the initiative.


    ''Entry Level'': Green.


    ''Entry Effect'': When entering the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm, you can break through the binding restrictions and move freely before the entrance to the Secret Realm is closed.


    2:


    ''Entry Name'': Alchemy Posture.


    ''Entry Level'': White.


    ''Entry Effect'': Your success rate in alchemy will be slightly increased.


    3:


    ''Entry Name'': Foundation Establishment Delay.


    ''Entry Level'': Green.


    ''Entry Effect'': Your Qi Refinement Phase will be extended from the normal nine layers to eleven layers; thereafter, during Foundation Establishment, the Spiritual Energy in your Dantian will be more abundant and pure compared to other Cultivators at the same phase, and your success rate for Foundation Establishment will also be higher.


    "..."


    Chen Qiu took a few deep breaths, thrust the blood-covered woodcutting knife into the earth beside him, and the piece of cloth that had once tied the knife handle to his right hand had long since disappeared in the fight.


    Looking at the three entry choices on the panel enveloped by clouds and mist exuding a mysterious charm, he fell silent for a long while before finally turning to look at the anxious and restless Fat Long and spoke softly.


    "The strength has increased a bit."


    "But it''s still not enough. If I could break through to the third level of the Qi Refinement Realm, then there would definitely be no problem."


    "Are you joking, my good brother?!!!"


    Fat Long couldn''t restrain himself and roared in anger, "Do you think cultivation breakthroughs are that simple? To break through from the first level to the third level of Qi Refinement Realm within one day? Do you think cultivation breakthrough is as easy as drinking cool water?"


    "It''s been five months since I came to this world, and my cultivation level is only at the sixth level of the Qi Refinement Realm, alright!"


    "To purely rely on killing demon beasts to gain cultivation points for you to break through to the third level of Qi Refinement Realm, you would need to kill at least one demon beast with the cultivation of the sixth level of Qi Refinement Realm. With all the little demon beasts around here at the first level, where can you find a demon beast with such cultivation?"


    Just then¡ª


    "Roar!!!"


    A burst of wild demon energy exploded from the depths of the forest, and at the same time a ferocious roar emitted, accompanied by the shaking of the ground. It was clear that an extremely fierce Fierce Beast had awakened deep within the forest and was charging straight towards them with an unmistakably clear target!


    With the intensity of that demon energy, the cultivation level started at least from the sixth layer of Qi Refinement Realm, if not higher.


    "..."


    Fat Long, standing still, bowed his head and remained silent for a while before he suddenly let out a soft sigh, his voice hoarse.


    "Maybe I have the hidden entry ''With the word spoken, the law follows.''


    "Or maybe I shouldn''t have grabbed you in the crowd back then."


    "Anyway..."


    "We must fight with our lives, once such a Fierce Beast has locked onto us, escape is impossible, we can only battle."


    "Hopefully we will win."


    "After all, I am at the sixth level of Qi Refinement Realm, stronger than you. I''ll take the front; you find an opportunity from the side."


    Chen Qiu didn''t speak again but just pulled out the woodcutting knife stuck in the earth and looked towards the colossal silver-furred Wolf King that was indistinctly charging towards them from the forest not far away.

 Chapter 5 Entry Name The God of Qi Refinement.

    The Wolf King that was about to charge toward them had demon energy so condensed on its body that it almost materialized, its momentum extremely fierce.A normal modern person, facing a Wolf King charging head-on, would consider themselves heroic if they could keep their legs from shaking uncontrollably, at least Chen Qiu''s breathing started to become hurried.


    His body trembled slightly.


    A kind of indescribable fear surged in his heart, his mind began to become extremely hazy, feeling as if everything around him was slowing down.


    Just then¡ª


    "Roar!!!"


    Accompanied by a roar, the Wolf King charged straight at Chen Qiu from the forest with astonishing momentum, perhaps targeting Chen Qiu directly since he had killed too many Wolf Demons.


    "Freeze!"


    Fat Long pulled a talisman from his bosom, and as spiritual energy poured into it, the talisman instantly ignited and shot into the Wolf King''s body, visibly slowing its movements.


    "Slash!"


    Fat Long drew another talisman, which burned up instantly, and a blade of light formed from spiritual energy materialized and slashed directly at the Wolf King, accompanied by splashing blood, a terrifying, bone-deep wound erupted on the Wolf King''s back, blood gushing profusely.


    Immediately not giving the Wolf King much time to react, Fat Long roared to encourage himself and charged forward with his long sword thrust deep into the wound, intense pain making the Wolf King struggle and howl continuously.


    Fortunately... it was only a Qi Refinement Realm Sixth Level demon beast.


    Apart from having greater physical strength than the two of them.


    It didn''t know any spells.


    Its fighting style was still like that of a wild beast, relying on physical strength to fight.


    Chen Qiu wasn''t idle either; he immediately flanked to the other side, he and Fat Long splitting into two directions to surround the Wolf King and initiate a guerrilla siege. The heavily injured Wolf King already had the intention to retreat, but it was too late!


    The two of them also did not attack with full force.


    Preserving their strength this way, no matter whom the Wolf King attacked, the chosen one would immediately pull away, not giving the Wolf King a chance to touch him, and the other would take the opportunity to close in, harassing the Wolf King.


    A few breaths later.


    "Sizzle!"


    As the Wolf King, increasingly slowed by excessive blood loss, Fat Long stepped back, signaling Chen Qiu to move forward; Chen Qiu didn''t waste any time, stepping large beside the Wolf King, he struck with full force, a chopping blade plunging straight into the Wolf King''s neck.


    Even after receiving such a deadly blow.


    The Wolf King still didn''t die on the spot but instead struggled even more vigorously, as if revitalized.


    The blade was stuck in its neck and couldn''t be pulled out for a while, so Chen Qiu simply pressed his entire weight onto the Wolf King, focusing all his strength on the handle of the blade, stubbornly driving the blade deeper into its neck.


    Finally...


    The body of the Wolf King gradually stiffened, coming to a complete halt in its struggle, no longer breathing.


    A Qi Refinement Realm Sixth Level demon beast had perished just like that!


    "Damn..."


    The battle over, Fat Long, who had still been brimming with energy, suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion emanating from the depths of his heart, and his legs went soft, causing him to sit down on the ground, gazing at the blood that covered his clothes, some expressions of bewilderment directed toward the body of the Wolf King in front of him.


    The silvery white fur on the Wolf King''s body had already been completely stained red.


    The demon energy on its body was also slowly dispersing.


    Even its pupils were beginning to dilate, every sign indicating that this once formidable Wolf King had truly died, killed by them.


    "Am I really that powerful?"


    Fat Long looked down at his hands in a daze, never having imagined that he could himself kill a Qi Refinement Realm Sixth Level demon beast. Demons of the same Cultivation Realm were usually stronger than Cultivators, especially since he had neither Cultivation Techniques nor Magic Treasures, his power was supposed to be somewhat inferior.


    But now it seemed...


    He might need to reassess his own strength.


    A Qi Refinement Realm Sixth Level demon beast was nothing much after all!


    ...


    At that moment, Chen Qiu, equally out of breath, was sitting on the grass. The axe he had been using to chop wood for over thirty days was still embedded in the Wolf King''s neck; he hadn''t pulled it out. He checked his body: there were numerous injuries, but nothing serious.


    The majority were abrasions.


    Only on his abdomen was there a claw mark from the wolf, from which blood was still seeping; it stung a bit.


    After stepping into the second level of the Qi Refinement Realm, among the three random entries he had to choose from, he selected the green entry "Delay Foundation Establishment." The first two entries were of little use to him, and he had never considered Alchemy, so he didn''t need that entry.


    Although he quite liked the entry "Take the initiative," as it meant that in future entries into the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm, he could act ahead of others, be it setting traps or grabbing rewards first, which would be extremely beneficial.


    However, he felt that "Delay Foundation Establishment" suited him a bit more, effectively providing him with two additional entries and also enhancing his Foundation Establishment success rate, which was great.


    Just then¡ª


    From the body of the Wolf King, a faint light floated into the air and merged into Chen Qiu''s body, making him feel suddenly warm, and even the pain somewhat subsided. When he performed introspection again, sure enough¡ª


    A panel of text enveloped by clouds and mist appeared inside his body once more.


    "Cultivation greatly increased, officially entering the third level of the Qi Refinement Realm."


    "Due to the entry ''Step by Step,'' this Cultivation breakthrough grants another entry."


    "Please choose from the following three random entries within ten breaths."


    1:


    "Entry Name": God of Qi Refinement.


    "Entry Level": Grey.


    "Entry Effect": You will permanently be unable to achieve Foundation Establishment, but your lifespan will be extended by 500 years.


    2:


    "Entry Name": Yama''s Personal Decree.


    "Entry Level": Grey.


    "Entry Effect": You will definitely die one year later, but you are guaranteed to not die within this year.


    3:


    "Entry Name": Resentful Spirit Summoning.


    "Entry Level": Green.


    "Entry Effect": Creatures killed by you will turn into resentful spirits attached to your body, which you can summon at any time to fight for you with the strength they had at their peak, but once summoned, they can only exist for one hour, after which they dissipate into the universe. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    -


    "..."


    Chen Qiu looked at the three random entries in front of him, pondered for a moment, and chose the third entry, "Resentful Spirit Summoning." It seemed like there wasn''t much need to consider it since the first two had rather significant drawbacks.


    The third entry was precisely the combat ability he urgently needed.


    And it was a skill-type entry.


    So far, aside from this entry, the other entries he had randomly obtained were mostly support or passive types; this one was an entry that could be actively triggered.


    "Fat Long."


    After resting for a moment on the ground, Chen Qiu turned his head to look at Fat Long beside him and softly said, "Thanks."


    Honestly, that serving of pig''s head meat had been worth it. Not only had Fat Long helped him kill the creature, but he had also let him land the final blow on the Wolf King and had used up his only two talismans. Honestly, he felt somewhat embarrassed; if it hadn''t been for Fat Long, he wouldn''t have been able to advance to the third level of the Qi Refinement Realm so quickly.


    "It''s nothing."


    Fat Long thought about the two talismans he had painstakingly saved. Although it pained him, he still managed to feign generosity and shook his head: "At least our cooperation turned out to be surprisingly well-synchronized, which is great. In this dangerous and unfamiliar world, having a teammate like you is really good."


    What he didn''t tell Chen Qiu was that, before meeting him, he had also found a few other compatriots who had come through. Those compatriots had all risen to high positions. When he approached them trying to bond, he was met with cold shoulders and ridicule.


    It was humiliating.


    It was better to stay with someone of lower cultivation than himself; at least then, he wouldn''t be ridiculed.

 Chapter 6 Wells do not interfere with rivers.

    "Right."Chen Qiu remembered the three random entries he had just drawn and hesitated, "How are the levels of entries differentiated?"


    "Well..."


    Fat Long nodded seriously, "The levels of entries from low to high are respectively, White, Green, Yellow, Blue, Purple, and above that there are Red, Golden, Pink, Seven-colored."


    "A total of nine levels."


    "They imply the will of the Heavenly Dao."


    "All cultivators can only obtain a random entry when they achieve a major breakthrough in their realm, and the level of this random entry is closely related to one''s own Cultivation Realm."


    "The higher the cultivation, the higher the level of entry that one can randomly receive."


    "For example, although a cultivator at the Qi Refinement Realm theoretically has a chance to draw a Seven-colored term, the actual probability is so low it''s pitiful, possibly one lucky individual every ten thousand years."


    "But if you''re at the Transcendance Tribulation Stage, the probability of randomly getting a Seven-colored entry during a major realm breakthrough will be much higher."


    "These nine levels are all the levels for entries."


    Fat Long paused, then looked up at the black glow that was slowly dissolving above his head, and continued, "Aside from that, there are also some special level entries, such as the Grey entry. Grey entries don''t fall within these nine levels and can''t be ranked."


    "Grey entries often have extremely powerful effects, but also carry extremely serious drawbacks."


    "If you happen to randomly get a Grey entry, then... whether it''s fortune or misfortune is really hard to say."


    "It''s all fate."


    Chen Qiu nodded without speaking. To tell the truth, the effects of those two Grey entries just now were quite good indeed. If it were some specific people, like ordinary mortals without dreams of cultivation, getting an extra 500 years of life for free would be rather nice.


    It''s just a bit torturous, watching your friends and family leave one by one. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The second "Yama''s Personal Decree" would, for some cultivators on the brink of death, be like extending their lifespan by a year, and during this year, they could act unfettered, or for Sect Supreme Elders, they could burn brightly and contribute to their sect during this year.


    Of course, in most cases, this entry is akin to Yama''s death warrant.


    Just at that moment¡ª


    Behind the two, a translucent barrier that enveloped the entire small world slowly closed in on them.


    "Let''s go, Brother Chen Qiu, it''s shrinking."


    Fat Long got up from the ground, casually stowed his long sword in his Storage Bag, and muttered, "Once I get some money, the first thing I''ll do is swap for a saber-type Magic Treasure. Using this long sword is really awkward."


    ...


    The two, clad in bloodstained clothes, slowly walked from the forest to the center of the plains.


    At this moment, almost ten people were already scattered across the plain, each of them caked with blood as well. At a glance, many of them didn''t have light injuries, and the look they gave Chen Qiu and his companion was tinged with wariness and caution.


    "Fellow Daoists."


    Just then, a middle-aged man with a scar on his face stepped forward, looking at Chen Qiu and his companion with a solemn voice, "According to the rules of Jianghu, in the ''Slaying'' type Heavenly Dao Secret Realm, when the last light fades, it means the fight should cease!"


    "All treasures, no matter who holds them, are that person''s fate."


    "No further plundering is allowed."


    It''s no wonder these people were all full of wariness. Normal people who enter the ''Slaying'' type Secret Realm, aren''t they all coming for treasures? Who would go to the black area?


    As everyone knows, the most powerful Fierce Beast in the Secret Realm is in the black area, aside from which there are no treasures at all.


    And there''s only one type of person who would go to such a place¡ª


    Combat enthusiasts!


    Whether they are Jianghu Guests, Sect Disciples, government lackeys, or even the lowest scum, the one type of person they all fear the most are combat enthusiasts. These people tend not to follow any rules and don''t care about any benefits.


    Their life''s goal is to fight, to fight until death, which is their life''s creed.


    Commonly known as head-choppers.


    At this moment, in the eyes of these people, Chen Qiu and Fat Long were like battle maniacs, and not just ordinary ones, but those with formidable strength. Otherwise, they wouldn''t appear to have sustained no serious injuries while they had killed the strongest Fierce Beast in this Secret Realm!


    "..."


    Chen Qiu didn''t speak, only glancing around. As expected, the bright lights that had originally shot into the sky had all disappeared, indicating that all the treasures had found their masters, now in the hands of the crowd. There were only nine people standing here at this moment.


    Yet one hundred people had entered this small world.


    Which meant, in just this short period, eighty-nine people had died in the scramble for treasures.


    He was silent, not saying a word. Although he had not met those eighty-nine people, after all, so many lives had just perished in this small world, it couldn''t help but make one sigh. If it hadn''t been for Fat Long, maybe he too would have died here?


    Feigning composure, Fat Long waved his hands. He was just about to bluff his way through when he was preparing to leave the Secret Realm successfully.


    Just then¡ª


    "Szzt!"


    Among the nine people standing on the plain, suddenly three people violently drew their swords and lashed out, aiming directly at the person closest to them, giving no time for a reaction. In just two or three breaths, only four people were left standing on the spot.


    Three men, clad in different attire and wielding sharp blades, surrounded an ordinary-looking young man in the middle, their cruel and cold gazes tightly fixed on Chen Qiu and Fat Long.


    "Heh heh."


    Before Chen Qiu and Fat Long had a chance to speak, the ordinary-looking young man in the center pulled out a fan from nowhere, casually flicking it to and fro, looking at Chen Qiu and the others with a smirk, "How is it, have you never seen such a low-key young master before?"


    "Do you know what I hate the most? It''s those young masters dressed in fancy clothes with identical uniforms for their lackeys, afraid of not being conspicuous enough."


    "Look¡ª"


    "Like me, having my subordinates wear different clothes and pretend to be Loose Cultivators blending into the crowd. Then striking at the critical moment, who can react in time?"


    "These days, Cultivation isn''t just about brute strength, you also need to use your brain."


    "I, Huang Shikai, want all the treasures in this Secret Realm for myself. As for the two of you..."


    "How do you wish to die?"


    As he spoke, Huang Shikai had a trace of wariness in his eyes when looking at the two. His plan was to have everything under control. Since he had come to this small world, all its treasures would undoubtedly be his. But what he hadn''t anticipated was the sudden appearance of two battle maniacs with unknown prowess, which left him feeling slightly uneasy.


    Otherwise, he wouldn''t have wasted so much talk.


    Even though the strongest was only at the sixth layer of the Qi Refinement Realm, there were still differences between those at the same stage of the Qi Refinement Realm.


    "Young Master Huang."


    Without any hesitation, Fat Long immediately dropped to his knees, earnestly cupping his fists, "Your reputation precedes you. I''ve long heard of your handsome and dashing bearing, and your achievements at such a young age. Seeing you today, it really is as expected."


    "We don''t want any treasures from this small world, could we possibly not infringe upon each other''s territories and part ways here?"


    "Heh, what do you think?"


    Huang Shikai instantly felt emboldened upon seeing Fat Long''s behavior and with a cold snicker, he stepped back and gestured with his hand, "Kill them all."


    No witnesses, that way there would be no loose ends.


    Otherwise, if word of what just happened got out, it would cause some damage to his reputation.


    Seeing how feeble he was, and appearing to have no backing, it was clear he was a Loose Cultivator. Dead, he would just die in vain.


    Chen Qiu, standing off to the side, didn''t speak. He simply lowered his head and wiped his machete clean of blood with the corner of his clothes. Then he patted Fat Long on the shoulder and whispered, "Get up, they can''t beat us."


    "We''re going to have to stake a claim in these waters. I quite want these treasures from the small world."


    The next instant¡ª


    Thick resentful energy suddenly erupted from Chen Qiu''s body, and in the blink of an eye, more than twenty Qi Refinement Realm stage one Wolf Demons and one Qi Refinement Realm stage six Wolf King appeared out of nowhere beside him.


    These resentful spirits looked semi-transparent and somewhat ethereal but the combined might of their resentful energy and demon energy appeared extremely formidable.


    "Roar!"


    Several roaring cries abruptly rose one after another across the plain!

 Chapter 7 Full Force Strike, Cant Break Through the Defense?

    These Wolf Demons were the resentful spirits of those who had just died by his hand, their wolf bodies now a uniform translucent appearance, looking incredibly ethereal.Naturally, this included the Wolf King.


    The strength of this Wolf King was unquestionable. If it weren''t for Fat Long''s two talismans, the two of them would not have been able to kill the Wolf King. The most important factor in their ability to kill the Wolf King was that this Qi Refinement Realm sixth-layer Wolf King only appeared after all its underlings had perished.


    Otherwise, if they had attacked together, with the Wolf Demon underlings providing support, the outcome would truly be uncertain. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although he did not know the Cultivation of these three, to be able to serve as henchmen for a young master, they must be stronger than average in both Cultivation and combat experience. In this battle of life and death, who would stand until the end?


    He himself felt somewhat lacking in confidence.


    But...


    In the face of a great battle, one must not show weakness.


    Chen Qiu stood in place, holding a wood-cutting knife, looking calmly towards the four people not far away, and said softly, "Kill!"


    As the word fell.


    The Wolf Demon resentful spirits behind him seemed to receive the order, roaring angrily as they rushed forward together.


    "What kind of technique is this?"


    Standing aside, Fat Long''s eyes lit up at the scene unfolding before him, "Brother Chen Qiu, is this the entry you gained randomly after breaking through to the Qi Refinement Realm first layer? You can summon resentful spirits? No wonder you said you''d become strong once you break through to the third layer of Qi Refinement, so this is why!"


    "This entry''s restriction must be that it can only be used starting from the third layer of Qi Refinement, right?"


    "And since you, Brother Chen Qiu, said it''s an entry for later stages, presumably as your Realm Cultivation progresses, the strength of the summoned resentful spirits will also increase, right?"


    "A growth-type active skill entry!"


    "Brother Chen Qiu, you really do have good luck!"


    A hint of envy flickered in Fat Long''s eyes, then he felt a bit irritated. Why was his luck so bad? What use was the Nine Ox Power to him? Not only was it useless, but it also came with nothing but side effects.


    Ugly and uncomfortable.


    There was no helping it, after all, it wasn''t like he could shoot down nine suns like Hou Yi of old, and now...


    ...


    Luckily, the three henchmen under the young master, after many battles and with serious injuries, were nearly drained of their strength, and even failed to wait for Chen Qiu and his companion to join the battlefield.


    The battle was over.


    All three were horrifically killed by the Wolf King''s sharp fangs.


    "Damn it!!!"


    Seeing that the Wolf King had now set its sights on him, with its bloodthirsty crimson pupils bursting forth, the young master Huang Shikai couldn''t help but let out an angry and cold laugh, "Very well, very well, you''ve got guts. But you''re still lacking if you want to kill me."


    "Don''t ever think I''m like those pampered young masters; I survive on my wits!"


    The next moment¡ª


    The young man suddenly emitted a yellow glow from his hands and feet, a sure sign of a Cultivation Technique being activated. To master a Cultivation Technique at the Qi Refinement Realm''s sixth layer was not something the average person could afford.


    "Yellow Level lower-grade Cultivation Technique, Iron Sand Palm!"


    Then they saw the young master, the moment the Wolf King charged towards him, suddenly lie down on the spot, his hands and feet plunging straight into the ground, firmly anchoring himself in place, immediately becoming embedded on the surface of the earth.


    At that moment, the Wolf King had already lunged at the young man, yet strangely, no matter how hard it bit or slashed with its claws, it was unable to inflict even the slightest injury on Huang Shikai''s body.


    ...


    "Hm?"


    Chen Qiu noticed something amiss, walked straight up, bent down to look at the young man who was embedded into the ground, and after frowning in puzzlement for a while, he waved his hand to signal the Wolf King to back off.


    He raised the woodcutter''s axe high above his head, aimed at the nape of Huang Shikai''s neck, and chopped down with all his might!


    "Clang!"


    A sudden metal-on-metal clash echoed.


    The corners of his mouth twitched slightly, and he threw away the woodcutter''s axe, its blade fiercely trembling in his hand. He felt as though he had struck steel; the blow left Huang Shikai completely unharmed while his own arm had gone numb.


    A full-powered strike that couldn''t breach the defense?


    It was at this moment¡ª


    "Hahahaha!!!"


    Huang Shikai, with his face pressed against the ground, began to laugh triumphantly: "Forgot to tell you, my Initial Entry is the Yellow Entry ''Unassailable from Behind'', any attack coming from behind or my side cannot harm me."


    "The small world will close in half an hour, you can''t do anything to me, I have memorized your faces; the moment I get out, I''ll make sure you''re killed immediately."


    "Rest assured, I will have a good time with you then."


    "Such good luck."


    Fat Long, who followed behind Chen Qiu, spoke with a complex expression: "Sometimes I really resent you lucky ones, the first random entry you get is always such a superior one."


    He knew well enough.


    Many entries in this world are interconnected; there aren''t any absolutely useless ones, even his ''Nine Ox Power'' can''t be considered utterly useless, as many entries can synergize with it.


    For example, the green entry ''In Numbers'', the effect of this entry causes any surplus organs on your body to mutate, gaining an unfathomably powerful force.


    The more superfluous organs you have, the greater the power of this green entry, which is quite compatible with his ''Nine Ox Power''.


    But the main reason for his occasional irritation is that a poor first entry means that, even if there are many other entries related to yours, it''s difficult to survive long enough to reach the Realm Cultivation required to obtain them.


    And... he did not at all want that damn ''In Numbers'' green entry!


    Even if it would make him stronger!


    ...


    The biggest downside of such closely related entries is that without the complete set, a single entry is hard to utilize effectively, and... there''s no guarantee of acquiring the specific entry from the group.


    The randomness is just too high.


    It''s said that some Heavenly Dao Secret Realms produce certain Spiritual Treasures, which can grant a cultivator a random entry even without breaking through to a Great Realm, or offer a chance to re-randomize an entry during a breakthrough. But these treasures are extremely valuable and never seem to fall into his hands.


    This is also why Fat Long had such a complex expression upon hearing that Huang Shikai''s first entry was a Yellow one¡ªthis kid was just too lucky, starting with a Yellow entry, a genuine Child of Destiny.


    An Initial Entry is absolutely irreplaceable and with a cultivator for life.


    Latter entries obtained from breaking through Great Realms can indeed be erased and replaced with some Spiritual Treasures.


    Initial Entries essentially represent a cultivator''s innate talent.

 Chapter 8 Living long is the real skill.

    "Actually, it''s quite good." Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.Chen Qiu noticed Fat Long''s thoughts and, looking down at Huang Shikai who was embedded in the ground in front of him, he whispered, "Everyone''s Initial Entry is random, which, in a way, means that the path to ascension has opened up quite a bit."


    "Even mortals now have the opportunity to cultivate."


    "Otherwise, if the path was completely sealed off, the class system of this world would be far too harsh, and people like us, the common folk, would suffer tremendously."


    He realized that the young master in front of him might not be very smart, for he couldn''t understand why the young master would expose his own entry. If he had kept his mouth shut, they would have no idea what the man''s entry was.


    It might take a good while to figure out.


    Perhaps before the hour in the small world ended, they still wouldn''t have understood, and would actually let this young master leave alive.


    But since the young master had blurted it out himself, they no longer needed to investigate.


    While signaling the Wolf King to start digging, he walked over to the few corpses nearby and methodically removed their Storage Bags.


    Digging a hole wasn''t too much trouble at all.


    Why did this guy think he was invincible?


    ...


    Soon¡ª


    Chen Qiu had sorted out all his gains from the occasion.


    Three Yellow Level lower-grade mental methods, and one Yellow Level Mid-grade mental method.


    Three Yellow Level lower-grade Cultivation Techniques.


    Seven Spiritual Treasures emitting faint glimmers.


    As well as nine Storage Bags and a dozen pieces of Silver.


    "Struck it rich, struck it rich, this time I''ve really struck it rich!"


    Fat Long''s whole body looked towards the pile of treasures in front with lips trembling from excessive excitement, his voice shaking with extreme agitation, "Five months... All the wealth I''ve accumulated in these five months isn''t even close to one percent of what''s here!"


    "How did I suddenly strike it rich? Let me think this through."


    "Let''s start with the prices."


    Chen Qiu glanced at the Wolf King, who was still vigorously digging beside him, and looked towards the pile of treasures. He carelessly placed the wood-cutting knife in his bosom, inwardly alert. Although he had no intention of killing Fat Long and swallowing all the gains for himself, he still had to guard against Fat Long.


    He felt grateful to Fat Long and had a good impression of him, but when the stakes are too high, people can easily lose their reason.


    "Huff!"


    Fat Long took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the excitement in his heart, "A normal Cultivation Technique can be recorded and, if the owner is willing, can be circulated among countless people. But, Brother Chen Qiu, do you know why the Cultivation Techniques in the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm provoke so many to risk their lives for them?"


    "After all, they are just some Yellow Level lower-grade techniques. In the markets of the Cultivation World, such a technique would cost only 10 pieces of Silver, not too expensive."


    "Although they are all common goods, 10 pieces of Silver indeed can buy a Yellow Level lower-grade technique."


    "Cultivation of a technique requires time and comprehension."


    "The depths of Cultivation of a technique reveal greater power, divided into Entry, Minor Achievement, Great Achievement, Advancing and Great Perfection five levels."


    "Normally, to cultivate a Yellow Level lower-grade technique to the Great Achievement Realm and unleash almost all the power of the technique, at least an entire year of arduous Cultivation is required!"


    "However, the techniques produced in the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm come with a Heavenly Dao Blessing. Each technique can be learned by only one Cultivator, embedded in a Jade Scroll, burned after reading. Once learned, you start at the Great Achievement Realm!"


    "And the speed of cultivating to the Great Perfection Realm is also four to five times faster than those ordinary techniques!"


    Fat Long paused for a moment, his eyes brimming with excitement as he stared intently at the few Jade Scrolls on the ground, "That''s why the techniques produced in the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm are extremely rare and priced so high!"


    "A Yellow Level lower-grade technique from the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm is priced at 3 Spirit Stones!"


    "A Yellow Level lower-grade mental method, priced at 3 Spirit Stones!"


    "A Yellow Level Mid-grade mental method, priced at 10 Spirit Stones!"


    "All these Spiritual Treasures are Yellow Level lower-grade, each priced at 5 Spirit Stones!"


    "Storage Bags aren''t worth much. Excluding the Storage Bags, all these items together are priced at 63 Spirit Stones!!!"


    Chen Qiu nodded slightly and whispered, "How much is one Spirit Stone worth in currency?"


    "One Spirit Stone can be exchanged for 100 taels of silver, one tael of silver is equal to 1,000 wen, so one Spirit Stone can be exchanged for 100,000 wen."


    "..."


    Chen Qiu remained silent and didn''t speak any further, as he knew little about the prices in this world. He only knew that he could rent a decent cottage within the courtyard for 300 wen and buy a meal of good pig''s head meat and burning liquor for less than 100 wen.


    He had to work hard chopping wood all day just to earn a dozen wen.


    Even though he had learned how to kill yesterday, he had only gained a little over 2,000 wen.


    But all the items in front of him added up to a total of 6,300,000 wen.


    Considering that he earned 20 wen per day from chopping wood, he would need to chop wood non-stop for a full 315,000 days, which amounts to exactly 863 years, to amass that much money.


    And now¡ª


    He had merely entered the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm, killed some people, and picked up some treasures.


    He had bypassed 863 years of taking the wrong path.


    After a long while, Chen Qiu suddenly spoke, "Chopping wood indeed isn''t a very promising career."


    "Cutting down people has a much better cost-effectiveness ratio."


    "Hehe."


    Meanwhile, Fat Long, who had been originally excited, suddenly gave a few dry laughs, "That... Brother Chen Qiu, you really shouldn''t harbor such thoughts. You must know that those who kill will ultimately die by the sword. We can''t just look at the gains before us; we also have to consider those who died because of these treasures."


    "A total of 100 people, and only the two of us are left."


    "Think about how terrifying the mortality rate is. This path might lead to quick riches but more likely to a quick death!"


    Just then¡ª


    "Nonsense, I''m not dead yet!"


    At the side, Huang Shikai, who was barely holding up and visibly scared, shouted loudly, "Brothers, I was wrong, please spare my life! I will surely repay you once we get out! We all are people of the Jianghu, show some mercy!"


    Considering the digging speed of the Wolf King beside him, he''d be dead before the small world even closed.


    "Not to worry, you''ll be quick too."


    Fat Long casually rolled his eyes at Huang Shikai, then shifted his gaze and seriously looked at Chen Qiu, continuing, "Brother Chen Qiu, the both of us indeed had our fortune today, and there are some things I still want to tell you; you definitely cannot let today''s quick riches cloud your judgment."


    "Honestly, there were more than a dozen people who entered this world with me."


    "The strongest among them even managed to reach Foundation Establishment in just the third month."


    "But five months passed, and I am the only one still alive."


    "In the path of cultivation, speed of cultivation, no matter how fast, is not really power. Only living long enough, that''s the true skill."


    "..."


    Chen Qiu kept silent and didn''t speak but after a pause, he looked up into Fat Long''s earnest eyes and couldn''t help but shake his head with a smile, "You really are very afraid of dying."


    "Of course, who isn''t."


    "Look."


    Chen Qiu glanced at the corpses not far away and casually said, "They weren''t afraid."


    "So they died, and I''m alive!"


    "Alright, let''s not talk about this anymore."


    He didn''t continue delving deeper into the topic but instead looked at the pile of treasures before them like a small mountain.


    "Let''s divide it, you tell me, how should we split this?"


    ...


    ps: Thanks to the boss ''Niaraeth'' for the 10,000 starting coins tip, as well as bosses ''Realized'' and ''Sleepy Bear'' for their coin tips and monthly ticket support, the new book has set sail, thank you for the support.

 Chapter 9

    After Chen Qiu asked that question, he fell silent and just quietly looked at Fat Long, his heart hoping for a sixty-thirty split.His thirty, Fat Long''s seventy.


    In this way, he would be able to repay the favor he owed Fat Long in the "small world", as he disliked the feeling of being in someone''s debt.


    "Let''s do seventy-thirty,"


    After pondering for a long while, Fat Long finally spoke, "You seventy, I thirty. Your combat power is already about to surpass mine, you have better luck than me, having randomly acquired an attack method entry during the Qi Refinement Realm."


    "With my entry, I''m pretty much done for during the Qi Refinement period, unlikely to demonstrate anything outstanding."


    "I guess I''ll have to rely on you in the future."


    "This time you take more, and later we''ll travel together. That way, in this unfamiliar world, we can watch each other''s backs. Chen Qiu, brother, what do you say?"


    "That works."


    Chen Qiu nodded, and didn''t say much else.


    ...


    The last bit of time quickly passed away as well, and Huang Shikai, who was next to them, died in despair in the jaws of the Wolf King. Chen Qiu had discovered something very interesting: the resentful spirits of the cultivators killed by the Wolf King could also be summoned by him.


    That is to say, the creatures killed by the spirits he summoned were also considered to have been killed by him.


    In a sense, it was like a perpetual motion machine.


    With this, he could, at any time, summon three resentful spirits of cultivators at the sixth level of the Qi Refinement Realm and one at the fifth level, which also served as a small trump card, giving him a sense of security.


    Day broke.


    The white vortex exit in the small world slowly appeared once more, and the resentful spirit of the Wolf King dispersed into the world forever.


    Stepping into the white vortex, Chen Qiu saw the scenery change in front of his eyes, and when everything calmed down, he was back in the bamboo forest three miles east of Fufeng City. Only now, there were many people surrounding him.


    Over a hundred people encircled them, completely cutting off any escape.


    Many had intense killing intent on their faces, and with their fiercely muscled appearances, they were clearly not to be trifled with.


    ...


    "I forgot to say."


    Fat Long tugged cautiously at Chen Qiu''s sleeve, his mouth twitching slightly as he whispered, "The Heavenly Dao Secret Realm has one major flaw: you exit from the same place you entered. This often leads to many people liking to wait at the entrances of secret realms, ambushing and killing those who come out to minimize their own risk."


    "It seems we forgot to hire an escort master."


    "If you hired an escort master, they would successfully escort you to safety when you come out of the secret realm alive."


    "..."


    Chen Qiu looked expressionlessly at the husky men who were eyeing them menacingly and had them surrounded, inadvertently taking a step back, and said calmly, "What if we don''t have an escort master?"


    "Then you play up your background, your power, which can scare many away."


    "And if we don''t have that?"


    "Then it''s up to fate."


    Just then¡ª


    "Kill!"


    A gang within the crowd, armed with machetes and looking ferocious, took their lead from the husky man who had initially had an encounter with Chen Qiu. Only now, his expression appeared quite unsettled as he raised his machete and bellowed, "All the treasures from this secret realm must be on them! Whoever grabs it, keeps it!"


    He hadn''t expected this young man to come out of the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm alive, nor had he imagined that, of the hundred people who had entered the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm, there would be only two to come out alive.


    ```


    Everyone knows that the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm designed for killing is perilous, but that''s mostly hearsay, as no one has actually seen it.


    Seeing it today, I realize that its degree of danger is rather terrifying indeed.


    The brawny man leading them had a voice full of malevolence, roaring extremely loud, yet he did not take a single step forward to engage in combat. However, his thunderous roar instantly ignited the desires in the hearts of everyone around.


    No one wanted to make the first move, to avoid running into a tough opponent.


    Yet, they were afraid that others would make a move and worried that the treasures would be snatched away by someone else.


    With the first person rushing in, the entire scene immediately became a chaotic mess. It was dawn by then, and in the bamboo forest, countless brawny men armed with sharp weapons charged towards the two young men, one skinny and one fat.


    ... sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The screams, the sound of blades cutting through flesh, the blood splattering in mid-air.


    In such circumstances, people quickly lose their sanity.


    They can''t even discern friends from foes, feeling that everyone around them is attacking themselves. A group composed only of Qi Refinement Realm cultivators at best, their methods of attack were still the most barbaric, like those of village farmers, making the scene look intimidating.


    Yet, in reality, it wasn''t as grand as an all-out brawl involving every villager from two villages.


    At some point, the scene started to calm down.


    Many were panting with injuries all over their bodies, and the two young men were nowhere to be seen. Everyone looked suspiciously at others, wondering who had snatched the treasures.


    ...


    And at this time¡ª


    Chen Qiu was already walking on an official road with Fat Long.


    Using the "Earth Tunneling Technique" and "Blinding Spell" they had obtained from the Secret Realm¡ªwhich they had mastered to the Great Achievement Realm¡ªthey had easily tunneled through the ground and escaped during the chaos.


    Until they reached this official road.


    "Here."


    Fat Long took out a piece of dry ration from his bosom and handed it to Chen Qiu, "Eat something to fill your stomach for now. There''s a post station a few miles ahead where you can have something warm to eat. Continue along this official road for ten miles, and you''ll find some cultivator markets."


    "It''s called a market, but it''s actually more like a city, just that it''s not counted among the 365 cities of Da Xia Country and doesn''t pay taxes."


    "The market is mostly cultivators, and those at the Foundation Establishment Stage are not so rare. The owner of this market is a Loose Cultivator at the mid-Golden Core stage, known as the ''Barefoot Immortal''."


    "Walking on the official road is safe. According to Da Xia law, no one is allowed to attack any living being on the official road, whether they be commoners, cultivators, wanted criminals, or members of the Demon Beast Clan."


    "Even if it''s just a rabbit, as long as it''s on the official road, you can''t kill it."


    "This law is implemented very thoroughly in Da Xia, no matter how powerful the noble or official, no one is exempted from punishment. Once violated, it''s direct extermination of the Nine Tribes."


    "Hmm."


    Chen Qiu nodded, taking the dry ration from Fat Long without disdain, wiped the dust off it with the corner of his clothes, and then began to eat, "The importance of transportation to a country goes without saying. If there''s no frequent interaction and trade between regions, and even the official roads aren''t safe, that indeed has a significant impact."


    "It''s evident that Da Xia bestows the official roads with a considerable amount of importance."


    "Just... is exterminating the Nine Tribes not a bit excessive?"


    "It is a bit."


    Fat Long silently nodded, "Rumor has it that 500 years ago, this law was enforced exactly as such. But not long after its implementation, a prince of Da Xia, furious with his father for favoring his younger brother, killed a rabbit on the official road in broad daylight."


    "The act was witnessed by many."


    "According to the law, the entire Da Xia Royal Family could have gone down to meet their ancestors."


    "But a special exemption would diminish the status of the official roads and the law."


    ```

 Chapter 10

    "Back in those days, the situation was said to be quite complicated, as it was a time of chaos. Many surrounding countries and races were engaged in life and death battles. Da Xia, in order to win over talents from all over the world, extended the Official Road far and wide, proclaiming that anyone who set foot on the Official Road, regardless of their status, would be protected by Da Xia.""No one was allowed to attack."


    "Moreover, after iron-bloodedly executing millions, all the neighboring races and countries remembered the four characters ''Da Xia Official Road''."


    "It was due to this national policy that Da Xia managed to draw in a great number of talents from other perished countries and races. Even today, on the high seats of the Da Xia imperial court, there are quite a few people from foreign lands, and even from the Devil Clan."


    "Many people came forward to pledge their loyalty, and for a time, Da Xia''s prestige was unparalleled."


    "Back then, Da Xia''s laws represented a lot of things; they showed Da Xia''s attitude toward the outside world. The moment there was the slightest sign of softening, other races would find breaches."


    "In the end, left with no choice, the then Holy Emperor of Da Xia expelled the Third Prince from the Imperial Family. Then, in the very center of the Capital, the prince was tortured to death on the execution stage with one thousand and twenty-four cuts."


    "This was also the first prince since ancient times who was tortured to death for killing a rabbit."


    "Since then, the law underwent a slight change. It was no longer about exterminating Nine Tribes but about being slowly sliced to death."


    "Five hundred years have passed."


    "The reputation of ''Da Xia Official Road'' has been imprinted in the hearts of everyone. From young children to the elderly, all understood one thing: once you set foot on ''Da Xia Official Road,'' your safety was absolute."


    ...


    Chen Qiu nodded in understanding, but he did not speak. Instead, he looked around. The morning sun shone on him, warming his body, and he even felt that the injuries he sustained the night before were much lighter.


    Perhaps due to the early morning, there weren''t many people on the Official Road.


    There were villagers with hoes over their shoulders, messengers riding fast horses, and Cultivators flying through the air with Sword Flight.


    This world seemed to lack purely ordinary people.


    Basically, every adult male had at least the Qi Refinement Realm level one Cultivation. Although this level of Cultivation couldn''t extend life or strengthen the body, it ensured one had an Initial Entry.


    On both sides of the Official Road, there were numerous spirit fields. At the moment, many villagers stood in the middle of these spirit fields, casting the ''Spring Rain Technique'' to precisely irrigate their own fields with spiritually rich rainwater.


    It all looked rather harmonious and joyful. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Official Road was very wide, wide enough to accommodate eight carriages traveling side by side.


    On both sides of the Official Road, every two steps there was a golden stone embedded in the surface of the road. According to Fat Long''s explanation, these golden stones were Array Stones.


    Whenever there was a surge of Spiritual Energy on the Official Road, the Array Stones would transmit the nearby scene to the City Lord Mansion of the closest city.


    These Array Stones also formed a Formation that covered the entire Da Xia Country. This too, was something from five hundred years ago. At that time, it was said that it was impossible to set up such a large and complex formation.


    Generally, a Formation is either round or square, used to protect some important industry, like a sect.


    But, the Official Road of Da Xia Country was like a spider web.


    To set up a Formation a hundred times more complex than a spider web was considered nearly impossible, until later a master of formations suddenly came up with an extremely perfect solution, and it was accomplished.


    These Array Stones not only served the purpose of surveillance, but they also ensured that the Official Road remained undamaged. Moreover, when under attack, they would raise a protective barrier that enveloped the entire section of the Official Road, capable of blocking all attacks below the Golden Core Stage.


    And the Array Stones buried under the surface of the Official Road would also activate quickly, causing the ''Wind Walking Skill'' to cover the entire surface of the Official Road. The speed of travel on it would be twenty times faster than normal, allowing one to quickly escape from danger.


    "It''s evident."


    Chen Qiu observed his surroundings. "The then Holy Emperor of Da Xia truly put a lot of effort into the Official Road five hundred years ago, really wanting to win over talents from all over."


    "However¡ª"


    He slightly furrowed his brows, pointing to the part of the Official Road ahead that veered nearly sixty degrees to the right in confusion, "Why does the Official Road ahead turn around such a huge distance, about thirty zhang?"


    The Official Road ahead inexplicably veered off to the right and then, after a distance of about thirty zhang, it looped back and continued straight ahead.


    There were no mountains, no villages, no lakes around.


    """


    What is the point of making such a detour for no reason?


    "I don''t know."


    Fat Long shook his head: "Perhaps there''s a spirit stone mine hidden under the original path, or maybe there was a village here that has since been relocated. I don''t know such detailed information; my understanding of this world comes from rumors in the marketplace."


    ...


    "We''ve arrived."


    "That''s the inn right ahead. The inn, like the Da Xia Official Road, is absolutely safe, and stopping for a warm meal won''t be a problem."


    Fat Long let out a long sigh of relief, his eyes brimming with anticipation as he looked at the nearby inn. Just past the inn was the market. As long as he could sell all of his treasures this time, he''d truly strike it rich!


    Chen Qiu touched the storage bag concealed under his clothes and sized up the inn before him, which had a decently large footprint.


    It was a wooden two-story building with a yard and a stable in the back.


    The first floor for dining, the second floor for lodging; this was the standard layout for most inns. At a glance, it looked like there were more than twenty rooms available for travelers to stay in¡ªnot too small.


    ...


    Fat Long walked into the inn with a face full of expectation. At this early hour, there were only two other tables occupied as not many people were about.


    Autumn was deepening. Even though the sun was quite good today, the autumn wind carried a chill.


    "Shopkeeper!"


    "One serving of pressed duck, two bowls of mutton offal soup, three liang of beef, and two dry pancakes!"


    After Fat Long confidently ordered, he turned to Chen Qiu with a grin and said, "This inn is semi-official. It''s funded by civilians and endorsed by the government. Only decrees or appointments travel on the Da Xia Official Road, all secret orders don''t take this route. Da Xia has its own methods."


    "On ordinary days, it mainly serves for the food and lodging of travelers along the way."


    Chen Qiu didn''t speak but instead turned his head to look at the inn''s doorway. The shopkeeper''s cat was lying on a small wooden stool, basking in the sun. He was contemplating the road ahead; certainly, he wouldn''t return to chopping wood.


    Since he had encountered an "Initial Seven-colored Entry,"


    it meant that even the heavens wanted him to embark on the Cultivation Path.


    According to Fat Long, no matter which forces or sects one joins, or even becoming a private guard for a prominent family, one has to undergo "Spirit Communication Detection." It is a method that requires full cooperation from the subject and can reveal all the "entries" they possess.


    And his entry must not be exposed.


    The path of joining a sect is now closed to him.


    As for being a Loose Cultivator... that''s even harder, akin to a hellish start. Apart from anything else, Loose Cultivators don''t receive the monthly Heavenly Dao Blessings from the "Da Xia Sect Ranking."


    After some thought, there seems to be only one path left¡ªestablishing his own sect.


    But with their current level of Cultivation...


    "..."


    After a long silence, Chen Qiu suddenly turned to look at Fat Long, the plump man voraciously devouring his food in a blur of motion. After another long moment of contemplation, he finally spoke.


    "What are the conditions to establish a sect that is recognized by the Heavenly Dao?"


    He planned to establish a proper sect, recognized by the Heavenly Dao, one that can enter the "Da Xia Sect Ranking" and participate in the battle for Sect Qi Fortune¡ªnot the kind of sect only known to oneself like Fat Long''s.


    Although he was far from being powerful enough to found a sect, that wasn''t important. Just having the status of a nominal Sect Master was enough.


    When he broke through the first layer of the Qi Refinement Realm, he found that by focusing internally, he could see many leaderboards enveloped in clouds and mist.


    One that stood out among them was¡ª


    "Da Xia Sect Ranking."

 Chapter 11 Three breaths to ascend the mountain, one tael of silver per time.

    "Recognized by the Heavenly Dao?"Fat Long shrugged his shoulders and said helplessly, "Then the conditions are quite high, for starters the person who establishes the sect must be at the initial stage of the Golden Core, and that is a strict requirement."


    "I''ve looked into it, and it can be solved by crossing a bridge, finding someone in the Golden Core Stage to help you establish the sect, and then resigning to pass the position of Sect Master to you."


    "A second-generation sect has no cultivation restrictions, and this would cost about 100 Spirit Stones."


    "Besides that, you must possess a mountain peak as the base of the sect, and also need at least five disciples to establish the sect with you, among other things; it''s extremely complicated, and the total cost would be at least 200 Spirit Stones."


    Chen Qiu nodded without asking further, 200 Spirit Stones were quite a lot. Establishing a sect had to be delayed a bit, as they currently did not meet the conditions.


    He then introspected, gazing at the panel inside his body that was enshrouded by clouds and mist.


    -


    "Name": Chen Qiu.


    "Cultivation": Qi Refinement Realm Layer 3 (1%).


    "Entry": ''Step by Step'', ''Foundation Establishment Delayed'', ''Resentful Spirit Summoning''.


    "Mental Method": ''Withered Wood Blossoms''.


    "Cultivation Technique": ''Earth Tunneling Technique'', ''Blinding Technique''.


    "Spirit Beast": None.


    "Power": None.


    "Country": Da Xia Country.


    -


    So far, his three entries were somewhat standalone, lacking interconnectedness. As a group of entries, they clearly weren''t the best combination, but fortunately, he still had many opportunities to acquire more entries.


    As long as he lived long enough.


    Earth Tunneling Technique and Blinding Technique were also techniques he obtained from the Heavenly Dao Secret, instantly reaching the Great Achievement Realm, proving immensely useful.


    It was by relying on these two techniques that he managed to escape with Fat Long so smoothly.


    According to what he learned from Fat Long, killing demon beasts could enhance cultivation, but it wasn''t a long-term strategy, or rather, it was just an initial trick.


    At low cultivation levels, killing demon beasts could indeed rapidly enhance cultivation.


    Typically, on the coming of age day, large clan families would prepare heavily injured demon beasts, allowing one to reach Great Perfection in the Qi Refinement Realm within a day.


    Does this count as cheating?


    Of course, it does.


    It''s just a bit irritating.


    But thereafter, like during the Foundation Establishment Stage or Golden Core Stage, it becomes very difficult to enhance cultivation by killing demon beasts, as such creatures generally possess Spiritual Wisdom and support each other; it''s hard to find a solitary demon beast at the same cultivation level.


    And the most popular method for enhancing cultivation is¡ª


    ''Swallowing and Exhaling Spiritual Energy''.


    By cycling the mental method, each complete circulation within the body draws external Spiritual Energy inside, and each cycle of the mental method increases the Cultivation Progress fractionally, with the absorption rate depending on the grade of the mental method and the richness of the external Spiritual Energy.


    His method, ''Withered Wood Blossoms'', being the only Mid-grade Yellow Level mental method in this small world, was considered quite good.


    As it is a ''Heavenly Dao Heart Method'' produced by the small world, achieving total mastery meant reaching the ''Great Achievement'' realm instantly.


    While on the road, he sat cross-legged and tried cycling his mental method to Swallow and Exhale Spiritual Energy, assessing that with his method''s level, in an environment with normal levels of Spiritual Energy richness, it would roughly take three days to break through to the fourth layer of the Qi Refinement Realm.


    It''s not slow.


    Much faster than he anticipated.


    It seemed like cultivating wasn''t all that difficult.


    ...


    As if seeing through Chen Qiu''s thoughts, Fat Long, sitting opposite him, sighed helplessly, "Brother Chen Qiu, it seems you have a bit of a misconception about the path of cultivation. A normal person in the third level of the Qi Refinement Realm would not have the chance to come across a mental method."


    "Not to mention a mental method from the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm. Once mastered, it directly advances one to the Great Achievement Realm."


    "Both of these opportunities are quite rare, and having them naturally makes the cultivation progress much faster."


    "But in reality, the path of cultivation is very difficult."


    The two of them kept some items they could use and planned to sell the rest at the market.


    He didn''t choose the mental method but took a knife-type Spiritual Treasure instead.


    He had previously found a mental method by chance, though it was just a low-grade Yellow Level, and he had only reached the Small Achievement Realm. It definitely wasn''t as good as the "Heavenly Dao Heart Method," which could directly break through to the Great Achievement Realm upon mastery.


    But... every cultivator has only three chances in their life to change mental methods without any cost.


    After that, changing mental methods requires paying a certain price.


    The first mental method he practiced used up such an opportunity. The remaining two chances were extremely precious, and he didn''t plan to exchange them for another mental method of the same level. If he were to change, it should be for an upper-grade Yellow Level mental method, right?


    ...


    Nothing unexpected happened at the station; after eating and drinking their fill, they scattered a handful of coins on the table and continued on their way.


    They rented a horse at the station and set off again, both riding.


    Chen Qiu didn''t know how to ride a horse; he had never learned and only had the option of sitting behind Fat Long. Although he felt somewhat uncomfortable inside, he had to embrace Fat Long''s waist for safety and look at the scenery whizzing by his ears.


    When the sun was already halfway up the sky.


    "Hmm~"


    Fat Long turned around, jumped off the horse, handed the reins to a young station attendant, and then hands on hips, he looked towards the high mountain next to this station, his face full of emotion as he smacked his lips and said, "Here we are, Brother Chen Qiu. This is the market I told you about."


    "Built on top of the mountain peak."


    "If you can perform Sword Flight, you can just fly straight up, or you can climb up along the mountain path. If you can''t do either and don''t want to climb, you can take the quick path next to it."


    To one side of the official road, there was a winding path around the mountain, which was the path taken by the poor to ascend the mountain. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Besides that, there was a short, middle-aged man with a full beard and exceptionally bushy body hair, holding a sign standing there.


    "Quick path, reach the top in three breaths, one Silver per trip."


    "Three breaths to reach the top?"


    Chen Qiu looked at the sign skeptically, then raised his head to look towards the mountain peak piercing the clouds not far away. The peak was thousands of feet above the ground, definitely considered a top-notch tall mountain.


    To reach the top in three breaths? Even with Sword Flight, that seemed impossible.


    "Hey."


    Fat Long just wrinkled his brows and gave a sly grin, "Brother Chen Qiu, just try it and you''ll know. All I can say is it''s absolutely unique."


    Without saying anything more, Chen Qiu took out two Silvers; that wasn''t a lot to him. He had collected plenty of small coins and scattered Silvers in the small world, so he wasn''t short on petty cash. He casually threw two Silvers into the hands of the bearded man.


    Before he could say anything,


    he saw the bearded man''s right hand suddenly thrust out, grabbing his shoulder tightly. Immediately, an intense sensation of weightlessness came from below his feet, and the surrounding scenery turned into countless points of light. In less than a breath, everything returned to normal.


    When he opened his eyes again, he was already standing on the edge of a cliff on that tall mountain.


    A wooden platform was laid on the ground, next to which sat a young man cracking sunflower seeds and reading a comic book. There was also a sign on the ground with an arrow pointing out.


    "Wen Tian Market ¡ú"


    Before he could even comprehend the situation, he saw the bearded man by his side release his shoulder. However, after taking a deep breath, the man ran towards the edge of the cliff and plunged directly into the cliff.

 Chapter 12 Bloodline Entry Among Immediate Family Members

    Chen Qiu quickly stepped forward and looked towards where the bearded man had been just a moment ago. He was now in midair, falling through the clouds at the speed of a free fall into the abyss. With the height of this mountain, even a Cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Stage would undoubtedly be doomed.However¡ª


    About a dozen breaths later.


    The bearded man suddenly appeared out of nowhere beside him, still holding Fat Long. Without speaking to them, he took a running start and jumped into the cliff once again.


    "How about that?"


    Fat Long surveyed the surroundings and said excitedly, "Feels good, doesn''t it? This is also my first time; one or two silvers each time was too expensive for me before. I never felt like splurging."


    "That bearded guy and the man next to him eating sunflower seeds are brothers."


    "These two brothers awakened an extremely special ''Bloodline Entry'' right when they broke through the Qi Refinement Realm."


    "It''s an entry that can only awaken between direct blood relatives with an extremely low probability."


    "The entry effect allows their blood separated by water to be one and the same; as long as they are within a hundred kilometers of each other, one can instantly teleport to the other''s side, regardless of the environment."


    "I''m not sure exactly what level the entry is, but it''s definitely not low,"


    "And that bearded guy, after breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage, gained the rare blue entry, ''Never Fall to Death,'' which means no matter how high he falls from, he won''t get hurt."


    "Just like that, the two guys started a rapid transit business here in ''Seeking Immortality Gate Market,'' and it''s been over a year now. It has also become a wonderful story around the ''Seeking Immortality Gate Market.''"


    "..."


    Chen Qiu stood there expressionless, silently, somewhat at a loss for words.


    ''Bloodline Entry.''


    ''Instant Teleportation.''


    ''Never Fall to Death.''


    ''Absolute Rule.''


    With these immensely powerful entries, he could conceive countless ideas to maximize their benefits; wouldn''t anything be more lucrative than this rapid transit venture?


    One or two silvers each time.


    In a day, that probably wouldn''t amount to more than a few Spirit Stones, right?


    What''s the difference between that and using an Emperor''s golden hoe for gardening?


    At the very least... at the very least, couldn''t you set up some sort of long-distance rapid transit between two cities, and definitely earn more than this?


    He wasn''t sure whether you could only take one person at a time, but if any physical contact sufficed, or if control was enough for the transport, then taking seventeen or eighteen people at once shouldn''t be a problem.


    This is just considering its commercial value; if it''s strategic, then it''s like having a sneak-attack squad that can strike anywhere unexpectedly!


    Such a powerful ability... and you use it for mountain climbing rapid transit?


    Chen Qiu felt somewhat faint; such wasteful handling of resources made the corners of his mouth twitch involuntarily.


    Just then¡ª


    The young man sitting cross-legged on the ground next to him, absorbed in a comic book and idly cracking sunflower seeds, casually said, "The guy who brought you up is my brother. He''s a bit shy around strangers and doesn''t talk much."


    "You can find me if you need to go back down as well, same price."


    "How much are you earning per day now?"


    Chen Qiu stared at the young man and asked; he truly felt these two were squandering their potential, "No matter how much you make, work for me, and I''ll pay you three times as much each day."


    Although he didn''t have that many Spirit Stones right now, he believed that if he could employ these two, he would quickly earn a large amount of Spirit Stones.


    "Oh."


    The young man, upon hearing the words, lifted his eyelids and glanced at Chen Qiu, then couldn''t help but laugh. "Brother, you are quite interesting. Many have tried to recruit us, but you''re the first to offer such a modest price."


    "In your eyes, do my brother and I only worth six Spirit Stones a day?"


    "Or is it that your family can only afford to offer this much?"


    "Alright, alright."


    The young man waved his hand somewhat helplessly. "Looking at your clothes, it''s clear you''re not from a wealthy family, and you don''t have much backing. Those with even a slight amount of backing would have flown here themselves, not using our fast track."


    "Head over to the market through that way, and if fate allows, we''ll meet again and I''ll treat you to a drink."


    ...


    Chen Qiu, upon hearing this, didn''t say much more and simply turned around, taking Fat Long up a small path paved with stone steps. He had thought these two hadn''t realized how powerful he was, but now it seemed they were as clear about it as one could be through a mirror.


    He was merely using "Ask-the-Sky Market" to spread his fame.


    Then seeking a master he could reliably serve.


    Indeed.


    He felt slightly envious of these two brothers. Other powers sending out recruiters would likely be even more numerous. With time, they would probably manage to join a very decent power.


    This was indeed a good strategy, evidently better than proactively seeking a master to serve¡ªas being actively recruited meant holding a much higher status and confidence within the power.


    But these two brothers... clearly hadn''t realized the danger involved.


    Others shouldn''t have what one can''t have themselves¡ªa thought not uncommon among many.


    Regardless of the power they join, they would easily become targets of assassination by other powers afterward. Fame was a double-edged sword, it had its benefits and its drawbacks.


    ...


    Not long after following the stone path, they saw a city. Its walls were even taller than those of Fufeng City and felt much thicker, shocking in appearance. But Chen Qiu didn''t understand why¡ªa city already perched atop the summit, building such expensive walls seemed like an investment against no one.


    It somewhat felt like spending money just for appearances.


    Fat Long, having been there once or twice, now took the lead like a tour guide and began explaining, "Once you enter those city gates, you are considered to be inside the market, access to which is free, they don''t charge a fee."


    "Inside, it''s divided into 18 small districts and one central area."


    "This gate we''re entering from is ''Seeking Immortality Gate,'' the main gate on the western wall of Ask-the-Sky Market."


    "This market is nearly as large as Fufeng City, obviously it''s more than just a trading platform. If you have embarked on the path of Cultivation, almost any demand can be met here."


    "The first area you come across after entering this gate is Zone 4, also known as ''Life-Buying Zone.''


    "Previously, this place was merely a platform for posting and taking assassination missions, which eventually evolved into countless forms of cooperative trading, though the area is still called ''Life-Buying Zone.''"


    Chen Qiu nodded to show his understanding and stepped through the city gate, then glanced at the broad main street paved with blue bricks, which was wide enough for eight carriages to pass side by side.


    The shops on both sides of the main road were festively adorned and bustling.


    It all seemed quite positive energy; it was hard to associate it with the posting of assassination missions.


    Along the sides of the road, numerous cultivators were sitting cross-legged, many with a sign placed in front of them.


    He looked at the bald man closest to him¡ªtopless, hugging a saber with closed eyes, sitting cross-legged on the side of the main road, wearing ragged hemp pants tied at the legs, his exposed body covered with scars from healed wounds.


    His head was thick with muscles, his face full of pockmarks. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He looked fierce, as if he wasn''t credited with killing a hundred or so people, it would be a disservice to the fearsome image his parents had given him.


    But the sign in front of this bald man made Chen Qiu ponder for a moment before his brows slightly furrowed, and then he suddenly smiled.


    "Quite good."

 Chapter 13

    "Two spirit stones, selling life for one month.""Assume all risk for life and death, with no complaints or regrets."


    Fat Long stepped forward and whispered an explanation: "There are many people selling their lives in this area. Generally, they are in some kind of trouble, in urgent need of money, and with no other options, they can only come here to sell their lives."


    "But it''s hard to distinguish the real from the fake. There are quite a few people who run away with the spirit stones or who just phone it in."


    Two spirit stones are not a small sum.


    For a normal mortal family of three, the total annual income is only about 60 silver, less than one spirit stone. Two spirit stones are enough for a mortal family to struggle for three years.


    But in the Cultivation World, two spirit stones aren''t so out of reach. This man''s cultivation is at the Qi Refinement Realm''s sixth level, and that''s about what he''s worth."


    Chen Qiu took his gaze away from the man in front of him and continued walking straight along the main road.


    Every time they passed through a new area, or came across something novel, Fat Long was able to explain it to him like a tour guide, and he also realized that although Fat Long might be a bit cowardly, his ability to gather information was not to be underestimated.


    In less than five months since arriving in this world, he had almost fully understood it.


    And soon, they sold all their treasures and some unnecessary storage bags in Zone 7 ''Trader Area''. The prices were all transparent, and these Cultivation Techniques and mental methods from the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm had no trouble selling, without any trickery in price.


    He kept one Spiritual Treasure for himself and gave one to Fat Long.


    He kept for himself two Yellow Level lower-grade Cultivation Techniques and one Yellow Level mid-grade mental method, leaving two Yellow Level lower-grade Cultivation Techniques for Fat Long. The rest of the items, along with some assorted things scavenged from Huang Shikai,


    and the spirit stones in Huang Shikai''s storage bag,


    amounted to a total of 50 spirit stones this time.


    Following the previously agreed upon 70-30 split, Chen Qiu kept 35 spirit stones for himself and stuffed the remaining 15 into a storage bag, handing it over to Fat Long, just as they were preparing to leave the shop,


    "Please wait, the two of you."


    The shopkeeper, smiling all over his face, blocked their way out: "Just a friendly reminder, a big incident happened today in Fufeng City. It is said that last night a Heaven Slaying type of Heavenly Dao Secret Realm appeared."


    "100 people went in, and in the end, only 2 came out alive."


    "One''s identity is unknown, and the other is said to be just a refugee, who normally lives by chopping wood in the mountain. When the Secret Realm closed, there were quite a few people outside, but these two managed to escape from the chaos using some method."


    "Even Young Master of the Huang Family died inside."


    "I heard that the Huang Family is quite angry and has gathered family members to meet at ''Ask Heaven Marketplace'' waiting for the other side to fall into their net. After all, if you want to take out the loot from the Secret Realm within a hundred miles, you definitely need to pass through Ask Heaven Marketplace."


    "When you entered this shop, there were already people watching you. Fighting is not allowed within the marketplace, but outside the city gates of the marketplace, it''s burial ground chaos."


    "It''s better to be careful."


    "..."


    Chen Qiu looked calmly at the shopkeeper with a smiling face in front of him. After a pause, he took a few pieces of silver from his sleeve and placed them on the table: "Thank you, Shopkeeper."


    "We''ll meet again if fate allows." S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Without lingering, he walked straight out of the shop, completely ignoring the few burly men with somber expressions who clearly had bad intentions, and continued walking along the main road.


    The Huang Family would seek revenge, and he understood that very well.


    If his own son had died, he would definitely seek revenge too.


    But Huang Shikai had wanted to kill him, and he couldn''t just sit and wait for death. Still, it was after all a troublesome matter. He''d have to find a way to send a family reunion on its way.


    ...


    "Hey!"


    Distracted, Fat Long looked toward Chen Qiu, who was walking briskly ahead, and couldn''t help but step forward to stop him with an urgent expression, "I say, Brother Chen Qiu, why do you seem so unconcerned?"


    "We''re being hunted by the Huang Family!"


    "What are you shocked about?"


    Chen Qiu glanced at Fat Long and said indifferently, "The sky rains, a mother marries off her daughter, a son is killed and revenge is sought; isn''t that the natural order of things? Why do you look so surprised?"


    "What I mean is that as soon as we leave Wentian Pang Market, we''ll be attacked by Huang Family members! They''re on guard this time, and it probably won''t be so easy to escape using the ''Earth Tunneling Technique'' and ''Blinding Magic'' again!!!"


    "Hmm."


    Chen Qiu nodded slightly, finally stopping in front of a shop in the Demon Beast Area, section 8, "I''m aware. I''ll rent a room in the inn opposite this shop later, and you go gather some information. Find out the extent of the Huang Family''s power and how strong the people they''ve sent after us this time are."


    "As long as we don''t leave the market, we''re temporarily safe. We''ll meet again in an hour."


    Although Fat Long was a bit uneasy, he felt that what Chen Qiu said made some sense, so he nodded in a fluster and hurriedly left the place.


    Watching Fat Long''s retreating figure.


    Chen Qiu didn''t speak again and simply walked straight into the shop in front of him, "Shopkeeper, how much for a mature demon beast at the Qi Refinement Realm?"


    ...


    Thirty minutes later.


    Chen Qiu had already appeared in a guest room of the inn across from that shop. The shopkeeper, with a beaming face, was bringing one after another the injured demon beasts in cages, collapsed on the ground, into the guest room.


    And the innkeeper was also busily attending to everything with a cheerful smile.


    Everyone seemed very amiable.


    As a rule, innkeepers don''t allow guests to engage in mass slaughter in their rooms¡ªafter all, this is an inn, not a slaughterhouse. But they couldn''t resist this guest, who had offered five times the regular price.


    After everyone else had left,


    Chen Qiu looked at the dozens of heavily injured demon beasts locked in cages, gasping for breath and continuously baring their fangs and hissing angrily at him, and slowly drew the long blade from his bosom. This was a Spiritual Treasure he had acquired from the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm.


    Yellow Level, low-grade.


    Named "Heaven Slaying."


    The name was quite domineering. Once his Cultivation broke through to the Foundation Establishment Stage and he could channel Spiritual Energy outside his body, he could pour Spiritual Energy into the Spiritual Treasure and unleash its full power. But at the Qi Refinement Realm, holding this weapon served only as a blade sharp enough to slice through iron like mud.


    But it was certainly much more useful than his wood-cutting knife.


    He had spent 32 Spirit Stones, almost all of his fortune, to buy this batch of mature demon beasts in front of him.


    Twenty-seven Red-eyed Wolves at the Qi Refinement Realm fourth and fifth levels.


    Four tailless monkeys at the Qi Refinement Realm sixth level.


    Three Armored Crocodiles at the Qi Refinement Realm seventh level.


    One Hedgehog Pig at the Qi Refinement Realm eighth level.


    32 Spirit Stones, a sum that most Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators didn''t possess. It was not a small amount; otherwise, the shopkeeper selling the demon beasts, a Cultivator at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, wouldn''t have greeted him, a minor Qi Refinement Realm individual, with such a welcoming smile.


    He even offered a free service: beating them until they were severely injured.


    Spirit Stones are meant to be spent, after all. Although using them all for Cultivating the mental method would certainly enhance Cultivation more, it would also take a long time. Compared to Spirit Stones, he was more short on time.

 Chapter 14 Pink Entry Heaven-reaching Giant.

    "Phew!"Chen Qiu took a deep breath, and then, holding a sharp blade, he passed it through the gaps in the steel cage, sending each of the gravely injured demon beasts off, aiming for a kill with a single strike.


    At the same time¡ª


    When he performed introspection, several panels wrapped in clouds and mist also continuously popped up inside his body.


    -


    "Cultivation significantly increased, officially entering the fourth level of the Qi Refinement Realm."


    "Please choose one of the three random entries below within ten breaths."


    All three random entries were fairly ordinary; in the end, he chose¡ª


    "Entry name": Person of Heaven''s Deficiency.


    "Entry level": White.


    "Entry effect": When you close your eyes, your other senses will be doubled in sharpness; if you were born blind, then other senses will be enhanced tenfold, if blinded later in life, physical senses will be enhanced fivefold.


    Humans have five senses.


    Hearing, smell, sight, taste, touch.


    With the loss of sight, the other four senses can be enhanced tenfold; if this entry were obtained by someone born blind, it would be equivalent to obtaining a Blue entry. In some respects, it could be considered a unique entry.


    Of course.


    If blinded later in life, you can also gain fivefold enhancement by gouging out your own eyes, but he only needed a twofold enhancement, albeit the effect was somewhat reduced, but after all, it had the least side effects.


    -


    The cleaver continued to be swung, and his cultivation also continued to rise.


    "Cultivation significantly increased, officially entering the fifth level of the Qi Refinement Realm."


    "Please choose one of the three random entries below within ten breaths."


    "Huh?"


    Chen Qiu looked at the three options on the panel wrapped in clouds and mist within his body, a hint of disbelief flashing through his eyes; it seemed like he had stumbled upon an exceptional entry!


    -


    1:


    "Entry name": Surrounded.


    "Entry level": White.


    "Entry effect": When your abdomen is attacked, your back is injured; when your back is attacked, your abdomen is injured.


    2:


    "Entry name": Seven-foot Man.


    "Entry level": White.


    "Entry effect": For every inch over seven feet in height, your body strength increases slightly.


    3:


    "Entry name": Unknown.


    "Entry level": Unknown.


    "Entry effect": This entry remains unknown until chosen; once confirmed, its true nature will be revealed, and this entry cannot be discarded by any means.


    -


    The talent of a Seven-foot Man was actually somewhat useful to him, suitable for Body Refining. In this world, seven feet was comparable to about 1.7 meters in his previous life, and one foot equaled ten inches; he wasn''t very tall, 1.78 meters, but he could still gain a considerable enhancement.


    But that was about it.


    The effect was very limited.


    He chose the third entry almost without any thought, regardless of what level or effect the third entry held; the words ''unique entry'' were enough to convince him of its strength!


    Soon.


    Another panel wrapped in clouds and mist emerged within his body.


    "Entry name": Dantian Expansion (Unique).


    "Entry level": Pink.


    "Entry effect": Every time you kill a demon beast, your Tao Foundation will expand by one millimeter, with no upper limit.


    "..."


    Looking at the effect of this entry, Chen Qiu couldn''t help but open his mouth slightly, the shock in his eyes difficult to conceal; wasn''t this entry effect a bit too powerful?


    The Dantian is the place where Spiritual Energy is stored; later on, Foundation Establishment involves constructing a platform on the Dantian, much like building a house.


    Typically, for cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Stage, the Tao Foundation built up is only about a hundred millimeters wide and a hundred millimeters high.


    An inch equals 100 millimeters.


    The width determines how much spiritual energy can be stored in your Dantian. The wider the Tao Foundation, the more spiritual energy it can store, meaning you have ample spiritual energy to continuously release Daoist Skills and various spells.


    The height of the Tao Foundation determines the concentration of the spiritual energy within your Dantian. The shorter the foundation, the more compressed the spiritual energy, resulting in a richer concentration, which in turn enhances the power unleashed by the spells.


    Many sect disciples and children of wealthy families


    often prepare numerous heavenly materials and earthly treasures by the time they reach the Great Perfection of the Qi Refinement Realm, to ensure building a perfect high platform, laying an impeccable foundation for their cultivation journey.


    The entry "Dantian Expansion" signifies that, as long as he kills 100 demon beasts, his future Tao Foundation''s width will be twice that of others.


    Killing 1000 demon beasts, the width of the Tao Foundation will be ten times that of others.


    If killing millions of demon beasts,


    then... his internal spiritual energy will be nearly infinite and never run out. As long as he was willing, he could even become a spell machine gun, unleashing thousands of fireballs with a mere wave of his hand while an enemy had only triggered one Fireball Technique.


    And the spiritual energy consumed would be less than one-thousandth of his Dantian''s capacity.


    Although the power is average, the sheer quantity makes up for it.


    ...


    "Awesome."


    Chen Qiu took a deep breath and gave the entry the fairest evaluation he could imagine. Unfortunately, it was an entry that would only take effect after reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage. Before establishing his foundation, the spiritual energy in his body was not sealed but flowed freely within.


    Only after establishing the foundation would the spiritual energy be completely sealed within the Dantian, allowing this entry to fully demonstrate its power.


    Afterwards, his eyes filled with vigor as he looked towards the remaining demon beasts.


    Following several swift cuts, the panel wrapped in clouds and mist appeared again above the Dantian within his body.


    -


    ''Cultivation surged, officially entering the sixth level of the Qi Refinement Realm.''


    ''Please choose one of the three random entries below within ten breaths.''


    1:


    ''Entry name'': Heaven-reaching Giant.


    ''Entry level'': Pink.


    ''Entry effect'': For every demon beast killed, increase height by one millimeter.


    2: sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''Entry name'': Audience.


    ''Entry level'': White.


    ''Entry effect'': When you are in a crowd, your presence significantly decreases.


    3:


    ''Entry name'': Spiritual Energy Intimidating.


    ''Entry level'': White.


    ''Entry effect'': Once your Tao Foundation''s width surpasses 100 millimeters, each additional millimeter increases the power of your spells slightly.


    ...


    "What a pity."


    Chen Qiu sat in a trance on the bed in his guest room, thinking that the most painful thing in the world is making a choice between two indistinguishable options. If there''s anything more painful, it''s having a fantastic opportunity right before your eyes and missing it.


    When he broke through to the fifth level of the Qi Refinement Realm, there was a white entry.


    ''Seven-foot Man''


    The taller the body, the stronger the physique¡ªa rather mundane white entry he hadn''t paid much attention to. But had he chosen that entry then, he could have chosen the pink entry ''Heaven-reaching Giant'' now.


    For every demon beast killed, the height would increase by one millimeter.


    He dared not contemplate it.


    The top-tier Body Refining entry set¡ªhe dared not picture himself after slaughtering a million Fierce Beasts, possibly standing tall like Kuafu, with his head touching the sky and his feet on the ground!


    Sadly... who could have predicted the random drawing of the pink entry ''Heaven-reaching Giant'' later on.


    After a long sigh,


    he still chose the third entry, ''Spiritual Energy Intimidating.'' He could gamble that he might draw the ''Spiritual Energy Intimidating'' entry again in the future, but it was too risky.


    Although the entry was only a white level, combined with ''Dantian Expansion,'' it could make him an extremely violent spell machine gun!


    Not only terrifying in casting frequency but also frighteningly powerful!


    Now, he had no doubt about making a name for himself in the Cultivation World in the future. The only concern was that these were all long-term entries. He needed to strive to survive first.


    At least... he needed to establish his foundation as quickly as possible!


    ...

 Chapter 15 Are You Fucking Cheating?

    After he had felled the remaining demon beasts with swift strikes of his blade, Chen Qiu''s Cultivation also just barely broke through to the seventh layer of the Qi Refinement Realm!Thirty-two Spirit Stones.


    For an ordinary mortal, it was a fortune they couldn''t earn in several lifetimes combined, yet Chen Qiu squandered it all in the span of a few breaths.


    This wealth was truly substantial, enough to drive countless people to risk their lives for it, but when it came to spending... it somehow didn''t seem to go very far.


    Just like that Secret Realm.


    Even many Cultivators at the third level of the Qi Refinement Realm entered, and when they set foot into this Secret Realm, they surely thought about the presence of existences at the sixth layer of the Qi Refinement Realm, and they probably considered the likelihood of encountering young masters from prominent families.


    They even contemplated the high chance of dying in this small world.


    But still, they resolutely stepped into the entrance of the small world.


    Perhaps they felt lucky enough, or perhaps the rare emergence of the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm in their vicinity made them feel that missing it would lead to regret; regardless of the reason, it didn''t matter anymore.


    These people all ended up dying in the Secret Realm.


    ...


    But all of this had nothing to do with Chen Qiu.


    At this moment, Chen Qiu was sitting cross-legged on the bed, his eyes tightly closed and hands spread flat in front of his chest. This breakthrough in realm was very different from the previous ones, as he could clearly feel a warm current continuously flowing along the meridians inside his body.


    Time passed, and he knew not how long it had been.


    When he opened his eyes again, he only felt a foul stench emanating from his body. Looking down, he saw a great deal of black sludge had been expelled from his body and was now adhering to the inside of his clothes; his brows slightly furrowed, he hurriedly got up and walked to the private bath in the adjacent guest room.


    He stripped off his clothes and carefully cleaned himself.


    After he had finished washing and stepped out of the bath, standing in front of the copper mirror in the guest room and looking at his reflection, a slight shock flickered in his eyes. There had been no change in his body, but for some reason, his bearing seemed a bit different.


    If he had to pinpoint one change, it would be that his spine was a bit straighter.


    At this time, he felt that with just the strength of his body alone, he should have no problem taking on two Cultivators at the sixth layer of the Qi Refinement Realm, which might be what Fat Long referred to as the dividing line at the sixth layer of the Qi Refinement Realm.


    Only by breaking through the sixth layer of the Qi Refinement Realm, could one''s physical strength be greatly enhanced.


    Gradually setting oneself completely apart from mortals.


    Just then¡ª


    He suddenly felt a stirring in his heart and practiced introspection. Sure enough, that extremely familiar panel shrouded in mist once again quietly appeared above his Dantian.


    "Cultivation has surged, officially entering the seventh layer of the Qi Refinement Realm."


    "Please choose from the three random entries below within ten breaths."


    1:


    "Entry name": Self-Destruction Term.


    "Entry level": White.


    "Entry effect": You may self-destruct any entry to unleash an attack with the full force of a Realm Cultivation one level higher than your current Cultivation.


    2:


    "Entry name": Unsettled Spirit.


    "Entry level": White.


    "Entry effect": When you are in a state of fear, your five senses will be slightly enhanced.


    3:


    "Entry name": Banding Together.


    "Entry level": Green.


    "Entry Effect": The extra organs that have emerged on your body will mutate and possess power that is unfathomable by gods and ghosts. The specific power depends on the number of extra organs. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    -


    Perhaps his luck had run out in the previous few promotions, as this time, the luck for advancement was fairly average with only two white entries and one green entry. According to Fat Long''s explanation, the random entries obtained when breaking through the Qi Refinement Realm were likely to be white entries, with a small chance for green entries or higher.


    This time was the normal scenario.


    It''s just that there had been too many abnormal times previously, and he had gotten somewhat used to that abnormality.


    Without much overthinking,


    he chose the first entry. Compared to the other two, only this "Self-Destruction Term" was slightly stronger for him. Even though he didn''t currently have any needless entries, he would gain an entry with every realm advancement.


    In the future, there will certainly be times when all three randomly obtained entries during a promotion are useless. In such cases, there won''t be a situation where they are completely without use.


    However...


    Could this "Self-Destruction Term" self-destruct the term itself?


    And, he had an entry previously that absolutely could not be removed. Could the "Self-Destruction Term" self-destruct that entry?


    Although he was curious, he wouldn''t conduct such an experiment just to satisfy his curiosity.


    "Huff!"


    Standing naked in front of a bronze mirror, Chen Qiu waved the long saber in his hand. After feeling the burst of power ready to be unleashed from his body, he felt somewhat safer, even harboring a desire to find someone to spar with.


    Only then did he look towards the four Storage Bags piled up next to his clothes, falling silent.


    He had acquired quite a few Storage Bags in the small world, most of which he had sold, leaving only four for himself.


    These Storage Bags contained many things, including dry food, Spirit Stones, and Silver Taels.


    The only thing missing was a change of clothes.


    Fortunately, his distress didn''t last long, as a knocking on the door and Fat Long''s slightly anxious voice soon came from outside the guest room, "Brother Chen Qiu, hurry and open the door, something big has happened!!!"


    ...


    Three breaths later.


    Fat Long pushed the door open, while Chen Qiu was standing in place, shielding his vital body parts with the blade and interrupted, "First go buy me a set of clothes. No matter how big the issue, I''m not in the mood to listen right now."


    "Eh..."


    Fat Long was momentarily stunned. He casually pulled out a clean set of clothes from his bosom and handed them to Chen Qiu, saying, "I have a clean set of clothes here that I change into usually. You can wear them for now, though they might be a bit large."


    "But that''s not a problem, in a while..."


    Before he could finish his sentence, he suddenly caught the strong smell of blood in the guest room. His eyes swept over to the cage almost filling half the room with demon beast carcasses and the pile of clothes on the bed oozing with black muck, and he slowly opened his mouth in disbelief, trembling with shock.


    "Brother Chen Qiu...you didn''t break through to the seventh level of the Qi Refinement Realm, did you?"


    "Ah?"


    "It can''t be? You really reached the seventh level of the Qi Refinement Realm?"


    "How is that possible!"


    Although Chen Qiu hadn''t replied yet, Fat Long was exceedingly familiar with the changes that accompanied breaking through to the seventh level of the Qi Refinement Realm, the most obvious of which was a transformation of the body, like shedding an old skin. While it wouldn''t extend one''s life, it would greatly enhance one''s physical constitution.


    It could be said that after breaking through to the seventh level of the Qi Refinement Realm, one was no longer an ordinary person!


    At this moment, Fat Long, standing in place, was filled with disbelief and resentment. How was that fair? He had been in this world for five months, doing all sorts of devious things¡ªeverything except risking his life. He had done everything that he could.


    Despite all his efforts, he had only cultivated to the sixth level of the Qi Refinement Realm.


    And yesterday, when he first met Chen Qiu, he wasn''t even at the first level of the Qi Refinement Realm. In the small world, he had advanced to the third level, and now after just stepping out to gather some information, he had reached the seventh level when he came back?


    You''re cheating, aren''t you?

 Chapter 16

    "Hmm."Chen Qiu nodded his head, took the opportunity while Fat Long was standing there, dazed, to change his clothes, using a cloth to tie tightly around his waist, making his outfit fit a bit better, and then casually said, "I''ve almost spent all of my Spirit Stones, only three left now."


    "If you spent all your Spirit Stones, you might have been able to break through to the eighth level of the Qi Refinement Realm."


    "What''s there to be surprised about?"


    "But that''s more than thirty Spirit Stones!" Fat Long couldn''t help but feel a twinge of pain as he said, "Brother Chen Qiu, didn''t you wage an internal struggle before spending them? You spent them so decisively? You should''ve hesitated for a while!"


    "Hesitate?"


    After tidying up his clothes, Chen Qiu walked to the red table, poured himself a cup of cold tea, and drank it in one gulp. Still not quite satisfied, he brought the spout of the teapot to his mouth, drank an entire teapot of cold tea, then contentedly wiped his mouth and set the teapot aside.


    "The Huang Family has sent people to block the city gates, so now is not the time to hesitate. Do you plan to let the Spirit Stones be your funeral objects?"


    "Let''s not talk about this for now, you just said something big has happened, what is it?"


    ...


    "Phew!"


    Speaking of the matter, Fat Long took a deep breath, sat next to the red table, dipped his finger in some tea from the teapot, and began to write on the table: "The Huang Family is quite a well-known power in Fufeng City."


    "Their family business is centered around the mining industry."


    "The Family Head is a Sixth Layer Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator, and this time the Huang Family''s Seventh Elder, who is an eighth level Qi Refinement Cultivation, led the team, along with six or seven thugs around the fifth or sixth level of the Qi Refinement Realm."


    "With grandeur, they have publicly declared that they will kill us to avenge Young Master Huang."


    "However, the insider news I''ve obtained states that this Seventh Elder at the eighth level of the Qi Refinement Realm does not plan to take immediate action against us. The Huang Family''s main goal this time is to eliminate these six or seven thugs with our help."


    "These thugs joined the Huang Family years ago but spent all their stipends on providing for their families, stubbornly refusing to invest a penny in their cultivation. Over the years, they haven''t made any progress in strength at all, have aged gradually, and their physical condition has deteriorated significantly, with their fighting power greatly diminished compared to their younger days."


    "This means that while they are paid the stipend that a sixth level Qi Refinement Cultivator should get, they cannot give the Huang Family the power that a sixth level Qi Refinement Cultivator should have."


    "But it''s not easy to just expel them, after all, these people have dedicated nearly half a lifetime to the Huang Family. If they were all expelled, it would cool the hearts of many underneath. Hence, the Huang Family plans to take this opportunity to let this group of people all die at our hands, and then for the Seventh Elder to take our heads back."


    "The Huang Family does not have any pension funds."


    After taking another deep breath, Fat Long continued, "At the same time, I have uncovered a shocking secret; the Huang Family actually didn''t want to seek revenge at all because they are at a crucial moment!"


    "One of the mines in the Huang Family''s mining areas is about to reveal a great opportunity!"


    "It is said to be a random ''Heavenly Dao entry.''"


    "And the main reason the Huang Family had to come for revenge is, if the Huang Family did nothing, it would easily arouse suspicion, so they had no choice but to make a trip to the Ask the Heavens Market, and they brought the weakest bunch of their thugs to achieve two objectives with one action!"


    "Other than that, there is another purpose for the Huang Family sending people here. The ''Ask the Heavens Market'' is the largest marketplace within a hundred miles and the most powerful force near Fufeng City. By pretending to seek revenge, they hired quite a few people to watch the city gates, to probe whether ''Ask the Heavens Market'' was aware of this news."


    "After all, the leader of ''Ask the Heavens Market'' is at the Golden Core Stage, and if they wanted this ''Heavenly Dao entry,'' then the Huang Family would certainly have no choice but to hand it over."


    "But¡ª"


    Fat Long paused for a moment, a serious expression on his face, "Actually, there are already quite a few powers that have secretly received the news and have sent people to Fufeng City. Remember the troupe that entered the city last night from the Capital?"


    "It''s the one with a geisha who wouldn''t sell herself for three Spirit Stones from a big shot in the Capital."


    "This geisha belongs to the Flower Offering Sect."


    "That day, with a massive crowd gathered at the east gate of Fufeng City, the scene was extremely chaotic. Even the Huang Family did not realize that quite a few people slipped into Fufeng City under the radar. And last night''s sudden opening of the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm in the vicinity of Fufeng City was no coincidence, but rather influenced by the ''Heavenly Dao entry''!"


    "Brother Chen Qiu!"


    "Do you understand what I''m saying?"


    "Sooner or later, maybe even today, there will be a great battle in Fufeng City, and it seems we have been unwittingly drawn into it!" sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "..."


    Sitting in front of the red table, Chen Qiu went from being confused at first to silently emotionless after Fat Long finished speaking. After a brief pause, he softly asked, "Brother Fat Long, are you serious when you tell me this intelligence could be gathered from a tavern or a teahouse?"


    He knew Fat Long had a talent for gathering intelligence.


    But he had not realized that Fat Long''s ability to gather intelligence could rival that of the secret imperial police.


    "Of course not."


    Fat Long shook his head: "I used various methods, including going to the ''World Pavilion'' shop that specializes in selling intelligence, purchasing information, and then observing which powers'' people come to buy information from World Pavilion, and where these people went afterwards."


    "Additionally, I used rumors about Fufeng City and what has changed these days compared to the past, and various other methods, to synthesize this information."


    "The accuracy rate is eighty percent."


    "Did it cost Spirit Stones?" Chen Qiu nodded in understanding.


    "It did."


    "How much did it cost?"


    "All gone."


    "..."


    Chen Qiu fell silent again, his mouth twitched slightly: "Don''t you have fifteen Spirit Stones in your pocket? You just said why I spent them so readily; at least you should hesitate a bit. It seems you didn''t hesitate much either..."


    "Nonsense!"


    Fat Long''s face turned unpleasant: "The Huang Family is blocking the city gates, at this time if you hesitate, do you expect the Spirit Stones to accompany you in death?"


    "Pretty good."


    Chen Qiu nodded, then after a moment of contemplation, he softly said, "This is good news for us, it at least gives us a period of respite."


    What he needed most now was this respite; as long as he had time to cultivate to the Foundation Establishment Stage and learn a few spells, wiping out the Huang Family would be a matter of blinking an eye.


    But...


    It seemed that the heavens did not plan on obliging him.


    "Bang, bang, boom!"


    With two clear knocks followed by a loud crash, the door was kicked open.


    A tall woman dressed in a carmine long dress, holding a round fan and wearing a red veil, walked leisurely into the room with two strong men, just as Fat Long, who was about to stand up to open the door, froze on the spot.


    "You are the external elder of the Sky-bursting Gang, right?"


    The woman casually played with the round fan in her hand, looking at the frozen Fat Long with a hint of mirth in her eyes and letting out a silvery laugh: "Meeting again, you''ve become an elder, haven''t you? I wonder if your sect is still recruiting?"


    "Can I come?"


    "..."


    After a long silence, Fat Long finally turned his head to look at Chen Qiu: "This is the geisha from the Capital''s theater troupe that I just mentioned to you."


    "You know each other?"


    "Yeah, I called on her once."


    "Isn''t she a geisha?"


    "That''s a lie, to sell at a higher price."


    "The rumor spread through the Capital that a certain important person offered three Spirit Stones and she still wouldn''t sell herself was also an idea I once gave her."

 Chapter 17 Creating Ones Own Cultivation Technique, Nine Dragons Chasing the Sun.

    "He lied to you."The woman clad in carmine long dress waved her round fan gently, and two brawny men stepped out of the doorway, standing like door gods on both sides of the guest room door. Subsequently, a faint blue light screen appeared out of nowhere.


    Not too big or too small, it enclosed the entire guest room within it, leaving the two strong men isolated outside.


    It was clearly some sort of soundproofing array. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Since he''s talked to you about me, he must have also told you that I''m the ''Heavenly Girl'' who represents the Flower Offering Sect, right?"


    "The main cultivation technique of the Flower Offering Sect is the Dual Cultivation Technique, yes, it''s what you think it is."


    "Rampant pleasure, beauties like clouds, wine pools, and meat forests."


    "Every day''s cultivation consists of a mix of gyrations and banana munching."


    "He has a unique constitution. He was captured by the ''Flower Offering Sect'' and used as a tonic for three months, so he shouldn''t just know me, but be very familiar with me, after all... I favored him the most."


    "..."


    Chen Qiu looked expressionlessly towards Fat Long at his side, not speaking, just quietly sitting on the chair. He was judging the situation, which was a bit chaotic at the moment, so it was wise to remain silent for now.


    "Why are you looking at me?"


    Since his cover was already blown, Fat Long was somewhat annoyed and shouted loudly.


    "Brother Chen Qiu, please think about it seriously. Isn''t it reasonable for someone like me, with no significant background, who unfortunately landed on the ''Nine Ox Power'' entry, to be captured by such a dual cultivation sect to be used as a tonic?"


    "Think about it, is there a problem with this logic?"


    "What could I do?"


    "I thought about resisting, but the sect is full of experts. Who could I defeat? I didn''t want to die, so what could I do?"


    "It was with great difficulty that I escaped after three months, only to run into her here again!"


    "This woman was the ''Heavenly Girl'' of the ''Flower Offering Sect,'' not often in the sect. After learning that the sect had captured me, an ''exotic tonic,'' she specifically rushed back to torment me a dozen times, until finally, I came up with a strategy for her."


    "It helped her earn more Spirit Stones, which I used to negotiate my escape from the Flower Offering Sect."


    "Hmm."


    Chen Qiu nodded in understanding. It seemed normal to think about it; if he were in charge of the Flower Offering Sect, he would certainly capture Fat Long as a tonic as well, but...


    He furrowed his brows and pondered for a moment before looking gently at the woman before him and said, "Miss, although I''m not very familiar with Dual Cultivation Technique, I have heard a bit about it. I presume your level is much higher than that of my brother here, isn''t it?"


    "Is dual cultivation useful?"


    "It seems that you really don''t understand dual cultivation."


    The woman shook her head, laughing with a tinkling sound, covering her mouth with her fan, "Dual cultivation is not a cultivation technique, it''s a mental method. But you are right about one thing, if the cultivation levels are too disparate, it is indeed useless."


    "If it''s useless, then why..."


    "Even if it''s useless, it''s still pleasurable."


    "..."


    Chen Qiu once again fell silent, and after a long while, tapped the table lightly with his index finger, "Let''s not beat around the bush, since we''re all clear-eyed people here. What brings you to my brother today? Do you wish to take him back as a tonic again?"


    "Not at all."


    The young lady shook her head again and then became serious, the smile on her face receding as she said, "This fellow might not be very decent, but he has done me a favor. I am here to urge him to leave this place as quickly as possible. Although I don''t know why, after escaping from the ''Flower Offering Sect,'' he would come to Fufeng City, hundreds of miles away."


    "But one thing is very important."


    "Fufeng City will soon erupt in a bloody conflict among several factions, resulting in widespread slaughter, affecting countless ordinary people. The market square will not be safe either, it''s best to flee early."


    "I cannot reveal the specifics to you."


    "Consider this a word of warning."


    "Lastly¡ª"


    The young lady suddenly giggled again, her provocative and flirtatious demeanor shone as she covered her mouth with her fan and gazed at Fat Long, her eyes bright with reluctance, she said softly, "If we meet again next time, I would still like to try that ''Nine Dragons Chasing the Sun'' move you came up with."


    "It''s very unique; I''ve never seen anything like it in my life."


    "You must survive, okay?"


    As the words fell,


    the light screen dissipated.


    The girl turned and walked out of the guest room, and the brawny men standing at the doorway quickly followed suit, while the guest room''s shopkeeper had already been at the door with a nod and a beaming smile, evidently having received a handsome compensation.


    ...


    After the sudden intrusion by the woman, the previously harmonious atmosphere in the room gradually turned eerie.


    "..."


    After a long silence, Chen Qiu was the first to speak and break the tension, "So the reason you were so frail when we met yesterday was because you were tortured by the Flower Offering Sect for three months? It wasn''t because cultivators at the sixth level of the Qi Refinement Realm are naturally that frail?"


    "Mhm...!"


    Fat Long nodded with a mix of sadness and anger.


    "Huh, no wonder."


    Chen Qiu nodded in understanding. Fat Long had originally told him that all cultivators at the sixth level of the Qi Refinement Realm were that frail, and only by breaking through to the seventh level would their physical condition significantly improve.


    But neither the cultivators he had met in the Secret Realm last night at the sixth level, nor himself when he had just broken through to the sixth level, felt as weak as Fat Long did.


    He had been somewhat puzzled, but now it made sense.


    "May I venture to ask again, what is the Nine Dragons Chasing the Sun technique?"


    "Hey, you''re being even more presumptuous than last time!"


    Fat Long said somewhat indignantly, "Stop asking, that experience is my shame!"


    "When I was captured by the Flower Offering Sect, how many people did I ask for help along the way? Did even one person help me?"


    "There are thousands of tonic cultivators in the Flower Offering Sect, and every so often they weed out those who have been drained. What could I do to avoid being drained and eliminated? I had to rack my brains to develop a series of techniques, so that when those witches indulged in them with me, they would become addicted!"


    "Thus thinking of indulging once more, and because they couldn''t bear to, they would control the intensity of the technique and not drain me."


    "Let me tell you, Chen Qiu!"


    "I will never forget these memories in my lifetime. The day I gain power, everyone from the Flower Offering Sect who humiliated me will not escape. I''ll have them flayed and sliced a thousand times!!!"


    "Why do you think I changed my name to Fat Long?"


    "Every moment, I remind myself that every disgrace I face is a necessary part of the journey to success!"


    "A person who is determined to reach the peak will never feel ashamed of yesterday''s kneeling!"


    "This name is to tell the world, to remind myself."


    "I, Fat Long, am a fucking dragon lying in wait!"


    "One day¡ª"


    "I will disperse these clouds, like a dragon emerging from the sea, and let the world see what a hero is!"


    At this moment, Fat Long''s neck veins bulged, his face flushed with anger, and his tone was forceful, filled with intense fury and defiance.


    In that instant, Chen Qiu was slightly stunned; it seemed like he saw in Fat Long the image of someone who, for the sake of their aspirations, silently endured and bore the brunt of setbacks and hardships. Fat Long didn''t seem as afraid of death as he had imagined.


    Instead, he was unwilling to die a worthless death.


    Murmuring as if in a trance, "If that''s the case, why call yourself Fat Long, instead of something like Flood Dragon or Heroic Dragon?"


    "Those names sound too arrogant..."


    Fat Long suddenly softened his tone again, muttering under his breath, "I''m afraid that someone might get annoyed by such a name and casually kill me."


    "I''m a bit afraid of dying."


    "Aren''t you?"

 Chapter 18

    "..."Chen Qiu suddenly fell silent again, standing motionless. The two sentences felt eerily familiar, as if he had heard the exact same ones last night. After organizing his thoughts, he shook his head and said, "Since you knew she was entering the city last night, why were you at the east gate of Fufeng City last night recruiting disciples under the banner of the ''Sky-bursting Gang''?"


    "How would I know it was her?"


    Fat Long scratched his head irritably, "I just received news early that a troupe from the Capital was heading to Fufeng City. The locals here don''t have much entertainment, and bustling events are a must-see."


    "I arrived in Fufeng City yesterday morning, planning to recruit disciples while many people were gathered at the city gate, guaranteeing a great harvest."


    "Only in the morning did I find out that it was actually her."


    "At that moment, I thought of running, but I couldn''t bear to miss this opportunity. Thinking I was already there and amidst so many people, she shouldn''t possibly notice me. But just as she entered the city, she looked in my direction. My heart skipped a beat, and all I could do was turn around and hastily find someone to run towards, showing her a back view."


    "That person was you."


    "Originally, I just thought of striking up a casual conversation with you, just waiting for her to enter the city and not see my face. But unexpectedly, within a few exchanges, I found out that you too had traveled across time, and you know what happened afterward."


    Chen Qiu''s mouth twitched slightly as he raised his hand wanting to pour himself a cup of tea, only to find that the teapot was somehow empty. He stopped his action and touched his nose.


    Now it seems,


    this girl also counts as somewhat of a benefactor to him.


    If it were not for this girl, Fat Long would not have stopped him, he wouldn''t have known about such a thing as an entry, nor would he have entered the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm, nor would he have had the opportunities that followed.


    Not quite right.


    If looking further back, this girl came because of the Huang Family''s ''Heavenly Dao Entry'' manifesting in this world. If it weren''t for the Huang Family, both this girl and Fat Long would not have come to Fufeng City, meaning the Huang Family also counts as somewhat of a benefactor to him.


    And... it seems the Young Master of the Huang Family has already died by his hand.


    Would killing a benefactor bring heavenly retribution?


    He shook his head and thought no more of this, but brought the conversation to the crucial point, "What exactly is that so-called ''Heavenly Dao Entry''?"


    "It''s a special type of entry,"


    Fat Long''s expression turned serious, and he spoke solemnly, "As I mentioned before, aside from white and green entries which signify levels, there are many special entries, such as ''Grey Entry,'' ''Bloodline Entry,'' and... ''Heavenly Dao Entry.''"


    "''Heavenly Dao Entries'' happen randomly, some are very strong and some are weak, but they all share one commonality, that is, ''Heavenly Dao Entries'' can be inherited."


    "They can be directly passed on to your direct descendants."


    "That alone is enough. Once a Heavenly Dao Entry appears, countless forces will come scrambling, as long as they seize it and ensure their family can continue its lineage, then with the passage of time, the family''s heritage will grow stronger and stronger."


    "Da Xia Country has not seen a change of dynasty for nearly a thousand years. A long time ago, the current Royal Family of Da Xia was just a little Xia family."


    "Why has it prospered for so long?"


    "Naturally, there are many reasons, but one of them is that the ancestors of Da Xia obtained a total of eleven ''Heavenly Dao Entries.'' All direct descendants of the Xia family are born possessing these eleven entries."


    "Now, on the ''Heavenly Pride Leaderboard'' of Da Xia, out of the top hundred, thirty-seven are from the Xia family."


    "Truly a strict selection by the Xia family."


    "Oh?"


    Chen Qiu''s eyes narrowed slightly at this. Upon hearing Fat Long, he knew many people would die this time; the effect of the Heavenly Dao Entry was somewhat perverse, "Since so many powers are already aware of this Heavenly Dao Entry, can the Royal Family of Da Xia not know? Wouldn''t they send someone?"


    "They won''t."


    Fat Long shook his head, "The Heavenly Dao Entry is both inheritance and a curse. No matter what entry is randomly obtained, it will definitely be passed on to your descendants, and some entries have rather severe negative effects."


    "Adding one more Heavenly Dao Entry to the Royal Family of Da Xia won''t make their descendants'' foundations much stronger, given they already have eleven."


    "But if a Heavenly Dao Entry with strong negative effects is randomly obtained, then it''s purely a loss."


    "There''s little to gain but so much to lose; no one would sit at such a gambling table."


    "Some major families either have already won the gamble by possessing several Heavenly Dao Entries, no longer needing to gamble, or are currently doing well enough not to gamble; hence their interest in this isn''t great."


    "But for a small family like the Huang Family, it presents a fatal attraction."


    "And the Royal Family wouldn''t do something like sending people to snatch the Heavenly Dao entry and then exchange it for Spirit Stones, that would be too beneath them, you see. If Da Xia were to do that, do you think these sects would still stay within Da Xia''s borders? The world is vast, there''s always a place for lords."


    "Sects and countries have a mutual relationship, not a hierarchical one."


    "How much is a Heavenly Dao entry worth in Spirit Stones?"


    "This thing is basically not sold on the market, and doesn''t have a fixed market price, but it should be at least 1,000 Spirit Stones I guess. Of course, that price is my estimate; I''m not clear on the specific amount, but it should only be higher, not lower, given it''s a Heavenly Dao entry."


    "Hmm."


    Chen Qiu nodded his head, as he had already understood the situation: "What is the cultivation level of that girl?"


    "Foundation Establishment Stage Level One."


    "It doesn''t sound very high."


    "Enough to kill the two of us for sure."


    "You''re too afraid of death."


    "Nonsense, aren''t you afraid?"


    "Let''s go." Chen Qiu didn''t speak further but rather stood up and walked straight towards the outside of the guest room. After reaching the first floor, he casually took two Spirit Stones from the Shopkeeper''s hand, then proceeded to walk out the city gate along the main road.


    This had been arranged with the Shopkeeper beforehand.


    The demon beast corpses in the guest room, whether fur or flesh, were valuable goods that could fetch around five to six Spirit Stones.


    He didn''t have time to deal with them, so he sold them to the Shopkeeper for two Spirit Stones.


    The Shopkeeper earned Spirit Stones, and he saved time.


    ...


    "Are you really going to Fufeng City to wade into these troubled waters?"


    "Have you gone mad?"


    "Even though you''re in the Qi Refinement Realm Level Seven now, but there are many from the Foundation Establishment Stage going there; it''s just not enough, isn''t this just courting death?"


    On the main road of Area 4 in Qiantian Market, Fat Long, who was hurriedly following behind Chen Qiu, incessantly urged, "Brother Chen Qiu, don''t think that just one realm higher in Foundation Establishment than Qi Refinement is small, but in fact, it''s a world of difference!" sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Going like this, it really isn''t any different from sending ourselves to death!"


    Chen Qiu, with a calm face, led at the front and softly said, "You see the nature of this world as well. If you can''t boost your strength at all costs, what would you do if you end up captured by the Flower Offering Sect for use as nourishment like you?"


    "With such an opportunity right before us, how could we possibly miss it?"


    "Absolutely not, your body isn''t robust nor do you have the might of nine oxen, and your cultivation level isn''t high; they wouldn''t choose you for nourishment!"


    "Just yesterday you told me if I don''t become stronger, someone like you could easily kill me."


    "But now I can''t beat you anymore!"


    "Still no good."


    Chen Qiu walked to the city gate of Qiantian Market, stopped in place, and looked toward a few men outside the gate who seemed somewhat astonished when they saw him, softly saying, "If these 1,000 Spirit Stones come into hand, I can take you to the Flower Offering Sect tomorrow and kill those who have humiliated you."


    "Fortune favors the bold, sometimes we have to take the risk."


    "But life is also lost in risks, we shouldn''t gamble if we don''t have to."


    "Don''t worry."


    Chen Qiu patted Fat Long on the shoulder, paused for a moment and then chuckled softly: "Mists don''t scatter on their own; they must be cleared away by hand, and if you want the dragon to leap to the sea and ascend to the heavens to claim its rightful place, you must take the plunge."


    "I have a way, and I will win."

 Chapter 19 If you can fight, fight; if you cant, die.

    Perhaps it was Chen Qiu''s confidence that had infected him, or maybe it was because he remembered his own bold words just now he didn''t want to appear timid; in any case, after his expression changed several times between clear and cloudy, Fat Long still struggled to nod his head."Alright, let''s make a bet!"


    In his life, he rarely went all-in. His entrepreneurial peers who had fallen in his previous life taught him a lesson: how much profit a project made was not the deciding factor in whether a company lasted long enough.


    The real deciding factor was, if the company lost on this project, how much would it lose.


    He never thought about making his company bigger; he just wanted to make it last a bit longer.


    Compared to the profit target, he spent more of his life considering the stop-loss point.


    Survive long enough, and you might just witness a miracle.


    Whether in his previous life or here.


    ...


    "Mm."


    Chen Qiu nodded and smiled, then walked straight toward the city gate. The several men outside the city gate looking at him with astonishment were the ones sent by the Huang Family. At this moment, as soon as they saw him stepping through the city gate,


    they tore off their black robes and pulled out long swords from their bosoms, surrounding Chen Qiu and Fat Long. Their eyes, like those of hungry wolves, were fixed on them, cutting off their escape route back to Ask the Sky Market.


    These hired thugs seemed rather old, some even had age spots on the backs of their hands, but their aura was not weak in the slightest.


    "The Huang Family is handling affairs!"


    "Bystanders, step aside!"


    "Please, grant us some convenience!"


    An old man wearing a standard Huang Family robe, hands behind his back, walked out from the crowd with a sullen face. Standing in front of Chen Qiu and the others, he paused for a long time before speaking in a smile that wasn''t quite a smile, "You killed our Young Master Huang and still strut around so openly, not even wearing a cloak."


    "Impressive."


    "You really think the Huang Family has no temper?"


    Very soon¡ª


    three or four more Huang Family thugs arrived, tearing off their black robes and holding long swords they joined the encirclement, staring straight at Chen Qiu and his companions, ready to swing their swords at any command.


    These men must be the ones from Fat Long''s intelligence report, the Huang Family''s Seventh Elder at the eighth level of the Qi Refinement Realm and the thugs the Huang Family was prepared to deal with.


    And the people around seemed to be used to this, dispersing to both sides without even a hint of surprise. As long as the fight wasn''t in Ask the Sky Market, no one would care even if they turned the world outside upside down.


    "What do you say?"


    Fat Long glanced at the Huang Family thugs surrounding them with long swords and leaned in close to Chen Qiu, surveying their surroundings and lowering his voice, "Whatever the plan is, it''s about time you said it, right?"


    He probably already guessed Chen Qiu''s plan.


    Like last time, they would escape from here using the "Earth Tunneling Technique" and "Blinding Technique." However, both techniques required the scene to be sufficiently chaotic for them to slip away unnoticed.


    So what they should do next was create confusion, for example, by scattering some Spirit Stones on the ground to pull in the onlookers.


    The temptation of a few Spirit Stones was not small; there should be many who couldn''t resist this temptation.


    When the chaos of Fufeng City''s "Heavenly Dao Terms" broke out, Chen Qiu and his brother probably planned to use these two techniques to slip away amid the chaos. Although the risk was high, the reward, if successful, would be quite astonishing.


    Just as he was ready to cooperate with Chen Qiu''s plan¡ª


    He suddenly felt a chill on his back.


    "Hmm?"


    Fat Long turned around instinctively, only to see that a resentful spirit had appeared behind him at some point, floating in mid-air and carrying an aura of death that made people shiver.


    And the appearance of this resentful spirit was all too familiar¡ªit was none other than Young Master Huang Shikai who had died in the Secret Realm the night before!


    "Ah?"


    Fat Long couldn''t help but slowly open his mouth in a mix of confusion and disbelief as he looked at this scene before him. He had trouble imagining that Chen Qiu''s plan was just to kill their way out directly?


    Was that mad? This, a plan?


    If you can beat them, fight; if you can''t, die, right?


    Then, the next moment¡ª


    "Kill!!!"


    Chen Qiu roared angrily, suddenly drawing his Yellow Level lower-grade Spiritual Treasure "Heaven Slaying" broadsword from his bosom and grabbing Huang Shikai''s collar before charging forward.


    At the same time, the Huang Family''s Seventh Elder also shouted "kill" with an extremely ugly expression on his face.


    He naturally recognized that the resentful spirit in Chen Qiu''s hand was their Young Master Huang. Originally, a hundred people had entered the Secret Realm last night, and in the end, only two came out alive. They didn''t know who had killed the Young Master and could only vent their resentment on these two survivors.


    But they never expected the Young Master was actually killed by these two beasts!


    Once the order was given, the blade was drawn from its sheath.


    The Huang Family''s henchmen surrounding Chen Qiu shouted in unison with determined and cold faces, showing no mercy as they chopped at Chen Qiu. Although they were older and their condition had declined, their years of combat experience were not lacking.


    They were most experienced in bullying the few with the many.


    However...


    "Clang!" S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A series of sounds like chopping on steel suddenly erupted.


    It really worked.


    Chen Qiu''s mouth curved into a sly smile as he held onto Huang Shikai''s collar with his left hand, while his right hand gripped the hilt of his sword, charging into the crowd and slashing wildly!


    He didn''t understand any sword skill.


    But he knew that a blade cutting on a neck would kill a person.


    The entry effect of Huang Shikai''s Yellow Entry "Unassailable from Behind" made him completely immune to attacks from the back and sides, which wasn''t very useful when he was alive, as it had quite a few drawbacks.


    But after becoming a resentful spirit, this entry turned out to be extremely useful, like a shield possessing absolute defense.


    Especially since a resentful spirit is a Divine Soul entity, it almost has no weight, not affecting movement when held in hand.


    In a matter of seconds, the six to seven Qi Refinement Realm fifth and sixth level henchmen of the Huang Family fell powerless into pools of blood.


    The gap between the sixth level of Qi Refinement and the seventh level was not as vast as heaven and earth.


    But it was not small either.


    Already overpowering in realm, and even more so with a large shield possessing absolute defense, there was no pressure in killing.


    Before Fat Long could even react, Chen Qiu had already charged towards the Huang Family''s Seventh Elder at the rear, holding Huang Shikai in his left hand and brandishing his broadsword with his right.


    "Come!"


    By this time, Chen Qiu had somewhat become bloodthirsty, and the murderous aura he carried made the bystanders, who were watching the fight, subconsciously retreat a few steps.


    ...


    A few moments later.


    Fat Long looked bewilderedly at Chen Qiu''s retreating figure, not having had the chance to draw his sword and join the battle, only to see Chen Qiu already beginning to dismember the Seventh Elder of the Huang Family''s corpse.


    Arms, thighs, heads.


    He dismembered them with ease as if he were a skilled butcher, then adeptly searched inside Elder Huang''s robe and after a while, pulled out three Storage Bags and stuffed them into his bosom with satisfaction. Then, he ran over to the other henchmen and rummaged for a while before turning his head to look at him.


    "Are you here to watch the show?"


    "Shall I sing you another tune?"


    ...


    "Is it that simple and crude?"


    "Otherwise?"


    Chen Qiu nodded, gave Fat Long an annoyed roll of his eyes, contentedly patted his now-bulging waist pack, and casually tossed a few pieces of silver into the hands of the Guard Commander at the entrance to Heaven Asking Marketplace City Gate: "Thanks for your hard work cleaning up this mess later."


    "A little tip for tea."

 Chapter 20 The world is vast, yet it can be crossed in three breaths.

    Afterward, Chen Qiu did not delay even for a moment. With his left hand clutching Huang Shikai''s collar, he strode towards the cliff from which they had come. The resentful spirit he had summoned could only exist for an hour, after which it would dissipate automatically.It could not be paused midway.


    The "Unvulnerable Front and Back" entry for Huang Shikai was more useful than he had anticipated, so he had to make the most of Huang Shikai''s residual effectiveness during the remaining time.


    "Brother Chen Qiu."


    Fat Long had also recovered by now and hurriedly followed Chen Qiu''s quick steps, saying anxiously, "By openly summoning Huang Shikai''s resentful spirit, everyone will know that you possess the ability to turn the creatures you kill into resentful spirits!"


    "With so many onlookers here, it won''t be long before the news leaks out."


    "Your trump card is gone¡ªwhat use is a trump card that everyone knows about?"


    Chen Qiu walked briskly toward the cliff from which they had come, slightly quickening his pace.


    "Who said this was my trump card?"


    "Hurry, time waits for no one!"


    ...


    "Hey." Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At the Seeking Immortality Gate on the western city wall, the Guard Commander, clad in armor, watched the departing figures of Chen Qiu and his companion. Weighing the handful of silver Chen Qiu had tossed to him, he chuckled.


    "This fellow sure knows how to conduct himself."


    "Interesting."


    Subsequently, he tucked the few pieces of silver in his breast, turned around to his guards who were eagerly watching him and scolded with a laugh, "What are you looking at me for? You think I can pocket all this silver myself?"


    "Get to work!"


    "After we''re off duty tonight, I''ll treat you to drinks in Fufeng City!"


    "Just to make it clear in advance, we''re only ordering one geisha¡ªit''s all on me unless you get touchy!"


    "Anyone who wants more, pays their own way!"


    At night, the Wentian Market doesn''t keep anyone; only inns do.


    Once the inns are full, others must leave the market.


    These are the rules of the Wentian Market.


    In the Wentian Market, there is a rule prohibiting fighting, yet daily, a great number of people come here seeking vengeance. It''s one thing if it''s just one power, but with the multitudes that come seeking revenge, even the Wentian Market, with Golden Core cultivators in place, cannot withstand the pressure.


    However, those seeking vengeance from the Wentian Market often are quite generous.


    After contemplating, the Wentian Market has set these rules.


    They ensure that not too many powers are offended while also securing decent revenue.


    Not far from the Wentian Market, atop the same mountain ridge, lies a small auxiliary city filled with inns, taverns, brothels, etc., serving as lodging for those who either don''t want to descend the mountain or are merchants in the market.


    In this auxiliary city, the no-fighting rule does not apply.


    The guards of the Wentian Market work in shifts, a day on, a day off. It just so happens they are off tomorrow, so the commander plans to take his men to Fufeng City for a good time and to see the geisha from the Capital, who reputedly won''t perform even for three Spirit Stones.


    To give his men a feast for their eyes.


    The Guard Commander had a smile plastered across his face thinking about the night''s prospects, working even harder than usual. As a guard of Wentian Market, cleaning up the remnants of fights around the market was his duty after all.


    There was no need for him to get a tip.


    But the sudden extra money still made it hard for him to hide his grin.


    ...


    "Can you fly?"


    Chen Qiu walked briskly to the edge of the cliff to the young man he had met earlier: "Take me somewhere quickly, name your price."


    "Where to?"


    This young man, dressed as a scholar, lifted his head to glance indifferently at Chen Qiu and then lowered it again, speaking casually, "The times change so quickly. Is it now fashionable to walk around with a resentful spirit in tow?"


    "For cooling off?"


    Chen Qiu squatted down to meet the scholar''s gaze, calmly stating, "No specific location."


    "Within a hundred miles, where is there a place with plenty of Fierce Beasts, but not too many? Ideally, it should be demon beasts that don''t act in groups and have a strong territorial consciousness. Also, the strongest Fierce Beast should not surpass the Qi Refinement Realm."


    "And this place must also be ownerless, not belonging to any force, so hunting there would not violate the laws of Da Xia, and no one would obstruct."


    "Tsk."


    The scholar sitting cross-legged on the ground closed his comic book, looked meaningfully at Chen Qiu in front of him, and suddenly smiled, "There is, naturally, a place just like you described twenty miles to the west."


    "It has no name."


    "In a stone cave at the bottom of a cliff created by a natural crevice in the ground, about several hundred feet from the surface, there''s only one kind of demon beast, called ''Human Face Spider.'' This is a type of demon beast that cannot break through the Foundation Establishment Stage in its lifetime and doesn''t develop Spiritual Wisdom."


    "It loves a cold and moist environment."


    "Yet, it is a clan of Fierce Beasts. They reproduce quickly, generally move in groups and never alone, and have an extremely strong sense of avenging their companions."


    "Do you want to go?"


    After a moment of contemplation, Chen Qiu nodded seriously. "Let''s go. How long will it take to get there?"


    "Three breaths."


    "Three breaths again?"


    "Heh."


    The scholar laughed, "In this vast world, everything can be reached in three breaths."


    "Fine, but you need to wait for me there and take me back after an hour."


    "Then give me a Spirit Stone."


    The scholar then slowly closed the comic book in his arms, carefully stuffed it into his bosom, and as he did so, the bearded strongman whom they had already met once at the base of the mountain appeared beside them without waiting for them to speak again.


    He saw the scholar raise his right hand in front of him, his thumb and index finger slightly touching, the other three fingers naturally stretched out, pinching a Taoist Technique and whispering, "Knock."


    The next second¡ª


    A Green Blade Long Sword quivering continuously violently burst out from the sleeve of the scholar''s robe, transforming into a streak of green light and disappearing into the clouds in the blink of an eye.


    Three breaths later.


    The scholar, as if sensing something, his lips moved slightly, and his body instantly vanished from the spot, leaving only a mat made of dried grasses.


    Before Chen Qiu and the others could react,


    the bearded strongman standing beside them grabbed their arms, and immediately the surrounding scenery started spinning wildly again. Within less than a breath''s time, when the scenery stabilized, they were already standing on a barren plain where the ground was desiccated and full of cracks.


    ...


    "..."


    Chen Qiu incredulously surveyed his surroundings; not a spirit field in sight, no official road, not a trace of human activity, the area looked as if it had been abandoned and faced severe droughts for three years.


    Looking far to the east,


    one could faintly see a mountain range enveloped by clouds and mist. That was the Wentian Mountain Range, and the market town of Wentian was thus named after it.


    Due to its location on the plains with a vast field of view, although he couldn''t estimate if the distance to Wentian Mountain Range was twenty miles, it certainly wasn''t short.


    This meant...


    They had teleported twenty miles in just three breaths?


    And he also roughly guessed that this scholar''s technique, or his Cultivation Technique, should allow him to teleport to wherever his Flying Sword could reach, though it''s unclear if there were any distance limitations.


    First, let the Flying Sword reach the destination, the scholar teleports there, and then the scholar''s brother brings them to teleport next to the scholar.


    With such a method,


    in this vast world, everything being reachable in three breaths isn''t an exaggeration.


    He had wanted to ask Fat Long if the speed of a normal Foundation Establishment cultivator''s Flying Sword could be this fast. But seeing the incredulous look on Fat Long, whose jaw was virtually dropping to the ground, he roughly guessed the answer.


    "We''ve arrived"


    The scholar, still sitting cross-legged on the ground, looked towards Chen Qiu and Fat Long with a somewhat gentle smile and said, "The bottom of this crack is where the ''Human Face Spider'' cave is."


    Meanwhile, Fat Long, who had just snapped back to reality, noticed for the first time that this young man dressed as a scholar appeared to have some disability that prevented him from standing normally.

 Chapter 21 People Call Him The Number One Sword Cultivator of Da Xia.

    "Let my brother escort you down."The scholar seated cross-legged on the ground spoke softly.


    The robust man with a beard standing beside walked directly to the crack on the ground without any hesitation, took a step forward, and soon a thud resounded.


    The bearded man, who was, in fact, the scholar''s brother, wasn''t tall.


    About six feet or so.


    He could even be described as short, but his stature was excessively robust, and he was adorned with beast armor amidst his hemp clothes, complete with a full-face beard and extremely abundant body hair.


    It made one unable to resist calling him a stout man.


    Immediately after, the scholar seated at the edge of the cliff gestured with a wave of his hand for Chen Qiu and his companion to come to him, reached out, grasped the corner of their clothes, and in the blink of an eye, he had already brought them to the bottom of the cliff.


    ...


    "..."


    Chen Qiu stood still, surveying his surroundings. The valley floor here was hundreds of feet away from the surface, covered in dead grass and grey stones, the bare rock walls on either side marked with trails from the rainwater.


    Looking up, the sky appeared extremely narrow.


    This part of the valley, with neither end visible, was extremely long yet narrow, barely wide enough for eight people to stand shoulder to shoulder, feeling rather cramped. On both sides of the rock walls, there were honeycomb-like caves.


    From time to time, a sound like that of a baby crying could be heard, carried by the wind and drifting deep into the valley.


    "We''ve arrived."


    "In an hour, my brother will come down to fetch you."


    "Listen for the sound and look up, don''t get crushed."


    The scholar once again formed that familiar Taoist technique gesture and softly said, "Knock."


    A three-foot green blade shot out from his sleeve towards the sky, and soon after, the scholar seated on the rock disappeared from sight, and the bearded robust man beside him vanished just as quickly.


    After the two left.


    Chen Qiu took a deep breath, his expression somewhat vigilant as he held Huang Shikai''s resentful spirit in his left hand, examining his surroundings: "Prepare for the enemy."


    His plan was simple.


    If killing a demon beast in the Qi Refinement Realm could yield a substantial advancement in Cultivation, why should he waste too much time in the Qi Refinement Stage? Although he didn''t have many spirit stones to buy severely injured demon beasts, it would be the same if he killed them himself, just riskier.


    Moreover, as long as he broke through to the Foundation Establishment Stage, his Pink Entry would be able to fully utilize its function.


    Accelerating his Cultivation to reach Foundation Establishment as soon as possible was the proper path.


    "Pretty good."


    Fat Long breathed a sigh of relief, taking out his own Lifebound Spirit Treasure, a long saber called ''Dragon Slayer,'' and firmly gripped it in his hand, standing behind Chen Qiu ready to face the enemy together.


    He and Chen Qiu had known each other for only a day.


    But the experiences of this day were more thrilling than the five months since he arrived in this world!


    ...


    Meanwhile, on the cliff above the valley.


    The young man dressed as a scholar sat cross-legged in the same spot, looking at the clouds on the horizon with a somewhat absent-minded expression, neither reading nor cracking sunflower seeds, seemingly lost in thought or daydreaming.


    "Brother."


    At that moment¡ª sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The silent bearded robust man suddenly spoke in a deep voice: "He was the first to squat down and speak with you."


    "Why not follow him?"


    "Him?"


    The scholar only then reacted, and after pondering for a while, he couldn''t help but shake his head and chuckle: "He won''t do, he''s too weak, and he has no power. He''s of no use to us."


    Long ago, he had been searching for an appropriate master.


    But he hadn''t found a single suitable one yet.


    He told his younger brother that he needed his master to respect him, at least to squat down to talk to him when recruiting him, instead of making him look up.


    His younger brother, who had always been slow-witted and extremely trusting of him, naturally believed him.


    However, none of the forces that came to recruit him did squat down to talk to him; not to mention that none of the Family Heads or Sect Masters came to recruit him personally ¡ª it was always their subordinates.


    Those Family Heads and even the Great Elders couldn''t even be bothered to personally make a trip, as if coming in person for the two brothers would be beneath their dignity.


    "But..."


    The bearded, muscular man''s voice grew weaker, "Brother, you don''t have long to live. You once were Da Xia''s number one Sword Cultivator, but now your Cultivation has fallen to the third layer of Foundation Establishment. If you don''t find a good master, you will die."


    "Hmm."


    The scholar sitting cross-legged on the ground summoned a miniature version of a three-foot green blade, looking at his Lifebound Spirit Treasure which quivered and seemed to possess a spirit of its own in front of him with a complex expression, silently without speaking.


    He started cultivating at the age of thirteen, achieved perfect Foundation Establishment recognized by the Heavenly Dao at fifteen, and stepped into the Golden Core Realm at twenty-four.


    The Initial Entry and the entries obtained from subsequent Great Realms were extremely compatible with Sword Cultivators.


    He obtained various entries and Cultivation Techniques fit for him in several Secret Realms and Grotto Heavens!


    At the age of twenty-seven, he single-handedly battled the top three ranks of the ''Heavenly Pride Leaderboard'' of Da Xia, holding his ground and after three hours of fierce fighting, he slew all three and sealed their throats with one sword, thereby making a name for himself throughout the world!


    The world called him the number one Sword Cultivator of Da Xia.


    They called him a young achiever.


    Being successful at a young age, he naturally thought he was as high as the sky. Afterward, his actions became increasingly willful, even believing that a Sword Cultivator ought to act on impulse, and those who hesitated didn''t deserve to be called Sword Cultivators!


    Eliminate displeasing affairs, kill detestable people.


    He believed there was nothing in the world he couldn''t settle, no one he couldn''t kill.


    He offended countless people, yet no one could hold him. The world only knew him as ''Bai Yi,'' Da Xia''s number one Sword Cultivator, yet no one knew he had a brother, nor did they know about their shared Bloodline Entry.


    Wherever he went, his younger brother was always within ten thousand miles waiting for him.


    If he met with a mishap, he would immediately Teleport to escape.


    Yes, their Bloodline Entry for Teleportation wasn''t limited to a hundred miles, but ten thousand miles ¡ª as long as he wanted to leave, no one in the world could stop him.


    His younger brother was somewhat dim-witted. Whenever he came home and told his younger brother about the glory he had outside, his brother always felt puzzled and uninterested, merely advising him to be cautious.


    He didn''t know what caution was.


    He only knew that he was happy when everyone discussed him when everyone called him the number one Sword Cultivator of Da Xia.


    He would even deliberately pause and stealthily listen to those admiring discussions about him.


    But later...


    Later on, he still fell. There are no eternal legends in Jianghu. His fame in Da Xia was once known to nearly every household, but now no one speaks of him.


    As if Da Xia had never had a number one Sword Cultivator.


    Or perhaps there was already a new number one Sword Cultivator.


    Just four years had passed, and he was dead, dead in the Jianghu.


    No one discussed him anymore.


    No storyteller spoke with emphasis and modulation about his deeds.


    In that battle, he was severely wounded by three late-stage Golden Core experts, escaped death through faking it with his entries, his Cultivation severely declined, and with Bone Devouring Poison planted in his body, he had no choice but to change his appearance and name. Taking his younger brother with him, they hid away in a corner of Fufeng City in Da Xia.


    The only condition for recruiting him was to give him a ''Heavenly Dao Jade.''


    It cost 3,000 Spirit Stones.


    With the Heavenly Dao Jade, he couldn''t recover to the Golden Core Stage, but he could resolve the Bone Devouring Poison within him, suffer less daily, not face imminent death, and live a few more decades.


    In those decades, he could once again protect his younger brother.


    Though not as glorious as in the past,


    at least they would not have to worry about food and clothing.


    But that price...not a single force could offer it, nor were any willing to, and he certainly couldn''t claim his former title as Da Xia''s number one Sword Cultivator to justify the price.

 Chapter 22 Heavenly Dao Talisman

    ```He didn''t tell his younger brother the true conditions for recognizing him as master, because he knew his brother too well. If his brother knew, he would definitely sneak into the Secret Realm on his own or find other ways to earn Spirit Stones for him.


    But his brother was naturally simple-minded and of average strength, unable to compete with those who saw deception as a common practice.


    Since he had fled with serious injuries, he had been afflicted with the Bone Devouring Poison and was completely devoid of combat ability, possessing only a few cunning tricks.


    "..."


    The scholar remained silent, not speaking. He just continued to sit cross-legged, gazing at the clouds rolling by in the sky. He used to have a few good friends; if he approached them using his influence, perhaps he could borrow three thousand Spirit Stones.


    But first, the risk was too high, he wasn''t sure whether his former friends would report him, and the bounty on his head was not low.


    Secondly...


    He was once the number one Sword Cultivator in Da Xia after all.


    He had his own pride.


    He was unwilling to let those who once knew him well see such a desolate scene of himself.


    If it weren''t for his brother, he would rather die standing than be confined to a seat like a cripple on the edge of a cliff in the Ask the Heavens Market, surrounded and gawked at by passersby like a piece of garbage.


    And bargain with those forces that were trying to recruit him.


    "Alright."


    The scholar glanced at his brother beside him, whose face was anxious and mouth kept opening and closing without uttering a word, and said softly, "I have a plan in mind, don''t worry."


    His brother was a bit dull and had no real concept of the value of Spirit Stones, thinking that most people could easily produce the amount he wanted as long as they were willing to stoop down and talk to him, and then he would recognize them as master.


    But in reality...


    Three thousand Spirit Stones, many forces within a hundred miles could not produce that amount.


    Those who could afford it, did not regard him highly.


    He didn''t dare to say outwardly that his teleportation range was 200 miles; a Golden Core cultivator specializing in movement technique could cover a hundred miles within ten breaths, hence a hundred miles was often considered the immediate striking range for Golden Core cultivators.


    Going beyond two hundred miles meant he had surpassed the immediate striking range of two Golden Core cultivators.


    Then the forces attracted would not be small, those forces knew him.


    Even if he had changed his appearance, certain subconscious habits that couldn''t be changed would always expose him and thereby put his brother in danger as well.


    If he says ten thousand miles...


    It might be the Da Xia Royal Family that comes for him.


    Unfortunately, when he fled heavily injured that day, all the Spiritual Treasures and the Storage Ring on him were stolen, leaving only this Lifebound Spirit Treasure that had been with him for a long time. Along with his fallen Cultivation Realm, it had also become an ordinary Yellow Level Mid-grade Spiritual Treasure.


    Not worth much.


    Back in the day¡ª


    When the Qingfeng sword was unsheathed, who did not recognize his White-clothed figure!


    In three breaths'' time, there was no place in the world he could not reach!


    Were these merely child''s play? Were these just empty words?


    Yet now, all those past glories only stayed preserved in the comic books tucked in his bosom, drawn by a scholar when his name was known far and wide, depicting his various imposing feats.


    The title of the book was "White-clothed Sword Cultivator".


    The book did not chronicle his entire life, but it did capture his life as fleeting as the blossom of the magic flower.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Chen Qiu, who was at the bottom of the canyon, was attracting the attention of the Human Face Spiders in the cave by continuously striking the ground with his knife blade. The stone caves in the rock walls were extremely cramped, and it was impossible for him to crawl in and fight, as that would be very disadvantageous to him.


    Soon...


    In the stone caves on the rock walls, numerous pairs of pale blue eyes slowly appeared at the entrances. Soon after, the first Human Face Spider crawled out of its cave and up onto a transparent spider web in the sky.


    Its eyes were fixated on him, the pupils constantly rolling.


    The sight was incredibly creepy.


    This spider was at least three feet wide, and its head was embedded with a baby''s face, emitting cries like that of a baby within the depths of the canyon, driving them away as if rebuking them.


    Then the second and third Human Face Spiders also emerged.


    At this point, Chen Qiu realized that the stone caves in the rock walls were surrounded by transparent spider webs that were nearly impossible to detect with the naked eye even under the sunlight.


    "Huff..."


    Chen Qiu took a deep breath, swung his right hand, and released all the resentful spirits he had stored. Instantly, the surrounding area grew colder, with ten Qi Refinement Realm Sixth Layer and one Qi Refinement Realm Eighth Layer resentful spirits, along with the Demon Beast Resentful Spirits he had slain in the Ask the Heavens Market, rushing toward the stone caves all at once!


    They wreaked havoc on the spider webs and provoked the Human Face Spiders.


    The Cultivation of these Human Face Spiders was not low, and they liked to swarm in attack; he couldn''t afford to be careless.


    ''Resentful Spirit Summoning'' was only a green entry, but it was particularly useful. Any creatures killed by his resentful spirits could also be transformed into his own resentful spirits. He didn''t understand why such a handy entry was only green.


    He felt it should be at least yellow.


    But at that moment, he had no time to think further about this.


    Provoked by the resentful spirits, the Human Face Spiders were already lunging towards them with cries as sharp as those of a baby.


    "Excellent."


    Chen Qiu, gripping the collar of Huang Shikai''s clothes with his left hand, brandished the knife in his right, slightly bent his legs. As the first Human Face Spider approached, he let out a fierce shout, using Huang Shikai to block the mid-air lunge of the spider, then brought his long knife slicing down!


    With just this one strike, the Human Face Spider was severely wounded and fell to the ground.


    ```


    He took another step forward and landed another blow, as a flurry of white light floated up from the corpse of the Human Face Spider and burrowed into his body. He had no time to celebrate this minor gain, however, as more Human Face Spiders screeched and charged towards him.


    ...


    "Die!"


    Just as Chen Qiu, drenched in blood, once again cut down a Human Face Spider that had lunged at him, his right hand holding the sword instinctively scanned his surroundings for the next target. However...


    There were no other living creatures standing in the entire canyon apart from him.


    The ground was littered with the corpses of Human Face Spiders, their scarlet blood splattered deep within the canyon.


    Fat Long was also lying exhausted nearby, panting heavily; for him, the intensity of the battle had been rather extreme. Neither of them was seriously hurt, and most of the blood on Huang Shikai came from the Human Face Spiders.


    And it was as he killed this last Human Face Spider that...


    He suddenly felt a surge of warmth coursing through his body. Sensing something, he used introspection and saw a panel enveloped in clouds and mist appear above his Dantian.


    ''Cultivation has greatly increased; officially entered the eighth level of the Qi Refinement Realm.''


    ''Please choose one of the three random entries below within ten breaths.''


    1:


    ''Entry name'': Every plant and tree.


    ''Entry level'': White.


    ''Entry effect'': Each time you break through a small realm, you will receive three Spirit Stones.


    2:


    ''Entry name'': Start from scratch.


    ''Entry level'': White.


    ''Entry effect'': The quality of your Foundation Establishment will slightly increase, but each time you fail at Foundation Establishment, your Cultivation Realm will fall back to the first level of the Qi Refinement Realm.


    3:


    ''Entry name'': Never Discouraged.


    ''Entry level'': White.


    ''Entry effect'': When you fail at Foundation Establishment and your cultivation falls, the Cultivation Progress you gain from killing demon beasts in the Qi Refinement Realm will increase a hundredfold.


    ...


    "..."


    Chen Qiu looked at the three entries that had popped up in front of him, his mouth slightly agape, a flash of agony in his eyes, his face distorting slightly, and the hand gripping the sword also bulged with veins.


    Individually, these three white entries were rather mundane.


    They were the kind that were somewhat useful, but not all that impactful.


    The first entry would be considered a Seven-colored term for ordinary people with no great ambitions for cultivation; three Spirit Stones for each small realm breakthrough could ensure a wealthy life for the commoner.


    The second entry could only slightly increase the quality of Foundation Establishment, but if you failed at Foundation Establishment, you would have to start from scratch at the first level of the Qi Refinement Realm.


    As for the third entry, it was basically next to nothing. Even if your cultivation fell back to the early stages of the ninth level of the Qi Refinement Realm after a failed Foundation Establishment, only a little was needed to reach Great Perfection; even if the progress from killing demon beasts during this time was a hundred times faster, it would just mean returning a few days sooner to Qi Refinement Great Perfection and then preparing for Foundation Establishment again.


    But...


    If he could own all three entries simultaneously, with just a bit of start-up capital, it was unthinkable!


    As long as he had enough time, and if there was no limit to the number of times he could attempt Foundation Establishment, the number of Spirit Stones he could produce daily might surpass even the output of a spirit stone mine!


    If after his cultivation fell he could reselect previously discarded entries, that would be an absolute takeoff, but this thought seemed impractical upon reflection.


    But why... why!


    Why could he only make a selection of one out of the three entries, rather than choose them all!!!


    He did not immediately make a choice within ten breaths, but instead, his expression twisted in pain as he turned his head with the last bit of hope toward Fat Long, "Fat Long, is there any heavenly or earthly treasure that allows one to select previously discarded entries?"


    In this world, when everyone first reached the first level of the Qi Refinement Realm, they had no choice but to use whatever entry they were given, and if they were unlucky, they just had to suck it up.


    From the Foundation Establishment Stage onward, every time you broke through a Great Realm, you had to choose one out of three entries.


    There was sufficient choice, allowing cultivators to compile the most suitable combination of entries for themselves.


    "Seems like there is..."


    Fat Long, although not understanding why Chen Qiu suddenly looked like this, furrowed his brow and thought before quickly responding, "Definitely, I''ve seen it on an auction list at the Asking Heaven Market; there''s a talisman that can only be produced in the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm, called the ''Heavenly Dao Retrospective Talisman''." sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It allows cultivators to reselect previously discarded entries."


    "But the price isn''t low, nothing from the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm comes cheap¡­ and also, it can only select an entry discarded during the last three choices."


    "Like if you are a Nascent Soul cultivator, then you can only choose from the remaining two entries that were discarded when you broke through to the Nascent Soul Stage, you can''t choose discarded entries from the Golden Core Stage breakthrough."


    "If you had other opportunities during the period after your ascension to the Nascent Soul Stage, acquiring an additional three-choice entry, you couldn''t even choose the discarded entries from the Nascent Soul breakthrough, only the last discarded entry from the most recent three-choice opportunity."


    "As for below Foundation Establishment..."


    "In the Qi Refinement Realm, there''s no choice, you use what you''re given."


    "At most, you can choose one discarded entry, if you want both discarded entries, then you''d need to buy two."


    "What''s up?"


    Fat Long looked at Chen Qiu with some confusion, "Brother Chen Qiu, why did you suddenly ask about this?"

 Chapter 23

    "It''s fine."Chen Qiu suppressed the excitement in his heart, took a deep breath, and forcefully pushed down the emotions inside him. After all, there was hope at last. He immediately chose the first white entry.


    ''Every plant and tree.''


    Almost at the same time, he saw a large amount of Spiritual Energy suddenly begin to condense in front of him, and in the blink of an eye, it formed into three low-grade Spirit Stones that fell to the ground.


    The entry he selected awarded three Spirit Stones for every breakthrough in a small realm, and this breakthrough was included as well.


    "Ah?"


    Fat Long looked befuddled as he gazed at the three Spirit Stones that had condensed out of thin air, somewhat unable to react. Could the Spiritual Energy in the air really gather into Spirit Stones? What kind of operation was this?


    Chen Qiu did not address Fat Long''s confusion, but instead tilted his head and asked, "How much does that Heavenly Dao Talisman, the ''Heavenly Dao Retrospective Talisman,'' you mentioned just now sell for at Wentian Pavilion Market?"


    "It depends on the grade."


    Fat Long patiently explained, "The ''Heavenly Dao Retrospective Talisman'' is divided into four grades: low, mid, high, and top-grade. Among them, a low-grade retrospection charm can only be used on cultivators below the Foundation Establishment. In other words, you can only re-select the discarded entry from the three choices you had during the Qi Refinement Realm."


    "But there are no three choices for entry levels in the Qi Refinement Realm, so the low-grade charm sells for the cheapest, just 50 Spirit Stones each."


    "And the higher you go, the more expensive it gets."


    "A mid-grade retrospection charm starts at 500 Spirit Stones and up, and that is only for the discarded entries from the three choices during the Foundation Establishment Stage. After all, think about it, the higher your cultivation, the higher the entry level you can randomly access."


    "By that time, a high or top-grade Heavenly Dao Retrospective Talisman might be equivalent to a golden or pink entry, and no matter how expensive it is, people will scramble to get it."


    "Moreover..."


    It must be said that Fat Long''s intelligence sources are indeed very rich, and he is naturally suited for exploring new worlds, but Chen Qiu already lacked the patience to listen any further. All he heard was one thing¡ªthat a low-grade Heavenly Dao Retrospective Talisman cost only 50 Spirit Stones.


    Ordinary people had no use for it, but he happened to be able to use it.


    Even so, the price was already comparable to 10 low-grade Yellow Level Spiritual Treasures from the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm.


    Just then¡ª


    The resentful spirit of Huang Shikai in Chen Qiu''s hand had completely vanished between heaven and earth, and at the same time, he gained almost thirty more resentful spirits of Human Face Spiders around the seventh or eighth layer of the Qi Refinement Realm. This was another crucial method to use at a key moment.


    This green entry was really useful.


    Before the two could further converse, they suddenly heard a piercing sound of something tearing through the sky. They looked up instinctively, only to see a bearded, burly man plummeting straight from the sky!


    The two of them hurriedly dodged out of the way.


    "Boom!!!"


    This was the first time the two had seen the bearded, burly man fall from the high sky before them and smash into the ground, creating a sizable crater. He got up from the ground as if nothing had happened, patted his buttocks, grabbed their arms, and then the three of them vanished on the spot.


    Leaving only a mess behind. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ...


    "Alright."


    The scholar sitting cross-legged on the ground, upon seeing that Chen Qiu and his companion had hardly any injuries, flashed a hint of surprise in his eyes but still smiled and said, "Next, I should send the two of you back to Wentian Pavilion Market. We''ll meet again if fate allows it."


    "Wait a moment!"


    Chen Qiu looked serious as he stared at the scholar seated on the ground and said earnestly, "Didn''t you say this morning that my offer was too low? Work for me, I''ll give you 3000 Spirit Stones in one go."


    "And 500 Spirit Stones every month from here on out."


    "And to increase the monthly payment by 500 Spirit Stones every year, how does that sound?"


    "..."


    The scholar, who had been subconsciously preparing to refuse, found his mouth gradually gaping open upon hearing the price. A one-time payment of 3000 Spirit Stones? And then a monthly salary of 500 Spirit Stones?


    That was far more than he had expected!


    His expectation was a one-time payment of 3000 Spirit Stones as a fee for risking his life, after which he wouldn''t need a monthly salary¡ªas long as he had food and shelter. As long as he had enough to buy a "Heavenly Dao Jade" to remove the Bone Devouring Poison from his body and live a few more years, he would be content.


    But the young man before him was offering him 3000 Spirit Stones straight up?


    This was the most anyone had ever offered him!


    Honestly, it was hard to refuse.


    It''s just that... The scholar quickly came to his senses, sizing up Chen Qiu''s clothes and appearance with an indescribable twist in his expression, "That... Sir, are you sure you can come up with that many Spirit Stones?"


    "Or are you promising now to then go back and apply to your family for the funds?"


    Honestly, this man in front of him didn''t look like he had that many Spirit Stones to his name, nor did he seem like the scion of a great family¡ªno matter how low-profile a scion might be, they wouldn''t wear these plain linen clothes.


    "Positive."


    Chen Qiu squatted down with a serious expression, looked the scholar in the eyes, and said quietly, "It''s not just anyone offering you this¡ªit''s me. I have no family backing me, I''m alone in the Jianghu. My power might not be great, but the treatment I offer you will not be low."


    "However... I need you to give me five days. I can give you the Spirit Stones in five days."


    "During these five days, you will need to work for me. Even if I go back on my word after five days, you wouldn''t have lost much by doing five days less work.


    "How about it?"


    "Phew..."


    The scholar silently stood in his spot, looking up at his younger brother beside him, who was looking back at him with anticipation. After a long time, he hoarsely said, "Fine, but let me clarify in advance that my brother and I were injured years ago and have almost no combat ability. Our only skill lies in our ability to travel quickly."


    "You can''t expect us to defend you."


    "Understood. That''s enough."


    "How should I address you, Sir?"


    "Chen Qiu."


    "All right."


    The scholar sitting cross-legged on the ground struggled to sit up straight, then leaned forward slightly and said in a quiet voice, "I am known in the Jianghu as ''Scholar,'' having lost my own name years ago. Scholar has met Mr. Chen."


    The bearded strongman standing by signaled his presence with the same seriousness, straightening his posture and formally bowing to Chen Qiu.


    "Good!"


    Chen Qiu responded with equal delight, "Good." With these two joining his service, many of his plans could be significantly accelerated. It was good they had no combat ability; otherwise, with his current limited strength, he wouldn''t have been able to control two such capable fighters.


    This was much better.


    He had encountered these two earlier this morning and thought they would command a much higher price. It turned out that 3000 Spirit Stones were enough.


    At this moment, Chen Qiu clearly didn''t realize that if he were to earn 3000 Spirit Stones by chopping wood, Da Xia would have fallen three or four times over before he had amassed that sum. If it were such a small amount, these two brothers wouldn''t have spent several years in the Qitian Fang Market unable to find a good master.


    "With both of you joining, I believe we will soon make a name for ourselves in Da Xia."


    "But there''s a small issue at the moment."

 Chapter 24 Heavenly Dao Blessing, Secret Realm Reemerges.

    Chen Qiu coughed lightly with some lack of confidence, and then he spoke softly, "Actually, I''m not an ordinary person. I am the current Young Master of a major family from outside of Da Xia, who unexpectedly fell into Da Xia and lost all my Cultivation.""This led to the problem that I can''t open my Lifebound Storage Ring hidden inside my Dantian, as there''s no Spiritual Energy to activate it."


    "I must use a Secret Technique to extract the Spiritual Energy from Spirit Stones to barely crack open a slit in the Lifebound Storage Ring within my Dantian, thereby retrieving my former wealth."


    "Not much, just 100 Spirit Stones."


    "You two have been doing business here in Wentiang''s market for quite some time, haven''t you? Have you earned 100 Spirit Stones? I wonder if you can lend them to me first?"


    "Within seven days, I will return them along with the agreed-upon 3,000 Spirit Stones."


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    As his words fell, the three of them, including Fat Long, all stood in stunned silence, their faces a mix of confusion and embarrassment. Even Fat Long, who was known for his thick skin, felt a bit ashamed as he awkwardly twitched the corners of his mouth.


    "Mr. Chen."


    After a long silence, the scholar finally spoke in a complex tone, "You guys even scam disabled people, huh? If you''re going to scam, can''t you at least refine your methods a bit? You should at least try to dress it up. Such a lowly scam makes me feel insulted."


    "I''m serious."


    Chen Qiu knew his words sounded absurd and could hardly offer any good explanations, so he could only say as sincerely as possible, "I can''t provide a more convincing argument. You''ll have to judge based on your own experiences."


    He really needed those 100 Spirit Stones.


    With those stones, he could buy two "Heavenly Dao Retrospective Talismans," then find a corner to hide away, and then reselect the two Heavenly Dao Terms he had previously discarded. By rapidly increasing his Cultivation and then quickly dropping it back to the Qi Refinement Realm first level, he could acquire a large number of Spirit Stones.


    From the first level to the eleventh level of the Qi Refinement Realm, there are ten realms, and each realm could grant him three Spirit Stones, making a total of thirty Spirit Stones.


    As long as he kept repeating the process of failing Foundation Establishment and starting from scratch, he could obtain an infinite supply of Spirit Stones.


    With an initial investment of 100 Spirit Stones, he could earn¡ª


    1,000, 10,000, or even 100,000 Spirit Stones!


    ...


    Just like that.


    The four of them stood silently at the edge of the cliff, gazing at each other, and the atmosphere gradually became awkward.


    Fat Long started to look around in utter despair, it was apparent that the negotiation would collapse soon, and under such circumstances, the others would likely just leave without helping them. They were a full twenty li from Wentiang market!


    There were no roads in sight.


    It was a godforsaken place where not even birds would relieve themselves.


    It would be a significant challenge for them just to get to a populated place without starving to death in this wilderness.


    "Alright."


    Just then, the seated scholar suddenly nodded, "Mr. Chen, I believe you. I''ll lend you the 100 Spirit Stones."


    He did not know why, but something suddenly possessed him to take a gamble that the two people before him were not swindlers. Perhaps it was because after waiting in Wentiang market for several years without hope, he had become somewhat desperate. Suddenly, a lifeline had appeared, and even though he knew it could break at any moment, he wanted to grasp it.


    At that moment¡ª


    ''Heavenly Dao Blessing'': Responding to the sincere call of the residents, the Heavenly Dao bestows a blessing. Three li west of Fufeng City, beside a stream, a Heavenly Dao Secret Realm will appear, only accessible to Cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Stage sixth level and below.


    The type of Secret Realm is ''assault''.


    It will open in five days.


    An announcement from above the Nine Heavens reached the ears of the few.


    -


    "Is there actually an ''assault'' type Heavenly Dao Secret Realm appearing near Fufeng City?"


    A look of surprise crossed the scholar''s eyes, then he calmed down and thoughtfully said, "No wonder I''ve felt recently that quite a number of forces are sending people to Wentiang. But that''s not right, does that mean someone can now predict in advance where the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm will appear?"


    "It''s the Heavenly Dao Terms."


    Chen Qiu was also in a good mood at this point and said with a smile, "We received news that the Huang Family of Fufeng City will soon bring into the open a Heavenly Dao Term. Now it seems it''s likely within this Heavenly Dao Secret Realm. But such a big commotion has probably made the Huang Family''s secret-keeping efforts over these days completely futile."


    "Heavenly Dao Terms?"


    The scholar shook his head and denied, "No, no, no. This is a Heavenly Dao Secret Realm that only Cultivators below the sixth layer of the Foundation Establishment Stage can enter. It is indeed possible for Heavenly Dao Terms to appear there, but such a low-level Heavenly Dao Secret Realm definitely contains not only Heavenly Dao Terms but other valuable treasures as well."


    "Moreover, where the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm will materialize is absolutely unpredictable in advance; only heaven knows."


    "The value of Heavenly Dao Terms is very high, with a price of at least 1,000 Spirit Stones. It''s an entry that can be passed down through bloodline relations."


    "Passed to sons, not daughters; only male direct descendants can inherit it while females cannot, which ensures that generally, a family''s Heavenly Dao Terms are rather stable, without the risk of birthing a daughter who marries off and then the family''s Heavenly Dao Terms become another''s."


    "The effects of Heavenly Dao Terms are completely random; they can be both a curse and an inheritance."


    "For instance, there might be an entry that increases the speed of cultivating movement techniques by thirty percent."


    "Or there might be one that doubles the Sword Control speed."


    "Or possibly one that slows down the Sword Flight speed by ten percent, and so on."


    "And so on?"


    Fat Long opened his mouth in confusion, "Are all Heavenly Dao Terms like this? There are no other effects? Like... having three heads?"


    "None," said the scholar, his expression calm as he explained, "Heavenly Dao Terms all relate to the ''cultivation speed'' and ''effectiveness of a Cultivation Technique,'' either enhancing or reducing them."


    "How much they increase or decrease by is completely random."


    "There are advantages and disadvantages, all depending on luck."


    "Moreover, Heavenly Dao Terms are individual; they almost have no synergistic effects with other terms."


    "Just like there''s an ''ancient city'' about three hundred miles away with a family known as the Qiu Family. Their ancestors managed to obtain several Heavenly Dao Terms in the past, including one that reduced their Sword Flight speed by ninety percent."


    "Heavenly Dao Terms are deeply ingrained in one''s bloodline and cannot be removed, forcing the members of the Qiu Family to rely entirely on Flying Demon Beasts and official roads for travel; nobody cultivates Sword Flight as it is barely faster than running a few steps." S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "And not one Sword Cultivator has emerged from them in a century."


    "Most families'' inherited Heavenly Dao Terms have both benefits and drawbacks - the battle style and cultivation direction become fixed, and most of the direct descendants can only follow the preset path."


    "The advantage is that the family has walked this path countless times and is very smooth at it. The downside is that the weaknesses are too obvious."


    "I remember that in Da Xia, there is only one great family whose Heavenly Dao Terms are all positive without a single negative term - that family is the Xia Family, also the current Da Xia Imperial Family."


    "That the Xia Family''s ancestors managed to continually obtain positive effects from over a dozen Heavenly Dao Terms, without a single negative one, can only mean they were favored by the Heavenly Dao; no other explanation can be found."


    "Some small families are very envious of these Heavenly Dao Terms."


    "Selling for around 1,000 Spirit Stones is not a problem."


    "Especially for families like the Huang Family of Fufeng City, who are at the Foundation Establishment Stage, this counts as a great opportunity. The Huang Family probably doesn''t earn 1,000 Spirit Stones in a year, so whether they use it themselves or exchange it for Spirit Stones, it''s a good deal."


    "But..."


    The scholar paused for a moment before speaking softly, "If the news you mentioned is true, then this involves two separate matters. It''s indeed the case that the Huang Family has found an imminent Heavenly Dao Term opportunity, but the arrival of Heavenly Dao Terms causes no disturbance whatsoever."


    "Fortune favors those who find it."


    "And this ''trial'' type of Heavenly Dao Secret Realm just happens to be blessed upon Fufeng City."


    "Having two Heavenly Dao Secret Realms blessing Fufeng City within just a few days, and with the added arrival of a Heavenly Dao Term, truly is a strange occurrence. Could something big be happening in Fufeng City soon?"


    He pondered with some confusion for a good while without reaching any conclusion, then he continued.


    "''Trial'' type Heavenly Dao Secret Realms are about completing challenges. With each successful challenge, a participant receives a substantial reward, and the risk of death is very low. Such realms can often accommodate a large number of participants."


    "Within these five days, various powers within a few hundred miles will likely send people here to let their disciples undergo trials while competing for the opportunity."


    "The next five days will be quite lively."


    "Mm."


    Chen Qiu nodded his head, took the Storage Bag handed to him by the scholar, took a deep breath, and then looked towards the horizon and spoke softly, "First, take me back to Wentian Market."


    With his current strength, he wasn''t yet capable of fighting for opportunities in this Heavenly Dao Secret Realm.


    However, the Secret Realm wouldn''t open for another five days.


    What the scene would be like in five days was hard to predict.

 Chapter 25 The divination dares not exhaust, fearing heaven, earth, and ghosts.

    With the addition of the two scholars, short journeys had already lost their meaning for Chen Qiu.Teleportation out of thin air was possible as long as they didn''t encounter a powerful being who restricted space, basically making the whole world accessible.


    In the blink of an eye, he had returned to the Wentian Market and arrived at the auction house Fat Long had mentioned.


    "Zhao''s Commerce."


    It was said to be a fairly influential family business, primarily generating income through trading and auctions. The low-grade Heavenly Dao Retrospective Talisman he needed was here, not as an auction item but sold separately in the shop.


    "Can''t it be a bit cheaper?"


    Fat Long stood in Zhao''s Commerce, gazing at the Shopkeeper and earnestly haggled, "How about 10 spirit stones each? Hardly anyone needs these, as you know, and no one will buy them if they''re too expensive."


    The Shopkeeper glanced at Fat Long with a strange expression and said, "If no one needs them, why are you buying it?"


    "If no one buys it, how can it have a price?"


    "Of course, if someone buys, then it has a price."


    "Ninety percent of people in the Qi Refinement Realm don''t even get a chance for three choices on the entry level, but there are opportunities in this world, and this item is prepared for these people. Since you came to buy, it means you need it. 50 spirit stones is really a fair price, it can''t go any lower."


    "..."


    Fat Long was momentarily at a loss for words, his argument seemed logical, and he couldn''t refute it.


    "Let it be at that price."


    Chen Qiu did not want to delay any further, as time was of the essence to him. He paid and took the two low-grade Heavenly Dao Retrospective Talismans, slipping them into his storage bag, and then walked out of the shop.


    ...


    Chen Qiu didn''t stop as he walked out of the shop, heading straight towards the outskirts of Wentian Market along the main path, with the two scholars waiting for him at the old spot.


    He had killed the Seventh Elder of the Huang family, but the Huang family either hadn''t received the news yet or was too preoccupied to seek him out¡ªat least for now, no further news had come.


    At that moment¡ª


    "Young friend, please wait."


    An elderly man with silver hair sat by the street, holding a tattered black flag, stopping his way and saying, "I see many Wandering Ghosts and heavy resentful energy on you, your brow is darkened, I fear there may be a bloody disaster soon."


    "One spirit stone, and I can calculate for you, perhaps saving your life."


    And on that black flag, two rows of somewhat crooked letters were embroidered with white thread.


    "Fate dare not be fully told, fearing the heavens and the spirits."


    "Words cannot be fully expressed, fearing the world falls into chaos."


    "..."


    Chen Qiu glanced briefly at the fortune-teller without stopping, merely nodding slightly to show he was aware, and continued walking forward. It was unclear whether the old man was speaking offhand or had truly perceived something.


    Indeed, many Wandering Ghosts adorned him, but they were just resentful spirits.


    He knew his own affairs; these were all his methods, not some specter possession. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He soon left Wentian Market and arrived at the cliff''s edge.


    Just as he was about to speak, he saw two scholars on the edge of the cliff, gazing far into the horizon, seemingly observing something unknown. Chen Qiu followed the scholars'' gaze, his eyelids twitching slightly, a trace of shock flashing in his pupils.


    In the distant clouds just below the cliff.


    A middle-aged man about forty yards tall, with a giant sword over thirty yards long on his shoulder, was calmly stepping on blossoming lotuses in the air, approaching the Ask-Heaven Market under the watchful eyes of countless people.


    "Goodness..."


    Fat Long couldn''t help but slightly open his mouth in disbelief, stunned on the spot. With a smash of that sword, even if it weren''t sharpened, merely the blade itself could kill a large group of people¡ªwas this a cultivator?


    This wasn''t much different from the Giant Clan, was it?


    Meanwhile, the seated scholar softly said, "This person is called Zhao Yishi, ranked one hundred and seven on the ''Da Xia Heavenly Pride Leaderboard'', with a Cultivation at the sixth level of the Foundation Establishment Stage and no family backing him.


    "In his early years, he was an ordinary loose cultivator, who later supposedly had some great fortune and subsequently joined the Caotian Sect."


    "He possesses a Pink Entry ''Heaven-reaching Giant''. With each demon beast he kills, he grows taller by about an inch, and his physique also enlarges. It''s a strong Body Cultivation Pink Entry, and he has only become a known Heavenly Pride in recent years."


    "That doesn''t sound right,"


    Fat Long, standing to the side, looked at the robust man approaching them, stepping on blue lotuses, and said in confusion, "Killing one demon beast increases his height by an inch. After all these years, he''s only forty yards tall?


    "Shouldn''t he also be over a hundred yards tall by now? With his strength, he could specifically target weak but numerous demon beast groups to kill. It should be easy, right?"


    "Hmm."


    The scholar nodded and explained softly, "The Pink Entry level is extremely high, something that ordinary people could never possess in their lifetime, but most Pink Entries don''t directly convert to combat power."


    "Take the ''Heaven-reaching Giant'' Pink Entry, for instance."


    "Pink Entries only have one effect, which is to allow some aspect of you to increase boundlessly, like the ''Heaven-reaching Giant''s height and physique, just like I know a Pink Entry called ''I Have a Sword'', which makes your Flying Sword speed increase by a minute amount with every demon beast you kill."


    "And in the Cultivation World, where talented and powerful individuals abound, having a body over forty yards tall has almost no use, becoming more of a sitting target, the focal point in a crowd."


    "Only by gathering some compatible entries, like entries that increase bodily strength with size, or certain matching Cultivation Techniques, can the full power of a Pink Entry be unleashed. Otherwise, a single Pink Entry isn''t very strong."


    "The power of Pink Entries lies in their rarity and their boundless growth potential. To truly bring out the strength of Pink Entries, however, you must possess other entries that match well with them."


    "It''s just..."


    "In this world, there are countless entries, and aside from those obtained by breakthroughs in Great Realms, acquiring additional entries through other means is incredibly difficult."


    "Without these matching entries, his stature, no matter how tall or large it becomes, is meaningless. And with this appearance in the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm, his Cultivation precisely meets the entry conditions. Such a level of Secret Realm could potentially grant him additional entries."


    "This sudden arrival here likely means he is preparing to enter the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm, taking a gamble."


    "..."


    Chen Qiu stood in place, looking at the robust man in the sky who, despite being quite far, appeared as though he was only an arm''s length away. His expression was complex, and he remained silent; he also possessed a Pink Entry.


    ''Dantian Expansion (Unique)''.


    Moreover, it was the only Pink Entry, and he had already matched it with a compatible White Entry, just waiting to break through the Foundation Establishment Stage and master a spell. Then, his combat power would greatly increase.


    Only then would he truly have a voice in this strange world.


    "Let''s go."


    Without saying more, he gestured to the scholar to get ready to move. The scholar nodded in understanding, and as the green peak shot into the clouds, the four people quickly vanished from the spot.

 Chapter 26 Cultivation Soars, Advancing to the Eleventh Level of Qi Refinement Realm.

    When he reappeared, he found himself back in the familiar desolate wilderness, only at a different fissure deep within the canyon, which was similarly infested with Human Face Spiders."Let''s get to work."


    Deep in the canyon.


    Chen Qiu took a deep breath and summoned all the accumulated resentful spirits of the Human Face Spiders, repeating the previous tasks. With these resentful spirits fighting for him, the overwhelming number of Human Face Spiders in this location didn''t put too much pressure on him.


    He didn''t feel too stressed.


    Of course, before that, he used two Heavenly Dao Retrospective Talismans to reselect the two discarded entries from the eighth level of the Qi Refinement Realm, "start from scratch" and "Never Discouraged."


    Fat Long sighed lightly, moved his slightly sore body, and muttered softly, then joined the battlefield wielding his long sword¡ªhe was responsible for drawing the monsters, while Chen Qiu handled the killing.


    He knew one thing for sure: Chen Qiu had the opportunity to make three choices at the Qi Refinement Realm, and although he didn''t know the specifics, he was certain that none who had such an opportunity were insignificant.


    Being with Chen Qiu was much safer than venturing alone; at least they could watch each other''s backs.


    ...


    At the edge of a cliff over the canyon.


    The bearded strongman spoke with a hoarse voice, "Brother, do you believe Mr. Chen is the young master of a great family from outside Da Xia Country?"


    "Of course not."


    The scholar sitting cross-legged on the ground couldn''t help but laugh, "Even you have doubts, how could I believe it? Mr. Chen didn''t expect us to believe him when he said that, he just made up an excuse."


    "If I''m not mistaken, there must be some opportunity he finds inconvenient to reveal."


    "But what does that have to do with us?"


    "As long as he''s willing and able to pay the price, we''ll just work with him. Even if we are deceived, then so be it. In this world, no choice comes without a cost."


    This world is too vast, immensely so.


    Every moment, a large number of people encounter opportunities; it''s quite normal for those who cultivated past the Golden Core Stage to have experienced opportunities. Opportunities aren''t rare; surviving long enough is what''s rare.


    ...


    The dense mass of Human Face Spiders kept dying, and countless crying sounds of infants drifted through the deep canyon¡ªit was incredibly shrill. The number of Human Face Spiders here far exceeded those they encountered in the previous canyon.


    Meanwhile, Chen Qiu''s cultivation was continuously improving.


    "Cultivation greatly increased, officially advancing to the ninth level of the Qi Refinement Realm."


    "Please choose one of the three random entries below within ten breaths."


    There weren''t any good entries this time.


    He quickly glanced and chose one white entry.


    -


    "Entry name": Timber Chopping Sacred Body.


    "Entry level": white entry.


    "Entry effect": When you chop wood, it will be more efficient and you won''t feel tired.


    -


    All three random entries for this realm breakthrough were useless white entries, but he didn''t mind and chose one casually, perfect for using in an entry self-detonation as a trump card.


    The effect of the entry self-detonation allows for a strike that crosses one Great Realm of cultivation by self-detonating an entry.


    If he self-detonated an entry at the first level of the Foundation Establishment Stage, the power released would be that of the first level of the Golden Core Stage.


    It''s simple and brutal, yet effective.


    The only downside is that it''s somewhat a waste of entries, but he was not short on entries.


    ...


    Soon, the sky had gradually darkened, the stars shifted, and the moon began to emerge above the dark clouds. The canyon was constantly swept by the night wind.


    "Something''s off with this weather."


    Fat Long, visibly exhausted, gasped heavily for breath, hand on his waist as he looked up, noticing the sky had unexpectedly filled with dark clouds, creating a rather oppressive atmosphere, "Looks like there''s a storm coming."


    He was now at the seventh level of the Qi Refinement Realm. Although he mostly drew monsters for Chen Qiu to handle, the scattered kills over this extended period had also allowed him to break through to the seventh level of the Qi Refinement Realm.


    Damn.


    Killing these creatures really boosts one''s cultivation quickly.


    On Chen Qiu''s side, his cultivation was once again undergoing a breakthrough.


    "Cultivation greatly increased, officially advancing to the tenth level of the Qi Refinement Realm."


    "Please choose one of the three random entries below within ten breaths."


    Yet again, three useless entries.


    He quickly glanced and once again selected a white entry.


    -


    "Entry name": Alchemy Posture.


    "Entry level": White.


    "Entry effect": Your success rate in producing Pills will slightly increase.


    -


    He wondered if this white entry had appeared before, was the chance of randomly getting this white entry so high? He also didn''t know how many types of white entries there were in total.


    He would look in the markets later to see if there was any information about an entry database for sale.


    While pondering over these trivial matters, Chen Qiu, feeling somewhat fatigued, sat on the ground taking deep breaths and took out a leather water bag from his storage bag, gulping down its contents.


    Meanwhile, at his side.


    There were about fifty to sixty resentful spirits of Human Face Spiders fighting for him.


    If resentful spirits could endure longer than an hour, there would have been even more Human Face Spider resentful spirits fighting for him.


    "Continue!"


    After catching his breath briefly, Chen Qiu stood up from the ground again, gripping the handle of his knife with a determined look as he once again charged towards the countless Human Face Spiders surging toward him.


    This task was definitely more exhausting than chopping wood.


    But it brought much more positive feedback than chopping wood.


    Normally, a mortal could earn more than a hundred Wen in gains from chopping wood each day, but since he had crossed over as an unregistered resident, he could only sell the wood he chopped at low prices to others, earning a meager profit, not even enough to cover his meals.


    ...


    Finally¡ª


    After chopping for an unknown duration, Chen Qiu felt his whole body sore and a black cloud had formed overhead, seemingly about to bring a rainstorm and gusting winds at any moment.


    And he had finally broken through to the Qi Refinement Realm, level eleven!


    "Cultivation greatly increased, formally stepping into the Qi Refinement Realm, level eleven."


    "Please make a choice among the following three random entries within ten breaths."


    1:


    "Entry name": Flawless Body.


    "Entry level": White.


    "Entry effect": After you turn 18, for every additional ten years you maintain a Flawless Body, you gain a random entry.


    2: Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Entry name": Stealing Jade and Flowers.


    "Entry level": White.


    "Entry effect": After you turn 18, for every person with a ''Flawless Body'' entry you break, you gain a random entry.


    3:


    "Entry name": All In.


    "Entry level"? White.


    "Entry effect": All entries you own will be forcibly cleared, thereafter you cannot obtain or keep any permanent entries, but you will gain ten temporary entries every day.


    -


    "..."


    Chen Qiu looked at the panel in front of him, sighed lightly, and this was already the third Realm breakthrough without getting an entry suitable for him; all three entries were of little use to him.


    Especially the third entry, not only was it useless, but its side effects were also very severe.


    His livelihood relied on entries, and to have them all forcibly cleared would be utterly nonsensical.


    Without thinking further, he casually selected the "Flawless Body" entry.


    So far, including this entry, he now had three completely useless entries that could be discarded at will, forming a not so small trump card. If the situation turned critical, the "Heavenly Deficiency" entry that enhanced his five senses could also be discarded.


    Having many entries was always good, even if useless, just consider them as fireworks for fun.


    ...


    Chen Qiu stood in the canyon, looking upward at the black clouds above, as the gusty winds gradually swept through the canyon, chilling his hemp garments. After a night of struggle, the surrounding area was littered with the corpses of Human Face Spiders.


    And his Cultivation had now reached the eleventh level of the Qi Refinement Realm.


    He only needed to fill the progress of the eleventh level of the Qi Refinement Realm to reach Great Perfection, and then he could begin Foundation Establishment.


    The progress was much faster than he had anticipated.

 Chapter 27

    The sky grew darker and darker, with not a sliver of light visible, as boundless and endless black clouds spread across the wilderness overhead, and the howling wind in the ravine sounded like ghosts and deities roaring, capturing one''s soul.Though no raindrops were seen, the sense of impending rain could be felt.


    "This weather..."


    Fat Long, who was panting a bit, looked up at the sky and couldn''t help but mutter softly, "This weather doesn''t seem like it''s about to storm normally. Under normal circumstances, if the black clouds have been accumulating for so long, it should have rained by now."


    "Couldn''t be some ancient demon emerging, could it?"


    Fat Long''s face changed slightly as he realized something and quickly spat three times in succession.


    "Ptui, ptui, ptui!"


    Chen Qiu glanced up, ignored Fat Long, and instead tightened his grip on the knife at the remaining Human Face Spiders around him, which he had frightened quite a bit. But being mindless Fierce Beasts, even though they clearly were facing death, they still charged towards him in the cold wind after letting out several sharp screams!


    The slaughter began once again!


    ...


    The Cultivation Progress from the eleventh level of Qi Refinement to Great Perfection wasn''t much, and after about half an hour, Chen Qiu sensed something and practiced introspection.


    Plenty of Spiritual Energy surged through the meridians in his body.


    At this moment, his physical strength was far greater than when he was at the seventh level of the Qi Refinement Realm. He could probably beat ten Fat Longs at the same time. If the Huang Family''s Seventh Elder appeared before him again, he wouldn''t even need to summon a resentful spirit; he himself could defeat the elder!


    Only...


    He could faintly feel that the Spiritual Energy in his meridians was somewhat insufficient. He had broken through several small realms continuously tonight, and his meridians had indeed widened a lot, but he had not absorbed Spiritual Energy, which meant that although the container had expanded, nothing had been put inside.


    He had to fill his meridians with Spiritual Energy, which would greatly increase his chance of successfully reaching Foundation Establishment.


    With insufficient Spiritual Energy in the body, the failure rate of Foundation Establishment was very high.


    But¡ª


    He was seeking failure.


    "Hoo!"


    After taking a deep breath, Chen Qiu sat down cross-legged on the spot, focusing all his attention inward, and started to operate his mental method to slowly gather the Spiritual Energy in his meridians toward his Dantian.


    With the gathering of Spiritual Energy, the Tao Foundation platform gradually took shape above his Dantian, shifting from illusory to solid, and the name of his entry was slowly appearing upon the Tao Foundation.


    Seeing that the Foundation Establishment process was already half done but the Spiritual Energy in his meridians was not enough to complete it, the Tao Foundation platform, which was about to solidify, instantly collapsed when no more Spiritual Energy flowed in.


    Almost in an instant!


    The aura of Cultivation on Chen Qiu''s body began to plummet swiftly!


    Qi Refinement Realm ninth level... Qi Refinement Realm sixth level... Qi Refinement Realm third level...


    In merely the blink of an eye, Chen Qiu''s Cultivation had fallen to the first level of the Qi Refinement Realm.


    "Puh!"


    The backlash from the failed Foundation Establishment caused Chen Qiu to spit out a mouthful of bright red blood with a taste of rust, splashing onto the grey-yellow rock ground in front of him.


    "Brother Chen Qiu, are you alright?"


    Fat Long, who was sitting by Chen Qiu''s side to protect his Cultivation Path, saw this and was suddenly shocked, becoming somewhat panicked, "You weren''t forcing your way into Foundation Establishment, were you? I thought you were just operating your mental method to recover your Spiritual Energy!"


    "Brother, what''s the rush? You were a mortal just yesterday, and now you want to force your way into Foundation Establishment?"


    "There''s no need to push yourself so hard!"


    "And how did you suddenly drop to the first level of Qi Refinement? Even if Foundation Establishment failed, you shouldn''t have dropped back to the first level of Qi Refinement Realm so quickly!"


    "I''m fine."


    Chen Qiu wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and carefully sensed his body''s condition. There wasn''t too much of an impact; the spurt of fresh blood was simply due to a sudden decrease in physical strength, which his body wasn''t quite accustomed to, causing some capillaries to rupture as a result.


    Afterward, he raised his head to look around.


    Dozens of badly injured Human Face Spiders remained in the vicinity, all that was left of the local canyon''s population. Originally, there must have been a group of them, now reduced to so few by his hand.


    And these few dozen severely injured Human Face Spiders were deliberately spared by him, precisely for this moment.


    He casually waved his hand, indicating for a resentful spirit of a Human Face Spider protecting his vicinity to rush forward and kill a badly wounded Human Face Spider. At the moment of the spider''s death, Chen Qiu''s Dantian overhead continuously burgeoned with panels enveloped in clouds and mist.


    ''Cultivation greatly increased...''


    ''Cultivation greatly increased...''


    ''...''


    Merely by killing a Qi Refinement Realm level seven Human Face Spider, his cultivation soared like it was riding a rocket, instantly reaching the seventh level of the Qi Refinement Realm.


    At the same time¡ª


    Spiritual energy began to gather abruptly in front of him, eventually forming eighteen Spirit Stones that fell from mid-air onto the ground.


    "Not bad." sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sitting cross-legged on the spot, Chen Qiu looked sincerely happy as he watched the scene before him unfold, laughing more heartily than ever since his arrival. It meant that all his conjectures had succeeded; just give him enough time!


    He could earn enough Spirit Stones to buy the entire Cultivation World!


    And because of the white entry ''Never Discouraged,'' the Cultivation Progress he gained from killing demon beasts after a failed Foundation Establishment was a hundred times faster. It was for this reason that he could reach the seventh level of the Qi Refinement Realm in an instant by killing a level seven demon beast while at the first level of the Qi Refinement Realm.


    It''s just that each small realm breakthrough only yielded Spirit Stones and did not offer him another chance to choose one of three entries.


    That seemed normal, however, or else these entries should not simply be white entries.


    ...


    "What is this..."


    Fat Long looked on with a dumbfounded and incredulous expression at the dozen or so Spirit Stones appearing out of nowhere, as well as Chen Qiu''s cultivation aura suddenly returning to seventh level of the Qi Refinement Realm in a flash, completely at a loss and feeling somewhat dazed.


    "Just a little trick."


    Chen Qiu was in quite a good mood and patted Fat Long''s shoulder, laughing, "To me, you are a benefactor. Without you, I could not have embarked on the Cultivation Path yesterday. But from now on, I, Chen Qiu, will be your benefactor."


    "As long as I live, you will never be captured by the Flower Offering Sect as a supplement like before."


    "Unless I create my own Flower Offering Sect."


    After making a casual jest at Fat Long, Chen Qiu was unwilling to dawdle further. The Cultivation Progress required for subsequent small realm advancements was much higher. He had to kill two more Human Face Spiders at the eighth level of the Qi Refinement Realm before he smoothly advanced to the Great Perfection of the Qi Refinement Realm.


    Again, he obtained twelve Spirit Stones.


    Thus, in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, thirty Spirit Stones easily fell into his hands.


    And the well-practiced Chen Qiu once again quickly attempted Foundation Establishment and failed swiftly again, plummeting back down to the first level of the Qi Refinement Realm before rapidly returning to the Great Perfection of the Qi Refinement Realm.


    ...


    In Fat Long''s view.


    Chen Qiu''s cultivation was like a roller coaster, dropping to the first level of the Qi Refinement Realm in the blink of an eye, then just as quickly returning to the Great Perfection of the Qi Refinement Realm, with an accompanying shower of Spirit Stones appearing all around him.


    Spirit Stones kept materializing out of thin air, falling to the ground.


    "Thud, thud, thud!"


    Another thirty Spirit Stones appeared scattered out of nowhere and fell to the ground, with Fat Long who had already been waiting nearby swiftly pocketing these Spirit Stones into his Storage Bag, then looking up somewhat sheepishly at the sky above the canyon.


    He was a little afraid of being discovered by those two brothers.


    Although he did not understand what kind of trick Chen Qiu was pulling, one thing was certain¡ªif Chen Qiu''s method of endlessly creating Spirit Stones out of thin air spread, the two of them wouldn''t live past three days.

 Chapter 28

    I didn''t know how much time had passed.By all accounts, it should have been daylight already, but the dark clouds in the sky showed no sign of dispersing; instead, they thickened, and the perpetual twilight left Fat Long gradually losing his sense of time.


    Yet, there was only the promise of rain without a single drop falling.


    By this point, Fat Long''s legs were already shaking.


    "Motherfucker..."


    Fat Long''s eyes were red-rimmed and tearful, his face a picture of despair, with a deep unease in his eyes as he continuously stuffed Spirit Stones into the Storage Bag he held. He had lost count of how many he had put in.


    All he knew was that his Storage Bags were all filled up, and he even had to take a few more from Chen Qiu''s brothers'' embrace; otherwise, there wouldn''t be enough Storage Bags. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At first, he was excited.


    So many Spirit Stones, enough for them to make a name for themselves in this strange world!


    But... as the number of Spirit Stones grew, so did his fear. Once word got out, the two of them would probably become public enemies in an instant. There was such a thing as too much; his appetite couldn''t handle so many.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Chen Qiu remained sitting cross-legged, maintaining the same posture for who knows how long. He had already killed all the Human Face Spiders around him and had no demon beasts left to kill to improve his Cultivation Progress. He was ready to move to another location.


    But who could have expected.


    Perhaps due to the drastic changes in the sky, a large number of Human Face Spiders from deep within the gorge suddenly surged towards him, fleeing for their lives. These spiders were like fuel to his fire, providing him a tremendous boost.


    Thanks to this, he could stay in the same place without having to move.


    From initially vomiting blood after every failed Foundation Establishment due to discomfort, to later adapting so that failure no longer necessitated vomiting blood. Perhaps due to failing too many times, he felt somewhat dizzy.


    Just when his Cultivation reached the peak of the Qi Refinement Great Perfection and he was ready to go through the motions of another failed Foundation Establishment attempt,


    a wispy, ethereal voice suddenly reached his ears.


    -


    Heavenly Dao Decree: The Heavenly Dao has sensed, within a hundred miles of Fufeng City in Da Xia Country, that a mortal of iron will has persistently failed at Foundation Establishment 999 times yet continues his relentless efforts! Such perseverance is commendable.


    He is bestowed with ''Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment'' in the hope that all may follow his example.


    -


    This ephemeral voice from beyond the heavens echoed across the skies of Da Xia, causing countless people to look upward, listening intently to the Heavenly Dao Decree with puzzled faces, visibly shocked. Clearly, they had a hard time believing it.


    However...


    These people were not admiring the mortal''s determination.


    They were somewhat baffled, wondering is Foundation Establishment so difficult to break through that one could fail 999 times in succession?


    Logically, the more one fails at Foundation Establishment, the narrower the Tao Foundation becomes, signifying that it can hold less Spiritual Energy. They didn''t dare imagine what a Tao Foundation would look like after failing more than nine hundred times, if it weren''t for the timely ''Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment''; probably, just using a low-grade Yellow Level Spell would completely deplete the Spiritual Energy in the Tao Foundation, if it could be released at all.


    It was unexpected that by a stroke of misfortune, one would gain ''Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment''. Seeing these four characters, many in Da Xia Country cast envious glances toward Fufeng City.


    If they had known that failing at Foundation Establishment 999 times would grant them Heavenly Dao Foundation, they would''ve tried it sooner. Now, some Qi Refinement Realm cultivators were also getting ideas, wondering if they too could receive this reward after 999 failed attempts.


    ''Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment'', as the name implies, is a Tao Foundation built on the principles of the Heavenly Dao.


    It''s only obtainable under extremely rare and special circumstances and can only be acquired during the breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Stage. Since the founding of Da Xia Country, very few had the Heavenly Dao Foundation. Without exception, those who had it were the anomalies among prodigies. The last famous cultivator to receive it was a Sword Cultivator, but he is already dead.


    The benefits of the Heavenly Dao Foundation are simple and brutal.


    The foundations are extremely stable.


    Whether it''s the speed of absorbing Spiritual Energy or the sturdiness of the Tao Foundation during battle, it''s several times stronger than a regular Foundation. Moreover, if one can later break through to the Golden Core Stage, the Golden Core formed on the Heavenly Dao Foundation will be far superior to a regular Golden Core.


    There''s another immensely powerful benefit ¨C the Heavenly Dao Foundation doesn''t require one to run a mental method; it can rotate on its own to absorb Spiritual Energy. Although it''s slower than running a mental method, this means that even while you''re sleeping, relieving yourself, or eating, your Tao Foundation is rotating to absorb Spiritual Energy and improve your Cultivation Progress.


    It''s essentially a means of production.


    ...


    When the Heavenly Dao Imperial Decree reached his ears, Chen Qiu discovered that the surrounding Spiritual Energy began to rush into his body uncontrollably. He wasn''t even running a mental method, but the Spiritual Energy rapidly filled his meridians.


    In the blink of an eye, they were full, and under his introspection, his Tao Foundation solidified quickly.


    In the blink of an eye.


    Foundation Establishment was successful.


    A Tao Foundation that was one hundred and ten centimeters wide and one hundred centimeters tall rooted itself atop his Dantian. The whole Tao Foundation was white jade in appearance, with faint golden Liu Guang flowing over its surface. It was this unremarkable golden Liu Guang that made the entire Tao Foundation look extraordinary.


    The names of the entries he possessed were neatly engraved on the surface of the Tao Foundation.


    He hadn''t prepared any Foundation Establishment Pills that could enhance the quality and success rate of Foundation Establishment, nor had he prepared any heavenly materials or earthly treasures. Logically speaking, his should have been a standard centimeter Tao Foundation.


    But because he possessed an entry that could slightly enhance Foundation Establishment quality, his Tao Foundation''s width reached one hundred and ten centimeters.


    At this moment, the Tao Foundation was slowly rotating, trying to draw in the Spiritual Energy from the outside world.


    But...


    After turning for quite a while, it didn''t draw in a trace of Spiritual Energy.


    Mr. Chen, whose Cultivation had reached the Foundation Establishment Stage, was already able to release Spiritual Energy from his body. He could now fully utilize the power of a Yellow Level low-grade Spiritual Treasure, use Spells, and also sense the richness of the Spiritual Energy in the outside world.


    However, under his senses, the deep valley at this moment seemed to be completely devoid of Spiritual Energy.


    It was like a desert of Spiritual Energy, and an extremely barren one at that.


    When Mr. Chen slowly opened his eyes he saw Fat Long standing anxiously nearby, fidgeting restlessly.


    "My goodness, you''re finally awake,"


    Fat Long''s voice trembled slightly; his hands shaking as he handed over seven or eight Storage Bags to Mr. Chen, "The Spirit Stones are all here. I didn''t count them carefully, but there must be more than twenty thousand. What should we do next?"


    "If people find out about this, both our Divine Souls could be extracted by others!"


    "This is the first time I''ve seen someone think Spirit Stones are hot potatoes."


    Mr. Chen took the Storage Bags and tucked them all into his bosom. He got up and stretched his limbs to feel the strength brought by the first level of the Foundation Establishment Stage. For the first time in this world, he felt a slight sense of security and then couldn''t help but smile.


    Although he didn''t count them carefully, he was clear about how many Spirit Stones there were.


    29,970 Spirit Stones, if nothing unexpected happened.


    At this moment, he could now channel Spiritual Energy into the "Heaven Slaying" Spiritual Treasure long saber in his hand, unleashing the full power of this Spiritual Treasure.


    The width of his Tao Foundation currently stood at one hundred and ten centimeters.


    The demon beasts he had killed before Foundation Establishment weren''t included; otherwise, it would have been at least several thousand centimeters by now.


    Next, he only needed to do two things¡ª


    Buy a Spell to maximize his power, preferably one produced from the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm so that mastering it would be instantly successful. Then, purchase more supplementary items like talismans, Sound Transmission Stones, Pills, and so forth that could save his life and enhance his combat strength.


    Secondly, he needed to expand the width of his Tao Foundation as much as possible.


    To allow his Tao Foundation to contain more Spiritual Energy.


    In that way, he would genuinely possess a certain degree of influence in this world, or in other words... the right to live standing up.


    ...


    The "Thunder Summoning Technique" could only summon a bolt of Thunder from the Nine Heavens to attack the enemy. Using this mid-grade Yellow Level Spell at the first level of Foundation Establishment would often nearly deplete more than half of the Spiritual Energy in the body. But, if the Spiritual Energy in his Tao Foundation was abundant enough.


    Then it wouldn''t just be any Thunder Summoning Technique.


    It would be... "Hundred-mile Thunder Punishment," "Zero-Frame Strike," "Instant Kill on Exposure"!


    Having settled his mind, Mr. Chen, as previously agreed, took out a low-level talisman from his bosom. Upon channeling Spiritual Energy into it, a streak of red light shot from the depths of the valley straight into the sky!


    He had purchased this low-level talisman in the market at Heaven''s Inquiry Town. It was very cheap, costing only one tael of silver. He had casually bought ten of them at Zhao''s Shop when he couldn''t afford a Sound Transmission Stone, and under those circumstances, it was a better choice for communicating information.


    When the two of them were retrieved by the bearded burly man and brought back to the edge of the crevice above the valley.


    The scholar sitting cross-legged on the ground looked at the two with a complex expression and after a long while, asked hoarsely, "Mr. Chen, what were you doing down there?"


    "Is Mr. Chen the same person mentioned in the Heavenly Dao Decree, the mortal near Fufeng City who failed Foundation Establishment nine hundred ninety-nine times?"


    "The Spiritual Energy here is already sparse, and all the Spiritual Energy within tens of miles has been absorbed by the valley below you. The commotion you''ve caused is no smaller than someone breaking through to the Golden Core Stage."


    He suddenly felt that Mr. Chen''s claim to be the Young Master of some hidden clan outside of Da Xia Country might not have been a lie.


    To cause such a commotion, one must either be breaking through to the Golden Core Stage or must be using a mental method to draw in Spiritual Energy.


    A mental method capable of causing such a scene would have to be at least of the high-grade Xuan level. He had never heard of anyone in Da Xia Country possessing such a method; they were the stuff of legends recorded in history books.


    Such an existence isn''t something a mere mortal could come across by chance. If it wasn''t for the deep heritage passed down by a great family, the chances of a Qi Refinement Realm mortal possessing such a thing would be hardly better than the chance of getting a Seven-colored entry on the first random entry in the Qi Refinement Realm.


    Oh, he''s not a Qi Refinement Realm mortal.


    Mr. Chen is now at the first level of the Foundation Establishment Stage.

 Chapter 29

    "It''s nothing."Chen Qiu didn''t explain much, just smiled and shook his head, "I must have been out for over a day, let''s head back to Wentian Market first."


    "A day?"


    The scholar shook his head, "Two days have passed already, and there are less than three days left until the ''challenge'' type Secret Realm in Fufeng City opens. The weather has been like this for several days now, with no sign of the sun rising."


    ... S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Soon¡ª


    The group quickly returned to Wentian Market. The scholar and his brother stayed at the old place, while Chen Qiu took Fat Long and the other person into the city alone.


    "Has it been two days already?"


    Chen Qiu furrowed his brow in confusion. To tell the truth, he really had lost his sense of time. These past two days, he felt like an assembly line robot continuously attempting Foundation Establishment and failing consistently, barely ever stopping.


    But...did this process take two days?


    Moreover, he originally didn''t feel tired or hungry, but when he found out he hadn''t closed his eyes for two days and nights, he suddenly felt somewhat tired, although not too intensely¡ªbut this sense of hunger...


    "I''m already at the Foundation Establishment Stage and still feeling hungry."


    "Of course."


    Fat Long said somewhat helplessly, "The Foundation Establishment Stage only extends life span. Compared to ordinary people, one has a full 200 years of life, enough to support a family. Many families with a Foundation Establishment just have one person at the Foundation Establishment Stage."


    "But it only extends life. It doesn''t break the need for worldly sustenance."


    "With the sky being this way for days, I also didn''t realize two days had passed. I only felt very tired. I didn''t expect it to have been so long."


    He looked up at the sky above Wentian Market. The market was built atop the highest point of Wentian Mountain Range, thousands of meters above the ground, where the spread of thousands of miles of dark clouds seemed to hang right above one''s head.


    "Speaking of the weather, it truly is bizarre. It gives a sense of security as if disaster could strike at any moment."


    These past two days, he was essentially doing one thing¡ª stuffing the endless Spirit Stones into his Storage Bag, his expressions fluctuating between excitement and fear throughout, leaving him no time to even think about sleep.


    "Let''s go."


    Chen Qiu shook his head, planning to come out again tomorrow to spend, "Let''s find a restaurant to fill up our stomachs, then get some sleep. We''ll talk tomorrow upon waking."


    "Alright, Brother Qiu, aren''t the two brothers coming?"


    "The scholar said he doesn''t like to enter Wentian Market. Probably has his reasons to avoid it, no need to worry about them."


    "Right."


    He looked at Fat Long with a somewhat peculiar expression, "Didn''t you use to call me Brother Chen Qiu? Why suddenly call me Brother Qiu?"


    "Cough..."


    Fat Long''s expression turned slightly serious and sincere, "Among two persons walking, the more proficient one becomes the master; once one is your master, he is like a father for life, and an elder brother is akin to a father. Now that you have reached the Cultivator status of the Foundation Establishment Stage, it''s only natural to call you Brother Qiu."


    "Sounds good."


    ...


    After casually finding an inn to eat something, Chen Qiu and the other found a nearby guesthouse and booked two rooms.


    Chen Qiu, though weary, simply washed up and then sat at the desk and poured himself a cup of hot tea to warm his stomach. His eyes closed tight as he went into introspection.


    A panel enshrouded in cloud and mist was slowly floating above his Foundation Establishment.


    Although the panel insisted on making a choice within ten breaths, as long one didn''t perform introspection to view it, it wouldn''t count towards the ten-breath time limit. This prevented the occurrence of a critical battle breakthrough where one didn''t have the time to introspect within and would miss the ten-breath window.


    ''Cultivation has greatly increased, officially stepping into the first layer of Foundation Establishment Phase.''


    ''Please choose one of the three random entries below within ten breaths.''


    1:


    ''Entry Name'': Power of the Nine Yins.


    ''Entry Level'': White.


    "Entry Effect": Has nine Yin Yin.


    2:


    "Entry Name": Late Bloomer.


    "Entry Level": Green.


    "Entry Effect": When you have less than ten years of life remaining, you will gain three random entries.


    3:


    "Entry Name": Focus Power.


    "Entry Level": Green.


    "Entry Effect": If you learn the ''Thunder Summoning Technique'' spell, the power of this spell will be increased by fifty percent.


    -


    Looking at the familiar panel inside him, Chen Qiu, who sat on the chair, was quite moved. Who could have imagined that just a few days ago, he was a young and robust lad toiling away at chopping wood, not even at the Qi Refinement Realm first layer.


    A mere mortal among mortals.


    And yet, a mere few days later, he had become a Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    In this somewhat chaotic world, he finally had a bit of confidence to call his own.


    Without much thought, he had chosen the third entry from the three before him.


    The first entry was purely a waste of one of his chances to choose. He was not a woman, so why would he randomly get this entry? Or could men also have this entry? What would that make him then, nine Yin one beef?


    He couldn''t even imagine what that situation would look like. Better keep that away from him.


    He actually quite liked the second entry; he liked any entry that could give him more entries, but the conditions to activate it were too tough. After his breakthrough to Foundation Establishment, he had a life span of 200 years, with over 170 years left.


    That meant to wait for this entry to be activated, at least another 160 years would have to pass, by which time the chrysanthemums would have long wilted.


    The third entry suited him best.


    It was his first time seeing an entry that provided an amplification bonus for a specific spell. Choosing this entry meant that you had to follow the path of a Magic Practitioner; otherwise, the entry would be in vain.


    This was perfect for him, as he was intending to follow the path of a Magic Practitioner. After all, with a Pink Entry like ''Dantian Expansion'' in hand, it would be a pure waste if he didn''t choose the path of a Magic Practitioner.


    Time to sleep.


    Even if the sky were falling down, that would be a problem for tomorrow after waking up.


    Exhausted to the limit, Chen Qiu stuffed the Storage Bag full of Spirit Stones under his pillow before he fell into a slumber, his right hand still clutching the handle of his knife.


    ...


    Dawn broke.


    Chen Qiu stumbled to the window of the guest room, slightly dazed. Dawn had finally arrived¡ªthe dark clouds overhead had dissipated in the night. Looking out of the window, the stone pavement was wet, indicating there must have been a heavy rain last night.


    After a simple wash, he got dressed and walked out of the guest room, only to find Fat Long already awake, standing outside the door waiting for him, with dark circles under his eyes that clearly showed a lack of sleep.


    "Didn''t sleep well?"


    "Mhm."


    ...


    On the main road of the Trade Area in District 7 of the Wentian Market, Chen Qiu and Fat Long began their shopping spree for the day.


    After 999 consecutive failures at Foundation Establishment, they had amassed a total of 29,970 Spirit Stones.


    This was an incredibly exaggerated number.


    One should understand that the vast majority of Loose Cultivators in the Foundation Establishment Stage didn''t have twenty or thirty Spirit Stones in their pockets. Some disciples from Major Sects or big families might have a few hundred Spirit Stones, and those with more might possess a couple of thousand Spirit Stones.


    But surely, no Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage walked around with tens of thousands of Spirit Stones in their pocket.

 Chapter 30

    ```If the Heavenly Dao hadn''t interrupted him by forcefully gifting him the "Heavenly Dao Foundation," he definitely wouldn''t have stopped after earning just that small amount. After all, something like the "Heavenly Dao Foundation" can''t be bought with Spirit Stones.


    It''s hard to say whether he made a profit or a loss.


    For instance, right now, as he was strolling on the main road, the Heavenly Dao Foundation within him was slowly rotating, automatically absorbing the Spiritual Energy from the air around him to gradually improve his Cultivation Progress.


    Although the speed was indeed a bit slow, it didn''t require him to close his eyes and meditate on his mental method, effectively allowing him to cultivate on autopilot.


    The concentration of Spiritual Energy in the Wentian Mountain Range wasn''t particularly rich, which should actually be considered common knowledge in the Cultivation World. Generally, places with rich Spiritual Energy were either Forbidden Lands or had already been claimed by major families and sects.


    It was unlikely for a marketplace to be situated in a place with rich Spiritual Energy.


    ...


    "First, I''ll change clothes."


    Chen Qiu had wanted to change out of the clothes that Fat Long had given him, which didn''t fit at all ¨C they were too loose, giving him a somewhat sloppy appearance.


    When the two of them walked out of a shop, they were completely transformed.


    They bought eight sets.


    All of them were made from high-quality material.


    One set cost two Spirit Stones, totaling sixteen Spirit Stones spent. Each of them took two sets, and they also brought along two sets for the scholar brothers.


    In reality, even the best materials were still mere mortal items and weren''t worth this price. However, each garment had a mini "dust prevention array" embroidered with "golden silk thread."


    The function was very simple ¨C it prevented the clothes from getting dusty.


    Beyond that, they had no other use.


    "Without this dust prevention array, these clothes would be worth at most 10 Silver!"


    Fat Long looked down and cautiously stroked the fabric of his new clothes, grumbling discontentedly, but the corners of his mouth couldn''t help but turn up; he really liked the material and workmanship. The design of the black and red robe suited his aesthetic very well, making even his big belly look imposing. The only issue was the excessive price.


    And it wasn''t very convenient for fighting.


    The damn shopkeeper even told him that people who buy this kind of clothes usually don''t get involved in fights themselves.


    But he couldn''t deny... it did look good.


    Chen Qiu chuckled softly without saying a word. He had picked out a green robe for himself and, walking around the ancient town after the rain, he felt as though he had stepped out of an ink painting. He found the dust prevention quite necessary ¨C it could keep blood from staining his clothes.


    He also bought for himself a quite expensive Jade Feather Fan, worth a whole Spirit Stone.


    With a flick of his hand.


    Tsk, it felt really good, much more comfortable than chopping wood.


    ...


    Continue to the next shop.


    "Shopkeeper, come out and serve your customers!"


    "Do you have any Sound Transmission Talismans? What''s the price?"


    Fat Long strode into "Zhao''s Commerce," the shop they had visited a few days before, and called out confidently. It had to be said, though the clothes were a bit overpriced, wearing them somehow boosted his confidence significantly.


    Having crossed over five months ago, he hadn''t felt this arrogant in a long time.


    Tsk, this feeling is really satisfying, much better than being a supplement in the Flower Offering Sect.


    The shopkeeper who attended to them was the same one as last time. Hearing the loud calls, he hurriedly came out from behind the counter, slightly stunned when he saw Fat Long and the others, recognizing them as the two who had bought the Mid-grade Heavenly Dao Retrospective Talisman a few days ago.


    Although he was somewhat surprised, he still maintained a warm smile, "Of course we have them. Zhao''s Commerce has stores throughout the whole Da Xia Country, and a must-have item like the Sound Transmission Talisman is certainly available."


    "Come this way, please."


    The shopkeeper led them to a corner of the shop. "These are Low-grade Sound Transmission Talismans, one Mother Talisman with seven Child Talismans, for use within ten miles. It costs one Spirit Stone and the Spiritual Energy within the talisman lasts for one year."


    "Next to it is the Mid-grade Sound Transmission Talisman, one Mother Talisman with fifty Child Talismans, for use within a hundred miles. The price is fifty Spirit Stones. This is generally for families or smaller sects."


    "The one on the top is the High-grade Sound Transmission Talisman, one Mother Talisman with three hundred Child Talismans, for use within three hundred miles. The price is three hundred Spirit Stones."


    The shopkeeper with slightly graying temples paused for a moment before tentatively saying, "High-grade Sound Transmission Talismans are usually used by sects with significant power to recall disciples who are traveling outside or to issue tasks."


    "All these Sound Transmission Talismans can be used for one year, after which you need to purchase them again."


    "Which type would the sirs like?"


    "How about that one? How much is it sold for?"


    Chen Qiu''s eyes turned toward the ring displayed at the top shelf of the stand, carefully placed in a half-open Jade Box. Next to the box was an information card displaying the name of the ring.


    ```


    "Sound Transmission Ring."


    "This?" Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The shopkeeper carefully took down the box and presented it to the two, explaining, "This is the Sound Transmission Ring, which is more convenient to use than the Sound Transmission Talisman, whether in terms of transmission speed or distance, it far surpasses the talisman."


    "It''s made by dividing a piece of extremely rare material, the ''Mother-child Stone,'' into several pieces: one Mother Ring and ten Child Rings."


    "Moreover, it can not only transmit sound but also images. It''s generally used by the core True Disciples of the Major Sects or the legitimate offspring of major families."


    "The price for a set is 1000 Spirit Stones."


    "There''s no limit to its use. As long as it''s not destroyed in battle or lost, it can be used indefinitely."


    "Hmm."


    Chen Qiu nodded slightly. Although he didn''t speak, it was clear that he favored the Sound Transmission Ring. Not to mention anything else, but in the midst of battle, speaking into a ring would definitely be much more convenient and faster than fishing out a Sound Transmission Talisman from one''s bosom.


    The price was a bit expensive, but since it could be used permanently, it was worth it.


    "Wrap this up for me, we''ll settle the bill together later."


    He glanced around, "Do you have any talismans or the like? Ones for preserving life, attacking, or perhaps for accelerating cultivation?"


    "Yes, yes, of course!"


    Even though the shopkeeper, who had white hair at his temples, had seen much of the world and was very knowledgeable, his cloudy eyes nevertheless shone with a keen light. Anyone who could afford the ''Sound Transmission Ring'' was surely the son of some major power, and the fact that he had come to buy it himself, without any family accompanying him, indicated that his authority was already considerable, capable of standing on his own.


    The power behind him must be significant. The Sound Transmission Ring had been on display in this shop for over a decade and wasn''t really intended to be sold because no local force within a hundred miles could afford such a thing.


    It was displayed here simply to demonstrate the strength of Zhao''s Commerce and to show that the price of the few Sound Transmission Talismans below was actually not expensive.


    He had encountered such sons of privilege in the Capital before, buying up talismans as if they were ordering wholesale for a business.


    It could be a big deal!


    "Right¡ª"


    Suddenly, something occurred to the shopkeeper. He pulled out two invitations and a list of auction items and handed them over: "There''s an annual auction event tonight at Wentian Marketplace. Many items are prepared for this year, and here are two reserved invitations. Would you be interested?"


    "Oh?"


    Chen Qiu took the list of auction items, and initially, he just skimmed it, but his gaze was quickly captured by an entry: "You''re actually auctioning off an entry at your auction event?"


    ''Entry Name'': Self-extinguishing root.


    ''Entry Level'': Green.


    ''Entry Effect'': Self-extinguish One Bull to acquire a random white or green entry, the more you have, the more random entries you''ll receive.


    "Of course."


    Pride written all over his face, the shopkeeper said, "After all, it''s the annual auction event of Wentian Marketplace. Many of the items indeed come from our Zhao''s Commerce. This entry is also from our Zhao''s Commerce. We have branches all over Da Xia Country."


    Chen Qiu had a rather strange look as he turned his head to glance at Fat Long.


    "Brother Qiu."


    With an expressionless face, Fat Long spoke word by word, "There are strangers here; save me some face. If it''s private, we''ll talk later."


    The shopkeeper, who was about to continue introducing his wares, suddenly looked cloudy-eyed and walked to a set of shelves, muttering, "How come there''s dust here that hasn''t been cleaned? I''ll wipe it off."


    After the shopkeeper left.


    With a serious expression, Fat Long turned to Chen Qiu, "Brother Qiu, you once said I was your benefactor. I don''t think this behavior quite matches repaying a drop of kindness with a gush of gratitude. What do you think?"


    "Don''t overthink it."


    After a slight cough, Chen Qiu spoke in a low voice, "I know, I just thought you might want it. Since you don''t, then forget it."


    "But... aren''t you going to think about it? There are nine random entries there."


    "Not everybody has this opportunity like you do."


    "Why not buy it first, and if you need it later, we can use it then?"


    ..


    PS: Those who are keeping up with this book at midnight today without any mishap are likely to be single, maybe you''re already lying in bed, with the phone plugged into the charger, lights off, ready to sleep.


    I feel sorry for you.


    Giving out 200 red packets of 0.52 to let you also have your own 520, search ''Xin Ge''s 520'' in Alipay for the red packet password.


    Those who are working in the fields, please be safe, and thank you for your hard work.

 Chapter 31

    "Impossible!!"Fat Long firmly shook his head, "Brother Qiu, rest assured, I absolutely won''t need to use this entry. Thanks for your kind intention, Brother Qiu. I appreciate the thought, but this entry should be kept for someone who needs it more."


    To tell the truth, he was often frustrated about why he was randomly assigned the Nine Ox Power entry, and because it was an Initial Entry, he hadn''t yet found a way to remove it.


    But since he had randomly gotten it, he gradually accepted the fact.


    Compared to castrating himself, he felt it was better to maintain the status quo.


    "Then it''s up to you."


    Chen Qiu did not say more, just glanced at the auction list. Many items indeed caught his interest, for instance, the green Entry, "self-extinguishing root." Although Fat Long couldn''t use it, he certainly could.


    This trash entry was perfect for him. As long as he triggered its Self-Destruction, it amounted to a full-force strike at crossing a Great Realm, equivalent to a first-layer Golden Core Stage full-force strike.


    This was truly a last-ditch effort.


    If someone didn''t possess Nine Ox Power or a similar entry, they definitely wouldn''t bid for this entry. After all, exchanging one''s sole "Bull Strength" for some random white or green entry seemed like a bad deal.


    If nothing unexpected happened, the price of this entry should not be too high. Perhaps he could even snag a bargain.


    "OK."


    He tucked the auction list along with two invitations inside his jacket, then turned to the shopkeeper and whispered, "Let''s go, let''s check out the talismans."


    ...


    Half an hour later.


    The two came out of the Zhao''s Commerce shop, with Fat Long''s face full of distress after having spent quite a few Spirit Stones there.


    The first were talismans.


    The "Summoning Thunder Talisman," an offensive talisman that could summon a Heavenly Thunder to attack the enemy, equivalent to a first-layer Foundation Establishment Stage full-force attack, priced at two Spirit Stones each.


    They bought 100.


    The "Golden Bell Talisman," a defensive talisman activated to form a Spiritual Energy shield around the user, capable of blocking a first-layer Foundation Establishment full-force attack, priced at four Spirit Stones each.


    They also bought 100.


    The "Light Wind Talisman," an escape talisman, on activation when plastered on the body, could significantly increase movement speed, priced at two Spirit Stones each.


    They bought 100 of these too.


    Just the talismans alone cost 800 Spirit Stones.


    "Damn, that''s expensive!"


    "This talisman master profession really makes a killing, doesn''t it?"


    Fat Long covered his food ring on his index finger, pain evident on his face: "If I had so many talismans now, I could dominate that small world we were in a few days ago, taking on a crowd single-handedly wouldn''t be a problem."


    Chen Qiu shook his head and chuckled without a word.


    The total loot from that small world added up to only 50 Spirit Stones, yet the talismans cost a total of 800 Spirit Stones. With such an arsenal, even a pig could run amok in the small world.


    He finally understood the battle style of those heirs from the aristocratic families of this world¡ªleading with a lavish spending spree.


    The advantage of talismans lies in their instant activation. Although their power is slightly inferior compared to spells of the same name and rank, they are advantageous because they don''t require the expenditure of the Spiritual Energy stored in the Dantian, needing only a small amount of Spiritual Energy to activate the talisman.


    The higher the level of the talisman, the more Spiritual Energy it requires to activate.


    For example, a Foundation Establishment Stage spell like "Thunder Summoning Technique" allows most cultivators at the first layer of Foundation Establishment Stage to cast it only four to five times before their internal Spiritual Energy is nearly depleted, but if using "Summoning Thunder Talismans," one could use over a hundred before depleting the internal Spiritual Energy.


    In such a fight,


    one could use one''s rear end to figure out who would win.


    ... sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He only bought some talismans whose power was equivalent to a first-layer Foundation Establishment Stage full-force attack. Defensive talismans were a bit more expensive than offensive ones and were also rarer, reportedly because defensive talismans require a higher stability, making their manufacturing process more complex.


    The more powerful the talisman, the more expensive it would be.


    For example, an attack-type talisman equivalent to a full-strength strike at the ninth level of the Foundation Establishment Stage had a selling price as high as 300 Spirit Stones, which was enough to buy a set of high-quality Sound Transmission Talismans.


    For him, the cost-effectiveness was very low.


    If he really encountered a situation that required such a method, why would he use any talisman? He would just unleash a full-strength strike from the first level of the Golden Core Stage using his self-destruction term, and that would be far superior to any talisman.


    However, he also asked if there were any Golden Core Stage talismans available, and the answer was no. Such talismans belonged to an extremely rare category, and no shop in any city of Wentiang had them.


    Besides talismans.


    They also purchased some odds and ends.


    Like three high-quality Storage Rings, which had much more space than a Storage Bag and were more convenient to access while being easier to wear and having little risk of loss. Even if lost, it would take quite an effort to break into a blood-bound Storage Ring.


    Unlike Storage Bags, which anyone who finds can use.


    But the price was not cheap.


    300 Spirit Stones each.


    Apart from that, they also bought a bunch of miscellaneous items, which cost another 300 Spirit Stones. After a lavish spending spree, the total amount spent was 3617 Spirit Stones.


    Chen Qiu felt the massive pile of Spirit Stones inside his index finger''s Storage Ring and couldn''t help but shake his head and laugh.


    After a reckless shopping spree.


    There were still 26,356 Spirit Stones in the Storage Ring.


    The odd change hadn''t even been spent, almost giving the feeling that the money was unending; this amount should be enough for him to push forward to the Golden Core Stage.


    Next, the two of them left Wentiang, gave a Sound Transmission Ring to each of the scholar brothers, and handed over a Storage Bag containing 3500 Spirit Stones and several sets of clothes, gave some instructions, and then returned to Wentiang.


    ...


    "Sound Transmission Ring."


    The scholar, seated cross-legged on the ground, watched as Chen Qiu and his companion gradually disappeared down the path before he looked down at the Sound Transmission Ring in his hand and seemed to think of something, chuckling suddenly after a long while.


    This was no cheap item; ordinary people couldn''t afford this thing. This set was worth 1000 Spirit Stones.


    When he was at the pinnacle of his life, known as the number one Sword Cultivator in Da Xia, he naturally didn''t lack Spirit Stones to buy Sound Transmission Rings, but the calamitous final battle which nearly cost him his life made him flee in defeat, abandoning everything.


    Which included the Sound Transmission Ring he once possessed.


    He shook the Spirit Stones totaling 3100 inside his Storage Bag and, after a long silence, softly said, "This Mr. Chen is quite generous."


    Mr. Chen had given him 3500 Spirit Stones, including 500 Spirit Stones as monthly pay, from which he returned 400. The 500 Spirit Stones as a monthly payment felt really difficult to accept; they, the two brothers, almost had no attack methods, not worth the price.


    If he accepted the 500 Spirit Stones as monthly payment, he would feel as if he couldn''t raise his head when facing Mr. Chen. A hundred Spirit Stones a month was more than sufficient, far exceeding the monthly income of over ninety percent of Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators.


    He knew well that this money was his ransom. Although Mr. Chen didn''t say it, since he had taken this money, he was definitely going to ensure it paid off its intended value.


    At least in case...


    Should his reputation be mentioned again in the future, people might praise him for upholding his commitments.


    It wasn''t that there were no retainers who had run away with their master''s Spirit Stones, but their reputations were often very bad.


    If Mr. Chen really proved reliable, he could entrust his life to Mr. Chen, only hoping Mr. Chen would take good care of his younger brother after his death. In his life, there were only two matters he cared about.


    The first thing was how people in the world spoke of him.


    The second was his younger brother.


    Heavenly Dao Jade was not sold in Wentiang Market but was available only in one place.


    "Heavenly Dao Pavilion."


    Thousands of miles away from here.


    "I need to make a trip."


    The scholar sat on the ground, gazing at the clouds on the horizon, murmuring to himself, his fingers twitched slightly, and a flash of blue light shot out from his sleeve directly toward the clouds to the east, disappearing into the horizon in the blink of an eye.

 Chapter 32

    After giving the two scholarly brothers some instructions on minor matters, Chen Qiu returned to area 8 of the Asking Heaven Market, the "Demon Beast Area," and once again purchased a large batch of demon beasts. Just like last time, he instructed the shopkeeper to severely wound them before delivering them to a certain inn.Although his strength was already completely capable of dealing with these Qi Refinement realm demon beasts.


    He tried to avoid troubling himself with things that could be handled by others.


    ...


    Spending less than 200 spirit stones, Chen Qiu and his companion watched from a guest room in an inn as the demon beast shop''s shopkeeper, with an uncontrollable smile, continuously brought in large batches of demon beasts.


    They filled three whole guest rooms.


    "Here."


    Chen Qiu sat on a wooden chair, poured himself a cup of cold tea, and said nonchalantly to the side where Fat Long was standing, "What are you dazed about? Helping you break through your cultivation for less than 200 spirit stones is quite a bargain."


    Yes.


    The breakthrough in the Qi Refinement stage of cultivation was just that simple, provided you could find a large cluster of Qi Refinement stage demon beasts and had the strength to kill them or enough spirit stones to buy the severely wounded ones, building a foundation in a single day was a simple matter.


    But either way, it had nothing to do with ordinary people.


    Not to mention the 200 spirit stones required for someone like Fat Long to break through from the seventh level of Qi Refinement stage to the Foundation Establishment stage, even the thirty spirit stones needed to move from the third level of the Qi Refinement realm to the seventh level were beyond what most Qi Refinement cultivators could afford.


    Many cultivators at the Qi Refinement stage were quite poor.


    Or rather, the logic should be reversed.


    It''s not that the Qi Refinement stage is poor; rather, those who stay in the Qi Refinement stage are poor. Those with even a small amount of savings would have already established their foundation, as only with Foundation Establishment can one truly step into the threshold of cultivation.


    As long as you have 300 spirit stones, you can go from the first level of the Qi Refinement stage to the first level of the Foundation Establishment stage in a day.


    The breakthrough in the Qi Refinement stage of cultivation was just that simple.


    After breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage, the progress of cultivation would slow down significantly. At this point, killing Qi Refinement stage demon beasts no longer increased cultivation progress, and adult demon beasts at the Foundation Establishment stage were essentially not for sale, as such beasts could not be bred in mass through human efforts; one had to find them in the wild.


    They were hard to kill and, even if one managed to kill one, the increase in cultivation progress was minimal, which was the most headache-inducing part.


    The mainstream methods for enhancing cultivation at this stage relied on two types.


    The first type involved possessing a sufficiently good mental method and finding a place with dense spiritual energy, then cultivating the mental method in seclusion daily seeking breakthroughs.


    The second type relied on persisting with pills.


    Just like his Heavenly Dao Foundation, which had been rotating automatically from last night to now for almost half a day, but his cultivation progress hadn''t increased at all, not even filling his Dantian with spiritual energy.


    After his Foundation Establishment stage, the spiritual energy inside his Dantian was half empty, not yet full.


    "Alright, alright."


    Chen Qiu, a bit reluctant to see Fat Long''s grateful expression, waved his hand, "Start quickly, don''t delay."


    ...


    Soon¡ª


    The guest room entered a state of noisy silence.


    Fat Long, holding a butcher knife, went "crack, crack" with each beast.


    Chen Qiu sat cross-legged on the bed, holding spirit stones, absorbing the spiritual energy within them.


    Finally.


    An hour later.


    When Chen Qiu opened his eyes again, the guest room was in complete disarray, and Fat Long was nowhere to be seen. He frowned and looked down at a few shattered spirit stones on the bed, as he had just consumed three spirit stones to replenish the spiritual energy in his Dantian.


    It wasn''t that the consumption was too much.


    But the absorption was too slow.


    It had taken him an entire hour just to absorb all the spiritual energy from those three spirit stones.


    His current Foundation Establishment was of a width of 110 centimeters and a height of 100 centimeters with Heavenly Dao Foundation enhancement. Even with the Heavenly Dao Foundation''s enhancement, the absorption was still slow, which meant his Foundation Establishment couldn''t accommodate much spiritual energy.


    After he attended the auction tonight and went out tomorrow to hunt demon beasts, increasing his Foundation width to several hundred centimeters or even a thousand centimeters.


    Did that mean that every time he replenished the spiritual energy in his Dantian, it would take nearly ten hours?


    What about when it reached ten thousand centimeters or even a hundred thousand centimeters?


    Would it take a month to fill his Dantian with spiritual energy?


    Such a long time was enough for his enemies to decimate his Nine Tribes three or four times!


    "This won''t do..."


    Chen Qiu shook his head and muttered, "I need to find a better mental method."


    The strength of the Heavenly Dao Foundation was linked to the mental method; if the mental method was too weak, then the Heavenly Dao Foundation couldn''t play too big a role. His current mental method was just a mid-grade Yellow Level, still insufficient for his needs.


    He took out the auction item list from his bosom, scanned it a few more times, and indeed saw a mental method auction item on the last page.


    The supreme mental method of the Foundation Establishment stage, "Seven Lamps Awakening the World".


    In reality, it was merely a top-tier Yellow Level mental method, which is just a half-slang term used in Jianghu to classify cultivation techniques and spiritual treasures, whereas the official terms grouped them as¡ª


    Qi Refinement Realm, Foundation Establishment Stage, Golden Core Stage, and so on.


    A top-tier mental method during the Foundation Establishment Stage is the one best suited for cultivators at that stage, being the strongest among them, and it remains highly effective even up to the Golden Core Stage.


    Furthermore.


    There was another item in the auction list that he was determined to acquire.


    The Mid-grade Thunder Summoning Technique during the Foundation Establishment Stage, which perfectly complemented his entry, "Focus Power." This spell was a great fit for him.


    This type of spell was actually quite common; Zhao''s Commerce shops even sold it, and it was not expensive.


    It could be bought for just 2 spirit stones; bargaining might bring it down to one spirit stone, especially since it was a copy and genuinely had no significant cost. If you have some friends, getting a friend who practices this spell to make a free copy for you might be no problem at all.


    But the "Thunder Summoning Technique" at the auction was a product of the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm; once learned, it would instantly be at a highly accomplished stage, naturally making it extraordinary and no mere trifle.


    Moreover, there were also two mid-grade "Heavenly Dao Retrospective Talismans" in the auction list appropriate for use during the Foundation Establishment Stage, and he needed these too. Many items at this auction were things he really wanted, all of them valuable.


    Only through the shopkeeper did he learn about the "Heavenly Dao Retrospective Talisman," which could only be used twice per great realm. He had already used two low-grade "Heavenly Dao Retrospective Talismans" during his Qi Refinement stage. By obtaining this mid-grade "Heavenly Dao Retrospective Talisman," he could take all entries when breaking through a small realm during Foundation Establishment if the three random entries he received were all good.


    Chen Qiu was sitting cross-legged on the bed studying the auction list, pondering how to arrange the next few days, when Fat Long entered with a grim expression.


    The uncontrollable aura of the Foundation Establishment Stage that seeped from him was a sign that his realm had just broken through and was not yet stable.


    "Congratulations,"


    Chen Qiu put away the auction list he held, stood up, and walked over to the table; he filled his cup with cool tea again, looked towards Fat Long, and said smilingly, "How does it feel to be at Foundation Establishment Stage? Why the long face? Surely the three random entries you got aren''t all trash?"


    "Hmm."


    Fat Long sat down on the wooden chair with a bitter face and began guzzling cool tea from the teapot directly to his mouth. The initial entries had been trash, which was agonizing enough, and he had reluctantly come to accept this, harboring a hopeful anticipation for the "three choices" entries upon reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    However...


    It seemed like God was playing a joke on him.


    Just thinking of the three random entries he got upon breaking through brought a surge of desire to smash his head and die!!!


    -


    "Cultivation has greatly improved, officially stepping into the first layer of the Foundation Establishment Stage."


    "Please choose one of the three random entries below within ten breaths."


    1:


    "Entry Name": Yama''s personal decree.


    "Entry Level": Grey.


    "Entry Effect": You will definitely die one year from now, but you absolutely will not die within this year.


    2:


    "Entry Name": Prodigy.


    "Entry Level": Grey.


    "Entry Effect": Any progress you make in cultivation will be ten times faster and without any bottlenecks, but you can only live to be 25 years old, with no means to extend your life.


    3:


    "Entry Name": Hundred Percent Accuracy.


    "Entry Level": White.


    "Entry Effect": Any female of the same race who shares a room with you will definitely become pregnant afterwards.


    ...


    "I am 24 years old this year, and in thirty days it will be my birthday, officially turning 25."


    Fat Long''s face was nearly filled with despair as he spoke with a trembling, sobbing voice, "If I choose the first entry, I''ll die next year. If I choose the second entry, I''ll die as soon as winter begins in thirty days. Do these ''three choices'' even give me a chance to choose?"


    "Only the third entry won''t end in death, but what the hell is the use of the third entry!!!"


    "I came to cultivate!!!"


    "Not to have babies!!!"


    "Relax..." Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chen Qiu patted Fat Long on the shoulder with a complex expression, struggling to find words of comfort, and after a long pause, he finally managed to say, "Maybe there''s some pink entry that makes ''the more children you have, the stronger you become.''"


    "I have already thought of a name for this pink entry, ''More children, more blessings.''"


    "There are also other ways to obtain entries, such as through the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm and auctions. There is still hope in the future."


    "Consider this entry as a free pick for now; relax, don''t rush."


    "It will get better."

 Chapter 33 What is the Meaning of Cultivation?

    It must be said, Fat Long was quite adept at adjusting his mood, quickly recovering from his emotions and seriously pondering whether there were other uses for the white entry.There was no such thing as a completely useless white entry.


    Even his trashy white entry of "Nine Ox Power" could easily be exchanged for nine random entries through the green entry "self-extinguishing root," if he wished.


    Soon, Fat Long thought of something and said thoughtfully, "Brother Qiu, what do you think if I went around all the brothels in Da Xia and freed all the lost women there?"


    "Once these girls are pregnant, the brothels definitely won''t keep them, right? Maybe they''ll all just take a break? Then if I open my own brothel at that time, isn''t that a monopoly kill?"


    "..."


    After a long silence and without any expression, Chen Qiu gently patted Fat Long''s shoulder and said, "The girls who become pregnant are more likely to become a turnover pearl than take a break. Stop thinking about these unrealistic things and let''s go to the auction now."


    ...


    The two of them walked one after the other on the main road of the trading area in Zone 7 of Wentian Pavilion market. It was still early, and the auction wouldn''t start for another couple of hours, yet the streets were already populated with many pedestrians.


    This auction was hosted by Wentian Pavilion market and occurred annually.


    It gathered many fine treasures prepared by shops in Wentian Pavilion market in recent days, including many treasures not usually seen, and just two days later, the "challenge" type Heavenly Dao Secret Realm would open in Fufeng City.


    Many Loose Cultivators and disciples from various major sect families had temporarily gathered in Wentian Pavilion market.


    After the auction, a two-day rest would fit perfectly for attending the soon-to-open Heavenly Dao Secret Realm in Fufeng City.


    Chen Qiu wandered around the streets casually, occasionally buying some appealing items. Before they knew it, a couple of hours had passed, and the auction was about to commence.


    ...


    The auction was located in a three-story low-rise building in the center of Area 7 of Wentian Pavilion market, named "Wentian Pavilion." It was not usually open, only during the annual or quarterly auctions held by Wentian Pavilion market.


    It opened only five times a year, each time packed with people.


    Many powers within a hundred miles would send representatives, even if not to bid on anything, just to experience the sight, which was rare on regular days.


    With an invitation letter, Chen Qiu had unobstructed access into the grand hall of the auction and found wooden benches marked with their numbers, a total of a thousand chairs filled the hall.


    The space was indeed large, with most seats already occupied at that time.


    The first and second floors were connected, and looking up, one could see the third-floor floor. The second floor was just a ring of private rooms built around the upper perimeter of the hall to accommodate guests, with about thirty or so private rooms in total.


    Shortly after taking their seats, they saw the Shopkeeper from Zhao''s Commerce of Wentian Pavilion market hustling over with a bowed posture, speaking in a low, respectful voice, "Mr. Chen, all the private rooms are booked. It''s a bit difficult to arrange, but we can''t possibly have you stay in the hall."


    "Fortunately, I still have some friends in Wentian Pavilion market. I''ve managed to find you a private room, Heavenly No. 7 room. Please excuse us," he said.


    "Please follow me."


    Mr. Chen had spent thousands of Spirit Stones in his shop, qualifying as a VIP. Such guests must be well-maintained, as Zhao''s Commerce, although spread throughout Da Xia Country, was not the only one. Maintaining such a VIP would significantly increase the annual sales of their Wentian Pavilion market shop.


    His position could be promoted again soon.


    "Hmm."


    Chen Qiu nodded and stood up, gesturing for the shopkeeper to lead the way. He didn''t refuse since indeed, making bids in the main hall was a bit too conspicuous.


    ...


    After the two of them took their seats in the "Heavenly Character 7" private room on the second floor, two maids dressed in wine-red sheer gauze quickly came in, carrying fruit platters. They carefully crouched beside the two men and then delicately picked up fruits with their slender jade hands and fed them to the men.


    Chen Qiu casually glanced at the two maids ¡ª they were just beautiful skeletons but admittedly good-looking ones. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The gauze on their bodies was as thin as cicada wings, and they wore nothing else, making the room''s dim lighting, illuminated only by a few flickering oil lamps on the walls, slightly more obscure.


    In the swaying light and shadows, that barely-there gauze added quite a flavor.


    And in a corner of the room, another woman also draped in wine-red gauze and cradling a pipa was kneeling softly, playing a tune with an additional white face veil that gave her a purer appearance.


    The private room was walled on three sides, and directly in front, a small formation had been set up. They could clearly see the scene of the main hall and the auction podium below, yet the people below couldn''t look up and see them, which provided some privacy.


    Chen Qiu wasn''t paying attention to the maids; although they were pretty, they were just beautiful skeletons after all. He currently had no interest in such distractions, as chopping wood for a month had obliterated all his other thoughts.


    Right now, he just wanted to become stronger, strong enough to live a dignified life.


    Although he felt nothing for these beautiful skeletons, he knew that if he hadn''t already advanced to the Foundation Establishment Stage and if his pockets weren''t filled with spirit stones, he wouldn''t even dream of enjoying this kind of life.


    For him, the purpose of cultivation was simple¡ªto survive.


    To live a dignified life.


    And now, the melodious sound of the pipa behind him also gradually became more plaintive, as if narrating the tragic story of a child who had left home at an early age, living a lonely and miserable life under others'' roofs.


    And at this moment¡ª


    The auction below hadn''t officially started yet; many people were sitting in their seats and chatting with one another. Some were acquaintances who had just not had the time to gather together, each busy with their own affairs, and were using this opportunity to catch up properly.


    Others came in groups, discussing together, and it seemed they were already prepared to bid on some goods.


    Most of the rest were more or less there for the excitement; items appearing in the auction were usually quite rare and not cheap, and not many could afford to buy them.


    There were also those who were genuinely interested in a particular treasure but didn''t have enough spirit stones. They came hoping against hope to see if they could snag a bargain.


    A thousand people, a thousand faces.


    Everyone had their own thoughts.


    Among them were several Foundation Establishment strong ones, their gazes dark and secretive as they swept over every individual present, searching for easy yet lucrative targets to strike. Foundation strong ones had several ways to earn spirit stones, provided they were not at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment.


    Of course, some of the Foundation strong ones preferred the methods that involved plundering to earn spirit stones.

 Chapter 34

    As an elder with a face full of age and wrinkles ascended the auction stage, the venue immediately quieted down."Bang."


    The auction hammer in his hand tapped the square table on the stage like a gavel, and soon five women in cheongsam with veils covering their faces filed out from behind the stage, each holding a mahogany tray.


    Covered with a layer of red cloth on top.


    The elder walked up to the first woman, whipped off the red cloth, and with a casual wave of his right hand, spiritual energy in the air strikingly formed several lines of large characters.


    "The first auction item."


    "Spiritual Treasure, Mid-grade Foundation Establishment Stage Alchemy Furnace ''Eight Trigrams Pill Furnace,'' using this furnace to refine pills will result in a higher success rate."


    "Starting bid 20 Spirit Stones, each increase must be no less than 10 Spirit Stones."


    Just the casual display of skill had already proven his strength. Such control of spiritual energy, practiced to this fine degree, must be at least at the seventh level of the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Barely short of the existence at the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment.


    As long as one had sufficient lifespan, it was almost a certainty to break through to the Great Realm and become a Golden Core Great Power.


    A Mid-grade Foundation Establishment Stage Alchemy Furnace, according to Jianghu slang, is actually a Yellow Level Mid-grade Spiritual Treasure. A Yellow Level Mid-grade Spiritual Treasure isn''t worth much, worth only about 50 Spirit Stones, and doesn''t even qualify for the auction.


    But this Spiritual Treasure is an Alchemy Furnace, so its price is a different story.


    An Alchemy Furnace of this sort of Spiritual Treasure is extremely difficult to craft and its price is several times higher than that of another Spiritual Treasure of the same level.


    Very quickly¡ª


    many people started to call out their bids.


    "50 Spirit Stones!"


    "60 Spirit Stones!"


    "100 Spirit Stones!"


    In the end, a middle-aged man in the hall stood up, held up his number board and called out a high bid of 200 Spirit Stones, securing this first auction item. This price was about right; after all, an Alchemist is a money tree, and the Alchemy Furnace is the Alchemist''s bread and butter, so naturally, the price wouldn''t be low.


    However, not a single person in the private rooms made a bid. Those who could sit in the private rooms generally had their own backing, and training an Alchemist was something they were already doing. Thus, a Mid-grade Foundation Establishment Alchemy Furnace was a bit beneath their notice.


    They weren''t here for these initial auction items. The real highlights were yet to come.


    ...


    Chen Qiu, too, gazed somewhat listlessly down at the auction stage, showing little interest in the several items that had come up, whether they were for alchemy or talisman making, as he had no thoughts about either of these two arts.


    Until¡ª


    When the fifth auction item was unveiled, Chen Qiu sat up straight, finally finding something he wanted.


    "The fifth auction item."


    "Entry Jade Slip, green entry ''Self-Extinguishing Root,'' sacrifice one organ to receive a random white or green entry. The more sacrificed, the more entries received."


    "Starting bid 50 Spirit Stones, each bid must increase by 10 Spirit Stones."


    "500 Spirit Stones!"


    Chen Qiu picked up the Sound Transmission Talisman from the table next to him, channeled spiritual energy into it, and whispered his bid, and as his voice reached the expanse of the hall, it was automatically disguised to sound like an old man.


    This entry had the same meaning to him as a full-strength strike from someone at the first level of the Golden Core Stage; 500 Spirit Stones was absolutely appropriate.


    The power of a talisman equivalent to a full-strength strike of a ninth level Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator was 300 Spirit Stones. As for the price of one equivalent to a full-strength strike of someone at the first level of the Golden Core Stage, he wasn''t sure, but it was definitely not less than 1000 Spirit Stones.


    After all, the gap between the Golden Core Stage and the ninth level of the Foundation Establishment Stage was too vast; they were not on the same level.


    ...


    The elder looked up at the second floor, and after seeing the flash of red light from the jade embedded outside the Heavenly Number 7 private room, picked up the auction hammer and lightly tapped it on the square table, "Heavenly Number 7 bids 500 Spirit Stones."


    He then swept his gaze over the audience, and seeing no one raise their number board, he continued.


    "500 Spirit Stones for the first time!"


    ...


    The crowd in the hall also discussed with odd expressions on their faces. It wasn''t surprising that someone would spend 500 Spirit Stones on a green entry as entry jade slips were extremely rare in the market. Any that made it to the market, if not utterly worthless, could easily sell for over two thousand Spirit Stones.


    But...


    Would someone qualified to sit in the Heavenly Number 7 private room use this entry?


    Or was it intended for use by someone below them? In that case, it would make sense.


    ...


    In the crowd of the hall, a young man was looking at the middle-aged man beside him with an urgent expression and anxiously said, "Master, what are you hesitating for? Bid! BID!!!"


    "I''m telling you, this entry is absolutely priceless to you, let alone 500 spirit stones, even if it''s 2000 spirit stones, you must buy it!"


    After pondering for a moment, the middle-aged man still didn''t raise his bidding placard. Meanwhile, the auctioneer had already started the first call for 500 spirit stones, and the middle-aged man looked worriedly at the young man beside him.


    "Venerable Liu, it''s not that I don''t trust you, but you know my Initial Entry is ''Nine Ox Power.''"


    "Indeed, this entry could grant me eight random entries, but they would only be random white or green entries at best. Whether their effects are beneficial to me is still unknown, and even if they are, it''s very difficult for me to break through to the Golden Core Stage. If I can''t make the breakthrough, earning back so many spirit stones will be difficult."


    His name was Wang Tiedan, fifty-six years of skeletal age, a third-layer Foundation Establishment stage cultivator. He started from scratch and formed his own small family, a small Foundation Establishment family in a place hundreds of miles away from Fufeng City. Although they didn''t have many big businesses, they managed to earn a profit of more than two hundred spirit stones each year.


    Life was also considered comfortable.


    Until a year ago, when he met this young man who was said to have fled from a village ransacked by mountain bandits. Out of kindness, he took him in and gradually discovered that this man named Liu Zide had a very clever mind.


    He often spoke of new ideas which Wang had never heard of before.


    Terms like market operations, industry barriers, omnichannels, endorsement harvesting, and the like.


    He gave Wang quite a few suggestions, and with the young man''s help, his business grew steadily larger. Winter was approaching this year, and it was estimated that the net profit would amount to 500 spirit stones¡ªan amount equating to double the annual earnings.


    He officially employed the young man as a family retainer, serving as a strategist, and providing counsel and strategies on a daily basis.


    He had hardly ever been wrong.


    This time, after Venerable Liu saw the list of auction items for the annual Wentiang Fang Market auction, he insisted that Wang bring all the spirit stones that the family could mobilize. They traveled for five days just to reach Wentiang Fang Market in time for the auction, all for the sake of the green entry ''Self-Extinguishing Root.''


    "Master, you''re being foolish!!!"


    Seeing the second call at 500 spirit stones was about to end, the young man urged with an anxious tone, "Master, can''t you change your way of thinking? Who told you that buying this entry was just to enhance your strength?"


    "Let me ask you, if someone stood in the Wentiang Fang Market now saying they possessed both ''Nine Ox Power'' and ''Self-Extinguishing Root'' and were about to perform a live carv, with everyone watching what random entries they might get, do you think people would want to see that?"


    "Of course, they''d want to see it!"


    "That''s human nature! What''s at the deepest part of human nature? It''s the gambling urge. Rationality restrains most people as much as possible, but watching others gamble also provides a thrilling sense of excitement."


    "Wouldn''t it be fair to charge 1 spirit stone for a ticket to see such an exciting show?"


    "We''re just setting up such a spectacle. Now, with the annual Wentiang Fang Market auction and the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm in Fufeng City, there will surely be a large number of cultivators gathering in Fufeng City in the coming days. The timing and conditions are perfect. For those sect family descendants, paying 1 spirit stone for such a rare spectacle is a bargain!"


    "1 spirit stone isn''t much for them, but they won''t have another chance to see such a show again."


    "As long as we can advertise and attract 3000 spectators, that would be 3000 spirit stones. If there are 5000 spectators, that would directly net us 5000 spirit stones!"


    "Leave the operation to me; I''m confident we''re going to make a killing!"


    "We''re going to start a groundbreaking live broadcast of Bull Cutting in Fufeng City!"


    "Those with less money can watch real-time through the ''Mother-child Realm'' from the outside, paying 1 tael of silver, while those slightly wealthier can watch from the rooftops around for a better view, costing them 10 taels of silver. For those sect family descendants, we''ll arrange the closest seats for real-time viewing, charging 1 spirit stone!" S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "In Da Xia Country, there''s really no entertainment. With the natural inclination to watch lively scenes, the number of people coming will certainly not be small."


    "Master, trust me, just win this entry, and I can promise you a brand-new tomorrow!"


    "And you don''t have to worry about losing face, Master. We''re 800 miles from our main base, and after we make a profit here, we''ll head home. Once we''re back at our main base, no one will know about this!"


    Perhaps it was the young man''s excited fervor that touched the middle-aged man, or maybe it was his past achievements that made the middle-aged man quite trusting in him. In the end, just before the third call for 500 spirit stones was concluded,


    the middle-aged man stood up, raised his bidding placard, and shouted with a trembling voice, "1000 spirit stones!!!"


    "1200."


    Chen Qiu in the private room glanced down at the middle-aged man in the hall below and, after a moment of contemplation, raised the bid again. This was his bottom line; any higher would be unjustifiable. Buying an entry for self-destruction at such a price was a poor value for money.


    "1500 spirit stones!!!"


    Almost immediately after Chen Qiu finished speaking, the middle-aged man raised his bidding placard again, and with almost all his might, roared, "I bid 1500 spirit stones!!!"


    This was almost all his family had accumulated over the years, and for him, it was a high-stakes gamble.


    He could indeed become rich overnight, as Venerable Liu had said, but he might also lose everything in the blink of an eye.


    ...


    "..."


    Sitting in the private room, Chen Qiu shook his head slightly in disbelief; the price was getting absurd. He wasn''t going to bid any higher. 1500 spirit stones for such a green entry? Had they gone mad?


    The person bidding below couldn''t possibly have the ''Nine Ox Power'' entry as well, could they?


    Still, he was quite curious to see which entries this person could acquire with both ''Nine Ox Power'' and ''Self-Extinguishing Root'', although each cultivator''s entries were private and not easily revealed to others under normal circumstances.

 Chapter 35

    The auction continued in an orderly fashion, and Chen Qiu was not particularly interested in the next two items, thus he did not bid, until¡ª"The eighth item."


    "Heavenly Dao Terms, special entry, entry effect inheritable."


    "Starting bid 100 Spirit Stones, with each bid increment of 100 Spirit Stones."


    The moment the words of the elder on stage fell,


    Chen Qiu could clearly feel the whole hall instantly quiet down, while almost at the same time, lights in other private rooms on the second floor began to light up continuously.


    "800 Spirit Stones!"


    "1000 Spirit Stones!"


    "1300 Spirit Stones!"


    In the blink of an eye, the price surged from the starting bid of 100 Spirit Stones to 1300. The Wentian Market auctions always started with an arbitrary starting bid. A low starting price did not mean that the item was worth just that.


    Of course, there was almost no chance of obtaining it below its value. If the highest bid called out onsite was far below the actual value of the item, insiders of Wentian Market would simply bid themselves and bring it back for the next auction.


    ...


    The instant the eighth item was presented, it immediately ignited the enthusiasm of the entire venue. Many powers had come specifically for the "Heavenly Dao Terms." Who wouldn''t love a permanent entry that could be passed down?


    While it was a gamble, none who started from nothing and aspired to achieve something in this chaotic world would consider themselves anything less than the favored children of heaven.


    Meanwhile, the hall was buzzing with discussions.


    "This auction does have Heavenly Dao Terms for sale. Even though it was already listed in the catalog, it''s still exciting to see them in person. It''s not often that one gets a chance to witness such things."


    "Indeed, they say that the type of Heavenly Dao Secret Realm opening in Fufeng City in a few days might produce Heavenly Dao Terms as well. If one is lucky enough to obtain a Heavenly Dao Term in the Secret Realm, wouldn''t that mean striking it rich instantly?"


    "Thousands of Spirit Stones, truly enviable, alas, I haven''t finished paying off my Foundation Loan yet, so I don''t have the qualifications to enter the Secret Realm. Otherwise, I''d also like to try my luck in the Secret Realm."


    "Foundation Loan."


    It''s a type of loan provided by the Qian Family Bank of Da Xia, specifically designed for members of the government office who make more than 5 Spirit Stones a month, with a fixed amount of 300 Spirit Stones¡ªjust enough to advance swiftly from the first level of the Qi Refinement Realm to the first level of the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    To be eligible for such a loan, one must meet one criterion: a government office member with a monthly salary of over 5 Spirit Stones, and to fulfill this requirement, one must be at least at the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    For a Qi Refinement Cultivator to get a Foundation Loan, they must become a member of the Da Xia government office; otherwise, they cannot get the loan. But to become a member of the Da Xia government office, one must first reach the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    It seems like a vicious cycle, but in fact, as long as there''s a ''middleman'' to facilitate the process, taking apart the western bridge to cross to the east, then dismantling the eastern bridge to cross to the west, it''s feasible. The only downside is that until the loan is paid off, a whiff of Qi will remain in the Dantian.


    This Qi has only one function: preventing entry to any Secret Realm.


    After all, the death rate in Secret Realms is too high, and the Qian Family Bank does not wish for all their clients to fucking die in the Secret Realm.


    ...


    "Oh?"


    The man next to him, upon hearing this, paused slightly, envy flashing in his eyes: "It''s said that this year, Fufeng City''s government office recruited less than a hundred people in total. Could it be that you''re one of them? A monthly salary of 5 Spirit Stones, with no risk to life¡ªwhat a cushy job."


    "Sigh."


    The man who started speaking had a hint of pride on his face, but he let out a helpless sigh, "It''s just good luck that I had a benefactor pulling strings for me, but real life is still a mess."


    "I didn''t feel it before, but after joining the government office, one day my aunts are severely ill and need to borrow money, the next day my parents want to build an impressive large house in the village, and I have to maintain good relations with my colleagues, taking them out every now and then for a meal. Although the benefactor hasn''t said anything, you must show some gratitude, right?"


    "The childhood friends who used to hang out with you also come by from time to time asking you to drink, although they don''t explicitly say it, the implication is they''re hoping for a helping hand. My wife''s family brags everywhere they''ve found a good son-in-law, and whenever her relatives run into trouble, they also come to me for help, and it''s hard to refuse. If I refuse, it just bursts all the bubbles my father-in-law has been blowing."


    "If I don''t refuse, doesn''t everything I do now require Spirit Stones to pave the way?"


    "Every month, I also have to pay back the ''Foundation Establishment Loan''. My brother, you don''t know, although my Cultivation is much stronger than before and I have some confidence in Fufeng City, I really feel less carefree than I used to."


    "Sometimes I think, if I were alone, I might be able to strive for the Golden Core Stage, seeking the Golden Core Path!"


    "Although Demon Cultivators are denounced by everyone, I think their practice¡ª"


    "The day you step on the path to immortality, first kill your parents, then your children."


    "Really can eliminate a lot of attachments."


    "Eh..."


    The man who was initially envious was at a loss for words upon hearing this. He was about to offer some comfort, but then thinking of his own pile of troubles, he suddenly lost the mood to console.


    ...


    The private room on the second floor continued to make bids.


    The price had sky-rocketed to 1700 Spirit Stones.


    This was basically beyond the market price of Heavenly Dao Terms, which are a gamble, as they might leave a legacy entry that could make a family prosper or a flaw entry that couldn''t be removed.


    Generally speaking, 1500 Spirit Stones is about the market price for a Heavenly Dao Term.


    "Who''s seated in room number six with the word ''Heaven''? To call out 1700 Spirit Stones without even blinking an eye?"


    "I don''t know, but I do know that families with ''Heavenly Dao Terms'' have an extremely complicated set of rituals when marrying. It is said to be for the Heavenly Dao to witness, and only then can the children born be eligible to inherit the Heavenly Dao Terms. Illegitimate children born without marriage ceremonies cannot inherit the Heavenly Dao Terms, and it is only the principal wife who counts, while the marriages of concubines aren''t recognized by the Heavenly Dao."


    "Sigh, I can''t even imagine how happy it must be to be born into such a family, way ahead of peers from the start."


    "That''s not necessarily a good thing, what if your mother is a concubine, then your status in the family..."


    ...


    "1700 Spirit Stones for the third time!!"


    "Congratulations to the bidder in room number six with the word ''Heaven'' for winning the eighth auction item, the Heavenly Dao Term, at the price of 1700 Spirit Stones!"


    And in room number six with the word ''Heaven'', a middle-aged man was excitedly hugging a beautiful woman, laughing as he said, "My dear, another Heavenly Dao Term is ours. The two Heavenly Dao Terms we got before were good ones, even if this third one has a negative effect, it''s completely acceptable."


    "If all three Heavenly Dao Terms are positive, our child will be born far ahead of his peers and will surely lead the Zhang Family to rise another step!"


    "And you will be the premier wife of the Zhang Family!" Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 36

    The growth of an emerging power has its limits. For example, families that start from scratch and develop into Foundation Establishment families are as numerous as hairs on an ox, but those that become Golden Core families from nothing are nearly non-existent. For a family to bring forth a Golden Core Great Power to protect the family for 500 years,it must be the accumulation of generations. In a particular generation, when the timing, location, and people are all perfectly aligned, a Golden Core Great Power unexpectedly emerges, propelling the family into the status of a Golden Core family. From there, the family continues to build its wealth and influence over generations until they are able to foster another Golden Core Great Power.


    Only then can the family legacy continue.


    This middle-aged man had started from nothing to found a Foundation Establishment family and was acutely aware that both his strength and vitality had reached their limits. To ensure that the family legacy would carry on, he had to place his hopes in the next generation, and the Heavenly Dao Terms were a fine choice.


    Though it was a gamble,


    none who could start from scratch were afraid of taking risks.


    Unnoticed by the middle-aged man, the young man standing behind him had pupils filled with intense, resentful flames.


    ...


    The young man tried to forcibly suppress the emotions at the bottom of his heart, but the anger uncontrollably surged within him. He was originally thrilled when his father suddenly, in his middle age, had found an opportunity and started a small family from scratch.


    His father had only one son¡ªhimself, and the seat of the future Family Head would certainly be his.


    His mother had died early, and for reasons unknown to him, his father suddenly desired to pass down several Heavenly Dao Terms, transforming into the kind of family that possessed them. Thus, he took a new wife, preparing to let his younger son, who was born with Heavenly Dao Terms, take on the role of Family Head.


    The Heavenly Dao Terms could certainly be inherited, but his father did not have any such blasted Heavenly Dao Terms when he was born, so naturally, he would not inherit them.


    Heavenly Dao Terms could only be passed down through the primary wife who had a marriage ceremony, but this was regarding subsequent inheritances.


    The first to have Heavenly Dao Terms was called Dragon Head, and this restriction did not apply to them. A Dragon Head''s secondary wife, as long as there was a marriage ceremony, could also pass down the Heavenly Dao Terms, provided that the primary wife had died.


    It was precisely because of this¡ª


    he detested that beautiful woman in his father''s arms immensely but was unable to interfere with his father''s plan. With the addition of the Heavenly Dao Terms, his father had already spent a large amount of money to purchase three Heavenly Dao Terms. The Spirit Stones were spent, and there was no possibility to abandon the plan halfway.


    Nor would he possibly give up his position as the future Family Head.


    "Father,"


    After a long while, the young man suddenly started with a calm expression, "I just thought of something. My yet-to-be-met little brother is still unborn, and it will be a long while before he can understand things. How about letting me take the position of Young Master first? When you, Father, grow old, I will take over as Family Head, and when my little brother is fully matured, I will pass the position of Family Head to him. How does that sound?"


    "Moreover, what if the second mother gives birth to a girl? Women cannot inherit the Heavenly Dao Terms."


    "No!"


    The middle-aged man shook his head resolutely, leaving no room for negotiation, "There''s no possibility. The inheritance of a family must follow an orderly sequence. Just find any family with Heavenly Dao Terms, and tell me which Family Head doesn''t possess them?"


    "This is the main lineage; it cannot be broken."


    "I understand that you feel wronged, but even if you''re wronged, you have to bear it. The development of a family certainly can''t cater to everyone. For the sake of the family''s progress, individual interests should be put into perspective."


    "What''s more, this family was built by your father single-handedly. I will pass it to whomever I want!"


    Upon hearing this, the young man said nothing more, turning his head to look at his reflection in a copper mirror. After a long silence, he suddenly started to chuckle, realizing that his master''s words were indeed true.


    If one day I embark on the path to immortality, I shall kill my parents and son first.


    Since that is the case, then let us reveal our true abilities in the Secret Realm of Fufeng City in two days.


    He, too, wanted to ask this second mother what abilities she possessed that could make his father so bewitched by a few words, abandoning the son with whom he had built up their family from scratch, and willing to give everything for a child he had never met.


    At the same time, he was also curious about the taste of this second mother.


    ...


    "The ninth item up for auction."


    "A mid-grade Heavenly Dao Retrospective Talisman, suitable for the Foundation Establishment Stage, allows for the selection of an additional entry from the three abandoned entries during the breakthrough at Foundation Establishment."


    "Two pieces, sold as a set in this auction."


    "The starting bid is 100 Spirit Stones, with each bid increasing by 100 Spirit Stones."


    As soon as the auctioneer finished speaking, many began to bid, and the price quickly reached 1300 Spirit Stones; the value of this item varied from person to person.


    If you had the chance to choose one entry out of three during your Foundation Establishment breakthrough and the remaining two entries you had to abandon were good in terms of level or effect, then these two talismans would be of great value to you.


    No amount of Spirit Stones would be too much to spend.


    However, if the effects of the two entries you abandoned during your Foundation Establishment were worthless, the value of these talismans to you would be limited unless you could have another chance to choose one entry out of three during your Foundation Establishment period; otherwise, their sole value to you would be to exchange them for Spirit Stones.


    Seeing that the bidding had slowed down,


    Chen Qiu also made a bid of 1800 Spirit Stones, which ended the bidding War. For him, the two mid-grade Heavenly Dao Retrospective Talismans were still very meaningful, and the price was not expensive, acceptable.


    The auction continued¡ª


    None of the subsequent items appealed to him.


    Until...


    "The twelfth item up for auction."


    "A mid-grade spell for the Foundation Establishment Stage, ''Thunder Summoning Technique,'' originating from the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm, mastered to the Great Achievement Realm upon learning."


    "The starting bid is 100 Spirit Stones, with each increase of at least 100 Spirit Stones."


    In the end, Chen Qiu won the bid for ''Thunder Summoning Technique'' with 600 Spirit Stones. A direct damage-dealing spell such as this was far more expensive than the ''Blinding Spell'' he had acquired before.


    ...


    "The fourteenth item up for auction."


    "An exceptional mental method for the Foundation Establishment Stage, ''Seven Lights Inquiry,'' originating from the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm, mastered to the Great Achievement Realm upon learning."


    "The starting bid is 100 Spirit Stones, with each increase of at least 100 Spirit Stones."


    It was one of the top mental methods for the Foundation Establishment Stage, useful all the way to the Golden Core Stage, and even the mental methods of many Golden Core Great Powers originated from exceptional Foundation Establishment mental methods. A mental method of this caliber, whether for absorbing or recovering spiritual energy, would be far superior to low-grade or mid-grade mental methods of the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    This round of bidding was much more heated.


    Even many cultivators at the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment Stage participated in the bidding, and finally, Chen Qiu secured it for 3000 Spirit Stones.


    And the auction was gradually drawing to a close.


    An attendant knocked and entered, carrying a tray with all the items Chen Qiu had won at the auction. With a casual toss, Chen Qiu threw over a Storage Bag, and after the attendant had tallied the Spirit Stones, he removed them, returned the Storage Bag, and then set the tray down before leaving.


    Chen Qiu did not speak, merely tallying up how many Spirit Stones he had spent at the auction.


    He bought two mid-grade Heavenly Dao Retrospective Talismans, one exceptional Foundation Establishment mental method ''Seven Lights Inquiry,'' and one mid-grade Foundation Establishment spell ''Thunder Summoning Technique,'' spending a total of 5400 Spirit Stones.


    Expensive, indeed.


    sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 37 Focusing on High-End, Right?

    He had worked so hard to earn those spirit stones, yet in such a short time, he only had 17,856 spirit stones left. He couldn''t help thinking that these things seemed to run out rather quickly.Just as Chen Qiu was about to stand up.


    A middle-aged woman dressed in a cheongsam, exuding an intellectual beauty, followed by two servants, slowly stepped in. After they gave a slight bow, she said with a soft voice, "This servant is the person in charge of the Wentian Pavilion''s auction house, mainly responsible for the auctions in Wentian Market. I have seen Mr. Chen."


    "Mr. Chen is a distinguished guest of Wentian Market and has a dedicated passage to leave the auction house. Please follow me afterwards."


    "Are you satisfied with these two maids, Mr. Chen? Would you like to keep them?"


    Perhaps noticing the confusion in Chen Qiu''s eyes, the mature woman smiled slyly as she explained, "It is a rule of our Wentian Pavilion auction house in Wentian Market that only the maids who receive affirmation from the guests on their first appearance are allowed to stay. Today is the first time for both these maids to appear."


    "If you are satisfied, then they can stay at Wentian Pavilion to serve as maids for serving tea and water on regular days. If you are not satisfied, they will be expelled from Wentian Pavilion." Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The mature woman''s voice fell.


    The two maids serving in the private room immediately knelt on the ground with a thud. Although they didn''t speak, their eyes were filled with pleading and panic.


    Apparently, for an ordinary woman, the monthly salary from Wentian Pavilion was not considered small, and staying as a maid in Wentian Pavilion was a rather decent occupation, certainly better than his initial job of chopping wood.


    And the work was also easier.


    "Let them stay. They are quite good."


    Chen Qiu glanced at the maids kneeling before him, his brows slightly furrowed. After a long pause, he still spoke softly. It was indeed difficult for ordinary people to survive in this world. Perhaps because he had experienced the hardship of chopping wood himself, he could empathize strongly with the impoverished.


    But he also felt a bit of disdain for their lack of ambition.


    Why settle for chopping wood? He had only chopped wood for 29 days before realizing that chopping wood had no future and that one could only prosper by "chopping people." Why could some people spend a lifetime chopping wood?


    He also knew that if he hadn''t met Fat Long and set foot on the path of cultivation, he might have died from retaliation by a group of local bullies long ago.


    There is a myriad of cause and effect in the world; who can make it all clear?


    And as Chen Qiu''s words ended, a flicker of immense excitement passed through the eyes of one of the kneeling girls. Her face was full of gratitude as she kowtowed, and if it were not inappropriate, she might have jumped up right there and then.


    For the girls here.


    Being able to stay in Wentian Pavilion as a long-term maid rather than being expelled meant that they would receive a substantial monthly salary for many years. Although one day they would age and no longer be able to work for long, the spirit stones they had saved would be enough for a very decent life in their later years.


    "Let''s go."


    Under the guidance of the mature woman, Chen Qiu and his companion left the auction house without encountering a single person along the way, thanks to the special passage.


    ...


    By the time they left the auction house.


    The sky had darkened.


    The number of people on the roads had gradually dwindled, and many from Wentian Market had already settled in the auxiliary city nearby, as staying overnight in Wentian Market was extremely expensive. However, the cost was nothing for Chen Qiu and his companion.


    One room for one night cost just one spirit stone.


    Two rooms cost just two spirit stones.


    By that time, the restaurants were no longer open, so after returning to the inn and parting ways with Fat Long.


    Chen Qiu sat cross-legged on the bed and began his cultivation practice for the night, starting with the replacement of his mental method.


    He was going to switch his mental method to the premium Foundation Establishment Stage mental method "Seven Lanterns Inquiry."


    It didn''t require too much effort, just needed to circulate Spiritual Energy to cleanse his Heavenly Dao Foundation, run it several times to wash away the name of the original mental method inscribed on the Heavenly Dao Foundation, and then relearn "Seven Lanterns Inquiry."


    An hour later.


    Chen Qiu exhaled a turbid breath and slowly opened his eyes, his mental method had successfully been changed to "Seven Lanterns Inquiry."


    Last time, when only thirty percent of the Spiritual Energy remained within his Tao Foundation, it took an hour and three Spirit Stones to fill it.


    This was already because of using Spirit Stones, if he were to absorb the wandering Spiritual Energy between heaven and earth, it would take at least twenty-four hours.


    After acquiring the "Seven Lanterns Inquiry," a superior mental method for the Foundation Establishment Stage, he could clearly feel the faster rotation of his Heavenly Dao Foundation and the quicker absorption of Spiritual Energy, similar to the last time when only thirty percent of energy was left in his Tao Foundation.


    He estimated it would only take the time it took to drink a cup of tea to fill the Tao Foundation, which was much faster than an hour.


    For him, a good mental method was indispensable.


    The pool might be large, but if the inlet is too small, no matter how big the pool is, it''s useless; nobody can stand taking ten days to half a month to fill it just once.


    Then Chen Qiu closed his eyes again and began to practice the "Thunder Summoning Technique," a spell.


    ...


    It is only upon reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage that one truly steps onto the path of cultivation.


    At this level of cultivation, there are many ways to improve, unlike in the Qi Refinement Realm where one just needed to increase their cultivation rank; the first thing a cultivator from a formal sect would do after Foundation Establishment is to practice Sword Flight.


    Through Sword Flight, one can fluently familiarize with the process of establishing communication between Spiritual Energy and Spiritual Treasures, gaining not only a new mode of travel but also maximizing the power of other Spiritual Treasures.


    Besides that, there are also simple protective measures like the external release of Spiritual Energy to form Protective Spirit Qi.


    However, Chen Qiu, being an unorthodox Loose Cultivator, had no one to teach him these things; naturally, he had to rely on his own intuition.


    Several hours blinked by.


    When Chen Qiu opened his eyes again, it was already daylight, and he had finally mastered the "Thunder Summoning Technique," a spell for the Foundation Establishment Stage, and entered the Great Achievement Realm; he also had an obscure awareness of the might of this spell.


    Whether it''s a spell or a mental method, there are five realms of cultivation mastery: introductory, minor achievement, great achievement, entry to the hall, and great perfection.


    Introductory level only allows one to release a portion of the power, at this realm, the Thunder Summoning Technique would create a thunder as thin as a thumb out of thin air to strike the enemy, effective only within nine feet, beyond which the power rapidly diminishes and dissipates quickly.


    Minor achievement indicates some progress, with power unchanged, but now the attack can reach up to thirty feet.


    By the time it reaches great achievement, one can almost perfectly unleash the power of the spell, with thunder as thick as a wrist, capable of striking enemies within ninety feet.


    The spells at the entry to the hall and great perfection realms unleash thunder as thick as a hundred-year-old tree, with the capability to attack enemies within three hundred feet, truly a sign of culmination of the Cultivation Technique!


    Just that...


    To bring a spell to the pinnacle of its realm requires constant usage to comprehend its essence, and the Spiritual Energy within the Foundation is not inexhaustible; it needs time to replenish.


    This is why progress at the Foundation Establishment Stage of cultivation is so slow.


    Besides cycling the mental method, one also needs to enhance their combat strength through practicing spells, swordsmanship, and so on; otherwise, no matter how high your cultivation level is, if you lack a means of defense, you''ll shatter at a single touch, rendering mere cultivation fighting useless.

 Chapter 38 Heavenly Treasure, Earthly Storehouse.

    ..."Huff!"


    Chen Qiu exhaled a deep breath of murky air and did not feel tired at all despite not having slept the entire night. After reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage in his cultivation, although he could not practice fasting, his spirit had vastly improved, making him feel many years younger.


    Stepping out of the guest room, Fat Long was waiting outside early, just as he had the day before. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Together, the two walked out to the bustling Ask Heaven Market, where they saw the two scholars in their usual spot. The scholar was seated cross-legged, cracking sunflower seeds and looking at a comic book in his lap as before, while the bearded, muscular man was no longer meeting guests at the foot of the mountain but stood beside the scholar, silent as a rock.


    "Let''s head to the wilderness we saw the day before yesterday and test my skills."


    "Alright."


    ...


    After a brief exchange, Chen Qiu and his three companions once again arrived at the wilderness they had visited two days prior.


    Chen Qiu took a deep breath, feeling somewhat nervous, then closed his eyes tightly. Moments later, he opened them fiercely.


    Instantly¡ª


    Three thunderbolts, as thick as wrists, appeared out of thin air next to him, and then shot like auroras toward the dry ground in the distance, blasting up countless clouds of dust. When the dust settled, only three basin-sized shallow pits remained.


    Seeing this scene,


    Chen Qiu couldn''t help but slightly raise the corners of his mouth, looking down at his right hand, "Is this what using spells feels like?" This was his first time using a spell, and it felt great. If he used this method to chop wood, he could surely cut down many trees at once.


    That''s not right.


    He shook his head, dismissing the strange thought that had suddenly sprung up, and then he performed introspection to look at his Foundation Establishment. The spiritual energy that had been difficult to fully store last night within his Foundation Establishment had now decreased to about thirty percent after releasing those three Thunder Summoning Techniques.


    Although powerful, the spell consumed too much spiritual energy.


    However, it proved one thing: as long as the spiritual energy was sufficient, he could indeed cast the "Thunder Summoning Technique" multiple times in succession.


    "Mr. Chen,"


    The scholar, sitting cross-legged nearby, hesitated for a long time before speaking uncertainly, "you shouldn''t confront enemies like this. The spell Mr. Chen used should be the mid-grade Foundation Establishment Stage spell ''Thunder Summoning Technique,'' which seems to have reached the Great Achievement Realm."


    "Although its power is strong, it consumes too much spiritual energy. Normally, a cultivator at the first level of Foundation Establishment could only use it four or five times before depleting the spiritual energy within their Tao Foundation, putting them in extremely perilous conditions."


    "So typically, early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators in combat let their spiritual energy surge into their spiritual weapons, which allows them to save spiritual energy while maximizing their power; they then wait for their enemy to deplete their spiritual energy or show a flaw before releasing a spell for a fatal attack!"


    "If you launch a series of spells at the start and if the opponent either dodges or blocks it with a Protective Talisman, then in a low-energy condition, Mr. Chen, your further combat process will always be disadvantaged."


    "Understood."


    Chen Qiu nodded lightly, indicating he understood. He was just testing out the effects; in a real crisis, he certainly wouldn''t act this way, especially since he had 100 talismans stored in his Storage Ring, each equivalent to a full-strength Foundation Establishment Stage attack.


    Given the narrow width of his Tao Foundation, talismans were much more useful than his spells.


    Just then¡ª


    The ground trembled slightly.


    A crimson stone pillar grew from under the earth where the group was looking, stopping its ascent four feet above the ground, while two lines of crimson characters formed from spiritual energy hovered above it.


    "Heavenly Treasure Earth Store."


    "Fate comes on its own."


    "This is..."


    Fat Long looked somewhat bewildered toward the red stone pillar that pierced the ground and exposed itself in midair. He instinctively took a step back, as his experience over the past few months told him that such inexplicable phenomena often came with crises.


    "It''s Heavenly Treasure Trove!"


    While the scholar sat cross-legged on the spot, he couldn''t help but exclaim in shock, "Mr. Chen, you truly are a person of great Qi Fortune. The Heavenly Treasure Trove is a type of random opportunity in the Cultivation World."


    "It appears without any warning and only lasts for the duration of one tea time."


    "For many years, I''ve often heard of lucky ones who have encountered it, but I''ve never come across it myself. Today is also the first time, and there are many treasures on that red stone pillar, many of which are extremely rare and can only be found in the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm."


    "Each treasure is priced, but they all have different discounts. As long as you have enough Spirit Stones, you can exchange them for these treasures."


    Though he had once been a Golden Core cultivator, he had never encountered an opportunity like the ''Heavenly Treasure Trove.'' There were too many opportunities in the Cultivation World, who could guarantee meeting every opportunity?


    Opportunities like the ''Heavenly Treasure Trove,'' if one didn''t have great Qi Fortune, how could they encounter it? But even if one did encounter it, if you happened to not have any Spirit Stones in your pocket, you could only watch the opportunity slip by, showing that you aren''t too fated either.


    However, since Mr. Chen could give him 3100 Spirit Stones, he certainly wasn''t short of Spirit Stones in his pocket.


    ...


    "Let''s go."


    Hearing that the ''Heavenly Treasure Trove'' lasted only a tea''s time, Chen Qiu dared not delay any longer and immediately walked over quickly. When he got close, he saw that the surface of the red stone pillar was exactly seven feet wide and seven feet long.


    The surface was a perfect square.


    On the surface of the seven-foot by seven-foot square, it was precisely divided into six grids, each containing an item with a small inscription detailing the item''s name and effects next to it.


    Above each item was a semi-transparent thin film. Just a probe with Divine Sense revealed the power of the Heavenly Dao on this thin film. To force it would definitely not be advisable.


    Each item''s thin film listed the item''s name and price.


    For example, the first grid held ten stacks of talismans.


    "Mid-grade Foundation Establishment Soul Absorption Talisman*10."


    "Allows you to absorb Spiritual Energy ten times faster and lasts for one hour."


    "10 Spirit Stones"


    "A 10% discount."


    The scholar, worried Mr. Chen was not clear about the market price, had his brother carry him on his shoulders, and then looking over at the six grids on the red stone pillar, he explained, "Mid-grade Foundation Establishment Soul Absorption Talisman, a commonly used talisman that can be used in conjunction with Spirit Replenishing Pill."


    "During combat, this talisman can help you quickly replenish the Spiritual Energy in your Tao Foundation, allowing you more Spiritual Energy to use against enemies."


    "The market price for one Mid-grade Foundation Establishment Soul Absorption Talisman is 10 Spirit Stones, but here 10 pieces only cost 10 Spirit Stones, which is a great deal, whether for personal use or to resell in the market."


    "While this first grid can make a bit of money, it can''t make too much. Mr. Chen, take a look at the second grid''s ''Spirit Beast Ring,'' which has a certain chance of making a severely injured demon beast with a cultivation lesser than the sixth layer of the Foundation Establishment Stage recognize you as its master, treating it as a significant combat force."


    "Although it doesn''t have the spirit like those beasts raised from infancy, nor does it have the kind of tacit understanding between a master and a main pet, it''s still good, most importantly because it only costs 50 Spirit Stones."


    "The market price is 200 Spirit Stones."

 Chapter 39 Wielding the Power of Heaven and Earth, Slaying Demons and Evil Spirits!

    Chen Qiu looked around bewilderedly before finally resting his gaze on the red stone pillar. He found it somewhat absurd. Before he transmigrated, he had read immortal novels, and he knew that a recurring theme in these stories was opportunity.This was quite normal.


    But at least those immortal novels had some basic logic to the opportunities, right?


    Like discovering an ancient divine artifact covered in dust at a street stall, or falling into a cliff only to find a powerful person''s secret realm and treasures at the bottom. At the very least, there should have been some twists and hardships before encountering an opportunity, right?


    Yet, in this world he had transmigrated to, the so-called opportunity just burst forth from the ground?


    Whoever was nearby was the destined one?


    It seemed a bit too childish.


    He threw these jumbled thoughts to the back of his mind. Perhaps a real opportunity should just emerge abruptly from the ground, and whoever approached it first would gain it.


    The items on this red stone pillar were all discounted good stuff. Buying them randomly would definitely not result in a loss.


    He placed the corresponding spirit stones on the translucent membrane of the "Spirit Beast Ring" and "Mid-grade Foundation Establishment Soul Absorption Talisman". The spirit stones quickly melted into the membrane and disappeared while the membranes above the two items also disappeared correspondingly, allowing them to be freely taken out.


    "Mr. Chen, the first two compartments are ones that talisman masters and artifact refiners can create. The ''Heavenly Treasure Repository'' contains many treasures that can only be produced in the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm," said the scholar.


    "And the item in this third compartment is..."


    Before the scholar could finish, a voice eerily echoed in everyone''s ears, "The item in this third compartment is the ''Enlightenment Stone''. With this treasure, any spell below the peak of the Foundation Establishment can instantly comprehend to the Great Perfection realm."


    "To call it the strongest treasure of the Foundation Establishment Stage is not an exaggeration."


    "Ordinary people would need at least a year of rigorous training daily to advance a Foundation Establishment Stage spell to the Great Perfection Realm, but with the Enlightenment Stone, it only takes a moment."


    "Its value is extremely high."


    ...


    Fat Long and his companions'' expressions changed slightly. Following their line of sight, they saw a middle-aged man in a red robe with long hair, carried on his back, riding a long crimson sword, shooting towards them.


    His voice reached them before he did.


    By the time the voice fell, the middle-aged man was only a few meters away, floating slightly above them.


    "Heavenly Treasure Repository, destiny approaches. "


    With greed and excitement flickering in his eyes as he looked down at Chen Qiu and the others, the corner of his mouth curled up, "It seems I am more fated than you. You all are also at the Foundation Establishment level. Why don''t you join my ''Ten Thousand Souls Banner'' as a team spirit?"


    "That would be a double joy!"


    "Today is indeed a good day. That fortune-teller in the market square of Ask Heaven included even calculated it right!"


    "This person is a demon cultivator, his cultivation is at least at the seventh layer of Foundation Establishment, and he is incredibly ruthless in his actions," the scholar spoke in a slightly distressed tone, then subtly moved his right hand behind his back, preparing to find an opportunity to control his flying sword to escape with Chen Qiu and the others. They definitely couldn''t defeat someone of his cultivation level.


    The strongest among them was him, but he was currently riddled with lethal poison and had no ability to fight. Mr. Chen was their most capable fighter, but his cultivation was only at the first layer of Foundation Establishment Stage, definitely incapable of overcoming the opponent.


    The only option was to run.


    Fortunately, as long as he wanted to run, a demon cultivator at the seventh layer of Foundation Establishment couldn''t keep him there.


    "Heehee, quite an accurate judgment~"


    ...


    "Demon cultivator?"


    Chen Qiu glanced at the unsealed treasures on the red stone pillar, then placed his hand on the scholar''s right hand that was prepared to draw the sword and escape, whispering softly, "Are demon cultivators very strong?" Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Very strong, invincible among peers!"


    "Can you fight across levels?"


    "Almost every demon cultivator can. Demon cultivators don''t seek immortality; they only seek to slay other cultivators who do, before they themselves die!"


    "Can one at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Stage fight against someone in the Golden Core Stage?"


    "...That definitely can''t happen."


    "Hmm."


    Chen Qiu nodded slightly, he hadn''t planned to flee. He quite liked the treasures here, and comparatively, self-destructing an entry seemed more cost-effective. He didn''t hesitate further and took the initiative to strike first.


    The white entry "Flawless Body," self-destruct!


    The next second¡ª


    Chen Qiu suddenly felt the Tao Foundation above his Dantian begin to spin rapidly, followed by the sky above the wilderness darkening suddenly. The spiritual energy in the surrounding air began to flow swiftly. Using his divine sense, he could even see a massive tornado formed by the spiritual energy gathering in the sky above his head!


    Immediately after, he sensed the entry "Flawless Body" engraved on his Tao Foundation. The white letters started to fall off gradually and traveled through his meridians to his hands, feeling the extremely violent power within them.


    He just subconsciously pushed forward with both hands.


    Then!


    "Boom!"


    A bolt of thunder as wide as a dragon suddenly surged from the dark clouds above, striking directly down from the clouds to the ground, reaching the head of the demon cultivator in mid-air who was at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Stage in the blink of an eye!


    Not even a scream was heard.


    Following the thunder, the clouds dispersed in a flash.


    All that remained was the thunder-stricken, completely charred magic treasure that lost all its spiritual essence on the ground, and two shattered storage rings. The shattered storage rings meant that the contents naturally scattered into a different dimension.


    ...


    Chen Qiu thoughtfully looked down at his right hand. He had been curious about how powerful a full-strength strike enabled by the self-destruction of an entry could be.


    Now he knew.


    An "entry" seemed more like a tangible force of the laws of this world. Even a white entry contained powerful law forces, and the energy released in an instant by these law forces after self-destruction was enough to briefly propel him to the next Great Realm, then randomly select one of the spells he cultivated and temporarily elevate it to the Great Perfection Realm.


    This was the full force of a strike at the Golden Core Stage.


    The lightning bolt that could be seen clearly from tens of miles away, crossing the entire sky that had just occurred, was the power brought by unleashing the Thunder Summoning Technique at the Great Perfection Realm by a cultivator in the first level of the Golden Core Stage.


    This... is what it means to be a magic practitioner!


    Control the forces of heaven and earth, slay demons and devils!


    After this trial, he became even more certain of the path he wanted to follow in the future.


    "Brother Qiu...this...this..."


    Fat Long pointed somewhat bewilderedly at the pitch-black flying sword that had crashed to the ground, stuttering. He had just been ready to run away at any moment by grabbing his scholar brother''s sleeve, not wanting to be left behind, and suddenly Brother Qiu obliterated the enemy?


    Wasn''t that a cultivator at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Stage? Wasn''t Brother Qiu still a mortal a few days ago, and now he could obliterate a cultivator at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Stage in an instant?


    Being transmigrators, honestly speaking, Brother Qiu, do you have an extra golden finger?


    "..."


    Even the scholar''s mouth twitched slightly, he now believed even more that Mr. Chen was the Young Master of some hidden family outside Da Xia Country. The might of that attack just now might not be perceivable by Fat Long, but he could sense it clearly.


    This was the genuine might of the Golden Core!

 Chapter 40 Just Two Moves to Start.

    ```A Foundation Establishment Cultivator could only unleash the power of a Golden Core through one method, which was to use a Golden Core Stage talisman. However, such talismans, even in the Capital, were extremely rare and incredibly difficult to produce.


    Only the young masters of major clans, who could afford to use Golden Core Stage talismans without batting an eye, could possibly do such a thing.


    Money is indeed good when you have it. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The scholar thought to himself silently. Although he had been famous and strong in his early years, he had never used a Golden Core talisman. Generally, a Golden Core talisman would not be as strong as his peak full-strength blow, but this feeling of smashing others with Spirit Stones... was indeed very satisfying.


    ...


    "Hmm."


    Chen Qiu had already thought of an excuse, but, finding that neither the scholar nor Fat Long asked any questions, he was relieved and moved to the front of the "Heavenly Dao Treasure" and began taking away the items on it.


    This so-called Demon Cultivation had mentioned the "Enlightenment Stone", which was priced at 1000 Spirit Stones here.


    Though unaware of the market price, he was certain there was a discount. Treasures like this, which could only be produced in the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm, surely cost a fortune.


    1000 Spirit Stones to save a year of time was a good deal for him.


    He then took the remaining three treasures into his possession as well.


    -


    "Random Teleportation Talisman*1."


    "Random teleportation within a hundred-mile radius."


    "10 Spirit Stones"


    -


    "Mid-grade Foundation Establishment Spirit Replenishing Pill*100."


    "Can quickly replenish the body''s Spiritual Energy."


    "100 Spirit Stones"


    -


    "Demon Burning Incense*10."


    "Made from demon oil, once lit, all demon beasts within a ten-mile radius will furiously rush towards the incense and indiscriminately attack all nearby."


    "100 Spirit Stones"


    -


    The remaining three items were not expensive and were not exclusive to the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm. Among the six slots, only the "Enlightenment Stone" was exclusive to the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm, that is, according to what he knew from his previous life.


    This unboxing only yielded one red item, the rest were white.


    Fortunately, the items were nearly a steal, and it wasn''t a loss, especially since many of the items were exactly what he urgently needed.


    He spent a total of 1270 Spirit Stones, leaving him with 16586.


    Before leaving, Chen Qiu still attempted to search the bodies. The Flying Sword was completely destroyed upon touch, and the Storage Ring was also perfectly shattered, leaving him with no inheritance...which was quite satisfying.


    The death was clean.


    ...


    "Why does it feel like there are so many more Foundation Establishment cultivators recently? A demon cultivation at the Foundation Establishment Stage can pop up anytime."


    Fat Long muttered in front of a cave.


    "That''s normal."


    The scholar said softly, "Recently it''s the annual auction of the Ask-Tian Firm, and also the day when the Fufeng City Heavenly Dao Secret Realm is about to open. Naturally, a large number of cultivators will flock here, resulting in a mix of good and bad. Fufeng City itself is just a mortal city, and it''s not common to see a Foundation Establishment Cultivator here."


    "There are quite a few Foundation Establishment families in Fufeng City. A Foundation Establishment Cultivator can form a small family by gathering their relatives, and some close relatives can even take on the title of elder."


    "They can appear quite impressive in front of mortals on ordinary days."


    "But mortals don''t have much money, and these Foundation Establishment families that mainly earn from mortals are basically small fry. The Huang Family is considered not bad in Fufeng City since they have two individuals at the Foundation Establishment, but even they aren''t impressive enough when out in the wider world."


    "None of these families in Fufeng City really count as true clans, but the real clans are extremely terrifying."


    He did not continue further.


    ```


    After all, at that time, he was chased by a family to the point of "no way out under heaven." If I give you face, you''re Da Xia''s number one Sword Cultivator, a rising star.


    If I don''t give you face, you''re just a Loose Cultivator without a family to back you up.


    It''s just a pity... his sword wasn''t fast enough.


    ...


    For the entire next day, the scholar led Chen Qiu and the others around the vicinity of Fufeng City, inch by inch, searching for places with low-level demon beasts. He alone had gone through 89 Qi Replenishing Pills.


    The Pills were almost completely used up.


    "I can''t do this anymore... I can''t take any more..."


    The scholar, seated cross-legged and gasping for breath, shook his hand and said with a trembling voice to Chen Qiu, who was handing him a pill, "My body''s tolerance for this pill is nearly at its limit, and the Spiritual Energy isn''t recovering anymore. This pill is having very limited effects on me now; I really don''t have enough Spiritual Energy. Should we continue this tomorrow?"


    "Tomorrow?"


    Chen Qiu frowned and pondered without speaking. Tomorrow would be the opening day of the Secret Realm; they would not have enough time.


    The scholar''s main job was to scout for Spirit Beasts and then lead them to the spot, ignite the "Demon Burning Incense" to attract all the demon beasts within several miles, and then he would kill these demon beasts to sacrifice to his Tao Foundation.


    He had been busy with these tasks from sunrise until now, which was nearing sunset.


    It''s just that the scholar''s Tao Foundation capacity was too small; his Spiritual Energy would run out not long after controlling the Flying Sword, so he had to keep taking Qi Replenishing Pills. Of the 100 Qi Replenishing Pills he had just bought in the "Heavenly Dao Treasure," only 11 were left, and now even the Qi Replenishing Pills had lost their effect.


    "No problem, there''s still a way."


    Chen Qiu shook his head, pulled out a "Mid-grade Foundation Establishment Soul Absorption Talisman" from his chest, affixed it to the scholar''s body, and took out two Spirit Stones, stuffing them into the scholar''s chest: "There, this should make the absorption of Spiritual Energy quicker, right?"


    "It''s quicker..."


    The scholar looked at the talisman on his body with a bit of resignation. He actually wanted to say that he hadn''t been this tired in a long time. Controlling the Flying Sword with Divine Sense was not an easy task.


    Before he found a patron, he thought he was about to die.


    After finding a patron, he felt he might as well have died.


    Why is it so exhausting...


    ...


    Finally¡ª


    After sunset, Chen Qiu and his group returned to Ask the Sky Market, while the scholar and his companion went to their usual haunt. Chen Qiu took Fat Long and headed towards Ask the Sky Market.


    He too was exhausted, and the day''s events had been especially taxing on him.


    Today, they had slaughtered exactly nine thousand eight hundred and ninety demon beasts, almost wiping out all the stray demon beast groups of the Qi Refinement Realm around Fufeng City.


    The good news: Fufeng City would have a particularly safe period ahead, and those villagers no longer had to worry about demon beasts invading their spirit fields.


    The bad news: the Qi Refinement Realm Cultivators of Fufeng City won''t encounter Qi Refinement Realm demon beasts in their outdoor adventures for a long time, which would slow down their Cultivation progress considerably...


    As for the width of his Tao Foundation, it had reached an entire ten thousand millimeters!


    Originally it was one hundred and ten millimeters wide, and being somewhat obsessive-compulsive, he had made it a neat round number.


    Normally, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator''s Tao Foundation is a perfect cube, one hundred millimeters wide and one hundred millimeters tall, looking quite harmonious. His Tao Foundation, on the other hand, had become an extremely flat rectangle, ten thousand millimeters wide and one hundred millimeters tall.


    It was a bit odd.


    But it could accommodate quite a bit more Spiritual Energy. An ordinary cultivator at the first level of Foundation Establishment could only cast a spell like the "Thunder Summoning Technique" four or five times before their internal Spiritual Energy would be depleted. If his Tao Foundation were to be filled to capacity, he could cast it four or five hundred times!


    Don''t give him any of that nonsense about Sword Cultivators being unparalleled with a single sword stroke or Body Cultivators shaking the heavens with their fists.


    The first thing he would do upon meeting someone would be to smash down four or five hundred Thunder Summoning Techniques. He wanted to see which Body Cultivator could withstand such a stormy barrage. There''s also a difference between Magic Practitioners, okay?


    And when the time came to learn a body-protecting spell.


    He would start with two moves.


    The first move, thousands of defensive spells would rise up out of nowhere.


    The second move, thousands of Attack Magic spells would smash right into your face.


    After all, his Tao Foundation was wide enough, and he had enough Spiritual Energy to squash you with it.

 Chapter 41

    Chen Qiu was immersed in his own fantasies about the future while also feeling a bit of a headache.His Tao Foundation was now a full ten thousand miles wide... but it was almost entirely empty, devoid of any Spiritual Energy. There was no way he could fill it up completely.


    To rapidly replenish the Spiritual Energy in his Tao Foundation through absorbing it from Spirit Stones, he would need at least 300 Spirit Stones.


    This is just... sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    300 Spirit Stones would be enough for a little fellow at the first level of the Qi Refinement Realm to shoot straight to Foundation Establishment, yet here they were, only enough to fill up his Tao Foundation with Spiritual Energy?


    For some reason, he had a vague premonition that his unique way of fighting as a Magic Practitioner might indeed be quite powerful, but it could very likely consume a massive amount of Spirit Stones.


    Just then¡ª


    "Fellow Daoist, wait a moment!"


    Chen Qiu was walking along the main road of Wentian Market with Fat Long when he suddenly heard a voice near his ear, turning his head to look at the source of the sound.


    The street was now nearly devoid of pedestrians, and a lonely old man with a full head of silvery hair sat on the side of the road, holding a battered black banner and speaking in a hoarse voice that seemed to laugh non-laugh.


    "Fellow Daoist, a few days have passed, and the number of Wandering Ghosts around you has become too many to count."


    "Won''t you let me do a reading for you?"


    "It''ll only cost you one Spirit Stone."


    "Otherwise, within three days, a grave danger will surely befall you."


    On the black banner, there were two rows of somewhat crooked and twisted characters embroidered with white thread.


    ''Dare not divine it all, for fear of heaven, earth, and spirits.''


    ''Words can''t be spoken plainly, lest the world falls into chaos.''


    "Can you speak?"


    Fat Long reached the old man''s side with an expressionless face, squatted down, and spoke in a hoarse voice, "Those in your line of work can''t get any business without cursing people, right?"


    "Not so, not so."


    The old man shook his head, stroked his beard, and laughed mysteriously, "Divination is a tradition of ten thousand years, it isn''t about deception."


    "Alright."


    Chen Qiu also squatted down in front of the old man, chuckling as he tossed out a Spirit Stone, "Then give me a reading and let''s see what you can come up with."


    This was already his second encounter with the old man.


    Seeing this, a glint flashed in the old man''s eyes, and he hastily stuffed the Spirit Stone into his chest as if fearing it would be snatched away in the next second, then he closed his eyes and began to murmur mysteriously while making calculations with his fingers.


    At that moment¡ª


    "Hey! You immortal conman, are you scamming people again?"


    A voice suddenly erupted on the street, and dozens of Wentian Market guards were seen hurrying over, while the old man picked up his black banner and ran toward an alley without looking back.


    He hadn''t run far when it seemed he remembered something, abruptly ran back to Chen Qiu''s side, said a few urgent words, and then hurried off once again, vanishing into the distance of the alley.


    ...


    "Mr. Chen, you weren''t swindled, were you?"


    "This old guy has been in Wentian Market for over a decade, and he doesn''t really know how to predict anything; he just makes things up."


    "It''s you."


    Chen Qiu withdrew his gaze from the old man''s departing back and looked at the head of the guards with a smile, "Thanks for the warning. Are you off duty?"


    He remembered this guard, the one who had collected the body after he killed the Huang Family''s Seventh Elder at the city gate of the market.


    "Not yet, we''re on patrol tonight."


    The head guard spoke helplessly, "Whatever that old guy says, you shouldn''t believe it. I remember there was a man he fooled into believing that if you knelt and kowtowed towards the east every morning, the next random entry for your child who breaks through a layer in the Qi Refinement Realm would definitely be a good one."


    "You''re telling me that isn''t just fooling people? Mainly because when I tried to explain it to that man, he wouldn''t believe me, saying that the old guy didn''t even take a penny from him, so why would he lie to him?"


    "Why the east?"


    "Because where he sits every day is just to the east of that family''s house."


    "Just don''t believe anything he says, anyway. Today there was even a Cultivator in a red robe with long hair who came to have his fortune told by the old guy, and he seemed excited as he departed, flew off towards the west right after leaving the city, looking like he got fooled quite badly too," said the head guard.


    "Wait a minute..."


    Fat Long''s expression suddenly became odd, "You mean a Cultivator in a red robe with long hair?"


    "That''s the one, do you know him?"


    "I guess you could say we''ve met before..."


    Fat Long fell silent suddenly, remembering that Demon Cultivator who had mentioned before that a fortune-teller in Wentian Market told him he would encounter double happiness that day. It seemed this fortune-teller might indeed be inaccurate.


    They didn''t continue the conversation.


    The two parties went their separate ways, and Chen Qiu stood in place with his eyes narrowed slightly, pondering something.


    Before escaping into the alley, the old man had returned to whisper a few words to him, which left Chen Qiu momentarily uncertain about their significance.


    "Kid, it''s true that I was spouting nonsense with the fortune-telling, but with your case, I actually do know something."


    "You definitely have a green entry ''Resentful Spirit Summoning.'' Don''t look at me like that, the resentful energy on you is almost ten fathoms higher than Wentian Fang Market. I could see the resentful energy over your head before you even entered the city¡ªit''s too eye-catching."


    "I''ve seen someone with this entry before, and it is indeed a very powerful one. It can turn the creatures you''ve killed into resentful spirits that attach to you and fight on your behalf for an hour."


    "But think about it, resentful spirits are born from deep resentful energy. Ordinary people would catch a cold or get sick just by touching them, not to mention dying of serious illnesses if they stay for too long. You''re directly carrying six or seven thousand of them, are you trying to become the Resentful Spirit King or what!"


    "You must deal with all these resentful spirits within three days, or the consequences will be unimaginable. I''ve seen someone with this entry before; within just half a year, the person went completely mad, neither human nor ghost. Another half a year later, they were found having bizarrely hung themselves in a desolate temple outside the city, where the body was already rotten and crawling with maggots."


    "The resentful spirits on you are far more numerous than his. When using this entry, make sure not to store too many resentful spirits on yourself and... remember at all costs, the stronger the resentful spirit compared to your strength, the faster the corruption will be."


    "If you can find a way to remove this entry, do so as soon as possible. Otherwise, no matter how careful you are in using it, the resentful spirits will still corrode you. It''s only a matter of how fast. I''ve never seen anyone with this entry die a peaceful death."


    "Look after yourself. For this Spirit Stone, I truly didn''t earn it in vain."


    ...


    "Brother Qiu, what are you thinking about?"


    "Nothing."


    Chen Qiu shook his head and after pondering with a frown for a while, he then turned to Fat Long and asked, "Have you felt the weather getting colder?"


    "Yeah, it''s almost winter, of course it''s getting colder."


    "What I mean is, have you felt a chill?"


    "What kind of chill?"


    Fat Long, somewhat confused, touched the back of Chen Qiu''s hand, then suddenly jumped up with a shudder: "Brother Qiu, why is your body so cold? It''s like you''re a dead corpse."


    "..."


    Chen Qiu didn''t say anything else but shook his head and headed straight for the guest room. Although he had been feeling cold these past few days, he hadn''t taken it seriously, assuming it was just the dropping temperatures. Being prompted by the fortune-teller, he indeed felt something subtly amiss.


    He was carrying more than six thousand demon beast resentful spirits, including the one from a demon cultivator with a seventh-layer Foundation Establishment Cultivation. These were all supposed to be his trump cards, prepared for slow use in the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm that was soon to open in Fufeng City.


    Carrying so many resentful spirits on oneself was indeed a bit excessive.


    So be it.


    Once he entered the Secret Realm tomorrow, he planned to release all these resentful spirits, lest they actually corrode him. Releasing so many resentful spirits all at once, he just hoped it wouldn''t frighten the other cultivators also entering the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm.


    Tsk.


    ...


    That night, using the Enlightenment Stone, Chen Qiu raised his cultivation of the Thunder Summoning Technique to the highest level, which is Great Perfection. A mysterious understanding suddenly emerged in his mind.


    The three characters of the Thunder Summoning Technique, inscribed on his Tao Foundation, seemed to grow even deeper.


    The Thunder Summoning Technique he could now unleash was as thick as a hundred-year-old tree and capable of striking enemies within a hundred fathoms. Such a move was already difficult to defend against for an ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator at level one.


    And he could unleash it four or five hundred times.


    This was the power of the pink entry ''Dantian Expansion (Unique).''


    But before going to sleep,


    Chen Qiu sighed softly, took out a pile of Spirit Stones from his bosom, and laid them on the bed to start absorbing enough Spiritual Energy to fill his Tao Foundation. Even with his superior mental method for Foundation Establishment, ''Seven Lights Questioning the World,'' this was still a very time-consuming task.


    An hour consisted of eight quarters, with the time of three cups of tea equaling one quarter.


    Last time, it took him the time of one cup of tea to fill his Tao Foundation. This time, it took... less than half an hour to fill his Tao Foundation.


    This was because he used a ''Mid-grade Foundation Establishment Soul Absorption Talisman.'' Otherwise, it would have taken at least four hours.


    Forget about not sleeping tonight, he wouldn''t even make it to the Secret Realm.


    That was just ten thousandths, what to do if it were a hundred thousandths in the future...


    Lost in his thoughts, Chen Qiu drifted into a fitful sleep. A great battle awaited him tomorrow, and he needed an early rest to prepare for the next day.


    ...


    The next day, at dawn.


    Chen Qiu set out early with his companion from Wentian Fang Market, bringing along the two scholars, and returned to Fufeng City.


    Last time he left Fufeng City in a rush; this time, he was unsure of the whereabouts of those who had pursued them. If fate allowed them to meet again, it would be a good opportunity to let the other party realize what it meant to see someone in a new light after just three days.


    Today''s Fufeng City was bustling due to the soon-to-open Secret Realm.


    The streets were filled with vendors shouting out their wares. Foundation Establishment Cultivators, who were seldom seen on ordinary days, were almost everywhere today. The arrogant young masters of Foundation Establishment families, who were usually quite conspicuous, were nowhere to be seen today; no one knew which corner they were cowering in.


    Just upon entering the city,


    A disheveled boy, eyes lighting up at the sight of Chen Qiu and his party''s luxurious robes, jogged over with a look of anticipation and said somewhat nervously, "Greetings to the four Immortals. An hour from now at the city square, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator with the entries ''Bull Strength'' and ''self-extinguishing root'' is planning to publicly chop up eight bulls to see what random entries he may get."


    "Would you Immortals be interested in watching?"


    "For just one Spirit Stone, you can watch from a close distance, and all the random entries obtained will be publicly shown to everyone."


    "Many from the great families and sect disciples have gone. There are so many people there, it''s quite lively."


    "Oh...?"


    Fat Long''s expression slowly turned peculiar. A public execution?


    Could this be the guy from the auction who spent 1500 Spirit Stones on the green entry ''self-extinguishing root''?

 Chapter 42 Entry Name Stepping on the Path of Immortality.

    ```"What do you say, Brother Qiu?"


    ```


    Fat Long stroked the smooth head of the lad and turned his head toward Chen Qiu. His heart actually harbored the idea of going to see for himself. He was indeed a bit curious to see what sort of thing this person could gamble out.


    But, after all, Chen Qiu was the one in charge, so he could not make decisions on his own.


    The Flower Offering Sect was not considered a particularly righteous sect. He had managed to survive in the Flower Offering Sect, even breaking through small realms in his cultivation multiple times within the sect, relying not just on his unique secret techniques, but more so on his ability to read the room.


    Who could refuse a lackey who never opposed you and did whatever you said?


    To be an excellent leader,


    You need to be sufficiently strong, you need to know how to win people''s hearts, you need to have a big-picture mindset, you need to interact with many powers, you need to provide enough benefits to those beneath you, and so on.


    And to be an excellent lackey,


    You just need to find an excellent leader and then follow closely behind them.


    Which one is simpler is self-evident.


    At least with Brother Qiu''s current progress, as long as he did not die prematurely, he felt he was definitely more comfortable than his past life in the Flower Offering Sect.


    ...


    "Let''s go take a look."


    Chen Qiu fiddled with the Jade Feather Fan in his hand and signaled for the lad to lead the way.


    "Alrighty."


    The lad excitedly waved his hand to signal to the coachman with the horse-drawn carriage nearby to come over and pick up the customers. In about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Chen Qiu and his group had arrived at their destination, the central square of Fufeng City.


    A square platform, about three feet high.


    Not a single weed in sight, and on the platform, one could vaguely see the mottled bloodstains left by time. Normally, whatever announcements the City Lord Mansion had were made here and then distributed throughout Fufeng City.


    Occasionally, it served other purposes, like beheadings, for instance.


    Today, the place was already full of people.


    Around the platform, numerous chairs were neatly placed, with many spectators already sitting and waiting, chatting with each other, while the rooftops of nearby low buildings were also temporarily outfitted with railings and were filled with people.


    All along the way,


    Chen Qiu noticed that in many corners of Fufeng City, Mother-Child Mirrors were relaying real-time images of the square.


    Mother-Child Mirror.


    It was a kind of special Spiritual Treasure, whose sole function was to transmit the scene from one place to the other in real time; one mother mirror generally came with twelve child mirrors, and it was quite valuable. It was somewhat similar to the Sound Transmission Ring, but not exactly the same. This was fixed and not portable, plus it had a shorter range, but the image quality was clearer.


    "Wow..."


    Fat Long licked his lips and glanced around, "There sure are a lot of people."


    ...


    And at that moment, in a courtyard surrounding the square,


    Minister Liu was facing about a dozen dirty-looking children, meticulously instructing: "Have you all remembered what I just said? Remember, you must add that many descendants from great families and Major Sects are here."


    "Go now."


    "For each person you bring in, I''ll give you 100 wen!"


    As his voice fell,


    These dirty children''s eyes brimmed with excitement as they rushed out the door. For them, 100 wen was quite a fortune.


    And after these children had left,


    ```


    The middle-aged man standing next to Minister Liu said with a bitter expression, "Minister Liu, although I''ve left the entire matter in your hands, isn''t it a bit much to invest so much? Not only giving gifts but also renting those expensive garments...."


    "What if we lose out?"


    "My lord." Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Minister Liu sighed softly, his expression turned solemn as he looked at the lord, "When have I ever made you take a loss?"


    "Although Fufeng City doesn''t have a rule about reporting large events to the government, just think, if we don''t report and don''t give them some benefits, and we cause such a big commotion in Fufeng City, what do you think the City Lord will think?"


    "And if Fufeng City doesn''t send troops to maintain order for us, wouldn''t there be some petty thieves who might come to cause trouble?"


    "Renting those expensive garments is also a must, my lord. Do you know what the scions of these influential families and Major Sects fear the most? They all carry a sense of superiority in their hearts and dread being seen as having poor taste the most."


    "So when we promote the event, we must say that many people of the same status as them will be present; otherwise, they might think that watching someone chop up a bull is an embarrassing affair."


    "Once they arrive at the scene and see that everyone''s attire is not cheap, they will naturally want to blend in with the crowd and won''t feel embarrassed anymore. People''s IQ often drops by half when they follow the crowd!"


    "Trust me, my lord; we definitely won''t lose out this time. With the Spirit Stones we''ve collected so far, we''ve already broken even. It''s just a matter of how much we will earn. Just wait for my good news."


    "Alright."


    The middle-aged man sighed deeply and patted Minister Liu''s shoulder helplessly, "Minister Liu, I''m not doubting your abilities, but I''m indeed a bit anxious in my heart... have I ever told you that I''m quite afraid of pain?"


    "No."


    "Oh."


    ...


    Chen Qiu and the others had been waiting in the square for over half an hour. The crowd around them was growing more and more dense, and the noise of conversations became more and more chaotic, yet he managed to gather quite a bit of information from the chatter of these people.


    Like the two people beside him.


    "Who knows which family the friend who is going to chop the bull belongs to, they''ve got a lot of nerve, randomly drawing eight white or green entries, aren''t they afraid of accidentally drawing a Demon Cultivation Term and getting themselves killed?"


    "Indeed... if they happen to draw the classic Demon Cultivation Terms¡ª''Should one embark on the path to immortality, sever parents and slaughter children first.''"


    "Those Fufeng City soldiers maintaining order would probably charge forward and surround him for the kill. This guy is betting fiercely; I definitely wouldn''t dare to gamble like that in public. Isn''t that the same as betting with your life?"


    "It''s hard to say, after all, only he can see his entries. If he doesn''t display them, isn''t that the end of it?"


    "Wouldn''t that just directly indicate he has something to hide? And so many people are here to see what entries he will bet on. He has collected the Spirit Stones but won''t let people see the entries? Is he kidding?"


    From the conversation of these two people, Chen Qiu came to know.


    Many entries are suitable for Demon Cultivation and Evil Cultivation, but these entries will not explicitly indicate to you, "this entry is suitable for Demon Cultivation." Instead, if you want to fully utilize the entry, that''s what makes your practice Demon Cultivation.


    If you choose not to use this entry, firmly deciding not to become a Demon Cultivator, then it''s fine as well.


    As long as you don''t expose your entry in public or go to places that require entry inspections, it''s basically fine. Having a knife in hand indeed means you could become a butcher, but it doesn''t mean that you will become one.


    Only when you receive the Potion for breaking through the first layer of the Qi Refinement Realm and acquire the first random entry, being assigned a Demon Cultivation or Evil Cultivation entry will result in immediate execution. At other times, as long as you don''t ask for trouble, no one will bother you.


    Actually, this is akin to strict laws being enforced leniently: as long as you don''t make a spectacle of yourself, you won''t be troubled.


    Of course...


    Those who go to the City Lord to receive Potions are generally poor people, and once given such an opportunity, most would rather become Demon Cultivators in order to change their dire living conditions.


    Like¡ª


    The most classic entry for Demon Cultivation, also the most widely spread and most recognizable one.


    ''Entry Name'': Embarking on the Immortal Path.


    ''Entry Level'': White entry.


    ''Entry Effect'': For each direct blood relative within three generations that you kill, earn three Spirit Stones.

 Chapter 43

    It was exactly because this entry was the most widely circulated and recognizable that the ubiquitous Jianghu saying of Demon Cultivation came into existence."The day you step onto the path of immortality, first kill your parents, then your child!"


    Perhaps when you first acquired the entry, you had no such thoughts, but this entry would plant a seed of Demon Cultivation in your mind. As the days became tougher, a particularly fierce argument might cloud your judgment.


    A rash slash of the knife.


    The appearance of three Spirit Stones, a sight of wealth you''d never seen before, made your eyes turn red with greed, prompting you to start panting heavily. Afterward...


    Congratulations, you have become a Demon Cultivator.


    Alone in the world, the heavens and the earth seem vast.


    ...


    "Frankly speaking, this immortality-stepping entry suits you quite well..."


    Chen Qiu turned his head towards Fat Long and teased, "You have that Hundred Percent Accuracy, just find ten thousand girls, and ten months later, you''ll have ten thousand direct descendants¡ªthat''s thirty thousand Spirit Stones."


    "..."


    After a long silence, Fat Long finally spoke hoarsely, "Brother Qiu, I might indeed not have the highest moral baseline, but I''m surely not that beastly, am I?"


    "Is that even human?"


    "Even if you become a beast, you need to have some bottom lines, right?"


    Chen Qiu started laughing and shook his head without saying more, finally understanding why some entries were Demon Cultivation Terms. He believed most people upon obtaining such an entry would never consider using it.


    But...life is long.


    The seed will eventually sprout until one day you suddenly realize...it''s just some minor hardships after all, followed by a ''One thought controls all.''


    Just at that moment¡ª


    Several fireworks burst into the high sky, followed by a middle-aged man with a somewhat pale face stepping onto the stage. He was naked, holding only a thin short sword in his hand.


    Without any opening remarks, his ferocious scream quieted the audience instantly as he stood gasping for air.


    After a few moments, he still hadn''t swung his sword.


    None in the audience urged him; many had even already twisted their faces and leaned back in their chairs¡ªthe pain seemed palpable even before the sword had slashed down.


    There were many female cultivators at the scene, yet they didn''t act coy like mortal women but watched boldly, their faces filled with curiosity.


    "Nine Ox Power."


    Not a particularly popular White entry, but still many had heard of it since White entries are the most numerous, making many of them well-known due to their sheer volume.


    Yet, this might be the first time most cultivators saw someone with the Nine Ox Power entry in action.


    "Roar!!!"


    Finally¡ª


    After dozens of moments, the middle-aged man on stage roared, his sword carrying a murderous intent as he, under everyone''s gaze, grabbed one and stabbed directly downward.


    "Puchi!"


    Blood gushed out, as Spiritual Energy quickly surged to the wound, momentarily stopping the bleeding.


    After doing introspection within his body, the middle-aged man swung his right hand, and a panel made of Spiritual Energy appeared overhead.


    ''Entry name'': Audience.


    ''Entry level'': White.


    ''Entry effect'': When you are in a crowd, your presence becomes significantly reduced.


    ...


    As the entry panel emerged, many from the audience started clapping. It wasn''t that the entry was particularly good, but it felt... really lively.


    Here were many from the Major Sects.


    They had seen much of the world.


    Even though they had witnessed Pink Entries, this was the first time they saw someone gambling over entries. It was an exciting feeling, both hoping to see a good entry turn up and not.


    Just one Spirit Stone to watch such an event was truly worthwhile.


    It felt like watching stone gambling.


    "The second sword!!!"


    The middle-aged man on stage gritted his teeth and screamed again as he lifted the short sword. Although no one there knew him, he was the Family Head of a Foundation Establishment family. Standing naked and watched by the public caused him a mix of pain, shame, and a hint of fear of drawing a Demon Cultivation term.


    His emotions were extremely complex.


    But he knew what Mentor Liu said was right; to enjoy the bliss uncommon to others, one must endure the hardships others can''t. He had started from scratch, what''s face worth anyway, just a cheap thing.


    It''s just that being a Family Head for so long got him a bit burdened, if it were before, not to mention being naked, as long as there were enough Spirit Stones, he would even perform in live spring shows on the stage!


    ...


    "Sizzle!"


    Another sword stabbed down.


    ''Entry name'': Alchemy Posture.


    ''Entry level'': White.


    ''Entry effect'': The success rate of your alchemy will slightly increase.


    "Fellow Daoists are awesome!!!"


    "Exciting!"


    "This is making me more thrilled than when I broke through the Foundation Establishment with three choices!"


    The atmosphere below was getting better, with many enthusiastically clapping and cheering on. These sect descendants usually stayed within their sects, and if not for the appearance of a Secret Realm in Fufeng City, they barely had chances to leave their sects. This entertainment excited them immensely.


    The demeanor they purposely maintained while in the mortal city relaxed instantly and returned to their true natures.


    ...


    The third sword!


    The fourth sword!


    The fifth sword!


    With each sword, the atmosphere became increasingly lively, and even Fat Long couldn''t help but laugh and cheer loudly. He might be the most empathetic among them, as he truly had nine.


    Watching the middle-aged man gamble on entries felt especially thrilling as though he was personally on the battlefield.


    However¡ª


    As the sixth strike descended,


    the middle-aged man on stage suddenly stood rooted in shock, as if he had randomly received an extraordinary entry, and after a few moments, a panel slowly emerged above his head.


    "Entry Name": Nine Ox Power.


    "Entry Level": White.


    "Entry Effect": Possess nine oxen.


    "..."


    "..."


    The audience, who had been excitedly jeering up until then, suddenly stood dumbfounded with complex expressions, only to see that the middle-aged man, who had already chopped six, leaving three, but after randomly receiving this entry,


    was replenished to nine.


    The audience then learned a potential rule about entries: When you possess a number of oxen and randomly receive the "Nine Ox Power" entry, it doesn''t give you nine additional oxen; rather, it replenishes the total to nine.


    "..."


    The middle-aged man on stage, somewhat bewildered, tilted his head toward the officer standing below the platform, unsure how to proceed. Could one encounter the same entry twice?


    Was this good or bad?


    It seemed he could earn a few more entries...


    ...


    "Is that even possible?"


    Chen Qiu looked at the middle-aged man on stage with a strange expression. Honestly, even he felt tempted. If one were exceptionally lucky and kept getting the "Nine Ox Power" entry every time, wouldn''t one potentially continue endlessly, like a perpetual motion machine?


    And his biggest trump card at the moment was¡ª


    "Self-Destruction Term"!


    This entry allowed him to unleash an attack far exceeding his strength by one Great Realm.


    One very important point was...


    This entry was merely a White entry, and he didn''t know how many White entries there were, but if a person continually had the chance to draw White entries, there was certainly a good chance they could draw this one.


    By then... the gains wouldn''t just be a few Spirit Stones.


    ...


    The atmosphere swiftly became subdued, but soon the audience excitedly started making noise again. The more chopping, the more chances to bet, and the more fun they found it.


    Continue!


    There were nine again, starting from the first cut!


    The second cut!


    The third cut!


    Until the eighth cut!


    "Nine Ox Power" appeared again!


    Again replenished to nine, only the fourteen pieces of bloody meat that fell on the platform proved that a tremendously bloody disaster had taken place here.


    "..."


    "..."


    The audience stopped talking; everyone''s smiles gradually faded, expressionlessly watching the increasingly proficient middle-aged man chopping his own "bulls."


    The first cut, the second cut, the third cut!


    Until the fourth cut¡ª


    "Entry Name": Self-Destruction Term.


    "Entry Level": White.


    "Entry Effect": You may detonate any entry to initiate an attack one Realm Cultivation greater than your current cultivation level.


    - Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When this panel appeared above the man''s head, the audience was totally silent.


    Everyone stood there expressionlessly, silent.


    It took the man on stage quite some time to realize what had occurred; with an excited expression, he bounced up, chopping the remaining few bulls, leaving one for himself, then gathered all the bulls that had fallen on the ground and packed them up.


    He looked at the audience with a somewhat frenzied expression, excitedly yelling and then sprinting off the stage.


    He tightly hugged the still-stunned officer below, hysterically excited to the point of incoherence, "Officer Liu!!! Wang Family is extremely fortunate to have you; you are at the same level as me in the Wang Family now!!"


    "In the future, we will enjoy wealth and honor together!!!"


    "What a thrill, chopping bulls is truly fucking thrilling!!"


    "I''m so fucking happy!"


    The stage was silent, the audience was excited.


    The stage was excited, the audience was silent.


    You see.


    The joys and sorrows of people really are not the same, the emotions of those on and off the stage can never be in sync.


    ...


    The play ended just like that.


    After sitting in silence for a long time, the audience almost simultaneously took out Sound Transmission Talismans from their robes, spreading the news about today''s events in Fufeng City to their respective sects and powers; they needed to reevaluate the value of the "Nine Ox Power" + "self-extinguishing root" entries.


    As expected,


    the "self-extinguishing root" entry''s price was likely to skyrocket in the future.


    They could not remember how many entries the man on stage had, but they could confirm that, in a way, this man was already in the Golden Core Stage, and that too under everyone''s watchful eyes.


    His underlying Foundation Establishment Family could now be considered a Semi-Step Golden Core Family.


    Maybe calling them a Golden Core Family was a bit of a stretch, but they would definitely be the strongest among all Foundation Establishment Families.


    ...


    "Brother Qiu."


    Fat Long also stayed silent for a long time before he murmured, "Suddenly, I have some regrets."


    "Actually... I''m not that afraid of pain."

 Chapter 44

    ```It''s not so much regret as it is envy.


    The man on the stage who''d gone completely mad was just lucky, not only did he randomly get two "Nine Ox Power" entries, but he also got the "Self-Destruction Term". How many people could boast such luck? Now that''s what you truly call a gamble on entries.


    And Fat Long did not consider himself particularly fortunate. Even if he had another chance, he''d probably not choose the "self-extinguishing root". Pain was only one reason, the main reason he felt things were fine as they were, and the pleasures of the bedroom were, after all, quite enjoyable. Besides, aesthetically, it''s much better than eight bloody holes and not as good as the Nine Ox.


    One could only say it was fate, that this middle-aged man was destined for this fortune.


    However, this also proved from a certain perspective, that even the most useless-looking White entries, as long as one is fated to obtain and match them with the right entries, can be useful. The challenge is precisely in obtaining the entries that can match.


    ...


    The drama had come to a close.


    The audience in the square had gradually departed, yet the smiles on everyone''s faces had disappeared without them noticing and what mattered most now was not envy, it wasn''t witnessing a lucky fellow soar to the heavens.


    It was whether this damn Foundation Establishment man''s Cultivation had exceeded the sixth layer of Foundation Establishment!!!


    If it hadn''t...


    Having such a monster with them in the Secret Realm, there would be no point in thinking about competing for treasures, all they would need to do is run for their lives. What was supposed to be a ''challenge'' type Heavenly Dao Secret Realm would completely turn into a survival game.


    None of the people present were confident they could handle such a monster.


    "Um... Boss."


    In a corner of the square, a thin man clad in a cloak cautiously approached a brawny man beside him and hesitated, "Are we still going to follow him to look for an opportunity to make a move?"


    This spectacle had attracted quite a crowd, including desperados. Their thoughts were simple, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator carrying so many Spirit Stones was no different from a walking spirit stone mine.


    If they didn''t rob him, it would be like refusing the gifts of heaven, and they would surely be struck by divine punishment.


    They would be courting retribution.


    But now it looked like it wasn''t a good time to make a move.


    "Rob your mother''s head!!!"


    The brawny man, somewhat infuriated and embarrassed, slapped the cloak off the thin man''s head, "If I said let''s go rob, would you dare be the first motherfucker to go?"


    "I dare."


    "Get lost!"


    The brawny man angrily turned and walked towards the exit of the square. What he forgot was this, that his brother had the courage to risk his life, who could have predicted that this man''s luck could be so good? Not only didn''t he snatch a single Spirit Stone, but he also lost two Spirit Stones for nothing.


    Pure fucking nonsense!


    ...


    Meanwhile, in a courtyard in the center of the square.


    Wang Tiedan, the middle-aged man who had gotten lucky, was now excitedly standing in the courtyard, looking towards the west side of Fufeng City with anticipation, "Heaven truly favors me, who could have thought that I, Wang Tiedan at the age of fifty-six, would still encounter such an opportunity!"


    "I had already given up on the idea of climbing higher, but now it seems possible that I might not have to give up on reaching the Golden Core Stage in my lifetime!"


    "My Cultivation is at the third layer of Foundation Establishment, just right to enter the soon-to-open Heavenly Dao Secret Realm. Steward Liu, do you think anyone in that Secret Realm can match me?"


    ```


    He originally had no intention of entering the Secret Realm. He was just taking advantage of the crowd to make a quick profit. However, times had changed, and now he was equipped with dozens of talismans, each with the full strength of a third-level Golden Core strike.


    His confidence soared.


    Perhaps he could gradually shift his focus away from his family and once again set foot on the Cultivation Path. After so many years without descending into a Secret Realm, he found himself missing it. Back then, he hadn''t yet broken through to Foundation Establishment, and he remembered the fellow Daoists he met along the way, eager to charge into the Secret Realm.


    They battled through challenges and were the last ones standing.


    It was incredibly satisfying, but as one grows older, their courage dims. He no longer possessed the same fervor and even felt a sense of fear when thinking about the past. Truly, ignorance knows no fear.


    "..."


    Standing to the side, Minister Liu let out a resigned sigh before waving his hand to dismiss the servants nearby and spoke with a serious expression, "My lord, let me sort this out for you, your emotions are a bit too agitated right now."


    "First of all, we have definitely won this time, and won very convincingly."


    "Not to mention anything else, just the Spirit Stones alone we''ve earned over 5,000 pieces. That''s already equivalent to more than a decade of our family''s Spirit Stone output, and this batch of Spirit Stones can also serve as very good seed capital."


    "My lord, although you are now akin to half-step Golden Core, think about it, can you defeat a true Golden Core expert?"


    "How many times can you use your full-strength strike? How many times can a Golden Core expert use theirs?"


    "A Golden Core expert can withstand your full-strength strike, but can you withstand a Golden Core expert''s full-strength strike?"


    "A Golden Core expert can control everything within dozens of miles with a single thought. My lord, can you outrun a Golden Core expert?"


    "To use a phrase from my hometown, you''re currently a target with high attack but low defense and low mobility. Bullying the weak may work, but facing the strong, it''s impossible for you to win."


    "..."


    These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Wang Tiedan''s head, snapping him back to reality. After a long while, he muttered, "Minister Liu, what you say makes a lot of sense, but..."


    "You''re telling me that before I had these entries, I had to keep laying low. Now that I already have so much strength from these entries, I still have to keep hiding my power. Then isn''t all the pain I''ve endured fucking pointless?"


    "No."


    Minister Liu shook his head with a serious look and replied, "Didn''t I just say? Bullying the weak is fine. So let''s go bully the weak, that''s all. What good does it do to kill all those disciples from the Major Sects and powerful families in the Secret Realm?"


    "If a few of them die in normal Secret Realm skirmishes, those sects won''t make much fuss about it. It''s very common for people to die in the Secret Realm. But if you go on a killing spree like you suggested, the Golden Cores from those sect families will come after you. My lord, how would you deal with that?"


    "Provoking such major powers has no benefits whatsoever."


    "Now everyone knows you possess the strength comparable to that of the Golden Core Stage. This is a deterrent. We should use this deterrence to harshly bully the Foundation Establishment families. We can''t provoke the Golden Core Powers, but aren''t the Foundation Establishment families easy to crush?"


    "The weak deserve to be trampled mercilessly!"


    "Once we bully the Foundation Establishment families and obtain a large amount of Spirit Stones and Cultivation Resources to grow stronger, with each small realm breakthrough in your Cultivation, my lord, your deterrence will increase. When you break through to the Golden Core Stage and possess Nascent Soul combat power, then we can go bully those Golden Core Powers fiercely!" sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Wouldn''t that be wonderful?"


    "It makes sense," Wang Tiedan pondered thoughtfully for a long time before hesitantly saying, "There''s just one small problem. You say that if I''m close to breaking through to the Golden Core Stage, will those Golden Core experts just let me break through so easily?"


    "It''s hard to say."


    "What do you mean ''hard to say''?"


    "Well, if I were a Golden Core expert living near you, I would already be on my way to kill you."

 Chapter 45

    "Don''t worry, Master."Liu the Steward again soothed, "There will indeed be certain dangers, but in this world, what can ever be entirely safe? We can''t just stop moving forward because there might be risks on the road ahead, just like you can''t stop living today simply because you''ll die one day."


    "When the time comes, there will always be a path to follow."


    Besides, there''s a good chance that even Golden Core experts won''t come after you, considering the explosion of those dozens of entries at once, even a Golden Core expert couldn''t bear it. Even if they could kill you, they''d definitely be seriously injured. Even Demon Cultivation practitioners wouldn''t do something that harms others without benefiting themselves."


    "Alright then..."


    Wang Tiedan looked towards the west of Fufeng City with some regret. After listening to Liu the Steward''s analysis, he realized that entering the Secret Realm was indeed not an option, but the gains from this trip were still incredibly substantial. Carrying so many Spirit Stones back to Yuncheng, hundreds of miles away, was more than enough to accomplish a great deal.


    ...


    Seeing that the Master''s mood had been steadied,


    Liu the Steward finally let out a sigh of relief, dressed in a black robe with one hand held behind his back, he gazed complexly into the distance. A year ago, he had transmigrated to this strange world¡ªfrom nearly starving to death at the very beginning to finally having a little bit of authority.


    The family he supported was prospering more by the day, and his own status was on the rise.


    He had actually approached Wang Tiedan on purpose. Back then, he had secretly selected many powers to pledge allegiance to and ultimately chose the Yuncheng Wang Family for a simple reason: the Wang Family began from scratch, and as a first-generation Family Head had considerable say, with little internal intrigue or complications.


    Secondly... the Wang Family Master seemed a bit foolish, honest, timid, indecisive, and lacked courage.


    All seemingly flaws,


    but to him, they were advantages. Such a master wouldn''t kill the donkey once the grinding is done, and at the very least, he''d receive the treatment he deserved. He had learned months ago that he wasn''t the only transmigrator in this world; some predecessors had arrived years before him.


    They now held high positions in the Capital.


    But...


    Who knows if your official post was honestly earned? Just a few years and you''re in high office¡ªprobably sold your ass for it. Give him another ten years, and he too could raise the Yuncheng Wang Family into a Golden Core Power renowned throughout Da Xia Country!


    As a fellow transmigrator, not weaker than you!


    ...


    The curtain fell, and fewer people walked the streets within Fufeng City. Numerous cultivators gathered by the stream three miles outside Fufeng City. A usually scarcely populated area was now swarming with people.


    Heavenly Dao Blessing only mentioned that the Secret Realm would open today, at this location.


    It did not provide an exact time for its opening.


    Many had already begun sitting cross-legged on the spot, closing their eyes to cultivate and conserve their energy. Even a quick glance revealed there were quite a few small groups.


    There were clansmen who had teamed up for experience outside.


    Disciples of the same sect that had left their sect together.


    And some Loose Cultivators who had joined forces with acquaintances.


    Basically, no one came alone; the least anyone did was come in pairs, for in the Secret Realm, anyone could be an enemy, and it''s a simple fact that one can''t fight against many.


    Chen Qiu, however, was not sitting cross-legged to cultivate. Instead, he leaned against a pine tree, observing the cultivators gathered. His Heavenly Dao Foundation could rotate and cultivate automatically, although the speed wasn''t as fast as actively using mental methods¡ªit was only about a third as fast.


    But he didn''t lack that bit of time right now.


    This was his first time seeing so many Foundation Establishment Cultivators. Listening to their conversations, hearing the tales and knowledge from all over¡ªthough many of them were embellished, he could still gain a more comprehensive understanding of this world.


    Under the effect of the "Heavenly Dao''s Absence" entry,


    after closing his eyes, his hearing was doubled, and he could faintly pick up on many of the hushed whispers and conversations around him.


    He was quite confident about this Secret Realm; he had been preparing for this day for a long time.


    His Tao Foundation breadth was ten thousandth of an inch, charged full with Spiritual Energy, enough for him to unleash four to five hundred Thunder Summoning Techniques, and under the effect of the Enlightenment Stone, this spell had reached the Great Perfection Realm.


    Each release was like a thunderbolt as thick as a hundred-year-old dead tree smashing down on his enemies.


    It was incredibly powerful.


    And most importantly¡ª


    -


    ''Entry Name'': Spiritual Energy Intimidating.


    ''Entry Level'': White.


    ''Entry Effect'': After your Tao Foundation exceeds one hundredth of an inch in width, for every additional one-thousandth of an inch, the power of your spells will increase slightly.


    -


    He also had this entry, and with this as well as the "Focus Power" entry that amplified Thunder Summoning Technique specifically, the power of his Thunder Summoning Technique was now frighteningly large. It was just that since reaching the breadth of ten thousandth of an inch, he had yet to cast it.


    And he did not know its exact power.


    Once inside the Secret Realm, time to find an unwary target to practice on first.


    With such a foundation of confidence, coupled with the chilling six thousand-plus Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment resentful spirits filling his body, as well as those numerous entries that could explode with the power of a Golden Core and nearly a hundred offensive and defensive talismans,


    he had fully armed himself to the teeth.


    What did it matter if he faced the prodigies of great families and Major Sects?


    Unless you carry an elder with you, he refused to believe that anyone below the sixth layer of the Foundation Establishment Stage could outdo him.


    Just then¡ª


    The scene suddenly became noisy.


    "It''s ''Zhao Yishi'' from ''Caotian Sect''. A few days ago, he reportedly broke through to the sixth layer of the Foundation Establishment Stage. He also ranks quite high on the ''Da Xia Heavenly Pride Leaderboard'', at 107th place. I didn''t expect this secret realm to even draw him out."


    "You haven''t been to that Wentian Market nearby? He came to Wentian Market a few days ago."


    "Indeed, ''Caotian Sect'' itself is ranked 79th in the Da Xia Sect rankings, and they haven''t produced any remarkable talents in recent decades, dropping a little each year. In the last few years, it''s said that the sect has invested a lot of resources in him. As long as they find an entry that''s a perfect fit for him, Caotian Sect''s ranking is sure to skyrocket next year!"


    "After all, owning the Pink Entry ''Heaven-reaching Giant'', he''s indeed worth the full support of Caotian Sect."


    Suddenly, at the horizon, a middle-aged man about forty zhang tall landed on the ground from the sky, carrying a thirty zhang long saber on his shoulder and creating lotuses with every step, attracting all eyes with his extremely conspicuous entrance.


    Chen Qiu opened his eyes indifferently, glancing at the highly conspicuous middle-aged man who had landed amidst the crowd, without saying a word.


    In this world, a seven chi height is equivalent to the former world''s 1.7 meters.


    One chi equals twenty-four centimeters, one zhang equals ten chi, so this man was over four hundred chi tall, that is, 96 meters. His towering presence among the crowd was beyond outstanding.


    Too conspicuous, from the moment he appeared, he captured the attention of everyone present.


    Many people looked on with envy at the man; sometimes luck is indeed very important.


    But it wasn''t over yet¡ª


    While everyone was still amazed, suddenly, plum blossoms bloomed across the sky, followed by the sight of a delicate woman dressed in a pink long dress, with a cold demeanor, descending slowly to the ground on the plum blossoms.


    And there were four or five young men in different attire beside her, each of them looking at the surrounding crowd with hostility.


    "Is this... is this ''Ma Yinxue'' who ranks 78th on the ''Da Xia Beauty Leaderboard''?"


    "That''s right, it''s her. I''ve seen her portrait before, but today is the first time I''m seeing her in person. She truly seems to have stepped out of a fairyland, mortal women simply can''t compare."


    "Who could be worthy of such a lady? To marry her would be a blessing of three lifetimes!"


    "Those few men by her side must be her followers, right?"


    "Definitely, any woman ranked on the Da Xia Beauty Leaderboard has a number of followers. It''s said that the top ten beauties constantly have over a hundred followers each, and thier every outing is a major event."


    ...


    "Hmm?"


    Chen Qiu looked at the woman who had descended into the crowd with a puzzled expression. He had heard from Fat Long about the existence of a beauty leaderboard in this world, but this was his first time seeing a real person ranked on the beauty leaderboard.


    Truth be told, she was quite beautiful.


    She possessed an inexplicable charm, looking so fresh and spirited, especially with that cold demeanor that could awaken the desire to conquer in many men, prompting them to pay any price just to witness the contrast she presented in bed.


    But he was puzzled about something.


    "Fat Long, these leaderboards are all automatically ranked by the Heavenly Dao, right? I can understand the sect and Heavenly Pride leaderboards, since they have clear boundaries. But the Beauty Leaderboard¡ªeveryone has different tastes, so how is it ranked?"


    "..." S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    For some reason, Fat Long did not respond with his usual enthusiasm and instead remained expressionless and silent for a long while before speaking softly, "Brother Qiu, the Beauty Leaderboard is indeed ranked by the Heavenly Dao itself."


    "Whose ranking will rise and whose will fall is all up to the Heavenly Dao''s perception."


    "The Da Xia Beauty Leaderboard consists of a total of 100 beauties. These 100 beauties are not just pretty faces, they come with special effects, and each beauty''s effect is unique."


    "Some can increase their husband''s success rate in Alchemy, others can accelerate their husband''s cultivation speed, and some can even make their husband''s breakthroughs free from bottlenecks."


    "But the premise is, you have to win the beauty''s true heart. Only when a beauty genuinely falls in love with you, can you have that effect."


    "And since beauties are favored by the Heavenly Dao, anyone daring to force or coerce them into giving their heart or body will incur the disdain of the Heavenly Dao."


    "In Da Xia Country, such Heavenly Dao Beauties are an exceedingly special existence. Every scion of the great families or powers has dreamt of marrying a Heavenly Dao Beauty."


    "Both in terms of practical benefits and reputation, they far surpass ordinary women."


    "Hm."


    Chen Qiu chuckled and said, "Your means of gathering information are as formidable as ever, even knowing so much about the Beauty Leaderboard."


    "..."


    After remaining silent for a while, Fat Long continued, "The Heavenly Dao Beauty you see was my ex-girlfriend. We transmigrated to this era around the same time, and after I arrived, I made some money doing hard labor because I was worried she might awaken to a Demon Cultivation term and get executed by the government."


    "So I saved money for over ten days to buy a potion that could help her to breakthrough to the first level of the Qi Refinement Realm."


    "After she used it, she advanced to the first level of the Qi Refinement Realm and became a Heavenly Dao Beauty, ascending to the ''Da Xia Beauty Leaderboard''."


    "Many Foundation Establishment Cultivators who pursued her came, including sons of Golden Core Powerhouses. Later... afterwards, she left me, and I fell into depression for a while before saving money again to buy myself a potion, awakening the ''Nine Ox Power'' entry."


    "Not long after, I was captured by the ''Flower Offering Sect'' to be used as a nourishing supplement."


    "Then I escaped to Fufeng City, where I met you, Brother Qiu."


    "..."


    The smile on Chen Qiu''s face slowly stiffened, and he looked at the beauty among the crowd, his mouth opening and closing for a while before he fell silent again.

 Chapter 46

    "Fat Long.""Hmm."


    "You''ve had it tough these past few months..."


    "It''s okay."


    With an expression hard to read, Fat Long shook his head, "I''ve always said that only those who don''t believe they can become strong feel humiliated by yesterday''s kneeling."


    "It doesn''t matter."


    "These setbacks are the trials I must endure on the path to becoming a significant figure, they are the Heavenly Dao''s tempering of me."


    Chen Qiu nodded complicatedly without saying anything else. He had to admit that Fat Long''s mentality was truly admirable. An ordinary person, having transmigrated and gone through a series of shitty events, would probably be mentally disturbed by now, but when he first met Fat Long...


    Fat Long was still intent on stealing his pig-head meat to eat.


    That was a bit heartless and thoughtless.


    "By the way¡ª"


    Chen Qiu looked towards a woman surrounded by several young men in the distance, his brow slightly furrowed. He did not have a good impression of those young men who were closely guarding Ma Yinxue in the middle, their eyes full of hostility toward all the other men around.


    It was as if they were terrified that more rivals in love would pop up.


    "What''s the effect of that Ma Yinxue''s beauty ranking?"


    "It allows one''s husband to be favoured by the Heavenly Dao, enabling the husband to ignore the Secret Realm''s restrictions and increase his Cultivation by three small realms within the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm, and also to randomly gain two time-limited entries."


    "Understood."


    Chen Qiu nodded thoughtfully, "So there''s only a beauty ranking? No rankings for handsome men?"


    "There''s no ranking for handsome men."


    "The beauty ranking includes men. According to the intelligence I received a while ago, there are twelve men on the beauty list. These men are also Heavenly Dao Beauties, but the ranking is updated in real-time, so I don''t know if it''s still twelve now."


    "Once someone is fortunate enough to become a Heavenly Dao Beauty, they''re basically not taken off the list unless they die, after which a new Heavenly Dao Beauty will replace them."


    "Those men are also surrounded by groups of women. These twelve men are also known as the Twelve Beauties of Da Xia."


    "Of course, in private, everyone calls them the Twelve Public Livestock of Da Xia."


    Just then¡ª


    Ma Yinxue in the crowd suddenly noticed Chen Qiu and Fat Long standing under a pine tree. The corner of her mouth turned slightly upwards, as if she was thinking of something, and she gracefully waved her sleeve and slowly walked towards Fat Long.


    The flower guard servants by her side also followed closely behind her, their faces full of vigilance, like those of competent house slaves.


    Almost everyone''s gaze was on the girl in the pink dress, and Ma Yinxue also seemed to enjoy the feeling of being watched by everyone.


    "It looks like she''s walking towards you, and the posture doesn''t seem like she''s here to catch up with you," Chen Qiu said in a low voice as he watched Ma Yinxue approaching them.


    "Hmm."


    Fat Long nodded, his voice a bit hoarse, "If she mocks me later and I talk back, can you protect me, Brother Qiu?"


    "Are you so sure she''s going to mock you?"


    "Yeah, that''s just her character. In my previous life when my company was doing well, she was good to me. But after the company''s performance declined, her attitude did a complete 180."


    "Just these few people? No problem, you can say whatever you want, just don''t criticize them as a group. "


    "I can''t beat so many people at once. The scholar and the others are still in Fufeng City, so it''d be tough to run away."


    "I understand, I''ve got it now."


    ...


    "Long time no see, Fat Long."


    With each step Ma Yinxue took, a plum blossom appeared on the ground beneath her feet, her cat-like steps gracefully brought her to Fat Long''s side. She raised her hand with a mocking smile and gently slid it across Fat Long''s cheek, finally resting it on his Adam''s apple, her voice saccharine to the point of dripping.


    "This Heavenly Dao Secret Realm has a Cultivation cap of the sixth layer of Foundation Establishment. Are you here to try your luck as well?"


    "Tsk, you''re still the same as before, addicted to gambling."


    "Didn''t I tell you that deal was no good and you still went through with it? What was the outcome? Didn''t you lose everything? Why do you always think you''re invincible, as if everything you do is right?"


    "Seeing me again, do you feel any regret? If you had humbled yourself and clung to me instead of insisting on making me your virtuous wife, maybe now you would have the qualifications to stand among these men behind me."


    Fat Long emotionlessly swatted Ma Yinxue''s hand away and coldly said, "A few days apart and you''ve become as flirtatious as a prostitute?"


    "Did you get stabbed in the head? Did it scramble your brains too?"


    ...


    Chen Qiu, who was originally standing to the side, playing with a Jade Feather Fan and watching the commotion with glee, suddenly had his smile stiffen on his face. He then silently slipped the fan into his Storage Ring and prepared to draw his sword for battle at any moment.


    It seemed a fight was inevitable today.


    The crowd that had been gathering around to watch the excitement quickly dispersed with tacit understanding; the area under the pine tree, previously crowded, was now deserted.


    The stage was set for them to perform, and the rest was up to their own devices.


    While the crowd dispersed, every face was filled with a gossip-hungry look. This kind of gossip about the Heavenly Dao Beauty was always irresistible, especially new gossip.


    No sooner had Fat Long''s words fallen than the several men standing behind Ma Yinxue drew their weapons in rage and pointed them at Fat Long.


    "Audacious!!!"


    "Who gave you the courage to speak to Sister Xue in such a manner?"


    "You''re courting death!!!!"


    "We''ve never even held Sister Xue''s hand, how dare you so brazenly tarnish her reputation!"


    Just as the men seemed ready to charge in fury and slay the insolent Fat Long right there, Ma Yinxue, with a flash of coldness on her face, gestured for the men behind her to stop and whispered into Fat Long''s ear, articulating each word.


    "I once heard a saying¡ª"


    "A man''s money is not for a woman to spend, but for her to gaze upon."


    "I think it makes sense."


    "A woman''s charm is not for a man to use, but for him to look upon."


    "As long as I choose not to pick a husband, every man wants to possess me, and I can make use of all these men. But you, what do you have? I will let you see that my decisions have always been right, and men like you, arrogant and ignorant, can only rage impotently."


    "Your heart filled with regret and frustration, you''ll shiver with realization and then have to face reality once more, continuing to hide in a filthy gutter."


    "That''s right."


    Taking a step back, the woman suddenly laughed, pulled out ten porcelain bottles from her Storage Ring, and tossed them in front of Fat Long: "These are the Potions you gave me back then; I''m returning tenfold."


    "Didn''t you say you worked day and night for over ten days to earn the money for this Potion? You had to mention it every single day, as if you wanted me to be indebted to you for a lifetime over this, a thing worth a few hundred coins. Do you intend for me to remember it for the rest of my life?"


    "Is returning tenfold enough for you?"


    S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 47

    "If ten more isn''t enough, I''ll give you ten more."Standing behind Ma Yinxue, a young man with a smirk pulled out ten porcelain bottles from his storage ring and threw them on the ground, "Sister Xue mentioned you. You''ve toiled for over ten days gathering potions, haven''t you moved yourself to tears?"


    "How about that?"


    Ma Yinxue, arms crossed, looked at Fat Long with a smile that wasn''t quite a smile, "Do you feel a fire burning inside you right now? Uncomfortable and angry? Yes, that''s the feeling. I felt the same every time I asked you for money to buy bags."


    "But what about after that? Do you have any temper left?"


    "Here."


    Ma Yinxue pulled out a storage bag from her bosom and threw it at Fat Long''s feet, taunting, "This bag contains some of my used personal clothes, consider it a reward for you, a keepsake."


    "...Huuh."


    After taking a deep breath, Fat Long slowly looked at the few young men standing behind Ma Yinxue, who looked furious, and suddenly laughed, "Are all of you chasing after Ma Yinxue?"


    "Want me to share what Ma Yinxue''s favorite tricks are? So you won''t be clueless once you have her."


    "I''m already sick of playing those games."


    "And you guys treat them like treasures in your hands, truly amusing."


    "Hey¡ª"


    "She really isn''t well-behaved!"


    "You''re fucking asking for it!"


    As soon as these words fell.


    The five young men standing behind Ma Yinxue could no longer contain themselves, their bodies swelling with spiritual energy as they drew their spiritual weapons and charged at Fat Long with fierce roars.


    "I didn''t want to waste spiritual energy before entering the Secret Realm, but if you''re seeking death, I can''t blame me!"


    "Today, no one can save you!"


    Fat Long grinned, took a slight step back to stand behind Chen Qiu, and shrugged, "Here, let me introduce you¡ªthis is my boss, Brother Qiu."


    "Sigh."


    Chen Qiu sighed helplessly. He knew since the first time he met Fat Long that Fat Long had a foul mouth, but he didn''t remember it being this bad before. The attacks were too sharp.


    It was indeed quite heart-stabbing.


    But Ma Yinxue''s attacks were pretty strong too. You two were quite a match when you were together before.


    He stepped forward, blocking in front of Fat Long, casually throwing out five Defensive talismans "Golden Bell Talisman," instantly five golden light shields enveloped him. The weapons of those men clanged metallically against the golden light.


    Only two of the golden lights shattered.


    Then he looked at the few men who were now red-eyed in front of him, sighed lightly, "Ever since ancient times, many have died for beauty¡ªa lesson that you guys might understand in your next life."


    The next second¡ª


    The Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment above his Dantian began to spin rapidly.


    Seventy to eighty bolts of thunder, each about seven feet thick, appeared out of nowhere around Chen Qiu. Countless flashes of thunder surged around him, engulfing those men with clusters of thunder blossoms!


    This entire process took merely a moment!


    The spells of the Foundation Establishment Stage are nearly instant manifestations, requiring neither Taoist Technique nor gesture.


    And these men, having never witnessed such a sight, frantically tried to stop themselves, their faces paling as they activated every Defensive talisman and Spiritual Treasure on them, and hastily retreated. Yet, Chen Qiu''s "Thunder Summoning Technique" was an enhanced version.


    Their immense power was increased in number as well.


    There was no possibility of escape.


    ...


    "Boom!!!"


    A series of deafening blasts like firecrackers erupted, and within several feet of Chen Qiu, the ground had turned charred with scattered charred bones here and there.


    No traces of clothing, no flesh.


    Utterly clean.


    These men were dead beyond dead, leaving only Ma Yinxue sitting on the spot, her face filled with terror, her body obviously trembling, so much that she even forgot to run away.


    "Seems like I used too much..."


    Chen Qiu looked at the Spirit Energy in his Heavenly Dao Foundation that had decreased by about ten to twenty percent, nodded thoughtfully as this was his first time using "Thunder Summoning Technique" in actual combat, not quite sure how many would be enough to kill a person. For safety, he used a bit more.


    Now it seemed, the damage was overdone.


    He estimated that perhaps thirty to forty would have been adequate.


    Still too inexperienced in battle.


    Needs to kill more to foster that experience.


    ...


    The expressions of the people who had stepped back to watch the show slowly stiffened. They could sense through the spiritual energy emitting from this man that he was merely a cultivator at the first level of Foundation Establishment.


    He had just broken through to the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    But the power of the "Thunder Summoning Technique" was clearly not that of the first level¡ªit was already at the sixth level of Foundation Establishment!


    Moreover, releasing the "Thunder Summoning Technique", a cultivator at the first level of spiritual energy could cast it three or four times at most before their spiritual energy was depleted. Yet, this man had released it seventy to eighty times in one go?


    Are you kidding?


    Did your Dantian have enough spiritual energy for you to play around like this? How could a cultivator at the first level store so much spiritual energy?


    Here''s another one who could battle beyond his level, the formidable kind.


    Many people stepped back a few more steps as this thought crossed their minds.


    In the crowd, Zhao Yishi, towering like a heaven-reaching giant with a height of several dozen feet, looked down at the scene before him with twitching corners of his mouth. Unable to help himself, he stepped back several steps, carefully pulled out a sound transmission talisman from the gap between his huge fingernails, and cautiously said into the tiny talisman the size of a sesame seed as he infused it with spiritual energy.


    "Sect Master, can I opt out of this Heavenly Dao Secret Realm? There are monsters in this Secret Realm, and I can''t beat them; I might die."


    "Nonsense!!!"


    An angry roar quickly came from the talisman, "Even if the sky falls this time, you must go in. The sect has spent a ton of resources on you, and yet you, such a big guy, are scared like a mouse, avoiding battles every time!"


    "The sect has already sent five experienced Inner Sect disciples at the sixth level of Foundation Establishment to protect you, and you''re still scared!"


    "You must go this time. If you have the Pink Entry ''Heaven-reaching Giant'', it means you are a person of great Qi Fortune. The opportunities meant for you can only be found by yourself. The sect can only assist you, not do everything for you, right?"


    "Not only do you need to find your own opportunities this time, but you also need to fight with disciples from other sects as much as possible. You have too little combat experience. If you keep this up, don''t even think about ever getting a full meal!"


    "If I had known that your appetite would grow as your body grew, I definitely wouldn''t have fucking invested so heavily in you!"


    "Have you ever calculated how many spirit stones your single meal consumes?"


    "You''re about to bankrupt me!"


    "Oh."


    Zhao Yishi, feeling a bit sullen, crushed the sound transmission talisman in his hand. Tanking and bankruptcy were new terms lately coming from Capital; such terms frequently popped up in recent years.


    What a terrible sect, not even providing disciples with enough food. No wonder it keeps dropping in the sect rankings every year.


    If only I had switched to another sect back then.


    ...


    "Here."


    Fat Long, with a look of melancholy, pulled out a "Dragon Slayer" broadsword from his bosom and walked up to Ma Yinxue, who was sitting on the ground, "See, isn''t my backing a bit cooler?"


    "Heavenly Dao only said that you can''t be forced into devotion or sacrifice, not that I couldn''t kill you, right?"


    "Oh and¡ª"


    "Don''t slander me like you did earlier in your next life; I''ve never smelled your stinky feet."


    Just as Fat Long was about to swing his blade.


    Chen Qiu suddenly realized something with a peculiar expression, "Fat Long, did she just call you Fat Long?"


    "Yeah, what about it, Brother Qiu?"


    "Didn''t you say that Fat Long was a name you adopted later, something about being a lurking dragon?"


    "..."


    Suddenly, the corner of Fat Long''s mouth twitched slightly. As his blade swiftly swung down, splattering blood across the sky, he sheathed the sword back into his bosom and turned to Brother Qiu with a serious look: "It''s not important, Brother Qiu."


    "If you really must know, I actually used to be called Fat Long too."


    "Your face looks like it has many stories."


    "You can see that?"


    "Yes, and also that your cut didn''t kill her, she''s still breathing."


    "Oh, oh, I haven''t cut anyone in a long time, my hand is a bit stiff. Let me take a few more swings."


    Fat Long hastily spun around and swung his blade again, then took a few heavy breaths, "There, God damn, slandering me, you nearly destroyed my reputation, lady."


    "Fat Long."


    "Hmm?"


    "After you separated from her, did you really do what she said, hiding in a corner at night and fantasizing about those images of you guys together?"


    "Brother Qiu, you''re being presumptuous." Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Presumptuous again, huh?"


    "Yes."

 Chapter 48

    Chen Qiu didn''t pursue the matter further but turned to look behind Fat Long where Ma Yinxue now lay in a pool of blood, sighing, "After all, you had a rapport with you, just to kill her like this?"He hadn''t killed Ma Yinxue just now, after all, she was Fat Long''s woman, and he certainly didn''t feel it was his place to decide her fate.


    "You consider an evil rapport as rapport?"


    Fat Long shook his head, "I''ve grown disillusioned with women now, at least until I achieve enlightenment and immortalhood, I won''t think about these matters again. It feels incredibly hard to find a woman who truly connects with you emotionally, who doesn''t mock you when you''re down."


    Just then---


    A white vortex, about thirty feet high and thirty feet wide, gradually appeared beside a small stream.


    Hovering above the vortex was a pane enveloped in white mist.


    -


    ''Secret Realm Name'': Chao Tian Small World.


    ''Secret Realm Restriction'': Only accessible to Cultivators of the Foundation Establishment''s sixth level and below.


    ''Secret Realm Type'': ''Trial''.


    ''Secret Realm Introduction'': Contains seven challenges, with a reward for passing each. Up to 10,000 Cultivators may enter. The entrance will close after a thousand breaths or when someone completes all challenges or after thirty-six hours, whichever comes first, and the Secret Realm will close.


    -


    "The Secret Realm has opened!"


    "It can hold up to 10,000 Cultivators!"


    The crowd that had already dispersed around the area suddenly let out bursts of excited shouts, many instinctively stepping forward, tempted by the prospect. What else had brought them to the far-flung, insignificant Fufeng City if not for this Secret Realm, for this opportunity?


    On the path of Cultivation, one must seize their own opportunities.


    But now¡­


    They hesitated to enter; the Secret Realm seemed to be filled with too many formidable entities this time, with one Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage having dozens of Self-Destruction Terms that could rival the might of a Golden Core, and another seemingly at Foundation Establishment level one, but who could easily kill five mid-Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the blink of an eye.


    The competitive pressure was somewhat intense.


    "On this path of Cultivation, to not advance is to die, let''s go!"


    As everyone hesitated, a middle-aged man from some clan bit his lip slightly and led a dozen or so junior family members, taking the first bold strides into the white vortex, disappearing by the side of the stream.


    And as he passed by Chen Qiu, he cast a wary glance, as if facing a formidable opponent.


    This left Chen Qiu feeling rather speechless.


    With no grudge or grievance, why would he want to fight with you? It''s such a waste of Spiritual Energy, isn''t it? That Spiritual Energy comes from Spirit Stones. Why look at him like that? If there''s no conflict of interest, why would he bother with you for no reason? S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If there is a conflict of interest¡­


    Then it''s the one with the bigger fist who gets to speak.


    Perhaps encouraged by this man''s example, the others who had been hesitating around him no longer wavered. Gritting their teeth, they braved entry into the Secret Realm, reasoning that since it was a trial-type realm, the mortality rate wouldn''t be high. As long as they didn''t run into a monster like Chen Qiu, they probably wouldn''t have any issues.


    As each person passed by Chen Qiu, they nodded solemnly at him, as if conveying some message.


    ...


    "..."


    Chen Qiu shook his head helplessly and then tucked the Storage Ring he had just picked from Ma Yinxue''s body into his chest. The Storage Ring had been bound by blood and his Spiritual Sense couldn''t break it; he would just need to find an Artifact Refiner to help him with it after getting out.


    He was also quite curious about the thing that caused plum blossoms to bloom with each step she took, whether it was a Spell or some Spiritual Treasure.


    "Fat Long, did we forget to ask those guys what kind of backing they had?"


    "Seems like it."


    "There couldn''t be someone coming for revenge, could there?"


    "Hard to say, considering there are so many witnesses here. Unless after entering the secret realm, we kill everyone without leaving a single survivor, that way no news would get out."


    No sooner had the voice faded away.


    A young man, who was just about to enter a secret realm nearby, felt a twitch in his ear and then without the slightest hesitation, channeled all his spiritual energy into his legs, activating his movement technique, and with the speed surpassing the thunder''s roar and faster than one could cover their ears, he shot off into the distance!


    Whoever loved that secret realm could go; as for himself, fuck that, he was not going!


    Such swift movement technique prompted many to exclaim in admiration.


    "Well, let''s just forget it."


    Chen Qiu shook his head, "There are nearly ten thousand people here, I don''t have that kind of ability to silence everyone here. Even if these people just stood there and let me kill them, I wouldn''t have enough spiritual energy."


    And at that moment¡ª


    The ground began to tremble faintly, and then they saw Zhao Yishi, towering like a heaven-reaching giant, slowly walking towards them. Stopping a few zhang away, he looked down at them and waved his hand as if signaling something.


    Shortly thereafter, a young man standing next to Zhao Yishi''s feet rushed over, handing over a sound transmission talisman and whispered, "Fellow daoist, Senior Brother Zhao would like to have a few words with you, if convenience allows?"


    "..."


    Chen Qiu looked at the sound transmission talisman handed over by the young man before him and looked up at the towering giant, his lips twitching slightly in amusement. Being so tall was not without its drawbacks; to have a conversation with a normal person, it was necessary to use a sound transmission talisman.


    Otherwise, the distance of dozens of zhang would indeed make it hard to hear a normal voice clearly, and if one were to use spiritual energy to amplify their voice, then everyone would hear.


    After accepting the sound transmission talisman.


    He soon heard a muffled voice emanating from within.


    "Big brother, if there''s a chance later, I won''t compete with you for it, can you promise not to kill me?"


    "..."


    A trace of bemusement crossed Chen Qiu''s face as he raised his eyes towards the giant sword, over thirty zhang long, on the shoulder of the heaven-reaching giant. He felt a strong sense of incongruity. It wasn''t the weapon in your hand that you were talking about when you asked me not to kill you, was it?


    Are you really so sure you can''t defeat me?


    Are you that lacking in confidence?


    But to be honest, he wasn''t really keen on making an enemy of Zhao Yishi either. With such a large frame, even if Zhao stood still and let him attack, he''d have to waste a lot of spiritual energy, so he nodded in agreement right away.


    "Naturally, I''ve always favored peace."


    "Good, big brother, with your word I can rest assured."


    Then, the muffled voice continued from the sound transmission talisman, "You guys don''t need to follow me. Just wait outside. You few are too conspicuous and can easily give me away."


    The sect disciple who handed Chen Qiu the sound transmission talisman looked somewhat puzzled for a moment, looking up at the disciple behind him. Who the hell is conspicuous? With you standing there, who wouldn''t see you within tens of miles?


    You just watched someone else taking his share without paying the entrance fee, seeing it all from outside the city wall!


    But remembering the mission given to him by the sect master, the sect disciple was still anxious as he hurriedly said, "Senior Brother Zhao, the sect master said we should protect your safety. You are the hope and future of the sect. If anything happens to you, we can''t explain ourselves when we return."


    "Also... compared to you, Senior Brother Zhao, we really aren''t that noticeable."


    "No need to say so much."


    "If you don''t stay outside, I won''t go in."


    The several sect disciples exchanged glances, sighing helplessly, "Senior Brother Zhao, we''ll wait for you outside as you''ve instructed. Please be careful inside."


    "Your safety is the most important thing."

 Chapter 49

    Subsequently, Zhao Yishi, massive as a Heaven-reaching Giant, waved his hand at Chen Qiu, as if to greet him, and strode towards the White whirlpool not far away. To Zhao Yishi, that White whirlpool seemed no more than a pebble.With a step, Zhao Yishi entered it, vanishing on the spot amidst an incredibly discordant and eerie sensation.


    "Zhao Yishi?"


    Chen Qiu couldn''t help but shake his head and chuckle, "Indeed, an impressive name, suggesting a peerless and invincible aura."


    Yet he seemed to lack a trace of domineering presence, replaced instead by a thread of prudence¡ªwhether this was a ruse, Chen Qiu couldn''t tell.


    The "Pink Entry" is exceedingly rare, a kind of entry most unique. Almost all such entries possess the potential for infinite growth; as long as you live long enough, that entry will undoubtedly grow stronger over time.


    "..."


    The few Caotian Sect disciples standing there twitched their lips frantically without speaking. Years ago, the Sect Master had ventured out, discovering Zhao Yishi, who possessed a Pink Entry "Heaven-reaching Giant," and immediately abducted him back to the sect to take him as a True Disciple.


    Full of hope, they awaited Zhao Yishi''s leadership, under which the sect would return to its former glory!


    And they bestowed upon him the name "Zhao Batian."


    Later, as Zhao Yishi gradually matured, he forcefully changed his own name, believing that Zhao Batian was too arrogant and likely to affect his Qi Fortune. He chose Zhao Yishi instead, signifying the belief that one should be cautious in their single lifetime.


    It could be said that Zhao Yishi had become the sole hope of the Caotian Sect, which truly invested everything in nurturing him over the years.


    ...


    "Now that he''s entered, that''s good, that''s very good."


    "This child has been diligently cultivating in the back mountains all this time; there must have been a breakthrough."


    High above in the sky, a Divine Sense that could traverse thousands of miles sighed in satisfaction as it looked down. This Divine Sense appeared like a wisp of mist, but on closer inspection, one could feel the terrifying aura it emitted.


    Indeed, it belonged to a Golden Core expert.


    The master of this Divine Sense was none other than the Supreme Elder of the Caotian Sect, assigned to guard Zhao Yishi. Although Zhao Yishi was somewhat avoidant of battle, with his strength, no one in the Secret Realm could threaten his life.


    But since Zhao Yishi had become the near sole hope of the Caotian Sect, it was necessary for a Golden Core expert to guard him, to prevent assassination attempts from other sects on the way.


    Around this Golden Core Divine Sense floated three or four other similar presences.


    All were guarding some demon seed down below.


    There were unspoken rules among the various powers: Except in situations of dire emergency or doctrinal wars, Golden Core cultivators were not permitted to strike at cultivators of lower Cultivation from other forces; otherwise, mutual slaughter would leave no young talent in any power, only a bunch of old fellows.


    The continuance of a legacy relied mainly on the newcomers.


    Such guardianship by Golden Core experts was meant to prevent accidents. If someone with the backing of another power at the Golden Core level attacked one''s own demon seed, they would intervene to block the attack without taking lives.


    If the attacker''s backing lacked a Golden Core presence, they would be killed outright.


    However, it wasn''t feasible to rescue at every sign of danger; true demon seeds had to grow through fighting and tangling with death. Hence, even with Golden Core protection, many demon seeds died accidentally each year.


    Of course, a dead demon seed no longer bore that title.


    It simply meant that the effort and resources invested by their backing force had been in vain.


    Demon seeds with significant Qi Fortune returned from the brink of death each time with great rewards.


    ...


    Chen Qiu and his companion did not linger outside, stepping into the White whirlpool by the nearby stream. With a flash of White light before their eyes, when their vision finally restored, the first sight they beheld was an immensely magnificent ruined architecture.


    The ground underfoot was desolate and barren, while not far away was a small hill, atop which lay numerous majestic and huge structures, many of which were hundreds of feet tall, giving one the distinct feeling of being utterly insignificant.


    These buildings had clearly been abandoned for a long time; their walls were overgrown with climbing ivy and covered in moss. At first glance, the place seemed devoid of life, and in the dim light, dust wafting in the air contributed to an atmosphere of utter desolation.


    This was the small world within the Secret Realm.


    All the people who had entered the Secret Realm stood motionless. This was one of the Secret Realm''s rules: any cultivator who entered the Secret Realm would be bound in place by the Heavenly Dao''s power, unable to move.


    In this state, one could neither attack nor be harmed even if attacked.


    This was a protective rule.


    Only when the Secret Realm''s entrance closed would this Heavenly Dao restriction dissipate.


    Atop that hill, one could clearly see an immensely large Mountain Gate, on which were inscribed three sharp and forceful characters.


    Chao Tian Sect.


    Although the characters were covered in dust, one could still sense the keen Sword Intent emanating from them.


    It looked like the ruins of a sect after its destruction.


    Just then¡ª


    When everyone else was restrained in place, Zhao Yishi, who had entered the Secret Realm first, appeared to be completely unrestricted. He stood up and strode towards the hills, vanishing behind the Mountain Gate in the blink of an eye, no one knew where to.


    Suddenly, many people looked enviously at Zhao Yishi, certain that he must have the "Take the Initiative" entry, allowing him to ignore the bindings of the Heavenly Dao and move freely before the entrance to the Secret Realm was closed.


    This sect''s peak clearly had seen particularly glorious days in the past, possibly containing many ancient Pills, Spells, Spirit Grasses, and Spiritual Treasures within. Now, they couldn''t possibly all fall into Zhao Yishi''s hands, could they?


    Soon, thirty minutes passed.


    The entrance to the Secret Realm fully closed, and everyone could move freely, quickly breaking into several small groups that gathered together, watching their surroundings with wary expressions. Many eyes were particularly focused on Chen Qiu, fearing he might suddenly lash out.


    And a majestic yet hoarse voice sounded above the ruins of the entire sect.


    "To become an Inner Sect Disciple of the Chao Tian Sect, one must pass through four rounds."


    "The first round."


    "Severing Worldly Thoughts."


    "Upon entering the Mountain Gate, you will face the first round, where you must sever all ties and dependencies to the mundane world, to become a top Sword Cultivator that makes the world tremble at your name, the most important point being to have no weaknesses."


    "Family, spouses, and children are your weaknesses."


    "If you wish to become an Inner Sect Disciple, cut them away."


    ...


    "Family, spouses, children?"


    Chen Qiu''s expression turned complex as he spoke oddly, "I don''t have that stuff, Fat Long, do you?"


    "I might have had half of one a few sticks of incense ago, now there''s not even half left."


    Fat Long shrugged, "I''m just worried that if we really pass through four rounds, I might actually become an Inner Sect Disciple of this ''Chao Tian Sect.'' This sect isn''t recognized by the Heavenly Dao, right? I don''t want my panel to show I''m an Inner Sect Disciple of the Chao Tian Sect."


    "Becoming an Inner Sect Disciple of a sect that''s been extinct for who knows how many years would truly be too troublesome."


    "Moreover, just by looking at the content of the first round, this ''Chao Tian Sect'' doesn''t seem like any righteous sect."


    "That''s indeed true."


    Chen Qiu nodded earnestly, conceding the point, but something that puzzled him was why becoming an Inner Sect Disciple of the ''Chao Tian Sect'' only required passing four rounds? Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Didn''t the Secret Realm panel say to pass through seven rounds?


    But at this moment, there was no time to ponder these things, as he led Fat Long and followed the crowd along the mountain path towards the Mountain Gate to see what this so-called ''Chao Tian Sect'' was all about.


    It sounded a bit like the ''Caotian Sect.''


    The only difference being one mocked the Heavenly Dao, and the other submitted to the Heavenly Dao.


    ...


    Meanwhile, inside a corner of the Mountain Gate.


    Zhao Yishi, free from the constraints of the Heavenly Dao, had rushed into the Mountain Gate first and looked around anxiously before his expression turned to one of satisfaction as he faced an abandoned building a hundred zhang (a "zhang" is approximately 3.58 meters or 11.75 feet) tall not far ahead.


    He walked briskly into the corner and crouched down.


    With a serious face, his right hand formed a Taoist Technique and he whispered lowly, "Invisibility."


    The next moment!


    Zhao Yishi''s originally enormous body began to fade away right there; even with Divine Sense sweeping over, one could not detect anyone hidden here, except by colliding with what seemed like a wall of air.


    Hiding in the corner, a hint of smugness flashed across Zhao Yishi''s face.


    Feeling somewhat safe, he surveyed the interior of the building, which looked like a place for practice; however, the ground was covered in dust and appeared to have been in disrepair for a long time. He had arrived by stepping on a Qinglian (Green Lotus) and hadn''t left any footprints.


    His Mid-grade Foundation Establishment Spell "Invisibility Technique" had been trained to Great Perfection through his diligent cultivation over these days. Unless one''s Cultivation was several realms higher than his, they wouldn''t dream of discovering him!


    It was just that the name of this sect was so similar to his own Sect''s name¡ªwhat a coincidence.


    But he was certain it was not the same lineage, as the ''Chao Tian Sect'' here was clearly a Sword Cultivation Sect, and his ''Caotian Sect'' was not a Sword Cultivation Sect.


    Besides, with its impoverished state, his sect couldn''t even nurture Sword Cultivators, and any Sword Cultivation heritage would be wasted on them.


    Better to sell the heritage and buy some demon beast meat to eat.

 Chapter 50

    Chen Qiu, accompanied by Fat Long, walked along the mountain path all the way to the Mountain Gate of Chao Tian Sect. Along the way, other cultivators entering the Secret Realm looked at each other cautiously. As a rule, "trial" type Secret Realms generally posed little danger to life.Just confidently take on your trial.


    But you can''t stand those who have itchy hands.


    They just have to stab you.


    Stepping through the Mountain Gate, what came into view was a vast expanse of ruins and magnificent buildings, covered in moss, while a decaying scent wafted through the air. Behind the Mountain Gate was a copper bell that stood ten zhang high.


    Etched upon the bell were lines filled with the Sword Intent of looking down upon the world.


    "The first round, sever worldly ties."


    "Pass this round, and you may become a menial Disciple of Chao Tian Sect; only then does the path of the Sword Cultivator truly begin."


    Not a speck of dust could be found near the copper bell, as if an invisible Barrier blocked the dust from falling. Clearly, as soon as one stepped into this Barrier, the first round should start smoothly.


    At this moment, people also gathered in front of the copper bell, exchanging gazes, each hesitating and none daring to be the first to step forward.


    The first one to eat the crab often reaps a bountiful harvest.


    But the first to eat the poisonous arrow pig probably won''t gain much.


    ...


    Chen Qiu wasn''t in a hurry either; he and Fat Long stood quietly in their spot, his gaze bypassing the copper bell to survey the ruins behind it. However, he did not see any traces of Zhao Yishi, indicating that Zhao Yishi had probably not entered this round yet but had instead gone to other places to search for treasures.


    At that moment¡ª


    Several cultivators also came to their senses, deciding to ignore this first round and spread out to other ruined buildings to see if they could scavenge some treasures. It seemed to be ruins of an Ancient Sect; it was impossible that there were no treasures at all.


    Even something like Spirit Grass of a hundred thousand years would be satisfying enough.


    "Let''s go!"


    Besides those cultivators who preferred to explore, there were still a great number of cultivators who felt that the rewards for passing the trials might be better. They watched a middle-aged man with a stern face and an imposing air stride decisively towards the copper bell.


    The moment he stepped into the range of the Barrier,


    the whole person suddenly appeared as though struck on the head by a blunt object, stunned on the spot. But after a breath''s time, he regained consciousness, his eyes had turned bloodshot, and his body trembled violently, obviously having gone through some unknown ordeal in a place invisible to the onlookers.


    The man did not speak but with bloodshot eyes, briskly walked past the copper bell towards the deeper parts of the ruined buildings.


    "I see."


    Fat Long nodded thoughtfully, "It seems like creating an illusion where you have to kill your loved ones, is that simple?"


    "Hmm."


    Chen Qiu spoke softly, "In the past, it probably was real, but after the sect''s decline, for some reason, it appeared again in the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm, so it probably turned into an illusion."


    After someone had shown the way,


    those who followed didn''t dawdle anymore.


    They stepped into the range of the Barrier one by one, and after a single breath, they successfully passed the round, but each person reacted differently. Some had bloodshot eyes, some shook uncontrollably, some bore ferocious faces, some showed neither sorrow nor joy, some were full of grief.


    Thousands of people, thousands of faces; it was nothing more than that.


    "Let''s go too."


    Without any further hesitation, Chen Qiu stepped into the range of the Copper Bell Barrier. He felt a jolt in his heart, and with a buzz in his mind, he found himself in a white space surrounded by clouds and mist, obscuring the distance.


    And standing before him was... Fat Long.


    "..."


    He was somewhat at a loss for words. Had they, failing to find his family and children, simply decided to use Fat Long, the one closest to him, as his Heart Demon instead?


    The Fat Long standing before him looked innocent, gazing at him with pitiable eyes, and said with his usual cautiousness, "Brother Qiu, where are we going next?"


    Just then¡ª


    A panel wrapped in mist slowly emerged beside Fat Long.


    Your adventure continues at empire


    ''This is your beloved kin and sworn brothers.''


    ''Together, you have slain demon beasts, cultivated, and fought side by side. He has accompanied you through many days and nights, and you both could confidently entrust your backs to each other.''


    ''To become a Sword Cultivator, you must first slay this man.''


    ''Can you bring yourself to do it?''


    "..."


    Chen Qiu sighed quietly, his view of the ancient Chao Tian Sect''s filter diminishing once more. It was no wonder it had declined; there were reasons after all. He shook his head, ignoring the innocent expression on Fat Long''s face, and casually cast three Thunder Summoning Techniques.


    Amidst the flickering of Thunder Light,


    Fat Long had turned into a charred skeleton, the air filled with the scent of scorched fat.


    The surrounding mist gradually dissipated, and everything returned to normal. But just as he was about to turn back to give Fat Long some instructions, he suddenly saw Fat Long standing outside the copper bell, his face incredulous, covered in bloody wounds, as he toppled backward.


    "Fat Long!"


    He couldn''t help but cry out in shock, rushing over, and at that moment, that hollow and ethereal voice echoed in his ears again.


    ''Cut through worldly attachments, enter the path of Sword Cultivation.'' S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''The Heart Demon you have slain in this round is not an illusion, but a physical manifestation. You have killed your own beloved kin by your own hand, and you now possess the qualifications to become a Sword Cultivator.''


    Chen Qiu, somewhat in disbelief, hurried to Fat Long''s side, and was just about to take some Healing Pills from his Storage Ring to feed to Fat Long, only to find that Fat Long had already breathed his last, without a trace of life.


    Meanwhile, the surrounding crowd only glanced his way before moving on without pause, stepping confidently into the range of the Copper Bell Barrier.


    He finally understood why every person who had passed the round wore a face of sorrow; they must also know that what they had killed was not an illusion, but a physical manifestation, that their kin had truly been killed by their own hands.


    What kind of damned Sword Cultivation is this?!


    His face blank with confusion, he sat there holding Fat Long''s corpse in his arms, sitting on the ground and looking around, feeling somewhat dazed. There was no sorrow on his face, only a blankness of not knowing what to do next.


    His memory seemed to slip back to several days before.


    Fat Long had called out to him, snatching his pork head meat, and took him to the bamboo forest to give him a Potion that awakened his first entry in the Qi Refinement Realm, making Fat Long his guide. He had always been grateful to Fat Long.


    In the first Heavenly Dao Secret Realm, Fat Long had helped him severely injure numerous demon beasts, passing his Cultivation Progress on to him. It was truly Fat Long that had allowed his initial Cultivation Progress to advance so swiftly.


    But now...


    "..."


    After a long while, the sitting Chen Qiu sighed lightly. His lifeless eyes gradually regained their brightness, and after a long silence, he stood up and used the Thunder Summoning Technique to blast a large pit in the ground. He buried Fat Long''s body into it.


    Then he filled the pit back up.


    "You led me into the sect, and now I lay you to rest."


    "That''s not so bad."

 Chapter 51 Why Would Someone Like You Come to Chao Tian Sect?

    And just as Chen Qiu was about to get up¡ªThe scene before him suddenly began to change, and he found himself at the place where he had first met Fat Long, outside the gates of Fufeng City, surrounded by onlookers who were crammed around to watch the spectacle.


    "Fellow Daoist, please wait!"


    A familiar voice rang in his ears. Turning around, he saw Fat Long running toward him with his head bowed, as if he was afraid of letting anyone see his face.


    "Hmm?"


    Chen Qiu glanced around with a slightly furrowed brow. Was this an illusion too, or a memory?


    Next to Fat Long, a panel enveloped in mist reappeared.


    "This is your beloved kin, siblings..."


    "Crack!"


    Before the panel could fully manifest, Chen Qiu''s long sword had already pierced through it, thrusting directly into the embrace of the unresistant Fat Long.


    He looked at Fat Long''s incredulous eyes and whispered softly, "I got carried away with my feelings just now and almost forgot¡ª you haven''t turned into a resentful spirit, how could you possibly be dead?"


    "It seems this illusion can only extract part of a person''s memories?"


    "Can''t see what a person''s entry is?"


    "It really is..."


    "Almost made me cry there."


    "And your illusion is too shoddy, as if it''s afraid people won''t notice it''s an illusion."


    As his words fell, the portly Fat Long suddenly started laughing, his face no longer showing disbelief and pain, as he looked meaningfully at Chen Qiu, "Turns out to be a promising sword cultivator."


    Simultaneously¡ª


    A panel wrapped in mist slowly emerged in front of Chen Qiu.


    "First round, Cutting Worldly Ties, completed."


    "Congratulations on successfully becoming a janitorial Disciple of Chao Tian Sect. This round tests the ability of disciples to maintain their true self in an illusion, with two ways to pass."


    "1: Verbally exposing the illusion."


    "2: Killing the target 99 times."


    "For passing this round, you are rewarded with a Mid-grade Foundation Establishment ''Revitalizing Pill'', which can effectively and quickly heal superficial injuries. Do not look back or communicate any information about this round with anyone else. Continue forward thirty paces, and the Alchemy Hall you see will be the second round."


    As the Fat Long before him quickly transformed into mist and dispersed, everything around him also vanished swiftly like smoke, and when his vision cleared, he found himself back inside the Copper Bell Barrier.


    A force controlled his body, preventing him from turning back or speaking.


    He had originally wanted to randomly kill a person to see if a resentful spirit would appear, thus confirming whether he was still in an illusion, but he eventually dismissed the idea and walked past the copper bell toward the Alchemy Hall thirty paces away.


    He would wait there for Fat Long.


    ...


    "Brother Qiu, Brother Qiu?!"


    Fat Long looked on in confusion as Chen Qiu grew further away, leaving only his silhouette behind. Just as Brother Qiu had stepped into the Copper Bell Barrier, he had frozen in place for a moment, then like everyone else, walked forward without looking back.


    It looked bizarre, could it be some kind of trap?


    Being naturally cautious, Fat Long glanced around and decided to temporarily avoid the copper bell. He planned to find Brother Qiu first. However, after taking a few steps, he realized that exploring the ruins near the copper bell was entirely possible.


    But if he wanted to get past the copper bell to explore the ruins behind it, a wall of air blocked his way.


    "Damn it..."


    Seeing his plan fail and unable to find an alternate route, Fat Long, noticing that Brother Qiu''s figure was about to vanish from sight, gritted his teeth and strode toward the Copper Bell Barrier. He wanted to see what was really going on!


    His heart also jolted as he found himself in a white space enveloped by clouds and mist.


    Not far off, Ma Yinxue, wearing a pink long dress with tear stains on her face, was sitting on the ground with her legs together, looking up with a trembling voice and said, "You''re so cruel, why did you have the heart to kill me just now?"


    "Luckily, the Chao Tian Sect saved me and preserved a Residual Soul. As soon as you break through to the Golden Core, you can reshape my body for me."


    Beside Ma Yinxue, a panel slowly emerged, enveloped in clouds and mist.


    "This is the love of your life, your ultimate pursuit."


    "You have spent many beautiful moments together, you''ve put a lot of effort into her, trying to bring stability even in times of chaos."


    "To become a Sword Cultivator, you must first slay this person."


    "Can you bring yourself to do it?"


    "..."


    Shocked and somewhat in disbelief, Fat Long looked at Ma Yinxue sitting on the ground, recognizing her familiar face and figure. He glanced around, swallowed, and muttered, "Is this what they call ''Severing Worldly Attachments''?"


    He subconsciously reached for his crotch and fumbled around.


    "It''s usable."


    He then couldn''t help but gradually beam with excitement, eyeing Ma Yinxue''s long, straight jade legs, his eyes filled with greed as he stepped closer, "There were too many people outside just now, didn''t feel it was appropriate. I thought I''d never have the chance again, but who knew such a good thing would happen."


    A tea time later.


    Looking at Ma Yinxue lying on the ground, her face full of humiliation and relief, Fat Long took a deep breath with satisfaction, "That was satisfying, a pity it can''t be used continuously; this is way more real than just imagining it in my head, and there''s physical sensation too, really nice."


    "But I need to go find Brother Qiu now, don''t want him to worry."


    "Sizzle!"


    Just as he was fastening his belt, Fat Long casually drew the long knife from his waist and plunged it into Ma Yinxue''s chest, just then the surrounding mist swirled and the scene shifted again.


    ...


    As Fat Long was fastening his belt, he looked around; he was in the same derelict thatched house just outside the town where he and Ma Yinxue had been staying. Hearing some noise outside, Ma Yinxue, wearing only a tube top, opened the door and looked at him with resentment, complaining.


    "You earn just a few dozen wen a day; when can we afford to live in the city?"


    "I met a sister in the city today; her man makes hundreds of wen a day, do you realize how embarrassed you make me feel outside?"


    "..."


    Fat Long blankly glanced around, then realized that this was his fourth day after having crossed over. He remembered he used to hand over all the money he earned each day to Ma Yinxue for safekeeping, to later purchase potions for Qi Refinement breakthroughs. But today, Ma Yinxue had spent all the money in the city, not leaving a single penny.


    She bought quite a lot of pork head meat and liquor dishes, thinking since it''s spent, might as well improve the meal. But she had eaten it all before he got back, and while that was okay, when he found out that there had been a few coins left in her pocket after buying these things and she had given it all away to beggars at the city gate, he had exploded in anger.


    If he remembered correctly, they had had a fierce argument today.


    "Of course."


    That was before, but as for now.


    Fat Long sighed helplessly, his hands that had been tying his belt suddenly stopped, "You should have told me earlier. If I had known this was coming, why would I bother tying my belt?"


    He looked up and smiled again at Ma Yinxue, who was chattering at the door.


    "Here it comes."


    ...


    Another moment passed, and the scene changed again.


    "Hey."


    ...


    The scene changed again.


    "I like this scene.


    Explore more stories with empire


    ...


    Change.


    "Might as well throw the belt away, no chance to tie it anyway."


    ...


    It was the ninety-ninth time when Fat Long and Ma Yinxue, under the watchful eyes of a slow-moving crowd on the stage, shared a room. The always grieving Ma Yinxue suddenly became expressionless and silent, then she looked up at Fat Long on her and said word by word.


    "Don''t you know this is an illusion?"


    "I know."


    "Then why didn''t you say it?"


    "Say what?"


    "Say that this is an illusion."


    "That''s for later. I wasn''t done enjoying myself."


    "Huh?" Suddenly realizing that Ma Yinxue was talking to him, Fat Long, somewhat incredulously looking at her beneath him, then slapped his butt more excitedly.


    "Call me daddy!"


    "Get lost!"


    Ma Yinxue, with a cold wave of her sleeve, unleashed her Spiritual Energy which sent Fat Long flying off the stage; she then stood up, adjusted her clothes expressionlessly, and said, "Absolutely ridiculous. Why would someone like you come to Chao Tian Sect? If you had gone to Joyful Union Sect, at least you''d be a True Disciple."


    "You passed the first round irregularly, but I must tell you, I look down on your kind..."


    Before she could finish.


    "Hey."


    Fat Long, thrown off the stage, shook his head and sneered as he stood up, "Starting to fight, are we?"


    "Let''s go!"


    At that moment, Fat Long slightly rubbed his fingers together and in the blink of an eye, dozens of talismans equivalent to a full-strength hit at the Foundation Establishment level appeared at his fingertips. He tossed them all at Ma Yinxue on the stage before he excitedly pulled out the "Dragon Slayer" long knife and charged up onto the stage.


    A few moments later.


    Ma Yinxue lay on the ground, her face filled with grief and despair, pain etched into her features as tears slowly slid from the corners of her closed eyes.


    ...


    After another moment.


    "Phew."


    Only then did Fat Long stand up satisfied, withdrawing his knife to kill Ma Yinxue lying on the ground. Just as he was preparing for the next scene, he suddenly realized he had returned to the copper bell.


    And a panel enshrouded in mist slowly emerged in front of him.


    "First round, Severing Worldly Ties, cleared."


    "Congratulations on successfully becoming a chore disciple of Chao Tian Sect. This round assessed the disciple''s ability to maintain their own heart in an illusion. There were two ways to clear the round."


    "1: Verbalize and expose the illusion."


    "2: Kill the target 99 times."


    "So, just kill 99 times to clear."


    Fat Long calculated, "That just makes it, I could have cleared it with my abilities alone, yet they had to make me clear it irregularly ahead of time. It''s so embarrassing, it makes me look like I took a shortcut."


    He shook his head and didn''t bother with it anymore, walking straight past the copper bell. He needed to catch up with Brother Qiu quickly to keep him from worrying, thankful that regardless of how long he stayed inside, only a moment passed outside; otherwise, he wouldn''t waste his time in there. He''d figured this out after entering and regaining consciousness after everyone took a breather, and not a single talisman from his Storage Ring was missing, proving talismans could not be used for real in the illusion.


    What Fat Long didn''t notice was.


    After he left, the copper bell that had been emitting a faint milky white light suddenly dimmed completely, and those who cleared the stage after him were also confusedly looking at each other with puzzled expressions.


    "Why did I just step into the range of the copper bell, nothing happened, and I was instantly notified I had cleared?"


    "Me too, wasn''t it supposed to be Severing Worldly Ties? I was all mentally prepared, and nothing happened." S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Wasn''t it said that you get a fixed reward for clearing each round? Why didn''t I get any rewards, did you guys get any?"


    "People stepping into the bell''s range earlier would be absentminded for a moment, but why did nothing happen with us?"


    ...


    "Has it come?"


    Standing outside the Alchemy Hall for the second round, Chen Qiu, looking toward Fat Long running his way, asked softly, "You okay? The first round didn''t leave you with any psychological trauma, did it?"


    Like him, Fat Long had no parents. Most likely, his target in the Worldly Ties was Chen Qiu.


    Having to kill him by his own hands probably left some psychological scarring on Fat Long, especially after the first time he killed him and realized it was indeed him he had killed, there might have been some pain.


    "Uh..."


    A bit awkwardly, Fat Long shifted his gaze and whispered hesitantly, "All good... quite thrilling actually."


    "..."


    Chen Qiu''s expression darkened gradually, and after a long silence, he finally said softly, "Once we''re out, we should have a chance to spar a bit."


    "Help you gain some combat experience."

 Chapter 52 Its getting dark again.

    "It''s okay, let''s talk outside."Chen Qiu''s expression remained calm as he shifted his gaze from Fat Long and glanced towards the few lines of text carved onto the pillar at the entrance of the Alchemy Hall.


    ''The second round, beheading the cowardly.''


    ''Pass this round, and you may become an outer sect disciple of the Chao Tian Sect.'' S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Inside the Alchemy Hall, it seemed as though it was shrouded in a barrier. The ground was spotless; the moment one stepped through the entrance of the Alchemy Hall, the trial of the second round would officially begin.


    Many people had already gone inside, but quite a few had met with failure.


    The difficulty seemed to have risen a notch from the first round, unlike the first round''s crude illusions, which practically everyone could pass with ease, as the illusions didn''t block their memories and everyone knew they were in an illusion, hence they could proceed without hesitation.


    Had it been an illusion which blocked your memories, making you unaware of why you found yourself there, the number of people passing the round would have been far fewer.


    "Let''s go."


    Chen Qiu looked at the group inside the Alchemy Hall, straining with twisted expressions as they struggled to walk due to the gravity, which was several times stronger inside this special area. The further one went, the stronger the gravity became, making it increasingly difficult to move.


    One only needed to reach the Pill Furnace at the center of the Alchemy Hall to pass the trial, but retreating even a single step meant failure, at which point the gravity would rapidly dissipate, thereby forcibly ejecting the individual from the Alchemy Hall.


    "Oh, right."


    Fat Long nodded, hurriedly following along but with a slight sense of unease in his heart. Although what happened in the illusion couldn''t be projected into reality and was all fake, his legs still seemed to feel a bit wobbly.


    They were shaking with nervousness.


    ...


    Meanwhile¡ª


    Near the ruins of an abandoned building close to the first round, Zhao Yishi was hiding in a corner, observing the outside through a broken hole in the wall, cautiously remaining hidden, trying not to draw any attention.


    It seemed the first round wasn''t very dangerous, as practically everyone had passed.


    Moreover, the evil entity hadn''t gone on a sudden killing spree.


    He planned to wait until no one was around and then go to the first round. Following behind others and picking up what they missed wasn''t very rewarding, but it was certainly safer.


    While feces might not be as tasty as red mushrooms in the wild, at least one could be certain they were absolutely non-toxic.


    Precedent had verified it; anything toxic wouldn''t have had the chance to be excreted.


    Just then, a few young cultivators who hadn''t managed to pass the first round were huddling together, feeling their way around near the first round. Soon they found their way into this grand yet decrepit hall.


    Only those who had passed the first round could explore the ruins around the second round; otherwise, a barrier would block your path. If one failed the first round, they could only explore the ruins near the first round.


    Feeling a slight pain, Zhao Yishi looked down.


    Right then, a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator was prodding at his big toe with a long sword: "Hey, look, it seems like there''s an unknown barrier here, invisible, but you can definitely feel something."


    "But it doesn''t feel as solid as a barrier, more like a partially abandoned one."


    "Do you guys think there might be a small world or something similar sealed behind this barrier? I''ve always heard that the treasures of ancient sects are hidden inside small worlds!"


    "That makes sense!"


    The cultivators'' eyes lit up, and they simultaneously took out their flying swords and began attacking this invisible yet tangible barrier, having no opportunity to move on to the second round. They had searched near the first round for a long time and found nothing, and unexpectedly here they had stumbled upon something that looked like a treasure might be concealed!


    Several breaths later. Stay connected with empire


    A Heaven-reaching Giant huddled in a corner slowly unwrapped his Invisibility Technique, expressionlessly rose to his feet, and looked down at the few "little ants" below, saying dispassionately, "Crazy, like a sickness."


    Then he strode out of the great hall and headed toward the first round. By this time, there weren''t many people left at the first round¡ªit was his turn to enter the stage.


    ...


    Fufeng City, inside a certain tea house.


    The scholar, seated cross-legged in the corner of the hall, looked intoxicated and transfixed as he stared at the cup of tea in his hands, his ears quivering as he listened intently to the storyteller on stage narrating the tale of a once-great hero.


    "Hey!"


    The storyteller struck the gong, exciting everyone''s anticipation, and then chuckled, "The character I was just talking about¡ªyou folks must have heard of him before!"


    "He is none other than the once leading Sword Cultivator of Da Xia!"


    "The White-clothed Sword Cultivator!"


    "A young man in his prime is naturally full of arrogance, but he never considered that his last blunder would be meddling with someone he shouldn''t have, which ultimately lead to the disappearance of the name ''Bai Yi'' from Da Xia. The story, however, starts from the very beginning, so listen closely as I recount it slowly..."


    "Brother..."


    The burly man with a tufted beard beside the scholar looked excited as he leaned in and shook the scholar''s head vigorously, gesturing for him to listen attentively.


    These past years, on days when his brother had nothing else to do, he would drag him to the tea house to listen to the storyteller, knowing full well his brother didn''t really like these stories. But the only reason his brother came so often was in the hope of hearing his own tale recounted from the storyteller''s lips.


    Unfortunately, those storytellers would only speak of the recently famous; those were the tales people liked to hear.


    No one spoke of the ones who had faded from glory, and no one listened.


    Finally hearing his own name mentioned by the storyteller, he knew his brother must be thrilled.


    After finishing the tea with one gulp, the scholar shrugged off his brother''s hand and said impatiently, "Back when I was famous, there were plenty of storytellers who talked about me. I got tired of hearing it. Don''t act like such a disgrace."


    However, at that moment¡ª


    A middle-aged man in the audience suddenly waved dismissively and said, "Can we get someone else to tell the story? How can someone who''s been dead for so many years still be called the top Sword Cultivator of Da Xia? If he really were the top Sword Cultivator, would he have died so easily?"


    "Just a lucky piece of trash, wasn''t he; still ended up being chased and running away like a dog."


    "..."


    The scholar was about to pour himself more tea when his hand suddenly stopped, and he turned his head to look at the man who had waved dismissively, remaining silent and expressionless.


    "Bro!"


    At that moment, the burly bearded man pressed down on the scholar''s right hand and urged sternly, "You''ve just taken the Heavenly Dao Jade, and the hidden poison in your body has barely been cleared away; you''re still in the recovery phase. You absolutely mustn''t start a fight now¡ªif your spiritual energy becomes chaotic, you won''t live long!"


    "Hmm."


    The scholar nodded, the green blade in his sleeve quivering slightly. After a long moment, he exhaled gently and patted his brother''s shoulder, signaling for him to carry him out of the place. The storyteller on stage, under the audience''s scorn, had already switched to another character.


    Not just any character.


    It was the coming-of-age story of the current top Sword Cultivator of Da Xia.


    Outside the tea house.


    The sky, just like the past few days, was engulfed by thousands of miles of dark clouds pressing down like a lid, covering the entire sky, leaving almost no trace of sunlight, creating an oppressive atmosphere yet filled with a sense of freedom.


    The day had darkened again.

 Chapter 53

    "Beast!!!"Meanwhile, in a courtyard within Fufeng City, a middle-aged man stood under the dark clouds with an enraged expression, brandishing a knife at a young man kneeling before him, drenched in blood, and shouted angrily, "What? If I don''t pass the position of Family Head to you, will you kill your old man?"


    "How could you be so heartless as to raise your hand against your own father!"


    "Deceiving me, all of you deceive me..."


    The young man kneeling on the ground, covered in blood, had already fallen into a state of despair. The few hired thugs from his family that he had gathered were now all lying in pools of blood, and he himself was at the end of his tether.


    His greatest confidence was his demon cultivation master.


    The master had told him to act as he pleased, assuring him that he was in Fufeng City and that he would arrive within a hundred breaths upon being contacted via a Sound Transmission Talisman.


    That was his confidence.


    But now, thousands of breaths had passed, even approaching ten thousand, and he hadn''t seen so much as a shadow of his demon cultivation master. There was no response from the Sound Transmission Talisman; he didn''t know where the hell his master had died!!!


    Bitter resentment surged in the young man''s heart.


    "Ah!!!"


    Under the weight of collapse, the young man forced himself up with the tip of his knife, standing shakily in place with a ferocious expression, pointing the blade directly at his father: "Old beast, at your age you still can''t control what''s below your waist, what right do you have to lecture me?"


    "A man destined for great things can never be captivated by a woman."


    "Especially not by such a worn-out shoe trampled by thousands!"


    "Although I die, I do so unresigned!"


    With those words falling.


    He still looked hopefully toward the top of the courtyard wall, wishing to see his master in red robes with long hair, who was harsh yet kind and expectant, appear on the wall to support him. But after waiting for several breaths, there was still no sign of his master.


    "Forget it."


    With a bitter laugh, the young man looked toward his father not far away: "Don''t be in a hurry, you won''t live much longer. I''ll be waiting for you down below."


    Then, without a moment''s hesitation, he placed the knife blade on his own neck and violently stabbed.


    His gaze gradually became vacant as his body softened, falling heavily backward onto the ground.


    "Thud."


    Seeing his own son die before his eyes, the middle-aged man, whose expression was still angry, suddenly felt a pain in his heart, a flash of complexity in his eyes. He sheathed his blade, took big strides toward his son''s body, knelt down to pick up his body to prepare for burial.


    But just as he approached.


    The young man lying on the ground suddenly opened his eyes, a sharp light bursting forth, and the blade in his hand stabbed violently, piercing his father''s neck without the slightest bit of mercy. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He stirred rapidly, and soon a blood hole as large as a fist appeared in his father''s neck.


    ...


    "Huff."


    The young man slowly got up, casually took out a handkerchief from his bosom to cover his neck, staunching the blood, then after taking several Healing Pills, he glanced at his father now lying in a pool of blood. He struck his father with a dozen more knife blows,


    Before raising his head to look at the beautiful yet scared rigid stepmother standing not far away and started to smile grimly.


    "Stepmother."


    "You seem a bit frightened."


    "Don''t be afraid, remember, from today onwards, I no longer bear the surname Chen."


    "My name is Qi Tian."


    "Kneel and crawl over here, and I''ll spare you."


    The attractive woman standing not far away, biting her lip, forcibly suppressed her terror and, in a humiliating fashion, knelt on the ground, trembling as she slowly crawled toward Qi Tian standing in the center of the courtyard.


    "Good."


    Qi Tian chuckled lightly as he stroked the head of his stepmother kneeling before him, his fingers invading her mouth, brutally stirring for a while before forcefully tilting her head back, murmuring,


    "Within three years, I want everyone within a thousand miles of Fufeng City to know the name Qi Tian."


    Experience tales at empire


    "To leave a mark upon this world, you have to be either gloriously renowned or utterly infamous."


    "What do you think, Stepmother?"


    ...


    "One step, two steps..."


    At this moment in the Alchemy Hall of the second round within the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm, Chen Qiu was moving slowly and with great difficulty. This second round was more challenging than he had anticipated; he even felt like his bones were creaking and on the verge of falling apart.


    Each step was excruciatingly difficult.


    Moreover, there were no tricks to this round. The gravity each person faced was different, tailored specifically to them, not more or less, but just enough to exceed their tolerance. One had to break through within their capacity in order to pass this second round.


    This round tested perseverance and resilience.


    Just then¡ª


    Chen Qiu saw Fat Long not far away, moving at a swift pace and nearly reaching the central Alchemy Furnace within the hall. Fat Long lay flat on the ground, inching forward like a maggot, using his hands, feet, and belly together to wriggle onward.


    Although the technique looked rather ungraceful, his speed was quite fast.


    Other people around started copying him, lying on the ground and wriggling like maggots toward the central Alchemy Furnace of the Alchemy Hall. For a moment, only Chen Qiu and a few others remained standing in place.


    "..."


    Chen Qiu stood still and fell silent for a short while but ultimately chose not to imitate this method of advancement. He continued moving slowly but steadily towards the Alchemy Furnace, feeling that he could still hold on. If he truly couldn''t go on later, he would resort to that method.


    There was no time limit in this round anyway, so being a bit slower was not an issue.


    His resilience was still quite good.


    After all, he was someone who had once chopped wood for twenty-nine days straight without a single day of rest. Even so, when he was only a short distance from the Alchemy Furnace, he found himself unable to take another step.


    At that moment, he felt as though a mountain was pressing down on his back, almost bending him double.


    Chen Qiu let out a soft sigh, and in the end, he had to admit that he indeed could not reach the Alchemy Furnace. However, he had just thought of a possible clever method.


    With a wave of his hand¡ª


    Nearly a hundred vengeful spirits of the Human Face Spider appeared beside him. Then, these numerous creatures spun webs that interlinked them together, pooling their strength. He stood on the back of this giant Human Face Spider formation, and as they moved, he slowly progressed towards the Alchemy Furnace.


    The pace was still slow, but much faster than if he had gone by himself.


    The gravity affected these Human Face Spiders too, and occasionally one would explode and perish, but he had so many vengeful spirits at his disposal that he could easily replenish them. In this way, he even reached the Alchemy Furnace a step faster than Fat Long.


    The panel, shrouded in mist, slowly popped up before him.


    "Second round, ''Cutting Art'', pass."


    "Congratulations on successfully becoming an Outer Sect Disciple of the Chao Tian Sect. This round tested disciples'' resilience when faced with adversity. There are two ways to pass."


    "1: Stand firm without kneeling, demonstrating the talent of a Sword Cultivator."


    "2: Move while prostrate, showing an active mind, suitable for specializing in Alchemy, Formation, or Artifact Refining."


    "For passing this round, you are rewarded with three Mid-grade Foundation Establishment ''Qi Replenishing Pills'' that can quickly replenish your internal Spiritual Energy. The Martial Arts Hall you see upon walking a hundred paces is the third round."


    "Outer Sect Disciple?"


    Chen Qiu narrowed his eyes slightly, pondering in silence without speaking. After passing the fourth round, he would be an Inner Sect Disciple. The Heavenly Dao Secret Realm mainly has seven rounds, so if he cleared them all, wouldn''t he directly become the Sect Master of the Chao Tian Sect?


    Moreover, the standards of this ancient sect for selecting disciples seemed somewhat low. If the trials were all of this level, wouldn''t the Outer Sect Disciples of the Chao Tian Sect be as numerous as the hairs on a bull?


    "Tsk."


    Fat Long, who had also passed the round and came to Chen Qiu''s side, looked at the panel that popped up and couldn''t help but purse his lips: "I finally understand why this ''Chao Tian Sect'' was destroyed. It''s because of their insistence on not kneeling."


    "A person will eventually die if they are not afraid of death."


    "That''s the truth."


    "I''ve said it before, a person who firmly believes that they will become a dominant force in the future won''t feel humiliated for kneeling in the past. Refusing to be flexible and insisting on not kneeling, no wonder the sect was destroyed."


    "Surely not all Sword Cultivators can be so obstinate, right?"


    "..."


    Chen Qiu looked at Fat Long with a calm expression: "Since we''ve known each other, you''ve already said that three times now."


    "Have I?"


    "You have."

 Chapter 54 Top Grade Foundation Establishment Earth Fire Pill

    Up until now, fewer than a thousand people have passed the second level. Most were still struggling in the gravity field of the Alchemy Hall, with many showing blood at the corners of their mouths, clearly at the end of their strength.Even Body Cultivators had no advantage in this challenge.


    The intensity of the gravity varied from person to person.


    Meanwhile, many who had already passed were heading towards the third level. The rewards for the first two levels had been quite ordinary, but a Foundation Establishment Stage Heavenly Dao Secret Realm definitely did not limit its rewards to just these, which meant that the better treasures were further on.


    Just as expected¡ª Continue reading at empire


    When a group arrived at the Martial Arts Hall, the site of the third level, they saw a line of characters carved on the towering doors of the hall.


    "The Third Level, Heart Demon Slayer."


    "Pass this level, and you may become a candidate for the Inner Sect of Chao Tian Sect."


    "And will receive an ''Earth Fire Pill'' of superior Foundation Establishment grade."


    "An Earth Fire Pill?!"


    Seeing the words carved on the door, many in the crowd exclaimed in shock.


    "I''ve read about this in ancient texts. It is said that this pill, belonging to several versions of Heavenly Dao ago, has the effect of possibly creating an ''Earth Fire Dao Foundation'' if taken before Foundation Establishment. This type of Dao Foundation is extremely suitable for Magic Practitioners, and using the spell ''One Flame Thousand Miles'' with this Dao Foundation would greatly enhance its power!"


    "I''ve seen it too, but it was my master who forced me to read about it, afraid that I wouldn''t recognize treasures when I encountered them during my travels. However, it is said to have been lost for a long time, not seen for ages, and I didn''t expect to see it here today."


    "Although it''s a superior Foundation Establishment grade pill, its effects far surpass those of ordinary superior Foundation Establishment grade pills. Just this one pill, if brought to market now, would be worth at least 1000 Spirit Stones, right?!"


    "I think it could even be higher, after all, that''s an Earth Fire Dao Foundation!"


    ...


    Standing in place, Chen Qiu narrowed his eyes slightly, listening to the discussions around him, he realized distinctly what set him apart from those Sect Disciples¡ªthose people could systematically study many theoretical subjects, including such ancient, lost pills, and discuss them freely.


    Yet, he had never even heard of the Earth Fire Pill.


    Once out, he planned to see where he could find some ancient texts and related books outside of joining a sect, to make up for his lack of theoretical knowledge.


    But in those recent conversations,


    there was one point that intrigued him more. He turned his head toward Fat Long and whispered, "What does ''Heavenly Dao version'' mean?"


    "I don''t know either,"


    Fat Long murmured somewhat blankly, "But it sounds a bit like some kind of game update, what''s the deal, does it mean this world gets a Heavenly Dao version update every so often, adding and deleting content?"


    "At least as long as I''ve been here, I''ve never heard anyone mention this, which means the last Heavenly Dao version update must have been at least a few hundred years ago. Many have forgotten about it. When I get out, I''ll look into what this Heavenly Dao version actually is."


    Perhaps it was the allure of the Earth Fire Pill.


    Many couldn''t hide their greed and strode towards the Martial Arts Hall, only to be stopped by a barrier at the entrance. They exchanged glances, many guessing that this level would only open once all those who had passed the second level had arrived.


    They could only subdue their greed and excitement, forcing themselves to calm down and sit cross-legged on the spot to restore their Spiritual Energy.


    A fierce battle was inevitable.


    The main reason no one vied for the first two levels was that their rewards were too meager, not worth risking their lives for; but the Earth Fire Pill was different¡ªit was a pill produced only by the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm during the Ancient Era!


    No one could manufacture it!


    "Take one out, and there''s one less!"


    Due to its rare properties, the price would likely double, even though they no longer needed it for Foundation Establishment. Still, that didn''t stop them from trading it for Spirit Stones, which they could use either for cultivation or to purchase top-tier Spiritual Treasures, significantly enhancing their combat abilities!


    Many already began to emit uncontrollable murderous intent, clenching their teeth and trembling slightly on their lips.


    In such times, even if you were a person who loved peace, you could only pick up the butcher''s knife and act as though you couldn''t wait any longer.


    Show even a hint of fear,


    and you''d be marked as a target for the cowards.


    Once many had marked you as a target for cowards, and if you still managed to successfully pass the third level, there wouldn''t be just one butcher''s knife falling on the back of your head.


    Many cultivators, not very high in Cultivation but who just came to try their luck, also gradually sensed the killing intent in the air, slowly rising, silently stepping back, moving to one side of the ruins of the third level, and hiding.


    Nobody went after them; at this time, Spiritual Energy was not to be wasted in the slightest.


    ...


    "Nice stuff..."


    Chen Qiu murmured with a complex expression, "It really does make one envious. Such rewards for just the third level, what about the fifth or sixth? Or even the seventh?"


    Finally¡ª


    When a Heaven-reaching Giant bent down and walked out from behind the crowd in the Alchemy Hall, the Barrier on the door of the Martial Arts Hall slowly faded, and the third level officially began! S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Everyone''s here."


    Zhao Yishi stood still, looking down at these people who seemed as small as ants, feeling the impulse to strip off his clothing as he caught everyone''s gaze shifting towards him, but realizing they weren''t there to fight, he slightly relaxed.


    Before leaving the sect,


    the Sect Master had specifically instructed him that, even if the sky were falling, to at least strip off his clothes before fighting.


    Talking about how the cost of making him a suit of clothes was comparable to outfitting all sect disciples with sect robes for over a decade. He wasn''t sure if the Sect Master was exaggerating, but he knew every time he destroyed his clothes in the past, the Sect Master always seemed very angry and upset, cursing profusely.


    A Sect Master of a renowned immortal sect.


    How could he speak so foully?


    He was puzzled by it.


    ...


    Chen Qiu glanced at Zhao Yishi standing behind him, smiled, and gestured him to enter the Martial Arts Hall together, then led Fat Long into the hall first.


    This third level was named Heart Demon Slayer, obviously similar to levels like Heart Demon challenges.


    It might be another illusion.


    Only after entering the Martial Arts Hall was it discovered that inside, a hundred large fighting rings were neatly arranged, and at that moment, each ring flickered with light, clearly signaling for people to step forward.


    All who had passed the second level were already here, about 8000 people in total.


    The second level had eliminated a whopping 2000-plus people.


    This elimination ratio was higher than expected. Logically, the second level wasn''t that difficult, but stubborn injuries plagued some contestants. Forcing their way through would only result in their bodies exploding in death. Lying down was also futile, leaving them no choice but to give up and withdraw.

 Chapter 55

    And at the entrance of the Martial Arts Hall, several lines of text were carved into the ground in a crimson color, exuding an imposing aura."The third challenge, Sever the Heart."


    "Each stage can hold 20 Disciples, with the one facing south at noon starting off by talking about the most unique thing they have ever done, which could be true or false."


    "The stories cannot relate to age, gender, specific parts of the body, Cultivation Technique names, mental method names, or similar matters, and each story can only be told once without repetition."


    "After the previous Disciple has finished speaking, if the next one suspects that the previous Disciple is lying, they can call out the falsehood. If the judgement is correct, the other party is eliminated; if it''s mistaken, they themselves are out."


    "If unable to judge whether the other party is lying, one can skip this process. The next statement must build on what the previous Disciple said, adding their own story for the next Disciple to judge, and so on."


    "For example, if the previous Disciple said ''I have saved a person,'' the next Disciple must add to it with their own story, saying ''I have saved a person, and I have also killed someone.''"


    "When only one Disciple remains on the stage, that Disciple is the winner and will receive the victory reward."


    ...


    People did not rush into the Martial Arts Hall immediately; instead, they stood at the entrance of the hall and carefully committed the words carved into the ground to memory before exchanging glances with each other. In almost an instant, many hurried toward the various stages to secure a spot.


    The rules were clear.


    Only one person on each stage could win a reward.


    Naturally, one had to avoid competing against fellow sect members to avoid confrontation.


    Chen Qiu and Fat Long bid each other a hasty farewell and ran toward different stages.


    Some cultivators from the same family had their eyes light up and activated their movement techniques, dashing toward the stages at the far end. Their idea was simple: if they could occupy a stage entirely, it didn''t matter who won in the end¡ªthe Pill would definitely end up in their family''s hands.


    However...


    They were not the only ones with this idea.


    "Get lost!!!"


    A Foundation Establishment mid-stage cultivator, with an expression ravaged by time, glared at the other family cultivators running shoulder to shoulder with him toward the distant stage, his eyes filled with ferocity. Spiritual Energy surged into his left palm, and he swung with all his might!


    Although this attack did not use any Cultivation Technique, it was purely a Spiritual Energy assault.


    But if it hit, the impact was not to be underestimated.


    His strike was not intended to injure or kill, but simply to repel the others, to deter them from fighting over the spot with him. The force wasn''t tremendous, but it was energy-saving to deal with the chaos likely to ensue.


    However¡ª


    Just as he unleashed his attack, before he could accelerate further, a tremendous oppressive force suddenly descended from the sky of the Martial Arts Hall. Countless Array Patterns on the ceiling emerged and flickered wildly, and then, as the Foundation Establishment Cultivator looked on in terror, a bolt of Thunder as thick as a bucket struck down.


    Instantly turned into a pile of ashes.


    The other cultivators, who had been ready to fight for a position, all twitched at this spectacle. The Spiritual Energy that had been gathering in their palms forcibly reversed flow back into their Dantians, causing blood to ooze from the corners of their mouths¡ªobviously, they''d been internally injured.


    The reason was simple, backlash from Spiritual Energy.


    Naturally, it could cause internal injuries.


    All at once, the atmosphere in the Martial Arts Hall, which was on the verge of chaos, quieted down. People began to compete quietly with their movement technique speeds. Once the stages were full, they waited patiently on the sidelines, in no rush.


    ...


    "Big Brother, I just thought of something. Why are we rushing for the first round?"


    "There are nearly 8,000 people here and only 100 stages, 20 to a group, so it''s definitely going to take several rounds to finish. If we go last, there are bound to be many empty stages for us to choose from."


    "By then, wouldn''t it guarantee our family gets an Earth Fire Pill?"


    "Hmm, if you had shared your insight before Big Brother was struck by lightning, that would''ve been better. And I''m Second Brother, not Big Brother. You''ve got the wrong person," said the middle-aged man with a complex expression, looking at the pile of black ashes at his feet, unsure of what to say. Enjoy new chapters from empire


    "Old Big Brother is dead, now you''re Big Brother."


    "That makes sense."


    ...


    "Phew..."


    Fat Long had already taken his seat on cushion number 18 in the martial arts hall, looking at the other 19 cushions where cultivators were already sitting cross-legged with serious expressions. He shrunk his head timidly, trying to make himself look as inconspicuous as possible.


    He was a bit socially anxious.


    He didn''t like places with lots of people.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Chen Qiu had taken his seat on cushion number 19. His hundred resentful spirits, summoned earlier, were still present since their hour had not yet passed, lying quietly under the martial arts platform, looking just like a group of spectators.


    Consequently, their platform was the coldest in the entire martial arts hall.


    Chillingly cold.


    One must say, if this entry were to be used to keep cool during summer, it would probably be quite effective.


    As a barrier slowly rose around the platform, enclosing it, the third challenge officially began¡ªstarting with the disciple stationed at high noon taking the lead to speak, given only three breaths'' time to think.


    Anyone who failed to make a decision within three breaths would be automatically eliminated.


    "I..."


    This was a rather young man, dressed in lavish clothes, clearly a young master from some family. After contemplating for a moment, he spoke hoarsely, "I have eaten a meal!"


    Then, the young man turned to look at the disciple seated below him.


    This was almost a perfect beginning; this challenge resembled something like a game of idiom solitaire, except it tested your life experiences rather than vocabulary. His statement was clearly true, leaving no room for doubt for the next disciple.


    And the next disciple quickly followed up.


    "I have eaten a meal, and I have also killed a man."


    For a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, having killed was quite normal.


    The third disciple had no cause for doubt and smoothly continued, "I have eaten a meal, and I have also killed a man, and I have even eaten shit."


    As soon as he finished speaking,


    the fourth disciple seated cross-legged on his cushion began to twitch at the corners of his mouth uncontrollably, feeling as if his scalp was about to explode!


    There were only two options before him now!


    1: Challenge the claim, but if it turned out to be true, he''d be eliminated.


    2: Don''t challenge it, and continue the narrative, but the problem was, he had never eaten shit, and if the disciple below him were to challenge his claim, he''d be out of the game.


    Dammit...


    The previous disciple had spoken so smoothly; it was clear as day that he bloody well had eaten it!


    The disciple took a deep breath, trying to keep his expression as calm as possible, and said indifferantly, "I have eaten a meal, and I have also killed a man, and I have eaten shit, and I have bought a talisman."


    At this moment, the disciple below him turned his head to look at the man who had just spoken, and gave a sly laugh.


    "I don''t believe you."


    As soon as those words were out,


    a soft yet powerful surge of Formation energy suddenly appeared on the platform, pushing the previous speaker off the platform and signalling his official elimination, meaning the first round had ended and the second round had officially begun.


    The first to speak in the second round was the one who had just raised the challenge.


    After pondering for a moment, the disciple began anew, "I have watched my young auntie take a bath." sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then he looked provocatively at the cultivator seated below him, which was Chen Qiu.


    "..."


    After a long pause, Chen Qiu softly said, "I have watched my young auntie take a bath, and I own a green entry."


    He was starting to get the feeling that he was gradually beginning to understand the educational principles of this sect.

 Chapter 56 Now it Seems, He Himself is Niche

    This stage is named "Severing the Heart"!Now, it appears more to be an examination of one''s ability to perceive subtle expressions in others and control one''s own expressions, determining whether someone is lying through various details, and at the same time, making it as difficult as possible for others to judge whether you are lying.


    It also examines the richness of the experiences you''ve had in the first half of your life.


    Chao Tian Sect is a pure Sword Cultivation Sect. A Sword Cultivator needs to experience the mortal world, he could understand, only by seeing through the mortal world could one prove their true heart. But the examination of one''s ability to judge others'' subtle expressions puzzled him. Does a Sword Cultivator really need to learn this?


    Actually, he had a very killer thing.


    That was¡ª


    Seven-colored term!


    If he had just said, "I''ve seen my aunt bathing, and I possess a Seven-colored term," it would directly be a killer move, eliminating his next-house player one hundred percent. The next-house player would only have two choices.


    Either to expose him or to reluctantly follow along.


    In any case, both options were essentially guaranteed losses.


    Even if you were bold enough to dare to follow, guess whether your next-house player believes you? Unless that next-house player also has a Seven-colored term.


    It was just a bit unnecessary.


    After all, it was only a top-grade Earth Fire Pill of Foundation Establishment, not worth exposing his own Seven-colored term. If the rule was that everyone eliminated in the arena would die instantly, with no leakage of information, he wouldn''t mind demonstrating to the remaining people what despair looks like.


    ...


    After saying this, Chen Qiu calmly sat cross-legged on the spot without glancing at his subordinate at all. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Honestly speaking.


    He had never seen his own aunt bathing; he didn''t even have an aunt, where would he see her.


    But he couldn''t judge whether the person in the upper position was lying, so he just followed along. As long as his subordinate didn''t question him, he would be undisturbed and it was now a test of luck.


    Fortunately.


    It could be seen that the moral standards of these people were quite low.


    His next-house player didn''t even have a hint of doubt about whether he had peeped at his aunt bathing, directly taking it for granted that doing such a thing was quite normal, already beginning to think about what he should say next.


    "I have seen my aunt bathing, and I possess a green entry, and I once rose from the first level of Qi Refinement to Foundation Establishment Stage in just three days!"


    The next-house player thought for a moment then expanded on this statement.


    The problem was passed to the next-house player''s next-house player.


    This trial, the earlier ones were the simplest, the further back it got the harder it became; everyone''s life was different, those unique experiences that the previous people came up with, if you have also experienced them all, it would mean your life experiences were incredibly complex.


    Hard to distinguish the components.


    The clothing on the next-house player appeared to be quite valuable, and the whole person sitting there looked calm and quiet. Although there was no overt arrogance, one could still faintly feel a hint of unspoken superiority.


    In this situation, rushing Foundation Establishment in three days seemed not so dubious.


    The next-house player''s next-house player continued.


    "I have seen my aunt bathing, and I possess a green entry, and I have even climbed directly from the first level of Qi Refinement to the Foundation Establishment Stage in just three days, and in the Qi Refinement period I once killed a Foundation Establishment Cultivator!"


    Each person was racking their brains to come up with the most unique experience from their lives.


    Trying to directly eliminate their next-house player.


    The next-house player of this person contemplated grimly for several moments, chose to challenge, and was then eliminated on the spot, perhaps not even he himself expected that what his superior had said was all true. But there was no help for it, he no longer had the courage to follow.


    The more they spoke, the more outrageous it became.


    "If he isn''t from a prestigious family, who else could have gone through these four things?"


    The first two might be debatable, but the last two are just nonsense for a Loose Cultivator, his clothes are worthless, even if he dares to continue, his downstream wouldn''t believe him.


    ...


    Enjoy new chapters from empire


    "..."


    Chen Qiu''s face remained calm as he glanced at his two downstream, both of whom had just admitted to peeping on their aunt bathing. If neither of them lied, then including his own upstream, all three of them had done it.


    Actually,


    how should I put it, he had always thought peeping at one''s aunt bathing was a rather niche activity.


    Now it seemed, he was the niche one.


    ...


    As time passed, only three people remained on platform number 19 where Chen Qiu was, the rest had already been eliminated, and a new round began, with the remaining two wracking their brains, faces slightly pale, thinking frantically.


    Each fact couldn''t be repeated.


    In the previous dozen or so rounds, they had exhausted all the unique experiences of their lifetimes. This round, they truly were at a loss for words.


    Like now, this round had already circulated among the three of them several times without challenge, at this point, no one wanted to bet on whether the upstream''s statement was false.


    The upstream, forcing himself, recited painstakingly,


    "I once ate six bowls of rice, chopped wood, used Invisibility Technique to peep at a stranger bathing, ate six buns at a meal, chopped a man, used Invisibility Technique to peep through a neighbor bathing, ate six dishes at a meal, chopped a demon beast, used Invisibility Technique to peep at a relative bathing¡ªand I possess five or more entries!!!"


    By the time he spurted out the last few words, his voice had gone hoarse.


    There was no helping it, in the final round, everyone just started telling the truth.


    His downstream behaved like a lunatic, either chopping wood or chopping people.


    His upstream was just an idiot, either peeping at neighbors or relatives bathing, your father sending you to cultivate was truly an ancestral sin!


    Sensing it might take many more rounds like this, he couldn''t hold back anymore. He finally pulled out his trump card, ready to make a killing move!


    A normal Foundation Establishment Cultivator could only possess two entries.


    Someone like him possessing more than five entries had indeed had several fortunate occasions, which under normal circumstances, should not be casually revealed to avoid drawing fatal trouble. But under some pressure now, he couldn''t care less.


    His eyes filled with blood, he stared fixedly at Chen Qiu, and with a twisted smile, pronounced each word distinctly, "Want to try challenging me? Or do you have the guts to compete?"


    "..."


    Chen Qiu casually scanned and then diverted his gaze, saying softly, "I once ate six bowls of rice, chopped wood... and possess five or more entries, and also chopped the price."


    And with a casual wave of his hand.


    Five panels wrapped in mist appeared out of thin air, displaying his five irrelevant entries.


    "Just five entries, who doesn''t have one?"


    Actually, he really didn''t want to do this, but had no choice.


    In his downstream''s perspective, learning the Invisibility Technique to peep on someone bathing was a perfectly normal thing.


    So he had never doubted him for that.


    But... having five entries was the kind of thing that could raise suspicion. He feared that his downstream would challenge him about his five entries, exposing him, which would truly have gotten him eliminated, even though his final statement had been true.


    But all those claims about peeping during baths were false.

 Chapter 57 Entry Name Sword Bone.

    Now it was Chen Qiu''s next opponent''s turn to be dumbfounded.His face constantly changed between pale and flushed as he stood stiffly on the spot, his lips trembling slightly, yet he couldn''t utter a word for a long time. Chen Qiu played his cards openly; those five entries were laid out there, surrounded by clouds on the panel formed by the Heavenly Dao.


    Even if you have exquisite control over spiritual energy, you can''t form such a panel out of thin air.


    You can only form words in the air, but not that cloud-enshrouded panel.


    Genuine and beyond doubt.


    Then the dilemma was handed over to him; doubting was certainly not possible, he could only grit his teeth and follow up with another statement. However, Chen Qiu''s previous opponent, sitting beside him, could no longer contain his impatience and roared excitedly, "Go fool a ghost!"


    "Bang."


    The next contestant was eliminated; now only two people were left on the stage.


    "Phew..."


    Chen Qiu breathed a sigh of relief, casually playing with the jade fan in his hand and speaking little, admitting to himself that he had been somewhat lucky. If his next opponent had been more serious or had a few dozen breaths'' time to think, he would have easily realized that the boasting tone Chen Qiu used when showing the entry panel didn''t quite match his persona.


    From the beginning, he had been sitting there in an extremely calm state.


    Suddenly flaunting his open challenge was a bit too abnormal.


    And abnormal behavior often heralds mischief.


    ...


    "It''s just the two of us left."


    Chen Qiu''s previous opponent stared at him icily, word by word, "I didn''t expect you to actually have five entries. I''m too lazy to waste time speaking pointless repetitious words like last round. Let''s decide life and death right now!"


    "I have six or more entries!"


    "Do you dare to follow?"


    Chen Qiu shook his head casually, "I have six or more entries, and I''ve eaten six buns."


    "?"


    His opponent, taken aback, his eyes flickered with confusion. Wasn''t this what he had said in the previous round? He reacted instinctively, "I have six or more entries, and I''ve eaten six buns, and I also have seven or more entries!"


    Chen Qiu quietly added, "I''ve eaten six bowls of rice."


    He no longer needed to doubt his opponent; his opponent had all he claimed to have, and now he was speaking purely from his own experiences, waiting for his opponent to lose his temper.


    "Eight."


    "A meal of six dishes."


    "Hey!"


    When Chen Qiu added one more thing, his opponent finally couldn''t help laughing wildly, stood up from his cushion, shook off the dust from his clothes, and looked at Chen Qiu with a hint of triumph in his eyes, "Do you think I''ve lost my mind? That I would keep increasing my claim?"


    "I was just setting a hook for you."


    "Eight entries, you really dare to follow? I don''t have eight entries, so why do you think you could have them? Or do you firmly believe I wouldn''t dare to doubt you? Oh right, I almost forgot, only the lower player can doubt the upper player, the upper player cannot accuse the lower player."


    "After so many rounds, you might have gotten used to it."


    "But did you forget? There are only two of us left on the stage, and I too am your lower player now!"


    "Fool."


    The man sneered coldly, "I''m not buying that bullshit today. Show me if you can come up with three more entries?!!!"


    As his voice fell, accompanied by the surge of spiritual energy on the stage, the man who had just stood up was suddenly slammed by the spiritual energy and flew out of the stage, falling several meters away before incredulously climbing up from below the stage.


    ...


    "Sigh."


    Chen Qiu stood up with a hint of helplessness, patted the nonexistent dust off his clothes, didn''t even glance at the man below the stage, and walked straight down from the stage towards Fat Long waiting by the side of the stage.


    And that superior Foundation Establishment Earth Fire Pill, too, slowly ascended from beneath the stage when he was the only one left, easily grabbed by him and tucked into his chest.


    This passage through.


    It meant he had officially become a selected Inner Sect Disciple for Chao Tian Sect, though this status was useless since it was just a form of challenge within the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm. The Earth Fire Pill was the real highlight, a true treasure that could be exchanged for a significant amount of Spirit Stones.


    ...


    He was unsure of the content of the fourth round, but hoped it was not a challenge heavily reliant on luck like this one. Although he had passed this time, no one''s good fortune lasts forever.


    At this time, Fat Long was feeling gloomy near his stage, coming over immediately when he saw him stepping down.


    "What''s wrong? You look like you didn''t make it through."


    "Don''t even get me started!"


    Fat Long said angrily, "I was eliminated in the third round after I got on stage; my previous opponent straight-up said he ate crap. At that moment, everyone''s gaze turned to that bastard. To be honest, I wanted to grit my teeth and follow, but my next opponent clearly told me that if I dared to follow, he would definitely confront me head-on."


    "His logic was simple."


    "Though eating crap is a rather unusual habit, it''s not impossible; however, the likelihood of two Foundation Establishment Cultivators who don''t know each other and sitting next to each other both having done this is too low."


    "The logic is simplistic and brute."


    "But I have to admit, he made sense."


    "So I had to confront my previous opponent, betting that he was lying, and then I got eliminated. The bastard truly had eaten crap!!!"


    "I truly don''t understand!"


    "An Ancient Sword Cultivation Sect that looks like it was quite powerful in ancient times, named ''Chao Tian Sect'', which means mocking the heavens, but what are all these messy trials the sect disciple selection consists of? Allowing someone who has eaten shit to become a candidate for the Inner Sect, isn''t that too damn insulting to sword cultivation?!"


    "..."


    Chen Qiu helplessly patted Fat Long on the shoulder. "Stay safe and start by exploring the buildings around the third round. If you encounter any opportunities, just remember the faces; there''s no need to fight over them."


    "You can rest assured about that, Brother Qiu. I have my own path of survival in this regard," Fat Long answered.


    "It''s just a bit hard to accept, I should have known..."


    Although Fat Long didn''t finish his sentence, the meaning was clear¡ªhe would have made several choices differently, if only he had known about such trials before entering the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm.


    Chen Qiu smiled and comforted Fat Long before heading alone towards the entrance of the fourth round.


    The fourth round was in a ''Sword Pavilion'' a few hundred yards away from the Martial Arts Hall. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He also felt puzzled internally. It seemed somewhat frivolous for a Major Sect to conduct disciple selection in this manner, or perhaps... these selection criteria were precisely suited to the iteration of Heavenly Dao at the time?


    Did subsequent versions of Heavenly Dao evolve, and the ''Chao Tian Sect'', unable to keep up with the latest iterations, faded into complete desolation or even extinction?


    The term ''Heavenly Dao versions'' was something he heard during a conversation at the third round; the people talking about it didn''t conceal much, implying that this concept wasn''t highly secretive. While ordinary people might not know about Heavenly Dao versions, it seemed to be an open secret within sects and major families.


    ...


    The fourth round, Sword Pavilion.


    By this time, hundreds of people had gathered here, all patiently waiting for the winners of the other arenas in the third round. Only when everyone had arrived would they be able to enter the fourth round.


    A magnificent and towering pavilion soared high into the clouds, the whole building shaped like a long sword with its blade thrusting into the ground, towering hundreds of yards high. Standing before this pavilion made one feel particularly insignificant.


    Even though the place had been abandoned for a long time, the lingering sword intent in the air still brought a stinging pain.


    If one''s cultivation wasn''t sufficient, they could even be severely injured by the sword intent lingering for who knows how many tens of thousands of years.


    Once this was over, he planned to find a place to cultivate bitterly.


    Chen Qiu silently planned his next moves in his mind. He had not had time to cultivate after reaching Foundation Establishment, merely managing basic spiritual energy protection. He couldn''t, like others, precisely adjust the strength of spiritual energy protection on different parts of his body.


    He knew only one spell, the ''Thunder Summoning Technique'', and two low-level techniques: ''Earth Tunneling Technique'' and ''Blinding Technique''.


    And he could only release them with full force. Normally, the upper limit of a spell''s power is determined by one''s cultivation and several other factors, but the lower limit could be controlled by oneself. However, since he had entered this Secret Realm right after his Foundation Establishment, he hadn''t had any additional time to cultivate, resulting in weak control over his spiritual energy.


    At the entrance of the Sword Pavilion, the familiar barrier once again blocked everyone''s path.


    At the entrance of the pavilion, seated neatly cross-legged on a short stone pillar was a human skeleton, without a trace of flesh, its bones transparent and greenish-white due to the passage of time, which looked quite aesthetic.


    The fourth round¡ª


    "Sever One''s Self."


    Surrounding the base of the short pillar beneath the skeleton were numerous, somewhat unique decorations. Although worn by the years and appearing somewhat decrepit, one could imagine that, tens of thousands of years ago, the people of Chao Tian Sect must have held this set of bones in the highest regard.


    The pillar was engraved with several lines filled with dense sword intent.


    A daring cultivator tentatively touched it with his hand, only to rapidly retract it, the extended fingers already bloody and covered in countless tiny cuts, and the man''s complexion turned ugly as he sealed his fingers with spiritual energy. The sword intent had entered his body, complicating its removal.


    If not removed from the body, the sword intent would continue to burrow inward as time passed, eventually causing excruciating pain and death.


    -


    ''Entry name'': Sword Bone.


    ''Entry level'': Grey.


    ''Entry effect'': Your understanding of swordsmanship will be extremely slow, but anyone who touches your skeleton after your death will gain a certain degree of enhanced understanding of their own learned swordsmanship, the extent depending on the individual''s innate talent.


    -


    "A rather good entry," Chen Qiu nodded silently. Honestly, having such a figure meant that a sword cultivation sect truly had a legacy, or perhaps it was precisely because of this figure''s presence that such a pure sword cultivation sect existed.


    It''s a pity he didn''t cultivate in swordsmanship and hadn''t learned any sword techniques.


    Otherwise, even as a magic practitioner, he wouldn''t mind gaining a deeper understanding of swordsmanship.


    This inscription wasn''t only visible to him; however, everyone who tried to touch the Sword Bone had been repelled by a mysterious force, perhaps indicating that only Inner Sect Disciples were qualified to touch the Sword Bone.


    Just then¡ª


    All the cultivators who had passed the third round arrived.


    As the barrier at the entrance of the Sword Pavilion gradually faded, the crowd also saw several lines engraved into the ground at the entrance.


    ''Fourth round, Sever One''s Self.'' Explore more stories with empire


    ''To sever the enemy, one must first sever oneself. Only through countless life and death situations can one clearly discern and correct their weaknesses.''


    ''Entering the Sword Pavilion is like entering an illusion; it contains a thousand puppets with the same level of cultivation as yourself, all wielding swords and launching simultaneous attacks on you.''


    ''Kill ten, and you pass the round.''


    ''Kill a hundred, and you are deemed to have passed the fifth round.''


    ''Kill a thousand, and you are deemed to have passed the sixth round.''


    ''Although this round is an illusion, one can still die here. If you die in the illusion, your physical body will also be severely injured, and if you''re killed in the illusion while losing your true self, you will truly die.''


    ''Passing this round makes one an Inner Sect Disciple of Chao Tian Sect and awards a Sword Enlightenment Stone.''

 Chapter 58

    Looking at the large characters on the ground at the entrance to the Sword Pavilion, everyone exchanged glances, and no one stepped forward; they were all somewhat hesitant, as the danger level of this round seemed rather high¡ªan attack launched simultaneously by a thousand puppets with the same Cultivation as you.It was akin to one person against a thousand, and you had to kill at least ten of those puppets while making a full retreat.


    The difficulty was certainly not ordinary.


    "Forget it, forget it."


    Zhao Yishi, who had been standing at the back of the crowd, couldn''t see the characters at the entrance of the Sword Pavilion due to his height, but those characters mysteriously appeared above his Dantian. He could see them as soon as he performed introspection.


    After reading the content of the fourth round, he shook his head and chose to give up without any hesitation.


    Fighting against a thousand puppets with the same level of Cultivation as oneself?


    Forget about it. If he had that ability, why would he remain a disciple when he could directly become a Sect Master.


    He turned and walked towards the depths of the ruined building on the side, finding a corner to squat on the ground, and took off the necklace around his neck to place it on the ground. The necklace was conspicuously made of nearly a hundred Storage Bags linked together.


    Zhao Yishi began to activate the Storage Bags nonstop, and soon, he took out a massive pile of cooked demon beast meat, towering seven or eight zhang high like a small mountain, and started swallowing it in big bites.


    After a tiring day, it was time to eat.


    Today had been quite strenuous.


    ...


    But those who could enter the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm were at least somewhat courageous¡ªthe truly timid would never come to a place as crowded as the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm. With more people came more peril.


    A man took a deep breath and with a cold expression on his face, he stepped into the Sword Pavilion while wielding a sharp blade. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Just like in the first round, his whole body instantly stiffened in place; it seemed that he had entered an illusion.


    Once there was one, there was the second. Before this person could come out with a result, many more followed him into the illusion.


    Chen Qiu stood patiently in place for a moment, and after about a dozen breaths'' time, the man who entered first regained consciousness, drenched in cold sweat and somewhat frightened, took big strides towards the deeper part of the Sword Pavilion¡ªhe appeared to have passed the round.


    Feeling slightly reassured,


    he also did not delay any longer, calmly put away the fan in his hand, and took big steps into the Sword Pavilion.


    ...


    The familiar illusion once again enveloped him.


    In an incredibly vast space, exactly one thousand bronze puppets surrounded him, each holding a long sword with the Cultivation of the first layer of the Foundation Establishment Stage uniformly.


    The puppets did not pause at all, and the moment they appeared, they brandished their swords towards Chen Qiu in synchrony.


    Chen Qiu took a quick scan of his surroundings and roughly grasped the situation.


    Their Cultivation was the same as his, but it seemed they couldn''t cast spells; otherwise, a thousand puppets, to say the least, could knock him down here with a thousand spells. They only channeled Spiritual Energy into their Magic Artifacts, attacking with more basic methods.


    Even though there were a thousand puppets, only about a dozen could attack him at first, while the others were blocked by the puppets in front and couldn''t reach him immediately.


    He saw the puppets almost reaching him.


    Suddenly, Chen Qiu casually flicked his sleeve, and more than six thousand resentful spirits of demon beasts instantly filled the space nearly to capacity, the dense resentful energy chilling the air to the freezing point. He had accumulated all these resentful spirits over time.


    Entering the Secret Realm this time also had a very important mission¡ªto exhaust these resentful spirits. Having resentful spirits enter one''s body was not a good thing, and had it not been for the reminder from the fortune-teller in the city, he wouldn''t have noticed his own body temperature getting lower and lower.


    Although almost all these demon beast resentful spirits had the Cultivation of the Qi Refinement Realm, let''s not forget that he also had a resentful spirit of Demon Cultivation at the seventh layer of Foundation Establishment, which was not a low level of Cultivation.


    What followed was an almost one-sided slaughter.


    Under the leadership of this seventh-layer Demon Cultivation resentful spirit, the horde-like swarm of demon beast resentful spirits brutally slaughtered the surrounding puppets.


    The death of these puppets did not turn them into resentful spirits.


    Less than the time it takes three sticks of incense to burn.


    All thousand puppets were thoroughly annihilated on the spot.


    In front of Chen Qiu, who stood amidst the demon beast resentful spirits, a hazy panel appeared.


    "Fourth round, Slaying the Self, cleared."


    "Officially become an Inner Sect Disciple of Chao Tian Sect, awarded one ''Sword Enlightenment Stone''."


    "Fifth Level, Slaying the Lowly, cleared."


    "Officially become a True Disciple of Chao Tian Sect, awarded one ''Foundation Establishment top-grade sword talisman''."


    "Sixth Level, Slaying the Enemy, cleared."


    "Officially become an Inner Sect Elder of Chao Tian Sect, awarded one ''Foundation Establishment top-grade Swordsmanship Seven Sufferings of Mortals'' Inheritance Stone."


    ...


    When Chen Qiu awoke from the illusion, the inside of the Sword Pavilion was already filled with many people, each with their eyes tightly shut and their bodies trembling, seemingly engaged in battle within the illusion.


    As long as all the puppets are slain in the fourth round, it counts as having cleared the sixth level.


    Meaning, now only the last challenge awaited him.


    At this moment, he also sensed that the resentful spirits he had summoned earlier were still surrounding him, that chilling sensation washing over his skin once again, making him realize the maneuvers used in the illusion did not bring about any real exhaustion.


    He had forgotten about that.


    Well, let''s see if there''s a chance to use them in the seventh level, although he planned to dispose of these more than six thousand resentful spirits as soon as possible, to prevent the resentful energy from entering his body. But he wanted these six thousand resentful spirits to serve some purpose at least; it felt rather wasteful to just throw them away without any use¡ªhe was still somewhat reluctant to do so.


    This Heavenly Dao Secret Realm wasn''t quite suitable for him; before entering, he had no idea it was a Sword Cultivation Secret Realm.


    The ''Sword Enlightenment Stone,'' a treasure that could help one comprehend the mysteries of Sword Intent and accelerate the cultivation of one''s own Sword Intent.


    ''Foundation Establishment top-grade sword talisman,'' a one-time use Sword Cultivator talisman with power equivalent to the full-strength strike of a peak Foundation Establishment Sword Cultivator.


    ''Foundation Establishment top-grade Swordsmanship Seven Sufferings of Mortals,'' a top-level Sword Cultivation technique for Foundation Establishment.


    All good items.


    But all useless to him. His pink entry meant he couldn''t easily abandon Magic Practitioner for Sword Cultivation; that would be putting the cart before the horse unless another entry regarding Sword Cultivation, either seven-colored or pink, appeared. Then he could consider Dual Cultivation of Swordsmanship.


    Fortunately, they could still sell for a good price.


    So, the trip wasn''t a total waste.


    Chen Qiu pondered as he strode through the Sword Pavilion, heading towards the location of the Seventh Level.


    ...


    Meanwhile, at the same time, Steward Liu, who had just left Fufeng City with Family Head Wang Tiedan, sat on the outside of a carriage traveling on the official road, lifting his head to gaze at the thousands of miles of strange dark clouds overhead and muttered to himself.


    "The weather''s been like this for the past few days, how come it''s the same today."


    "This weather always makes one feel as if something big is about to happen, could it be the omen of some unparalleled Demon Cultivation emerging in the world?"


    "It''s ominous." Discover stories with empire


    "Family Head, shall we go back to Fufeng City first? This weather doesn''t seem suitable for a long journey. Let''s stay in Fufeng City for a few days before returning home."


    "What do you think?"


    "Family Head?"


    "Hey?!"

 Chapter 59

    Despite calling out several times without response, the expressionless Liu turned and lifted the curtain of the carriage behind him, staring at the Family Head seated on the soft cushions inside. He spoke word by word, "Family Head, are you even listening to me at all?""Oh, Priest Liu..." S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The middle-aged man sitting on the soft cushions of the carriage, with a complex expression on his face, remained silent for a long while before finally lifting his head and hesitantly looking at Liu in front of him. "Do you think, if I chop down this last Bull also, is there a chance I could gamble out a White entry ''Nine Ox Power''?"


    "I don''t know why."


    "I just have this very strong premonition that as long as I chop down this one, I can definitely gamble another Nine Ox Power!"


    "..."


    Looking at the Family Head''s frantic gambler-like expression, Liu let out a sigh, drew the carriage curtains closed without a word, and leaned against the carriage, massaging his temples as he felt a headache beginning to throb.


    He didn''t want to explain anymore.


    If the Family Head hadn''t treated him well these days, he would have run away long ago.


    What on earth is stuffed inside this man''s head?


    Just at that moment¡ª


    He suddenly felt the ground violently shaking, and a strong, pungent smell, accompanied by fierce winds, invaded his nostrils. In the distance, he saw a dense mass of demon beasts charging in his direction.


    The thick demon energy almost took solid form!


    It must be hundreds of thousands of demon beasts stampeding together to cause such commotion.


    "Damn it!"


    Priest Liu trembled and jolted with fear flashing in the depth of his eyes. Without a second thought, he opened the carriage curtain, pulled the Family Head out of the carriage, and frantically slapped them both with ''Swift Movement Talismans'' as he shouted.


    "Family Head, run for it, back to Fufeng City!"


    "The demon beasts are in frenzy!"


    For now, he didn''t want to know where these demon beasts came from; he only knew that the chances of the official road protecting them were slim. Their best bet was to escape to Fufeng City as quickly as possible. Although Fufeng City was a mortal city and didn''t have many high-level cultivators,


    It was still one of the three hundred and sixty-five large cities of Da Xia!


    Inside was a City Lord appointed by Da Xia himself, carrying the Qi Fortune of Da Xia, whose strength far exceeded that of cultivators of the same level, making them invincible among their peers. As long as they made it to Fufeng City, they could seek protection.


    And the target of those rampaging demon beasts at the end of their sight seemed to be¡ª


    Fufeng City!


    As massive fluctuations of Spiritual Energy spread across the official road, the Array Stones on either side began to flicker incessantly. A golden-yellow barrier enveloped their section of the road, able to defend against any attack from cultivators below the Golden Core Stage.


    And the ''Wind Formation'' embedded underneath the road was also activated in an instant!


    Bestowing Wind Walking Skill upon every creature on the road, it increased their running speed to twenty times the usual!


    With the augmentation of the Wind Formation and Swift Movement Talismans,


    Liu and the Family Head''s speed surged to near-instantaneous rapidity, fleeing along the road toward Fufeng City with a speed that was hard to catch with the naked eye, much faster than when they had arrived.


    And the steed pulling the carriage was not stupid either.


    After forcefully shaking off the reins over its head, the horse turned and bolted after them at an impressive speed, also frenzying down the road under the boost of the ''Wind Formation.'' Its intermittent neighing seemed oddly excited for some reason.


    Priest Liu also smacked his forehead as realization struck, quickly pulling out more Swift Movement Talismans and slapping them onto the four limbs of the horse following behind. Then grabbing the Family Head, he climbed onto the horse''s back and continued their frenetic escape.


    Their current speed was much faster than traveling by Sword Flight.


    After all, Sword Flight would leave the official road and thus lose the acceleration of the ''Wind Formation.''


    Temporarily escaping the crisis, Liu looked back uneasily at the massive horde of demon beasts following them like an incoming tide, experiencing for the first time on land what it meant for the sky and water to blur into one color.


    The pitch-black wave of beasts and the clouds that seemed to suck one''s soul into their darkness nearly merged into one.


    He didn''t know what had happened.


    If he wasn''t mistaken, within the borders of Da Xia, demon beast herds of this size were always overseen by high-level demon beasts with Spiritual Wisdom. These high-level demon beasts were well aware of the consequences of slaughtering their way onto an official road¡ªthey would never be so reckless!


    How did these damned demon beasts appear within the boundaries of Da Xia?


    Fortunately, they hadn''t gone too far from Fufeng City. At this rate, they would reach Fufeng City within half an hour.


    Then, even if the sky were to fall, there would be someone tall enough to hold it up.


    It wasn''t his problem anymore!


    ...


    Meanwhile,


    Chen Qiu had already passed through the fourth round''s Sword Pavilion, the Fifth Level''s Scripture Pavilion, and the Law Enforcement Hall of the sixth level, arriving at the seventh level, in front of the Sect Hall. There, inscribed on the pillars of the Sect Hall were rows of characters imbued with a strong Sword Intent, so forceful that they were etched deeply into the wood.


    ''Magic Practitioner, fragile as glass upon touch.''


    "Talisman cultivators, performing acrobats with fragile skins."


    "Array Repairers, doorkeepers with fragile skins."


    "Alchemy Cultivators, quacks with fragile skins."


    "Artifact Cultivators, hammer swingers with fragile skins."


    "Evil Cultivators, the motherless with fragile skins."


    "Demon Cultivators, riffraff with fragile skins."


    "Body Cultivators, not fragile but brainless."


    "Sword Cultivators¡ª


    Offense and defense as one, with one swing of the sword, they can shatter the mountains and rivers far and wide!


    Every plant and tree, every speck of dust and grain of sand, can become a sword to slice the stars!


    When Magic Practitioners get angry, they angrily knock back three vats of Qi Replenishing Pills!


    When Sword Cultivators get angry, their sword light leaves corpses over ten thousand li!


    All are inferior, only Sword Cultivators are supreme!"


    "..."


    Chen Qiu looked at these lines carved on the pillar of the Sect Hall with a complex expression, feeling that the Chao Tian Sect seemed to have a bit of contempt for Magic Practitioners. What did they mean by, "When Magic Practitioners get angry, they angrily knock back three vats of Qi Replenishing Pills"?


    You just perished too soon.


    If they could be passed down to the present, give them a chance in the future to see what real Magic Practitioners are like.


    Under the entry for "Dantian Expansion," his Foundation Establishment breadth had reached ten thousandths, and the capacity of Spiritual Energy was a hundred times that of an ordinary first-layer Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    Chen Qiu stopped thinking about these things.


    Instead, he walked toward the depths of the hall; so far, he was the only one to reach the Fifth Level. When passing by the Fifth Level, he saw that there were three or four people attempting it, while the Fourth Level had no one at all.


    With this progress, it would be very difficult for these people to catch up to him.


    Although he didn''t know whether other cultivators had found any treasures in the ruins near the levels, it seemed that this Secret Realm was indeed more suited for Sword Cultivators, and for him, being a Magic Practitioner, it was a bit less fitting. Only the Earth Fire Pill seemed to be some sort of consolation for Magic Practitioners.


    Such discrimination, no wonder the legacy was lost.


    ...


    Stepping into the Sect Hall, he walked straight towards the innermost part of the Sect Hall. Along the way, many inscriptions were carved on the pillars, some were about the main tenets of the sect, others were some brief stories. Enjoy new chapters from empire


    For example...


    "One day in a desert, a severely injured Golden Core cultivator who was close to dying of thirst excitedly discovered a corpse, rushed forward to take its Storage Ring, used up all remaining spirit to break the ring''s restrictions, and then collapsed next to the body, face full of despair."


    "The Storage Ring was filled with Qi Replenishing Pills, and it contained nothing but Qi Replenishing Pills."


    "The corpse was a Magic Practitioner."


    "Later on, another Golden Core cultivator on the verge of death passed by and found the two corpses. Excited, he rushed to take the other cultivator''s Storage Ring. After opening it, he too collapsed in despair."


    "The Storage Ring was filled with demon beast meat, the previous corpse that collapsed was a Body Cultivator."


    "Then, another Golden Core cultivator about to die of thirst passed by here and, after opening the last cultivator''s Storage Ring, despaired once more; this time, the Storage Ring was full of talismans."


    "..."


    Chen Qiu, expressionless, continued deeper into the Sect Hall, every pillar within this dusty and ruined hall inscribed with discrimination against other cultivators, with most of it directed at Magic Practitioners.


    To be starved for stories to mock Magic Practitioners, you began to abandon logic, didn''t you?


    Such a chilling story.


    Until finally, he reached the end of the hall.


    And there he saw the familiar Barrier.


    "Fifth Level, Severing Sword."


    "Pass this level, and you may inherit the position of Sect Master of the Chao Tian Sect."


    "The heavens abandon us, not due to the war."


    "The demise of the sect today has become inevitable. In the future, whoever reaches this point, as long as they sit on the Sect Leader''s Chair, they can inherit the position of Sect Master!"


    "After becoming Sect Master, you will inherit all the sect''s resources, possess the highest authority over all Formations within the sect. The Chao Tian Sect is established within a small world; everything within the small world belongs to the new Sect Master."


    "Only ask to glorify Sword Cultivators!"


    "Let the people know that Sword Cultivators are the strongest!"

 Chapter 60

    In the Sect Hall.Chen Qiu stood on the dust-covered bluestone floor, silently contemplating as the Barrier slowly faded, revealing the Sect Leader''s Chair shrouded in cobwebs, his expression complex. This challenge could be said to have posed no difficulty at all.


    Simply sitting in the Sect Leader''s Chair would signify victory.


    So theoretically, the sixth challenge should have been the last one. However, he knew nothing of what that challenge entailed, having skipped directly to the seventh.


    An eerie thought suddenly flashed through his mind.


    Perhaps these seven challenges¡ªhow the Chao Tian Sect selected its disciples over tens of thousands of years¡ªwere not as simple as they seemed. Were they made easier out of fear that no one would pass and the position of Sect Master would remain unclaimed after the sect''s fall?


    Or was it because of its transformation into a Heavenly Dao Secret Realm?


    It was indeed lamentable.


    A sect from the ancient past, one that bore an impressive name, met its end as a Heavenly Dao Secret Realm.


    Throughout his journey, nearly all the buildings on the mountain were ruined; most structures were chopped in half with no roofs remaining, a clear indication of an ancient great enemy. Even the Sect Hall was cleaved in two by a single strike, allowing sunlight to spill directly onto the ground. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yet, there were no traces of blood to be found, which was quite bizarre.


    Enjoy more content from empire


    If one could argue that the bloodstains had been erased by the passage of time, the absence of even a single skeleton was harder to explain. After all, the skeleton outside the Sword Pavilion was still sitting there quietly, suggesting that not enough time had passed for bones to turn to dust.


    He shook his head and thought no further.


    Previously, he had contemplated founding a sect recognized by the Heavenly Dao, a complex process requiring the passing of a Golden Core and the payment of 100 Spirit Stones. Now, inheriting an existing sect was naturally beneficial, but it was unclear whether this sect was acknowledged by the Heavenly Dao.


    It was quite strange that the assistance of a being at the level of Golden Core in establishing a Heavenly Dao-recognized sect apparently cost only a mere 100 Spirit Stones.


    It was likely the handiwork of minions, since even Golden Core cultivators needed to accumulate Spirit Stones to pave their paths of cultivation. Many sects never considered inheritance; their sole purpose was to provide a secure environment for seclusion, allowing subordinates to use their names for personal wealth accumulation.


    ...


    "..."


    Chen Qiu did not despise the spiderweb-covered chair; after pausing silently for a few moments, he calmly approached and sat down on the Sect Leader''s Chair. The webs, aged over time, seemed nebulous. Spiders were nowhere to be seen and probably had starved to death in some unknown corner.


    And the moment he sat down,


    A panel enveloped in mist appeared before him.


    "You have inherited the position of Sect Master of ''Chao Tian Sect,'' becoming the seventeenth-generation Sect Master."


    "At present, the overall strength of this sect ranks 3,483rd on the ''Da Xia Sect Rankings,'' which are updated annually on the first day of the year."


    "Differing ranks receive differing blessings from the Heavenly Dao; the higher the rank, the stronger the Heavenly Dao Blessing received."


    "Currently, the level of Heavenly Dao Blessing received is: none."


    "The lowest level of Heavenly Dao Blessing requires the sect to be within the top one-thousand in the rankings."


    -


    Without surprise, there must be exactly 3,483 sects throughout Da Xia, and at this moment, he was the only person in his sect. This was the advantage of inheritance: no prerequisites required, no need for disciples, no need for a Golden Core.


    He had not anticipated that there would be over three thousand sects within Da Xia Country.


    He estimated that two thousand of those were likely no more than shell institutions.


    Similar to the type Fat Long had initially set up, lacking even a piece of land, possessing just the name of a sect. Its members devoted themselves to cultivating through worldly experience, never needing to return¡ªconsidering the entire world their home.


    And at the same time¡ª


    In his personal panel, there was a minor change in the "Influence" entry.


    "Influence": Chao Tian Sect, Sect Master.


    So far, the Chao Tian Sect consisted of him alone, and it was only when he took his seat in the Sect Leader''s Chair that he discovered the entire Chao Tian Sect was enveloped by a colossal Mountain Protection Array, with every formation within the sect intricately linked to this protective formation.


    The Sect Leader''s Chair beneath him acted as both the focal point of the array and an Array Talisman.


    Once a blood oath was sworn, he would be able to control any corner''s formation at will within the sect, and his Divine Sense would survey the entire interior of the sect through the formations.


    "Drip."


    As a drop of blood fell on the Sect Leader''s Chair, what was originally a dust-covered and long-abandoned chair suddenly seemed to be reborn, a thin red glow fleeting across the surface of the chair.


    Immediately after!


    Chen Qiu suddenly felt as if he had merged with the peak of the mountain; if he wished, he could see any corner within the sect.


    For example...


    Zhao Yishi, who was hiding in a corner, was holding a bowl full of what appeared to be chili sauce, grabbing chunks of enormous cooked demon beast meat from Demon Beast Mountain, dipping them in the sauce, and wolfing them down.


    The monster-sized pieces of demon beast meat, in the presence of Zhao Yishi''s exaggerated mouth, seemed like mere sunflower seeds.


    He didn''t even spit out the bones.


    That biting power is truly remarkable.


    And Fat Long, who was carefully following behind others in the ruined buildings, hoping to find something valuable overlooked by others.


    Everything in the small world suddenly felt extremely familiar to him.


    This small world now completely belonged to him, and with a mere thought, he could open this small world and enter it from the outside world at any time. As long as he didn''t encounter someone with much higher cultivation, no one could touch him once he sought refuge in the small world.


    "Sigh."


    Chen Qiu looked down upon the cultivators exploring for treasures in the ruins, sighed helplessly, and thought about what they were searching for. After he took full control over the sect, he instantly became well acquainted with all the conditions within the sect.


    There was nothing.


    No ancient medicinal herbs or Spiritual Treasures had been passed down; the sect was completely devoid of everything, clean and empty.


    Almost all formations had also suffered severe damage, and to repair these, he would need to find a High-level Array Master. Although he could not understand the formations, he could sense that they were not of a low level.


    Average Foundation Establishment Array Repairers probably wouldn''t be able to fix them; at the very least, a Golden Core Array Repairer would be required.


    But what''s most critical is¡ª


    Array Repairers are also divided into many types.


    The formations of the Chao Tian Sect are mostly "Sword Arrays," and to set up such formations, one must have considerable expertise in both the paths of Sword Cultivation and Array Repair in order to deploy, maintain, and repair them. Such Array Masters are even rarer, so it seems there''s little chance for an immediate repair.


    But he didn''t plan on repairing them anyhow.


    Although the power of these formations was quite formidable, he simply couldn''t afford to spend so many Spirit Stones to maintain them.


    However, it couldn''t be said that nothing was left for him at all.


    For example, in front of the Sword Pavilion, there was that... Sword Bone.

 Chapter 61

    After this sect had completely become his, the Sword Bone naturally belonged entirely to him as well. It was indeed a valuable asset, as touching the Sword Bone would increase one''s understanding of the sword techniques they had learned to a certain extent.Although it was currently of no use to him.


    But for Sword Cultivators, it possessed a fatal attraction. Later when his power grew stronger, he could trade it for items more suitable for Magic Practitioners.


    Besides the Sword Bone, all that remained were two Artifact Spirits.


    The Chao Tian Sect originally housed many Artifact Spirits, and each of the seven levels harbored one, but as time passed, many of the Artifact Spirits gradually lost their spiritual wisdom and reverted to mundane objects.


    Only the Artifact Spirits from the first round, Zhanshi Nian, and from the Fourth Level''s Sword Pavilion were still alive.


    Both Artifact Spirits had slipped back into slumber, it seemed that the trial they had just undergone caused them considerable wear, and the method to quickly restore these two Artifact Spirits was simple¡ªjust a provision of some Spirit Stones would suffice.


    Regarding this...


    His choice was, "You guys keep sleeping for a bit longer."


    Noisy to death, everything demands money.


    He would first handle the matters at hand, then spend some Spirit Stones to awaken the Artifact Spirit from the Fourth Level and inquire about the sudden destruction of the Chao Tian Sect and some matters from the ancient times. Being the Artifact Spirit of the Fourth Level, it certainly knew more than that of the first.


    He had initially harbored hope that since completing the trials yielded rewards, there must still be some reserves within the sect, right?


    But the result was utterly empty, and the rewards weren''t even from within the sect but were direct rewards from the Heavenly Dao for passing the levels. The Chao Tian Sect was now truly a mere shell.


    ...


    Approximately the duration of half a cup of tea after Chen Qiu had successfully taken over as the Sect Leader of the Chao Tian Sect.


    All the cultivators inside the small world suddenly felt an incredibly strong repulsion enveloping them. Accompanied by the ethereal and hoarse voice from the horizon, many cast complicated looks towards the depths of the sect.


    Someone had passed the seventh round.


    No one knew what the reward for passing the seventh round was, just unclear who could pass the seventh round so quickly.


    They weren''t given much time to think.


    Following a dizzying sense of disorientation that arrived abruptly, when their vision restored, they found themselves back at the original entrance of the Secret Realm by the creek beside Fufeng City¡ªnow, the white vortex was nowhere to be seen.


    Many almost immediately looked up overhead.


    Even though the weather was fine before they entered the Secret Realm, why had it turned, just as before a few days ago, as they emerged, to skies overcast with black clouds? And they wondered whether it was an illusion, but it seemed the black clouds were lower this time.


    Giving the impression that the sky was about to collapse.


    The thick, menacing clouds seemed as if they might crash down at any moment.


    After exchanging glances,


    Without any hesitation,


    Everyone activated their movement techniques or resorted to Sword Flight, scattering in all directions. But almost within a few breaths, cultivators dispersed in three directions quickly fled back the way they came, charging directly towards Fufeng City.


    And their faces were marked with stark terror.


    Especially Zhao Yishi, who stood tall and saw afar. Having just come out of the small world, he did not hesitate even a bit. He leapt up, stepping on lotus leaves and sprinted towards Fufeng City at full speed, his immense frame contrasting sharply with his velocity.


    ...


    After meeting with Fat Long, Chen Qiu also did not dare delay any further. After attaching talismans to themselves, they ran towards Fufeng City.


    "I need to learn a movement technique and Sword Flight."


    On his wild run, Chen Qiu glanced back at the demon energy-filled black clouds behind him and murmured softly,


    Only when the tide goes out can you discover who''s been swimming naked.


    This was not something he had realized before: even though he was covered with Light Wind Talismans, he was nearly the slowest person there. The cultivators around him looked ordinary, but it had to be said that each one of them must have diligently practiced their movement techniques.


    That speed...


    It was truly not slow.


    When venturing into the Jianghu, one must first perfect a certain movement technique to have some confidence in surviving.


    At the Foundation Establishment level of cultivation, the speed of movement techniques is much faster than Sword Flight, but they can only be maintained for a shorter time and consume more Spiritual Energy. Generally, they are not used for traveling but are used in combat.


    Of course, in a situation where one needs to flee for their life, no one would consider the consumption of Spiritual Energy anymore.


    Chen Qiu could even smell the stench of blood emanating from the roar of the massive demon beasts behind him; the demon energy was so dense it even formed black clouds¡ªan indication that among them were high-level demon beasts with awakened Spiritual Wisdom!


    First, escape to Fufeng City.


    As long as he meets up with the scholar, the beast tide shouldn''t be able to stop them.


    At this moment, Fufeng City was fully on alert, not a single person was entering or leaving, all city gates were tightly closed except for some small gates left open for people fleeing to enter the city for refuge.


    ...


    "Whew!"


    After rushing into the city gates among the crowd, Chen Qiu finally let out a slight sigh of relief. After entering, he turned to look carefully and saw tens of thousands of indiscernible demon beasts roaring simultaneously, kicking up dust under the dark clouds as they charged straight towards Fufeng City!


    It seemed they were ready to smash the city walls with their heads. Stay updated with empire


    At that moment, numerous array patterns appeared on the walls of Fufeng City, constantly flashing, and even the ordinarily unremarkable blue brick main road on the ground of Fufeng City had countless white lines made of Spiritual Energy that stayed illuminated.


    The City Protection Array was activated!


    Though Fufeng City was a mortal city, being one of Da Xia''s main cities, it naturally had its defenses, especially since it was located in a remote corner of the Da Xia Territory. It was said that there had been demon beast attacks on the city in previous years.


    They had experience handling these situations now.


    It wasn''t their first time.


    However, just as he entered the city, he was immediately pulled into a side alley by a burly man with a mutton-chop beard who was waiting there. Seeing that Chen Qiu and another person had finally entered the city, the scholar sitting cross-legged on the ground breathed a sigh of relief, holding a sword technique with one hand and speaking urgently.


    "You''ve finally entered the city. There''s no time to explain, let''s leave first!"


    "Something major has happened!"


    "Someone wants to use all the million living creatures of Fufeng City for a Heavenly sacrifice!"


    After finishing, he spoke in a low, urgent voice, as usual, "Knock!"


    However...


    This time.


    The Azure Blade in the scholar''s sleeve did not, as usual, transform into a ray of light shooting towards the distance. The blade trembled violently as if sensing something, yet it did not leave the sleeve. The scholar''s expression turned ugly, and a trace of gloom flashed in his eyes; he tried the spell several more times in disbelief.


    Although the trembling of the Azure Blade in the sleeve grew more violent, it still did not leave the sleeve.


    After numerous attempts.


    The scholar finally gave up, and his expression gradually calmed down. After a brief silence, he quietly said, "It''s too late to leave now. Before you arrived, I had tried and it was possible to leave. You came into the city a bit late."


    "It''s a pity that the Sound Transmission Talisman and Divine Sense have already been cut off by the array; otherwise, I could have left the city to find your locations."


    "Unable to find your locations, I could only wait for you by the west city gate." S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "If only..."


    "If only my cultivation were still intact, such a restraint could have been broken with a single sword stroke."

 Chapter 62 Not seeking immortality, only seeking combat power.

    "..."Chen Qiu glanced at the scholar. His Cultivation was still intact? This was the first time the scholar had so openly spoken about it¡ªif his Cultivation had still been intact. Although he could often guess as much before, they had never explicitly addressed it.


    However, he did not say much about it.


    Instead, he bowed his head and pondered for a moment before softly asking, "How did you learn that someone is planning to use the lives of a million cultivators in Fufeng City as a sacrifice to Heaven? Are there any traces of Evil Cultivation or Demon Cultivation activities?"


    The scholar, seated cross-legged on the ground in the alley, remained silent for a long while before finally speaking hoarsely, "This method is very familiar, the one behind it is Scion of Ten Thousand Demons, a practitioner of Evil Cultivation. His usual tactic is to control countless demon beasts to attack the small towns and villages outside the city. After sacrificing the townspeople to Heaven, he greatly enhances his own Cultivation."


    "He had always been pursued by me in the past."


    "But this thief is extremely cunning, with many means of escape, making many of my attempts to kill him unsuccessful."


    "After I was down on my luck, I could no longer afford to care about it. Unexpectedly, over these years, he has grown to the point where his Cultivation has reached the peak of Foundation Establishment, and he is just one step away from breaking through to Golden Core. He just needs to sacrifice all the million living souls in Fufeng City to breakthrough on the spot."


    "Those demon beasts outside the city are all under his control, becoming more ferocious as they lose their reason and fear of pain. Once they swarm, they will be unstoppable."


    "There is no one in Fufeng City who can match him. The best strategy before the formation is complete is to flee quickly. But unfortunately... it''s already too late."


    Chen Qiu remained silent, scanning the surroundings. By now, quite a few armor-clad soldiers had surged onto the city walls. Loads of strategic resources were continuously being delivered to the top of the walls¡ªdisposable magic artifacts, talismans, war-level Spiritual Treasures, Array Plates, and so forth.


    The city''s defenses were strong.


    According to the scholar, those demon beasts outside should only be at most at the peak of Foundation Establishment too. After all, Scion of Ten Thousand Demons himself only possessed the Cultivation of the peak Foundation Establishment. Could he control Golden Core demon beasts?


    In Xia Country, basically the City Lord of each city has Golden Core Cultivation. Of course, Fufeng City is a mundane city, and the City Lord has relatively weaker Cultivation, only at the peak of Foundation Establishment. But being an official of Da Xia, he carries the Qi Fortune of Da Xia, making him almost invincible among his peers.


    Additionally, the workshop owner from Wentian Market is a Golden Core Great Power. As long as the City Lord sincerely requests his assistance, dealing with a peak Foundation Establishment practitioner of Evil Cultivation should be secure.


    Moreover, at this time, Fufeng City had gathered many youngsters from powerful families and Major Sects. The collective power behind these individuals was not weak. With their young generations trapped in the city by Evil Cultivation, could their backing Golden Core Great Powers just sit back and watch?


    Furthermore, Xia Country would definitely not allow its Fufeng City to be slaughtered; they must have already received the news, and perhaps the City Lords from nearby cities were already en route to reinforce them.


    A mere peak Foundation Establishment practitioner of Evil Cultivation. Given all these factors, it did not seem he could possibly slaughter Fufeng City.


    It rather seemed like he was sending himself to death.


    At this moment, Fat Long also expressed his confusion, "Can a mere peak Foundation Establishment practitioner of Evil Cultivation truly pose such a threat? Even make Fufeng City face the danger of being slaughtered? Brother Qiu, last time you also killed a late-stage Demon Cultivation practitioner."


    "It''s different."


    The scholar shook his head, "Demon Cultivators are just a bit... unorthodox in their methods but are more or less still normal people; their combat power, although a bit stronger than a regular cultivator of the same rank, isn''t much stronger."


    "Evil Cultivators, on the other hand, are genuinely invincible among their peers."


    "They seek not immortality, but only battle power."


    "Besides these, various eerie methods are also impossible to guard against, and fighting beyond one''s level is a common tactic for soldiers, just like this Evil Cultivator, the Scion of Ten Thousand Demons. To my knowledge, he alone has at least three types of Far Escape Techniques."


    "Each type comes with the price of consuming lifespan."


    "Other eerie methods are too numerous to count, and this man also possesses a particularly eerie technique. As soon as a demon beast controlled by him dies, it transforms into a mass of flesh and blood that fills the sky. Then, this flesh and blood reassembles into ten demon beasts. The original beast''s three souls and seven spirits each enter a body. Though they lack Spiritual Wisdom and only possess a bloodthirsty instinct, their strength is weaker compared to before."


    "Of course, when these ten demon beasts die, they are completely annihilated."


    "But even so, it is still a terrifying method."


    "If you kill one of his demon beasts, that beast immediately turns into ten demon beasts upon death."


    "The more you kill, the more they appear; it''s endless."


    "Unless you quickly locate this man and execute a strike to kill him instantly, these waves of demon beasts could bring an extremely terrifying disaster to Fufeng City within a few hours."


    "I understand your point, and as for why I am somewhat pessimistic... follow me."


    As his words fell, the scholar''s sleeve trembled slightly, transforming into a stream of light that shot toward the city wall, leading the group to a less crowded part of the wall: "Take a look outside."


    Although his Qingfeng sword couldn''t fly outside the array, it could still freely choose its landing points within Fufeng City.


    At this moment, the scene was quite chaotic, with many cultivators of decent Cultivation voluntarily stepping forward to ascend the walls and prepare for the defense of the city.


    ...


    Miles of continuous black clouds nearly blocked out all light, with Thunder Light constantly flashing among them, and the spirit fields surrounding Fufeng City were already trampled by the demon beasts.


    Countless demon beasts surged from all directions, firmly enclosing Fufeng City in the middle.


    But as these demon beasts were about to rush to the walls of Fufeng City, their speed gradually slowed down, and they did not launch an immediate attack, merely surrounding the city, seemingly waiting for something.


    The entire wall was filled with a murderous aura.


    A great battle was inevitable.


    Even the air seemed to have been permeated with the scent of blood, and one could vaguely see numerous completely black crows with white pupils perched on the eaves of buildings. Read new chapters at empire sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The scholar, in silence, overlooked the countless ferocious demon beasts roaring outside the wall and murmured, "Although the Scion of Ten Thousand Demons could forcefully control demon beasts before, based on my understanding of him, his Divine Sense has not reached the level of controlling so many creatures, even with his Cultivation having broken through to the peak of Foundation Establishment."


    "Unless something unexpected happens, the Scion of Ten Thousand Demons must have joined the ''Evil Hall'', a power composed of Evil Cultivators. Every member within this power is an Evil Cultivator, yet no one has found where their stronghold is located for many years."


    "And the ''Evil Hall'' possesses a supreme Foundation Establishment treasure with one effect, that being to greatly enhance Divine Sense. I remember that this treasure is the strongest in Da Xia Country for enhancing Divine Sense."


    "Only with this treasure could the Scion of Ten Thousand Demons control so many demon beasts at the peak of Foundation Establishment, meaning this disaster was concocted by the ''Evil Hall''. This is a completely different concept from just the Scion of Ten Thousand Demons alone; the ''Evil Hall'' has no shortage of Golden Core experts."

 Chapter 63 The Sky...Has Fallen.

    "If Fufeng City is the target of the Scion of Ten Thousand Demons, then we still have a considerable chance of surviving.""If Fufeng City is the target of ''Evil Hall'', then all of us will likely perish right here."


    "At this moment, Fufeng City has already been enveloped by a Formation, a unique Formation of ''Evil Hall'', known as ''Soul-breaking Array'', which can block all Sound Transmission Talismans, Mind Transmission, Teleportation Talismans, Flying Swords, and other means of traversal and communication."


    "Right now, Fufeng City is essentially a solitary city; whatever happens here, the outside world has no way of knowing, unless the Formation is broken from the outside."


    "Huh?"


    Fat Long started with a somewhat odd expression, "Do these Evil Cultivators actually refer to themselves as Evil Cultivators? I thought that was a somewhat derogatory term."


    "To us, it is, but from their perspective, they quite like the term, and so do the Demon Cultivators."


    ...


    Chen Qiu stood upon the city walls, looking down at the roaring demon beasts below. These demon beasts seemed to have no intention of launching an attack anytime soon, only surrounding and continuously roaring at Fufeng City as if waiting for something.


    "Where''s the City Lord?"


    He glanced around but could not find the City Lord of Fufeng City. Logically, given the calamity that had befallen Fufeng City, the City Lord should have been the first to step forward, not necessarily to lead an attack, but at least to make a public appearance and stabilize the morale of the forces.


    And like that, two hours passed quickly.


    During these two hours, the demon beasts below did not launch an attack, and the soldiers on the walls did not engage offensively either. It seemed like both sides were waiting; Fufeng City was waiting for reinforcements, but what was the Evil Cultivator hidden among the demon beasts below waiting for?


    Just then¡ª


    A furious shout came from the horizon.


    "Despicable vermin, come forth and meet your demise!"


    A towering azure sword light almost tore through the thousands of miles of dark clouds, striking toward Fufeng City. At the same time, the Formation around Fufeng City began to slowly reveal its true form amidst this onslaught.


    A white, semi-transparent shell, like an eggshell, covered the entire Fufeng City and its surroundings.


    And this great Formation, under the towering azure sword light, was almost instantly torn apart, dissolving into white light that disappeared into the air.


    At the same moment, the people inside the city discovered that the Sound Transmission Talismans could once again be used, and the means provided by Teleportation Talismans were available as well.


    "Cackle cackle cackle!"


    As the Formation shattered, a blood-red light bolted toward the horizon at a speed almost too fast for the naked eye to capture, leaving behind a rather arrogant laugh: "Since everyone has arrived, I won''t stay any longer. I wish you all a delightful time."


    The moment the voice fell!


    The tens of thousands of red-eyed demon beasts surrounding Fufeng City, as if crazed, let out a collective roar and launched a desperate total assault on the city.


    Several streaks of golden light shot across the sky, landing above Fufeng City, their Divine Senses carrying the formidable pressure of Golden Cores swept quickly through Fufeng City. Then with a wave of their sleeves, they scooped up their own juniors and rapidly left Fufeng City without a moment''s hesitation.


    ...


    "Quick, leave!"


    The Sect Master of Caotian Sect, his expression grim, with a wave of his sleeve, unleashed a surge of Spiritual Energy that swept up Zhao Yishi, who was still crouching invisibly in a corner, and immediately turned into a ray of light intending to flee from Fufeng City.


    "Wait a moment!"


    Zhao Yishi urgently said, "Sect Master, are we just going to leave like this? What about Fufeng City?"


    "Right now, we can''t worry about Fufeng City."


    The Sect Master of Caotian Sect, while transforming into a ray of light that covered dozens of miles in just a few breaths, said with an ugly expression, "Fufeng City will soon be littered with corpses, and nobody can stop it. The Heavenly Dao is about to undergo another change. Before the major version ''World Conflict,'' there''s a precursor mini-version named by Heavenly Dao as ''Demon Race Invasion.''


    "And this mini-version ''Demon Race Invasion'' is set to descend within a thousand miles centered around Fufeng City."


    "''Evil Hall'' knew about this before we did and trapped you all in Fufeng City to lure us here. If we don''t leave soon, we won''t be able to escape either. Don''t think just because I''m a Golden Core that I amount to anything; in the face of Heavenly Dao''s change, a Golden Core means jack shit!"


    "The Scion of Ten Thousand Demons is way faster than me!" Find adventures on empire


    A few hundred breaths later.


    The Sect Master of Caotian Sect, pushing his movement technique to the limit without any reservation, kept sticking talisman after talisman onto his body, even as blood began to seep from the corners of his mouth, pulling his speed to the extreme. Finally, before the black clouds could plummet down, he escaped beyond the range of the clouds.


    And Zhao Yishi was left with a face full of disbelief and shock as he looked back.


    Behind him.


    The black clouds that stretched for a thousand miles and possessed an extremely compelling presence were now thunderously descending, as if the sky had collapsed, heavily crashing toward the ground. It was almost instant that he found his Divine Sense completely blocked by these black clouds.


    The entire area behind him was now covered by the extremely dense black clouds.


    The sky... had it really collapsed?!


    Meanwhile¡ª


    A voice from the edge of the sky, weathered and devoid of emotion, slowly echoed in the ears of everyone in Da Xia Country.


    -


    "Heavenly Dao Decree": Only one year remains until the next shift in the Heavenly Dao version, the "Conflict of All Under Heaven." The preceding minor version change, "Demon Race Invasion," will descend within a thousand miles centered upon Fufeng City.


    As black clouds bear down, the Demon Race invades.


    Within thirty days, should the Demon Race prevail, their status as prisoners of the Heavenly Prison will be removed. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If the Demon Race is defeated, then the black clouds will dissipate and all will return to as before.


    The number and Cultivation of Demon Race allowed to participate in battle will be equivalent to that of the cultivators within a thousand miles of Fufeng City.


    -


    At the same time.


    Inside Fufeng City, the scene became incredibly chaotic in an instant.


    The sky had truly collapsed.


    The black clouds that extended for a thousand miles brought with them an unstoppable force as they heavily smashed down. There was no rain, no thunder¡ªjust the black clouds crashing down. Though they caused no harm, they filled the air with black mist, reducing visibility to almost zero.


    Outside the city, tens of thousands of demon beasts had begun charging toward Fufeng City recklessly. With such low visibility, the beasts below the city walls were barely visible¡ªonly the constant trembling of the city walls could be felt.


    The city''s defense soldiers, in their fear, kept hurling the talismans handed down to them toward the area below.


    "Now I understand."


    The scholar, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground, looked around at the black mist and spoke softly, "I thought it was the demon beasts attacking the city. I didn''t expect the sky to have collapsed."


    "What do you mean?"


    Fat Long frowned and looked at the scholar: "It sounds like the second scenario is better?"


    "Mm, if it were demon beasts attacking the city, we would have to worry about whether we could survive, but now that the sky has collapsed, we don''t need to think about that issue at all."


    "Every major change in the Heavenly Dao version is preceded by many minor changes, such as this ''Demon Race Invasion'' minor version. Its essence is to give those discarded by the last Heavenly Dao version a chance to re-enter the fray."


    "The so-called Demon Race is the side that lost in the last Heavenly Dao version."


    "Imprisoned by the Heavenly Dao in some unknown small world, until the next Heavenly Dao version is about to shift again, they participate as the discarded in a war. If they win, they can rejoin the current Heavenly Dao version; if they lose, they will be utterly annihilated."


    "We''re quite lucky, just having been chosen to join the battle."


    Chen Qiu said nothing, his eyes slightly narrowed as he felt the black mist around him. Casually, he released a Thunder Summoning Technique, and the Spiritual Energy he had just used was almost instantly replenished through the automatic rotation of his Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment.


    "Have you noticed?"


    The scholar said with an indifferent expression, "This black mist is Spiritual Energy at its thickest, which can quickly fill your Tao Foundation with Spiritual Energy to the brim. In the following days, there will be corpses strewn all around within a thousand miles of Fufeng City. The power of the Demon Race is almost unmatched among their peers."


    "Looking at the situation now, it seems that quite a few people received the message in advance."


    "The City Lord of Fufeng and the workshop owner of the Ask Heaven Market must have fled. In some ways, this might not be such a bad thing, at least it means that no Golden Core Demon Race of equivalent Cultivation will descend upon us. It''s just unclear whether the Capital received the message in advance. If they knew, why didn''t they come?"


    "..."


    After a moment of silence, Chen Qiu calmly looked at the Thunder Light re-emerging in the palm of his hand and at his Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment, which had once again almost instantly replenished his Spiritual Energy to full. Then he suddenly chuckled.


    "You''re right about one thing."


    "We are indeed quite lucky."


    "It''s time to show these so-called Demon Race what it means..."


    "To be a Magic Practitioner."

 Chapter 64 I am... the Scion of Ten Thousand Demons.

    "Boom, boom!!!"A blanket of black mist shrouded the entire Fufeng City, visibility was extremely low. Fat Long stood on the edge of the city wall, looking down without spotting a single demon beast, only able to hear the countless roars of demon beasts ringing in his ears.


    The Evil Cultivation Scion of Ten Thousand Demons had escaped, leaving these demon beasts behind.


    However, it must be said that the speed at which the Scion of Ten Thousand Demons transformed into a red light and escaped was truly fast, seemingly even faster than the Golden Core Great Powers when they left.


    "Is this Demon Race some kind of species apart from the Devil Clan?"


    "No." S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The scholar shook his head, his expression complicated as he spoke slowly, "They are also from the Human Race, but in the last update of the Heavenly Dao, due to some special reasons, they were defeated and became prisoners of the Heavenly Dao, then the Heavenly Dao labeled them as the Demon Race."


    "Once labeled as prisoners of the Heavenly Dao, although alive, it''s worse than death."


    "Imprisoned in a small world, that small world is constantly filled with such dense Spiritual Energy. By operating their mental methods and enduring harsh cultivation, the speed of their Cultivation advancement would be extremely fast. Sadly, after becoming prisoners of the Heavenly Dao, their bodies were also stricken with several Heavenly Dao Curses, and they are unable to make any progress in their Cultivation in this lifetime, only able to maintain the Cultivation they had at the time they became prisoners."


    "To see such dense Spiritual Energy yet be unable to advance in Cultivation, this feeling is extremely painful."


    "And in that small world, these prisoners of the Heavenly Dao are absolutely immortal."


    "Since they cannot advance their Cultivation, these members of the Demon Race naturally could only practice Spells and various other techniques. Without even thinking about it, over such a lengthy period, these people must have cultivated every type of spell to the Peak of Perfection."


    "With such techniques..."


    "To be deemed invincible among their peers is not an exaggeration."


    "I see..."


    Fat Long looked down from the city wall, somewhat understanding as he asked, "You just mentioned that Evil Cultivation is also unmatched among his peers. If the two of them clashed, who would be more invincible?"


    "That is unclear."


    The scholar shook his head, not answering the question, "But one thing is certain, the strength of these members of the Demon Race is definitely not to be underestimated, and they are extremely experienced in battle and exceedingly desperate for victory."


    "They can only escape the status of prisoners of the Heavenly Dao if they win. Only then can their Cultivation advance again, and they could reappear in the new cycle of the Heavenly Dao. If they lose, it would mean true annihilation."


    "Before every major update of the Heavenly Dao, there is always this kind of minor update."


    Having said this,


    the scholar stopped speaking, his expression calm as he looked in the direction where the Scion of Ten Thousand Demons had long since disappeared. He had been celebrated as the greatest Sword Cultivator of Da Xia in his early years, ranking among the top three on the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard, truly a peerless Heavenly Pride.


    But he just couldn''t kill that Scion of Ten Thousand Demons.


    At that time, that Scion of Ten Thousand Demons was merely at the mid Foundation Establishment stage.


    His sword was very fast, but it could not kill him.


    Or it might be said that he had killed him many times, but this person always managed to come back again.


    This person must have some sort of ability related to an external body, and especially his Far Escape Technique was mystifying, and almost every time it was different, no one knew why this person had so many variations of the Far Escape Technique.


    Moreover, even though such Far Escape Techniques heavily drained one''s life, this person could use it multiple times, as if he had infinite life.


    Just then¡ª


    "Boom!!!"


    The sound of the city gate being broken and collapsing came from below, and the intense screams and sounds of battle suddenly magnified several times and entered Chen Qiu and the others'' ears.


    "Let''s go."


    Chen Qiu turned and walked toward the city wall, "Before those so-called members of the Demon Race show up, let''s deal with these demon beasts first."


    ...


    "Ouch!!!"


    At this moment, in a hidden cave on a cliff thousands of miles away from Fufeng City, Scion of Ten Thousand Demons was continuously spewing blood, lying on the ground with his body convulsing violently. Despite his face twisted in agony, his crimson pupils were bursting with an extremely excited glow!


    "Success... achieved!"


    "Finally succeeded, Master can finally return!"


    "Those who had once betrayed and killed Master will spend their days in fear and panic!"


    "Big Brother, Second Brother, Third Brother, Fourth Brother, Fifth Brother, Sixth Brother, Seventh Brother, Eighth Brother, I succeeded, did you see? We finally succeeded, you can rest in peace below!"


    Inside the cave, only a few dim candlesticks were emitting a faint light, and on the altar, eight Spiritual Tablets were neatly arranged.


    There were no names on the Spiritual Tablets, but they were engraved with portraits, which upon closer inspection, appeared almost identical. Lying on the ground, convulsing yet struggling to rise and look up at the altar, the face of the Scion of Ten Thousand Demons strikingly resembled the portraits on those Spiritual Tablets.


    "Puh!"


    As his injuries worsened, Scion of Ten Thousand Demons couldn''t help but vomit another mouthful of fresh blood; his hands trembling as he took out a bottle of Healing Pills from his chest and stuffed them all into his mouth at once. He had been pursued by a Golden Core Great Power for several hundred miles when he escaped Fufeng City.


    Although his Blood Jutsu, taught by his Master, was extremely powerful, he was still severely injured being chased by a Golden Core.


    He and his eight brothers were born in the same litter.


    Their appearances were the same, their heights, and even their likes and dislikes on a normal day. Once, Master had mentioned to them that they were men of great fortune; it was nearly impossible for a normal human to give birth to nine in one litter, indicating signs of ''the dragon bearing nine sons,'' a great Qi Fortune!


    Their parents had died at the hands of thieves shortly after their birth.


    It was their Master who had raised them and set them on the path of cultivation.


    Master was a Golden Core Great Power, very powerful, but he had a notorious reputation. He had to conceal his identity everywhere he went, fearing discovery and subsequent assassination; others referred to their Master as Evil Cultivation.


    They said Master did all kinds of evil deeds.


    They said Master''s hands were stained with blood.


    They didn''t understand.


    They didn''t know what was evil, what was demonic; they only knew that when their parents died at the hands of thieves just after they were born, it was Master who saved them, it was Master who fed them, it was Master who raised them.


    Not those who claimed so vocally to abide by goodness.


    Master was the righteous one.


    Only...


    Hundreds of years ago, with a major shift in the Heavenly Dao, though Master was powerful in his Cultivation, he fell victim to a trap set by several Golden Core Great Powers and became a prisoner of the Heavenly Dao, confined in a small world. Before leaving, Master transmitted a message instructing them to forget all gratitude and resentment and to find a place to live in hiding.


    They had known since childhood that Master must have had his own motives for adopting them. Their greatest dream since childhood was to serve Master.


    They were born in the same litter.


    The ranking of Big Brother and Second Brother wasn''t determined by the order they came out from their mother''s womb, but instead by who was least afraid of death back then; he was the most fearful of death, thus he became Xiao Jiu.


    Big Brother was the least afraid of death, becoming the eldest, and he was the first to die.


    Discover more content at empire


    Their only goal over the centuries was to rescue Master from the minor versions of the Heavenly Dao before the next major shift arrived, allowing Master to return to Da Xia Country!


    In this century alone, their plan had led to countless pursuers trying to kill them.


    From Big Brother to Eight Brother, all had died at these people''s hands.


    Those people always shouted slogans of slaying demons and eliminating devils and, without any conflict arising, raised their slaughtering knives against them as if killing them could prove they were indeed people of the righteous path.


    From beginning to end, Scion of Ten Thousand Demons had always been nine people.


    Not one person.


    And him, Scion of Ten Thousand Demons, was the last of these nine.

 Chapter 65

    "Heh heh..."Lying on the ground, the Scion of Ten Thousand Demons'' body slowly stopped twitching under the effect of the healing pills, and only after stuffing several more pills into that terrifying wound in his abdomen did he shakily stand up. He took out a handkerchief from his bosom and carefully wiped the spiritual tablets on the altar.


    "Big Brother... Xiao Jiu has finally succeeded. Haven''t you always said that Xiao Jiu is the most cowardly, the most afraid of death, and the one with the smallest courage among the brothers?"


    "If only you were still alive."


    "I really wanted to show you, I''m not afraid of death; I just didn''t want to leave you all. Now that even Eighth Brother is dead, I have nothing left to hold onto."


    "Look, I can be fearless too."


    He didn''t know who had killed Big Brother and Second Brother.


    Big Brother was mortally wounded and had escaped to a cave to die, but before his last breath, he refused to say who had killed him and told them to never seek revenge. Their only goal was to rescue their master. No matter who among them died at the hands of others, it was meant to happen.


    Forget all hatred, seeking revenge would only hinder their progress.


    Ignore everything, rescue the master.


    Big Brother was at least lucky to have left behind some last words.


    Sixth Brother, Seventh Brother, Eighth Brother all died outside, without even leaving any final words.


    ...


    The Scion of Ten Thousand Demons, with a dazed and trembling expression, took out twenty-four incense sticks from his bosom, lit them, and inserted them into the eight incense burners in front of the spiritual tablets. The spiritual tablets had been custom-made a long time ago; there were nine in total.


    And now...


    The Scion of Ten Thousand Demons, dressed in tattered clothes and covered with wounds, suddenly cracked a smile, took out a brand-new spiritual tablet from his bosom, and neatly placed it at the far right of the altar, setting up a new incense burner in front of it.


    Having lit three more incense sticks, he bowed respectfully three times towards the ninth spiritual tablet before softly speaking.


    "Brothers."


    "Only one last step remains, and it''s Xiao Jiu''s turn to depart. Before leaving, I really missed you all and wanted to see you one last time."


    "After you left, Xiao Jiu has been very lonely."


    "Xiao Jiu misses you."


    "Fufeng City was successfully chosen as the location for Master''s arrival. It is the weakest area in the entire Da Xia Country, and I have already spread the word in advance. Those with some backing have already fled Fufeng City; now, only a bunch of chickens and dogs remain, hardly worth mentioning."


    "Master will surely succeed."


    "Xiao Jiu... now bids farewell to the brothers."


    "I''m leaving."


    With those words,


    The Scion of Ten Thousand Demons'' hunched back straightened, and his ragged clothes fluttered in the strong wind. He turned and walked out of the cave, standing high in the sky with a ferocious face. With a wave of his sleeve, spiritual energy burst forth, completely destroying the cave.


    This cave was the hiding place that Big Brother found for them after the master had left; for a long time, it had been their home.


    Now, he had personally destroyed it.


    A home without family is not truly a home, and he had no chance to return.


    Over the years, although the brothers had let go of all hatred for the sake of rescuing their master, refusing even in death to reveal who killed them,


    Da Xia was only so large.


    Those who killed the brothers boasted everywhere that they had slain the Scion of Ten Thousand Demons.


    How could he not know?


    Only to make the brothers happy, to ensure their plan succeeded smoothly, he always forced a smile and pretended ignorance, secretly etching those names deep into his heart. Now that the plan had succeeded, the rest was up to the master.


    And what he had to do now...


    Was to make those who killed his brothers feel the pain of losing loved ones!


    In the final step of the plan, he indulged his personal vendetta by leading those Golden Core cultivators who had killed his brothers to a certain place. He couldn''t defeat Golden Cores, but killing some Foundation Establishment juniors was not a problem.


    "Ah!!!!"


    The Scion of Ten Thousand Demons, who thought he had prepared for everything, hovered in the air and gazed toward Fufeng City shrouded in miles of black fog, still unable to suppress a fierce, anguished howl, as twin tears of blood slowly slid down.


    He didn''t understand.


    His brothers had no conflicts with those people; it was just the killing of some mortals. Why did those people want to kill his brothers?


    If anyone should kill them, it should be the powers entwined with those mortals!


    What right do you bystanders have to act as agents of the Heavenly Dao!


    The next second¡ª


    The Scion of Ten Thousand Demons transformed into a red streak of light, shooting towards the horizon at a speed that even surpassed some Golden Core Great Powers, recklessly consuming his lifespan as if it were worth nothing.


    To some, lifespan is a useless thing.


    "Aren''t you all fond of killing the Scion of Ten Thousand Demons to prove your righteous identities?!"


    "This time I''m not running, I''m coming for you!"


    "Come and kill!"


    In almost an instant, the Scion of Ten Thousand Demons arrived above a mediocre mortal city. The one who killed his Fourth Brother was a Golden Core Great Power known as ''the Carefree Daoist,'' originating from this city, and his relatives now were the city''s largest family.


    The strongest in this city was merely at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.


    Wrapped in a surging evil energy, the Scion of Ten Thousand Demons looked down at the terrified mortals in the city below, and a cruel smile crept onto his pained face.


    "Remember this¡ª"


    "The one killing you is named the Scion of Ten Thousand Demons!"


    "Evil Cultivator, the Scion of Ten Thousand Demons!"


    "Today, I will show the world, what it means to be an Evil Cultivator, what it is to be the Scion of Ten Thousand Demons!"


    "Blood Floods a Thousand Miles, for the old man... Open!!"


    This was the Scion of Ten Thousand Demon''s first proactive retaliation in Da Xia Country in years, and also the last.


    Under the premise of being willing to greatly consume his lifespan, the sky was almost dyed half-red with the endlessly surging blood mist, accompanied by the Scion of Ten Thousand Demon''s bellowing roar. Within a hundred miles, tens of thousands of demon beasts'' eyes gradually turned blood-red as they lost their senses and sinisterly gathered in hordes, running wildly toward the city.


    The demon beasts kept within the city also lost their sanity, their eyes turned blood-red as they began to indiscriminately attack anyone their eyes could see.


    Perhaps Master was right.


    The nine of them were indeed individuals with great Qi Fortune, born with a Bloodline Entry, sharing lifespan, cultivation, and Cultivation Method Realm among them.


    If one person cultivated a certain Cultivation Technique to Great Perfection, the other eight would also reach Great Perfection in that Cultivation Method Realm.


    If one person broke through the peak of Foundation Establishment, the others'' cultivation would also break through to the peak of Foundation Establishment.


    If one person died accidentally, the remaining lifespan would be shared equally among the remaining eight.


    Sometimes he also wondered if their Master were not an Evil Cultivator but a righteous Magic Practitioner, whether they could live like everyone else.


    Live a normal person''s life.


    But now...


    He just wanted all those who deserved death to die!


    If the world called him evil, he would show the world what true evil is!


    ...


    Meanwhile¡ª


    At the shattered gates of Fufeng City, the soldiers had lost their formation under the relentless assault of insensibly rampaging demon beasts, and the entire scene had descended into utter chaos. Amidst the black fog, Chen Qiu, wearing a green robe, held a long sword in his hand.


    His robe billowed intensely with the wind, and his footsteps were steady as he moved against the current, through the scrambling crowd towards the city gate.


    Soon.


    Chen Qiu gradually halted his pace. In front of him were countless beasts that had lost their rationality, their eyes wildly red. Behind him were over six thousand equally irrational and ferocious Demon Beast Resentful Spirits.


    It seemed as if the entire scene had suddenly become quiet.


    But soon, those demon beasts roared furiously and charged towards Chen Qiu on a suicidal run!


    "All like to knock."


    "Then I will knock too."


    Chen Qiu''s face showed not a ripple as he slowly raised the long sword in his hand, pointing it at the swarm of demon beasts rushing towards him, and quietly said, "Knock."


    The next moment!


    Hundreds of Thunder Lights suddenly, drawn by the sword, turned into several Thunder Snakes, madly smashing at the demon beasts!


    It was so bright that even the sky lit up for a moment.


    Almost in the blink of an eye, countless demon beasts were struck dead on the spot, and the dead demon beasts turned into ten more, which instantly died once more, turning into ten more Demon Beast Resentful Spirits, joining the battlefield again.


    ...


    "Brother Qiu''s methods are still fierce," said Fat Long, standing behind and looking towards the city gate where hundreds of Thunder Snakes raged, murmuring, "But that Scion of Ten Thousand Demons is also impressive. With just the cultivation at the peak of Foundation Establishment, he''s able to control so many demon beasts."


    "Moreover, according to what you said, that Scion of Ten Thousand Demons has mastered at least three Escape Techniques. To exceed a normal Golden Core in speed, that Escape Technique must be at the Great Perfection Realm. But is it necessary for one person to cultivate three Escape Techniques to Great Perfection Realm? You also said that this Scion of Ten Thousand Demons possesses several bizarre methods. Does he have that talent and time?"


    "Furthermore, you mentioned that his three Escape Techniques rely on consuming lifespan to activate."


    "We''re just at the Foundation Establishment Stage, yet his lifespan feels much more durable than mine."


    "Not clear."


    The scholar, floating cross-legged on the Green Blade Long Sword beneath him, said softly, "I''ve killed him three times, but each time, he always manages to reappear soon after."


    "I only killed something like his external incarnation. This person''s Escape Technique is extremely formidable; several Golden Core Great Powers pursued the Scion of Ten Thousand Demons but only severely injured him without killing him on the spot. Only I have managed to kill the Scion of Ten Thousand Demons on the spot three times."


    "It is precisely those three times that solidified my reputation as Da Xia''s number one Sword Cultivator. But each time, it wasn''t the Scion of Ten Thousand Demon''s true body."


    "I''ve always wanted to kill him completely, to make my name truly famous."


    "But he''s truly difficult to kill."


    "It''s also a regret in my life."


    "Killing three times, you seem very strong in the past, the title of Da Xia''s number one Sword Cultivator sounds quite impressive. Do you have any grudge between you that made you kill him three times?" Fat Long asked, arms folded, somewhat nostalgically, as he looked at the scholar floating cross-legged on the Green Blade, suspended in mid-air.


    "No grudge, no enmity."


    "Without enmity, why kill him three times?"


    "Evil Cultivator, everyone should execute them!"


    "Pretty good."


    Suddenly thinking of something, Fat Long turned his head and looked at the scholar floating in mid-air on the Green Blade, smiling, "We''re all frank people, why not just admit it''s for fame?"


    The scholar remained silent, floating in mid-air without speaking. After a long while, he finally said softly.


    "It seems a bit too utilitarian to say it that way."


    "Makes sense."


    "Besides, someone has to act for the Heavenly Dao."


    "But if the Heavenly Dao doesn''t care, why should you care? Perhaps the Heavenly Dao doesn''t care at all."


    "But this Xiao Yu cares, and that Xiao Yu also cares."


    "Okay, you even know that story."


    "I heard a storyteller recount it when I was in the Capital, I found it interesting, so I remembered it."


    "Alright then, that''s even more reasonable." sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 66

    Fat Long looked at Chen Qiu''s back with a complex expression and did not speak. At the time, when he was captured and taken to Flower Offering Sect on the road, he had desperately hoped for someone like a scholar to descend from the sky and rescue him from the dire situation.But...


    He never came.


    If he hadn''t relied on selling himself to save his life, perhaps he would have been completely drained and turned into a dried corpse, discarded in the back mountains by now.


    The Heavenly Dao might not care, but Xiao Yu did care.


    ...


    At this moment¡ª


    Chen Qiu''s palm continuously flashed with Thunder Light, as he single-handedly blocked the city gate, throwing Hand Palm Thunder without even needing to aim, and still hitting his targets.


    Only after reaching the later stages of Foundation Establishment could one''s Divine Sense be released over a wide area, allowing it to lock onto enemies and ensure that one''s Spells hit with maximum accuracy. Before that, one had to rely on mere eyesight to aim.


    Nevertheless, the number of demon beasts in front of him was so great he could barely count them, naturally eliminating the need for precise aiming.


    Even though nature''s spiritual energy was very rich here, to recover spiritual energy one still needed to sit in meditation and absorb spiritual energy using a mental method. This was where the benefit of the Heavenly Dao Foundation showed itself¡ªChen Qiu didn''t need to circulate mental methods at all, as the Heavenly Dao Foundation would automatically rotate and help him absorb spiritual energy.


    And the number of resentful spirits behind him was also increasing.


    A single dead demon beast could bring him ten resentful spirit demon beasts, mostly in the Qi Refinement Realm.


    But...after all, the demon beasts were still too numerous.


    Chen Qiu''s brow slightly furrowed, ordering all the resentful spirits to charge forward and firmly block the city gate, putting himself in a relatively safe realm. Then, he threw out dozens of Hand Palm Thunder!


    Under the entry "Spiritual Energy Intimidating," the power of his Spell at this moment was far beyond that of Cultivators of the same level, further enhanced by the Great Perfection Realm of this Spell, boosted by the entry "Focused Power."


    The power was staggeringly exaggerated.


    An indiscriminate strike could instantly kill some demon beasts in Qi Refinement and early Foundation Establishment Realm stages, with virtually no resistance.


    Plus, with the extremely abundant spiritual energy available.


    At this time, he seemed to reincarnate as the Duke of Thunder himself. Standing there, countless Thunder Lights smashed into the darkness, the dazzling light making the entire battlefield gleam brightly.


    "One demon beast... Two demon beasts..."


    With every demon beast killed, Chen Qiu silently counted in his heart. For each demon beast slain, his Tao Foundation expanded slightly. It was just regrettable that the three souls and seven spirits from these demon beasts did not count as individual kills.


    A bit of a pity.


    Scion of Ten Thousand Demons...


    He silently remembered this name in his heart, wondering if there might be a chance to capture this person someday. Not to discuss other aspects, but just this mastery over subduing myriad demons was far more effective than his use of "Demon Burning Incense."


    Truly thrilling.


    Chen Qiu took a deep breath, feeling the extremely dense spiritual energy around him. For a moment, he even felt a bit envious of these Heavenly Dao prisoners who lived in such a richly spiritual environment for extended periods.


    ...


    Just like that.


    An hour later, the city gate was covered in a massive number of demon beast corpses, and Chen Qiu finally snapped back from the trance of the melee, his teeth slightly trembling as he scanned the surroundings.


    At this time, his Tao Foundation had expanded to over twenty-one thousand centimeters.


    The demon beasts that had died at his hands numbered over eleven thousand, which also allowed his Tao Foundation to accommodate a double the amount of spiritual energy than before, especially in the surrounding environment where the spiritual energy was extremely rich. He didn''t even need to take Qi Replenishing Pills, as his Tao Foundation was filled to the brim.


    He looked back.


    He found that the city behind him was already filled with countless angry roars and sounds of fighting. The demon beasts were not only blocking this one gate¡ªhe could guard one gate, but couldn''t protect the remaining ones.


    "Where are the scholars?"


    Chen Qiu subconsciously wrapped his robe tighter around himself, his teeth chattering as he looked at Fat Long, who stood at the city gate. At that moment, there were more than eighty thousand resentful spirits surrounding him, the intense chill penetrating to the bone.


    He only felt very cold at the time.


    Cold enough to shiver.


    He had only killed over ten thousand demon beasts. However, each demon beast''s split souls had individually transformed into a resentful spirit demon beast. Excluding those lost in battle, there were still more than eighty thousand resentful spirits quietly standing behind him. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That towering resentful energy almost made ghost cultivators unable to withstand retreating!


    Once, a Taoist in Wentian Market had told him that he was carrying thousands of resentful spirits on his back and needed to resolve them quickly, but now it had already exceeded eighty thousand. The powerful resentful energy had made his body icy cold to the bone.


    This was also why these resentful spirits had already been released and stayed behind him, which was slightly better. If they hadn''t been released and stayed on his back, they probably would have completely crushed him.


    "The scholars went into the city to kill demon beasts," he said.


    "Didn''t the scholar say he was poisoned and couldn''t take action?"


    "He said that on ordinary days, indeed, he couldn''t. A large amount of spiritual energy was needed to suppress the toxins in his body. Although taking the Heavenly Dao Jade had relieved much of it, it only ensured that his cultivation wouldn''t fall further. Normally, he could only use a small amount of spiritual energy to wield his flying sword."


    "But here, where the degree of spiritual energy is extremely dense, there is no need to worry about that. He can use some techniques."


    "Mhmm."


    Chen Qiu''s eyelids drooped as he nodded slightly, the whole person standing in place, using his long sword to support his body to prevent himself from falling. At this moment, he only felt very sleepy, very tired, and very cold.


    It felt as though a thousand catties were pressing on his back, making it hard for him to stand straight.


    The last solution now was to control these demon beasts to move towards the depths of the black mist away from him and then wait for the hour to pass so they naturally dissipate into the ether, but this also eliminated a significant aspect of his combat capability.


    Currently, many demon beasts had already rushed into the city, and he needed to deal with these demon beasts first.


    "Let''s go."


    Chen Qiu had Fat Long come over to help support him. After taking a deep breath and slowly straightening his back, he walked toward the city, and the tens of thousands of resentful spirit demon beasts also closely followed behind him. Although he could control these resentful spirit demon beasts, they couldn''t be too far from him and could only carry out some simple commands.


    Such as attacking, defending, etc.


    He couldn''t make those resentful spirit demon beasts behind him charge into the city and spread out to attack the demon beasts in a detailed operation.


    Looking along the way.


    Fufeng City, which was once quite bustling, was now covered with corpses. The bluestone road was full of overturned baskets of fruits and vendor stalls. The children''s pitiful cries mixed with the demon beasts'' roars echoed throughout the skies of Fufeng City.


    Shrouded in black mist, the visibility in Fufeng City was very low.


    In such an environment, fear surged up, causing one to run around chaotically like a headless fly. From time to time, commands were also issued, but at such a time, who could remain calm? Everyone was fighting for themselves.


    "Roar!"


    Just as a massive bear-like demon beast opened its gaping maw to devour a little girl cowering in a corner crying.


    "Boom!"


    Tens of resentful spirit demon beasts surged out of the black mist and knocked the bear-like demon beast aside.

 Chapter 67

    "..."Chen Qiu glanced at the bear-type demon beast being besieged nearby, then looked toward the little girl still curled up in a corner crying. He walked over, stuffed her into the stove room of a nearby courtyard, and then turned to leave the courtyard, looking at the cobblestone road shrouded in darkness. He murmured,


    "The world shouldn''t be like this."


    He could accept being killed by bandits who blocked his way, or being killed by other cultivators for his treasures, or even being taken by the Flower Offering Sect to be used as a nourishing ingredient.


    Although it was a resentful way to die, there was at least a reason for it.


    But...


    What reason did these people in Fufeng City have to die? Without doing anything wrong, they had to be buried alongside so many others just because of a minor version change in the Heavenly Dao, or because an Evil Cultivator came with an army of ten thousand demon beasts, causing hundreds of thousands to die here.


    If he hadn''t encountered Fat Long and obtained his own chance, perhaps... he would have also died unnoticed in Fufeng City.


    Even if he had known in advance, it was not possible to escape thousands of miles away from Fufeng City within a few hours.


    There weren''t only Fufeng City nearby, but also Ask Heaven market town, and other cities too.


    Fufeng City had him here, so the death toll was somewhat less, but what about the other cities?


    Did the lords of those other cities also run away?


    Probably.


    After all, with the "Demon Clan Invasion" update, the invading Demon Clan cultivators were matched in number and Cultivation with the cultivators within a thousand miles of Fufeng City. If there were Golden Core cultivators in that range, then a Demon Clan Golden Core would also descend.


    Perhaps those Golden Core cultivators also lacked the confidence to kill a Golden Core of the Demon Clan.


    ...


    Thus, with ''Light Wind Talismans'' attached, Chen Qiu and his comrades walked on, and the vast army of resentful spirit demon beasts obediently followed behind, killing any demon beasts that entered the city gates and converting them into resentful spirits of their own kind.


    After who knows how many hours.


    At that time, Chen Qiu, already trembling uncontrollably and curled up from the piercing cold, sat on a stone pillar by the East City gate; behind him stood nearly 150,000 resentful spirit demon beasts.


    At that moment, he even felt hallucinations appearing before his eyes.


    The shrill and piercing cries of ghosts echoed unceasingly around his ears.


    His skin had turned to an extremely exaggerated degree of paleness.


    Fat Long also felt a bit horrified, but nowhere near as extreme as him, since these resentful spirits were all his, with the majority of the backlash affecting him.


    "Brother Qiu,"


    Fat Long, standing by the side, picked up a bloodstained blanket from the ground and wrapped it around Chen Qiu. He couldn''t help but say anxiously, "Don''t wait any longer. At this rate, Brother Qiu, you''ll die before the Demon Clan even arrive!"


    "This resentment from nearly two hundred thousand resentful spirits is enough to completely crush a person!"


    He understood Brother Qiu''s intentions.


    The number and Cultivation of the arriving Demon Clan were matched with the cultivators in the area. As Fufeng City had a million civilians, this also meant that an equal number of Demon Clan would descend within a thousand miles.


    In the imminent great war,


    These hundred and fifty thousand resentful spirits would be the best assistance and the strongest force.


    It''s just... the price of backlash from resentment was indeed a bit heavy.


    "Don''t rush."


    Chen Qiu, sitting on the stone by the city gate, looked at the countless figures in black, slowly walking out from the dark mist with blades in their hands, and gave a faint smile, "Here they come, right?"


    "Really, they took their time. If they''d been any later, all these resentful spirits would have returned to the earth."


    "But it''s still okay."


    "Not too late."


    Foundation Establishment cultivators already found it difficult to increase their Cultivation by killing demon beasts, leaving only those at the Qi Refinement Realm to rapidly improve their Cultivation by slaying demon beasts. Even so, after killing tens of thousands of demon beasts from the early, middle, and even later stages of Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment,


    his Cultivation Progress had already reached nearly ninety-nine percent.


    He was just one step away from breaking through to the second layer of the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    It was as if everything would be fine as long as the quantity was sufficient.


    No sooner had he spoken.


    Than the tens of thousands of resentful spirit demon beasts gathered behind Chen Qiu roared and howled as they rushed towards the countless black-clothed individuals in the black mist. The first batch of resentful spirits had already dispersed into the heavens and earth, and if it weren''t for the restriction of one hour, the number of resentful spirits he could control would be even greater.


    And those of the Demon Clan, for some reason, wore unified black robes, which made them quite easy to identify. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Each of them bore a bloodthirsty, savage, and excited smile on their face.


    They didn''t seem quite sane.


    Looking over, men made up more than ninety percent of them. Being in such a highly confined space for a long period, it''s understandable that their sanity might be affected.


    ...


    After the group of resentful spirit demon beasts had all rushed out behind him, Chen Qiu suddenly felt the chill on his body lessen significantly. Although he had not completely recovered, it was much better than before, at least he didn''t feel like he was carrying a mountain on his back, unable to straighten up.


    But the Demon Cultivators that appeared at the edge of his vision were not as numerous as he expected. Forget a million, even ten thousand seemed far off at a glance.


    It was pitifully few.


    And among those who charged out with the countless resentful spirits and demon beasts were thousands of Foundation Establishment Cultivators from Fufeng City. With roars, these Foundation Establishment Cultivators employed various methods. There were Magic Practitioners throwing lightning, Sword Cultivators manipulating flying swords, and others.


    Fufeng City didn''t originally have so many Sword Cultivators.


    But with the opening of the "Heavenly Dao Secret Realm," Fufeng City had attracted quite a few Foundation Establishment Cultivators. Not every one of them had a Golden Core from their power backing them to leave, which resulted in many disciples from families and sects being forced to stay in Fufeng City.


    Everyone knew this was truly a fight for their lives.


    Only when one side was completely annihilated, would the battle cease.


    In an environment rich with Spiritual Energy, each person used their spells without restraint. Whether they were Sword Cultivators, Alchemy Cultivators, or Artifact Cultivators, it was impossible not to know a single spell. So at this moment, all of them were in the rear, unceasingly casting spells towards those demon beasts entangled by resentful spirits indiscriminately.


    After all, even if they ran out of Spiritual Energy, they could just sit down, cross-legged, circulate their mental method, and their Spiritual Energy would be refilled in no time.


    Everyone was going all out, employing every method at their disposal.


    ...


    "Kill!!!"


    Among the Demon Clan cultivators, one bare-chested man with a ferocious look and a face full of anger raised his long sword, slashing at the resentful spirit demon beasts charging towards him. With each slash, his sword light shot out, and in a flash, dozens of demon beasts lay dead.


    Though the specific Sword Skill was unknown, his every move displayed ease and proficiency.


    And his control over Spiritual Energy was so fine that it didn''t seem at all like that of an average mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    At that moment, he was boiling with rage with nowhere to vent. After so many years of waiting, just when an opportunity emerged to return to Da Xia Country due to changes in the Heavenly Dao version, who would have expected to land in such a godforsaken place!


    A bunch of mortals who hadn''t even reached Foundation Establishment!


    In this group of Heavenly Dao prisoners, the most numerous were those in the Foundation Establishment Stage; there were hardly any in the Qi Refinement Realm. Or to put it another way, what Qi Refinement Realm cultivator would qualify to be a prisoner? Even if you wanted to be captured, you wouldn''t be eligible!


    As a result, when the "Demon Invasion" version started, there were hardly any Qi Refinement Cultivation level cultivators among these Heavenly Dao prisoners to stand up, wasting a large number of slots!


    If it were a major city, rich with resources and surrounded by Major Sects...


    A place where Foundation Establishment was as common as the dirt and with Golden Cores holding sway...


    When tens of thousands of Heavenly Dao prisoners at the Foundation Establishment level and Golden Core Great Powers descended, who could resist?!


    But instead...


    They landed in such a wretched place where they couldn''t unleash their full strength. Nevertheless, although the numbers were imbalanced, in the end, the other side was just more Qi Refinement Realm mortals, which didn''t matter. It was just more effort in the slaughter.


    ... Discover more stories at empire


    "Brother Qiu,"


    Fat Long looked toward the Heavenly Dao prisoners fighting not far away, and suddenly muttered, "I just thought of something. The Wentiang Workshop is also within a thousand miles, and though the workshop owner has run off, do you think the treasures of the many shops in Wentiang Workshop could have escaped?"


    "If we can survive this, do these count as rewards?"

 Chapter 68 Unified reply, not open.

    "Naturally, it counts."Chen Qiu''s expression remained calm as he gazed at the battlefield not far away; those Demon Clan cultivators indeed seemed much stronger than cultivators of the same level, with every Cultivation Technique at the Great Perfection Realm, moving with effortless ease.


    Compared to them, those people were evidently more suited to fighting in this environment.


    They didn''t need to sit cross-legged to maintain their composure, but instead, absorbed Spiritual Energy through their mental methods amid the battle, achieving effects equivalent to his Heavenly Dao Foundation.


    Logically speaking,


    it was absolutely impossible to operate a mental method during battle, considering how hard it is to maintain composure and circulate a mental method amidst combat.


    But obviously...


    These Demon Clan cultivators, having stayed long in this environment, almost everyone was capable of this technique, which was equivalent to everyone possessing the effect of his Heavenly Dao Foundation, albeit with a smaller capacity and slightly more complicated than his.


    During his numerous releases of the Thunder Summoning Technique, Chen Qiu''s control over Spiritual Energy also became increasingly proficient.


    He had originally planned to leave the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm and find a place to cultivate for a while, but now it seemed that battling could significantly enhance his control over Spiritual Energy.


    Just then¡ª


    "Swoosh!!!"


    A powerful golden light burst forth from the crowd and slammed directly towards him; caught off guard, Chen Qiu was sent flying a full several zhang away, crashing heavily onto the ground.


    "Huff..."


    Chen Qiu exhaled a long breath and climbed up from the ground, rubbing his slightly aching chest. His right arm hung limply by his side as dozens of shattered Golden Bell Talisman slowly trickled down from his sleeve onto the ground.


    The "Golden Bell Talisman," a low-grade Defensive talisman of the Foundation Establishment stage, could block a full-strength attack from a first stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    Yet, it was this blast of golden light that had completely ruined his twenty to thirty "Golden Bell Talismans."


    "Not bad."


    He lifted his head to look at a Demon Clan cultivator in the crowd sneering and beckoning him with a crooked finger and then turned his head to look at a golden arrow lying on the ground beside him, murmuring, "I need to find some way to get something to protect myself."


    That bow and arrow must be at least a high-grade Spiritual Treasure of the Foundation Establishment.


    Enjoy exclusive adventures from empire


    Hitting the body, it hurts a bit.


    However...


    Chen Qiu looked at the mocking Demon Clan cultivator and suddenly started laughing, a spell clash, right?


    He saw his fingertips tremble slightly.


    The next moment¡ª


    Hundreds of Thunder Lights suddenly appeared out of nowhere beside him. The blinding light instantly illuminated the entire battlefield, and in the blink of an eye, all the Thunder Lights, carrying a terrifying deterrent, smashed toward the hidden Arrow Cultivator from the Demon Clan in the crowd!


    "Boom...!"


    Several explosions erupted loudly within the black mist.


    Various colors of light burst forth from many Demon Clan cultivators; all sorts of Protective Body Techniques, talismans, and other methods were automatically triggered. The already chaotic battlefield instantly became even more chaotic. Some keen-eyed cultivators, their faces contorted, charged toward Chen Qiu all at once!


    In the chaos of battle, prioritize killing the Magic Practitioners!


    Moreover, the environment here was extremely suitable for Magic Practitioners to fight in. Although most cultivators knew spells, the power was definitely not as great as those who specialized in spells. Hundreds of Demon Clan cultivators quickly abandoned their current adversaries and, after slaying all the resentful spirit demon beasts along the way, they rushed straight at Chen Qiu!


    A distance of hundreds of zhang.


    For these Demon Clan cultivators with fully engaged movement techniques, it wasn''t too far.


    Especially since not everyone was capable of their technique of fighting while circulating a mental method; even if the region''s Spiritual Energy was rich, once the Spiritual Energy in the Tao Foundation was depleted, one would still need to sit cross-legged and calm down to circulate the mental method to recover Spiritual Energy, and in this gap, that was when Magic Practitioners were most vulnerable!


    This Magic Practitioner seemed to only be at the first level of Foundation Establishment by feeling, but for some reason, the intensity of the spells he deployed was already on par with the late stage of Foundation Establishment. Moreover, typically, for Cultivation at the first level of Foundation Establishment, the Thunder Summoning Technique, a common spell, would be exhausted after just four or five uses of Spiritual Energy.


    Why was this person able to cast spells hundreds of times in one go?


    Could the Tao Foundation within his body truly accommodate so much Spiritual Energy?


    It didn''t seem like a talisman either?


    Although there were hundreds of questions in his mind, the years of combat experience in the Heavenly Dao Prison had caused hundreds of Demon Clan cultivators to still rush out of the encirclement aggressively, charging straight towards Chen Qiu!


    In the Heavenly Dao Prison, one would never die no matter what.


    The combat experience that could only be acquired at the brink of life and death, they had experienced countless times.


    To kill a Magic Practitioner who was at a moment when he was out of Spiritual Energy was not much harder than killing a chicken!


    "Protect this fellow Daoist!!!"


    "Quick, quick, quick!!"


    At the same time¡ª


    Loud shouts also continually arose in the middle of the battlefield, and at this moment, the black fog on the plains outside the city gate had thinned out a lot, significantly increasing visibility.


    The black fog was composed of dense Spiritual Energy; now that so many people were absorbing Spiritual Energy uncontrollably, it naturally thinned out a great deal, and the Spiritual Energy from all directions was continuously flowing to this place.


    Many Foundation Establishment Cultivators from Fufeng City also realized something at this time, that this unknown Magic Practitioner was obviously not an ordinary one, and his capabilities certainly stemmed from a major family or Major Sect, definitely possessing Spiritual Treasures above top-tier Foundation Establishment.


    In such an environment where the Spiritual Energy was so dense it nearly condensed into a solid form, the role of a top Magic Practitioner was tremendously significant.


    The Demon Clan cultivators were able to realize this issue.


    Others naturally could too.


    They must protect this Magic Practitioner, to prevent him from dying at the hands of the Demon Clan cultivators, as this would increase their chances of victory a bit after a brief exchange; they realized that these Demon Clan cultivators, whether in terms of combat experience or Cultivation Method Realm, were far superior to them! S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If there were no unforeseen changes, they were almost destined to die here as expendables.


    Therefore, the originally chaotic battlefield instantly gained some order, many Demon Clan cultivators charged directly at Chen Qiu, while other Foundation Establishment Cultivators who remained in Fufeng City also hurriedly rushed toward Chen Qiu with anxious expressions, ready to protect Chen Qiu behind them so he could have a chance to recover his Spiritual Energy.


    ...


    "Run?"


    The scholar, who had at some point situated himself cross-legged on his longsword, appeared beside Chen Qiu, floating in mid-air and frowning, "Shall we move away from here first and then come back after recovering Spiritual Energy?"


    He actually quite liked this environment.


    Here, he could sit cross-legged on his longsword and move around, which gave him a sense of not being useless. The density of Spiritual Energy here even allowed him to retrieve the grandeur of the top Sword Cultivator from the old days of Da Xia.


    "No issue."


    Chen Qiu stood in place, letting his green robe flutter with the wind, calmly looking at the hundreds of Demon Clan cultivators charging directly towards him. He slowly raised his right arm and spread his fingers, the palm aimed at the hundreds of cultivators.


    After a pause, he softly spoke.


    "Unified reply, not activated."


    The next instant¡ª


    The Tao Foundation, which had already recovered all Spiritual Energy, began to spin wildly again, and hundreds of Thunder Lights instantly emerged from his body, suspending in mid-air. They didn''t strike out but instead spun wildly along with the Heavenly Dao Foundation.


    The Thunder Lights gathering around him grew more and more.


    One hundred, one thousand, ten thousand!

 Chapter 69

    In just less than ten breaths of time, thousands of Thunder Lights gathered behind him, and their number continued to increase.At this moment, Chen Qiu looked as if he had emerged from the Heavenly Thunder, with countless blue Thunder Snakes flashing with Thunder Light constantly entwining behind him. The quantity of Thunder Snakes was so enormous that they even piled up to form a wall of thunder dozens of feet high behind him!


    Even amid the black fog,


    this scene was exceedingly conspicuous.


    It was hard to ignore.


    The deep blue Thunder Snakes, mixed with purple and even a tinge of pale white, irresistibly drew the eye. Their utmost charm carried an undercurrent of debilitating fear from deep within.


    And at that moment¡ª


    The fastest Demon Clan cultivator was now less than thirty feet away from Chen Qiu. For some reason, his pace had slowed, and with a shocked and disbelieving expression, he stood his ground, holding his butcher''s knife somewhat aimlessly and fearfully, staring at the wall of thunder formed by tens of thousands of Thunder Snakes behind Chen Qiu!


    Even with the combat experience he honed in the Prison, he was at a loss, standing in place with uncontrollable trembling in his legs.


    Even the Demon Clan cultivators who were closely following him in the kill had also begun to slow down their pace.


    Then, almost without any hesitation,


    the leading Demon Clan cultivator turned and ran in the opposite direction without a word, his speed even faster than when he arrived. The other Demon Clan cultivators, filled with intense fear, also made an about-face and fled in all directions.


    How the hell do you fight this?


    This is a Magic Practitioner!


    Are you the favored son of the Heavenly Dao, controlling the Heavenly Tribulation?


    If someone had told him before that a Foundation Establishment level one cultivator could unleash tens of thousands of Thunder Summoning Techniques at once, and each one was far more powerful than those of his peers, he would have thought it was nonsense.


    But having seen it today, he had no choice but to believe.


    Even the Foundation Establishment Cultivators from Fufeng City who had come to reinforce were momentarily stunned by this spectacle, and without any hesitation, they also fled rapidly in the opposite direction¡ªonly they fled behind Chen Qiu. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Spells don''t differentiate between friend and foe.


    If one were enveloped by it at this time, then death was certain.


    After all, they did not believe their life-saving measures could withstand tens of thousands of Thunder Summoning Techniques. Could this still be called a Thunder Summoning Technique?


    ...


    "Running away?"


    As the Thunder Snakes continued to multiply behind Chen Qiu, the dazzling bright light even pierced through the black fog, illuminating the entire battlefield. Seeing the Demon Clan cultivators starting to flee, Chen Qiu couldn''t help but let out a chuckle.


    The Thunder Summoning Technique, a spell of Foundation Establishment, had an attack range of a full hundred feet when cultivated to the Great Perfection Realm.


    Which by all accounts wasn''t short. The peak that pierced the clouds over the marketplace at Wentiang Fang was only a few thousand feet tall. But this didn''t account for the incredible speed of the Demon Clan cultivators, especially as they scattered in all directions. In less than ten breaths of time, a large number of Demon Clan cultivators had already escaped beyond a distance of one hundred feet.


    Even many of the Demon Clan cultivators had stopped running three to four hundred feet away, turning back to look at him, clearly understanding that the spells of a Foundation Establishment early-stage Magic Practitioner couldn''t reach such distances.


    But... when it came to speed,


    Chen Qiu had something even faster on his side.


    ...


    "Can you do it?"


    Chen Qiu turned his head to look at the scholar beside him and softly asked, while the number of Thunder Snakes behind him continued to grow.


    "Yes,"


    the scholar replied with a complex expression, "This place''s Spiritual Energy is rich enough. The thing you mentioned can indeed be achieved, it''s just that it feels a bit... unbecoming of a Sword Cultivator, it''s somewhat beneath the dignity of swordsmanship."


    Nevertheless, the scholar sat back down cross-legged on the ground, enlarging the Green Blade Long Sword by a few inches, presenting it in front of Chen Qiu.


    "This is called cooperative combat between sword and magic practitioners,"


    Discover exclusive tales on empire


    Chen Qiu said with a smile, stepping onto the long sword, surrounded by tens of thousands of Thunder Snakes. The Spiritual Energy erupted from the soles of his feet, transforming into strands of Spirit Lines that firmly fixed him atop the Flying Sword. He couldn''t manipulate Spiritual Energy with such precision in the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm.


    But...


    As they say, combat is the best form of cultivation.


    The next second¡ª


    The long sword suddenly transformed into a streak of light and shot toward the distance. In the blink of an eye, it vanished tens of miles away. The scenery around Chen Qiu instantly blurred, as if time itself was rewinding, rendering the surrounding landscape indecipherable.


    And the tens of thousands of Thunder Snakes were closely following behind Chen Qiu.


    At a glance,


    It appeared like a gigantic Light Ball emitting intense radiance, shooting towards the distance.


    "Hey!"


    Chen Qiu activated several "Golden Bell Talismans" to fend off the strong winds, his Spiritual Energy continuously surged into the meridians throughout his body to resist the discomfort from such acceleration, he couldn''t help but retch as he shouted into the Sound Transmission Ring on his finger.


    "You''re flying too damn fast, you overshot it, come back a bit!"


    And soon, an anxious voice came through the Sound Transmission Ring.


    "Right away, right away, I got quite a lot on my hands, it''s a bit unaccustomed to slow down, but it''ll be alright soon!"


    ...


    One must say.


    The scholar''s sword was really fast, far surpassing that of an ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator. Chen Qiu had once asked the scholar why he claimed he had no combat ability. With such speed, even just on velocity alone, one could pierce through many Foundation Establishment Cultivators'' Protective Spirit Qi.


    The scholar didn''t give him a specific answer at the time, only shook his head with a helpless wry smile.


    Perhaps there were some unspeakable difficulties.


    He didn''t press the issue further.


    And the long sword beneath his feet slowed considerably, returning to the battlefield above, the speed now slow enough for him to clearly catch sight of the Demon Clan cultivators below, stunned and immobile in disbelief.


    But even so,


    The gusts of wind by his side still made his blue robe flutter and whip about.


    "Magic Practitioners should play like this."


    "Being a stationary turret is not being a Magic Practitioner, that''s being a live target."


    Chen Qiu looked down at the Demon Clan cultivators, smirked, and then with a slight tremor of his fingers, tens of thousands of Thunder Snakes descended like Heavenly Thunder from the sky, raining down a sweeping bombardment on the Demon Clan cultivators below!


    "Boom! Boom! Boom!!!"


    The tens of thousands of Thunder Lights, incredibly dense and nearly merging into a waterfall-like cascade, fell in batches from the sky, heavily crashing onto the ground.


    The sounds of countless explosions arose one after the other.


    The ground almost instantly turned charred black.


    In the blink of an eye,


    Nearly a thousand Demon Clan Foundation Establishment Cultivators had their Protective Spirit Qi shattered and, amidst the screams, turned to ash.


    "Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!"


    Realizing the grim situation,


    Some Demon Clan cultivators didn''t say a word and flew away with Sword Flight, trying to temporarily escape from there, but when it came to the speed of flying swords, who could compare to the scholar.


    ...


    "Where are you running to?"


    Chen Qiu, standing on his Green Blade Long Sword, caught up in the blink of an eye to a Demon Clan cultivator fleeing on their sword, fiddling with several Hand Palm Thunders in his hand, looking towards this person''s fear-filled eyes with a light chuckle.


    "Not long ago, someone told me that among all, Sword Cultivators are the strongest."


    "I think he made a lot of sense."


    "Sword Cultivators are indeed strong."


    In the midst of laughter,


    Tens of shimmering Thunder Snakes had already enveloped the fleeing Demon Clan cultivator on their sword, the frail Protective Spirit Qi almost instantly shattered, and the charred long sword and corpse fell from mid-air in a parabola to the ground.


    Chen Qiu stood aloft on the Green Blade, his hand nonchalantly behind his back, toying with several Hand Palm Thunders in the other hand with a smile, looking down at the fleeing Demon Clan cultivators below, with tens of thousands of Thunder Snakes, emitting endless Thunder Light, intertwining behind him.


    And his voice, augmented by Spiritual Energy, was like a devil''s whisper, tapping on the heart of every fleeing Demon Clan cultivator.


    "But Magic Practitioners aren''t weak either, huh?"


    "What do you think?"

 Chapter 70

    This was his first collaboration with the scholar.The synergy between Sword Cultivator and Magic Practitioner turned out to be much better than he had imagined.


    The speed of the scholar''s Flying Sword, far surpassing that of ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivators, coupled with his own attack methods that far exceeded those of a normal Foundation Establishment Cultivator in this environment rich in Spiritual Energy, was almost like a fish taking to water.


    These people naturally didn''t want to just passively take hits, but how to counterattack?


    They were simply unable to catch the green light that constantly shuttled through the high sky; by the time you could catch the green light, you would see a young man in a green robe, smiling, appearing before you with several Hand Palm Thunders playfully in his hands.


    Coverage bombardment.


    Precise targeting.


    There wasn''t even a need for a third axe; these two axes alone dealt a devastating blow to nearly ten thousand Demon Clan cultivators at the scene.


    ...


    In less than half an hour.


    The plain outside Fufeng City gradually quieted down, a large amount of dark mist surged over again, making the plain that had already become much clearer once again as limited in visibility as before.


    "Hu..."


    Chen Qiu exhaled lightly, stepped down from the Flying Sword, and through the black mist faintly saw the charred land not far away and those bodies, a slight smile appearing on his face as he said softly.


    "We coordinated pretty well."


    "Hmm."


    The scholar nodded with a somewhat unhappy expression, admitting that the effect was indeed very good, but it somewhat differed from his idea of Sword Cultivators, feeling that it was somewhat unbefitting of the scholarliness of Sword Cultivators.


    "Can your Cultivation still be recovered?"


    Chen Qiu turned his head to look at the scholar and asked softly.


    "It''s very difficult."


    The scholar shook his head: "Thanks to Brother Qiu for the Heavenly Dao Jade you bestowed last time, it has greatly suppressed the toxins in my body. However, it''s very difficult to completely remove the toxins, at least I currently don''t know of any pill that can thoroughly eliminate this type of toxin."


    "Hmm."


    Chen Qiu nodded, without saying much more, but he already had a rough idea in mind.


    He obtained quite a few treasures suitable for Sword Cultivators at Chao Tian Sect, such as that statue that would increase one''s understanding of the learned Swordsmanship upon touching the ''Sword Bone.'' He planned to thoroughly study Chao Tian Sect once things here settled down.


    As well as what exactly the Heavenly Dao Blessing was after the sect was ranked.


    After that, he could consider taking the scholar into Chao Tian Sect.


    For now, the combination of Magic Practitioner and Sword Cultivator was a very good pairing, especially a Sword Cultivator who specialized in the speed of the Flying Sword, but this model could only be realized in an environment of rich Spiritual Energy. Once they left this environment, the scholar wouldn''t be able to use the Spiritual Energy as recklessly as now.


    When he had an opportunity, he would see if he could help the scholar recover some Cultivation. Even if it was very difficult to completely restore the Cultivation, he could at least intend to rise it to the mid Foundation Establishment stage. That way, even outside, he would be able to use more Spiritual Energy and control the Flying Sword for longer durations.


    He didn''t continue talking.


    Instead, he glanced at the Fufeng City Cultivators who were stunned and standing nearby, then looked towards the Demon Cultivation bodies in the depths of the black mist and said with a light laugh, "I''ll stand guard here, you guys go search the bodies."


    "Collect the spoils of war."


    ... S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Within a thousand miles, enveloped by the dark mist.


    The major update ''World Conflict'' of Heavenly Dao was preceded by the minor update ''Demon Race Invasion,'' and this piece of news had fully spread following the fall of Fufeng City. It wasn''t to say that everyone in the country knew about it, but at least those with some power were basically aware of this event.


    At this moment, many powers had already dispatched people to stand guard at the edge of the dark mist.


    Patiently waiting for the dark mist to dissipate.


    "Don''t be sad anymore,"


    the Sect Master of Caotian Sect said with some helplessness as he sat on Zhao Yishi''s shoulder. Glancing at Zhao Yishi''s huge, vacant pupils, he sighed with a hint of guilt, "You should have told me earlier about the new friend you made in Fufeng City. You mentioned it too late."


    "By the time you brought it up, it was already too late to go back."


    "I could only save you and the other disciples from our Caotian Sect."


    "Of course, don''t be too sad. Perhaps they were lucky enough to make it out alive."


    Indeed, he knew that what he was saying was against his conscience, but he had no other choice but to say that. He couldn''t just tell him to give up hope and assume that all his riff-raff friends were as good as dead.


    If he caused the only hope of their sect to fall into depression, that would be utter nonsense.


    After all, an equal number of Demon Clan cultivators with identical Cultivation had descended upon them. If he had been even slightly slower, there would be another Demon Clan cultivator inside with the same Cultivation as him.


    To put it bluntly, being tormented by a Demon Clan cultivator of the same level was like bullying a chick for him.


    What a joke, within the Heavenly Dao Prison, the Cultivation of human cultivators was completely fixed. They spent hundreds of years doing nothing but rigorously practicing various spells, and even the most basic Earth Tunneling Technique had probably reached the Great Perfection Realm.


    They completely outclassed him in every way, so if he could beat them, that would be a miracle.


    The only advantage he might have was that the people from the Heavenly Dao Prison probably didn''t have many talismans or pills, those external means of battle. The Heavenly Dao Prison wasn''t a new phenomenon, and historically, those who emerged from it always lacked these resources.


    Over those hundred years, such external items would have been nearly depleted.


    Only Spiritual Treasures, if used sparingly, wouldn''t necessarily shatter.


    "Oh,"


    like a towering mountain, Zhao Yishi stood in place, overlooking the young man and woman whispering to each other on the ground and murmured, "I''m not worried about them, Sect Master. I was just wondering if I could ever find my own Taoist couple in this lifetime."


    "Uh..."


    The Sect Master of Caotian Sect instinctively looked down between Zhao Yishi''s legs, his mouth twitching slightly before he gently patted the solid shoulder next to him, comforting, "Those who cultivate the great path must not be swayed by lust for women."


    "But I desire intimacy."


    "How vulgar, don''t forget the principles of Caotian Sect. Stay away from temptation and maintain purity in body and mind."


    "I still desire it."


    "Just try not to think about it for now. Once you become a Golden Core cultivator, won''t you be able to choose any beauty in this world?"


    "You said the same thing when I was at the Qi Refinement Realm; that once I break through to Foundation Establishment, I would have everything I wanted."


    "Foundation Establishment is just a minor threshold. Believe me, once you become a Golden Core cultivator, you will definitely be able to pick any beauty in this world!"


    "Oh, Sect Master, have you achieved Golden Core?"


    "Yes, I have,"


    "So have you been able to pick any beauty in this world?"


    "I''m not interested."


    "Is it because you''re unable to?"


    "..."


    The Sect Master of Caotian Sect remained silent for a long time, not saying a word. Who was it that originally proposed putting the entire effort of the sect into desperately raising Zhao Yishi?


    He now found himself in a dilemma.


    Even a fool knew that as long as Zhao Yishi was properly cultivated, and they eventually found a Cultivation Technique or an entry that suited his physique, just as soon as he reached Golden Core, he would definitely become one of the most formidable Golden Core cultivators out there!


    But the current issue was...


    Find adventures on empire


    If they continued to nurture him like this, the present Zhao Yishi could easily drag down the sect.

 Chapter 71 Added

    In the Capital, there''s been a popular term lately. Experience new stories on empireIt''s called the sunk cost fallacy.


    He felt these words made a lot of sense, thinking back on how he ended up on this irreversible path.


    The Sect Master of the Caotian Sect heaved a long sigh, his gaze becoming distant as his thoughts drifted toward the horizon.


    Being a Sect Master was too exhausting; he somewhat missed the joyous times when he had just joined the sect as an outer disciple.


    ...


    Meanwhile, not far from Fufeng City in the Wen Tian Fang Market.


    Under a dead tree by the side of a cliff thousands of feet high.


    An old man with white hair was casually picking up a white piece and placing it on the chessboard as he chuckled, "The ''strife under heaven'' is about to arrive, His Majesty seems rather anxious, as if a mere invasion by the Demon Race is enough for him to dispatch both of us at once."


    "It''s apparent that His Majesty is indeed in a hurry, almost as if he''s afraid something will go awry."


    "Enough,"


    the sharp-featured middle-aged man on the other side of the chessboard shook his head, carefully placing a black piece before he said helplessly, "I say, Elder Qiu, we should refrain from discussing His Majesty behind his back. He must have his own considerations."


    "What considerations?"


    The white-haired old man cast a casual glance in the direction of Fufeng City, his gaze penetrating the black mist as if seeing everything happening there, and a hint of disdain flickered in his eyes, "Doesn''t everyone know, or are you still unclear?"


    "Wasn''t Da Xia Country''s predecessor the prisoner who survived the last sweep of the Heavenly Dao Prison?"


    "His Majesty is well aware of the consequences if all the prisoners of Heavenly Dao were released. That''s why he dispatched the two strongest peak Golden Core experts from Da Xia to quell this disaster."


    "Clearly, His Majesty... is afraid."


    "What do you think?"


    he asked, still smiling, looking toward the two hideously faced Golden Core Demon Clan cultivators on the ground nearby who were completely immobilized by the overwhelming Spiritual Energy, and chuckled.


    "I must admit, this environment is quite comfortable."


    "It''s a pity that the peak of Cultivation here is just Golden Core Peak; even with the rich Spiritual Energy here, it''s impossible to advance further. Otherwise, maybe it would be possible to attain the Nascent Soul here."


    "But now, it seems that even if His Majesty hadn''t dispatched us, these prisoners of Heavenly Dao couldn''t make it out alive."


    "That youngster down there definitely has at least one Pink Entry suitable for a Magic Practitioner in his Tao Foundation, and is merely at the first layer of Foundation Establishment. I wonder if he acquired it when he first started Qi Refinement or when he first entered Foundation Establishment. That''s some good fortune."


    "..."


    The middle-aged man with a square face was silent for a moment, losing interest in the game, and looked up at the white-haired old man, speaking softly, "We both serve His Majesty, must we discuss him in such terms behind his back?"


    "And what difference does it make if we discuss him?"


    The white-haired old man said contemptuously, "If he hadn''t promised to help me achieve a breakthrough to the Nascent Soul, would I even work for him? But so many years have passed; has His Majesty fulfilled this promise?"


    "The fact that I even refer to him as ''His Majesty'' is already giving him face."


    "To speak an unforgivable truth, I don''t have many years left to live. If His promise remains unfulfilled before my life runs out, I wouldn''t mind taking a trip to the Yellow Springs with His Majesty."


    "What about you? Since when have you been so loyally devoted to His Majesty?"


    "Don''t forget who we are. We''re just revered experts of Da Xia, not some Da Xia house slaves."


    Then the white-haired old man scoffed, no longer amused. His sleeve swept a mighty wave of powerful Spiritual Energy, instantly causing the two struggling Demon Clan cultivators to bleed from all orifices. Even their Golden Cores, attempting to break free and escape, were crushed by a huge hand formed from Spiritual Energy.


    With another sweep of his sleeve,


    all the treasures within the Wen Tian Fang Market had been collected into his possession.


    He slowly stood up and, taking one step forward, disappeared at the edge of the cliff.


    Leaving only an ethereal voice behind.


    "Upon returning, just say that the Fang Market was breached by Golden Core Demon cultivators, and all the Spiritual Treasures have vanished into thin air."


    "We''ll split everything evenly between us."


    "Even if we can''t achieve Nascent Soul, we still need to leave something for the next generation."


    ...


    The two Golden Core Demon Clan cultivators, both at the third layer of the Golden Core realm, had no chance of fighting back against the peak Golden Core old demon.


    "As a prisoner of the Heavenly Dao, your Cultivation cannot break through, and you can only devote yourself to studying spells?"


    It so happened that these peak Golden Core old demons were in the same situation, and their Cultivation completely crushed yours, how could you possibly defeat them?


    Even the highest Cultivation among these Heavenly Dao prisoners was merely the third layer of Golden Core, and now that these peak Golden Core old demons had appeared in Fufeng City, the Demon Race''s Golden Core cultivators might as well descend two at a time in Fufeng City, but what of it?


    After this white-haired elder appeared.


    Nearly all the Demon Cultivation within the two nearby cities perished on the spot as the white-haired elder passed by, such was the overwhelming power. A peak Golden Core old demon dealing with these Foundation Establishment Demon Clan cultivators, even if you spent thousands of years in the Heavenly Dao Prison and brought thousands of spells to the Great Perfection Realm, it would be useless.


    The crushing nature of quality cannot be changed by quantity.


    In an instant¡ª


    The unrestrained might of the peak Golden Core realm blanketed the land within a thousand miles, the formidable Divine Sense instantly released and swiftly swept across the thousand miles, the terrifying Cultivation causing all cultivators to instantly feel as if they were crushed by a mountain, their bodies flattened against the ground, unable to move an inch!


    Those who were weaker in Cultivation, not even at the Foundation Establishment Stage, had already started bleeding from all five orifices.


    Though not fatal, their internal organs were definitely injured.


    ...


    Even Chen Qiu of Fufeng City found himself involuntarily pinned to the ground by this powerful force, as if the sky had collapsed onto him, and he tried to stand up.


    Only to find that he had almost lost control over his body.


    Even when he clenched his teeth and exerted all his strength, he could not lift his body by even a fraction.


    After a few moments,


    this extremely terrifying Golden Core presence gradually dissipated, and Chen Qiu gasped for air as he climbed up from the ground, turned his head to look at the Foundation Establishment Cultivator beside him in Fufeng City, who was in even greater disarray and terror, flattened on the ground.


    Is this what it means to be a Golden Core cultivator?


    There was a time when he thought that as long as he killed enough demon beasts during the Foundation Establishment Stage, as long as the Spiritual Energy his Tao Foundation could contain was plentiful, and under the "Spiritual Energy Intimidating" entry effect, ensuring the power of his spells was strong enough, he might be able to oppose a Golden Core.


    Now it seems that was nothing but a delusion, considering he had never encountered a Golden Core cultivator.


    The vast and terrifying Spiritual Energy was not a matter of quantity, but a matter of quality!


    With Spiritual Energy of this caliber, unless his own energy could accumulate in such a great quantity, an exaggerated extent, there was no way to compete with this kind of qualitative crush.


    If...


    If such a being wanted to kill him, he would have nearly no means to survive.


    Just then¡ª


    A deep and ethereal voice rang in his ear.


    -


    "Heavenly Dao Decree": The Demon Race has been defeated, and the surviving Demons in the prison are deemed to have perished as well.


    Furthermore, with the major version change to ''Conflict Under Heaven'', a new Heavenly Dao Fame Ranking has been added.


    This ranking will be based on how many people are aware of the listed cultivators.


    This ranking is updated in real-time, and every day according to the individual''s ranking, a Heavenly Dao Blessing can be received.


    -


    As this voice emerged, the thick black mist that enveloped the surroundings started to slowly dissipate, signaling the end of this ''Demon Invasion''.


    Chen Qiu''s expression subtly changed as he immediately sat cross-legged and began circulating his mental method, his Heavenly Dao Foundation rotating swiftly, absorbing the nature''s spiritual energy around him.


    During the battle just now, he had already broken through to the second level of the Foundation Establishment Stage; after all, his Cultivation Progress had reached ninety-nine percent before leaving the city gates, only a step away from the second level. Furthermore, his Heavenly Dao Foundation constantly rotated automatically, helping to advance his Cultivation, so breaking through to the second level of Foundation Establishment was hardly surprising.


    However, he deliberately refrained from introspecting his body''s post-breakthrough Cultivation entries, allowing himself to choose later beyond the ten-breath limit.


    It''s not easy to find an environment where the Spiritual Energy is so rich.


    While the black mist hasn''t fully cleared, he took the opportunity to circulate his mental method, advancing his Cultivation Progress, meanwhile filling his Tao Foundation¡ªall of which would usually require wasting a good number of Spirit Stones. This opportunity for a free boost was not to be missed. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 72 Listing Remarks

    Sigh...After a month, my book "Cultivating Immortality in Chaotic Times" is finally going on the shelves, long story short. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Tonight at midnight, it will be officially released, updating with ten chapters.


    At 23:59, there will be two more free chapters, which is the regular update for today. After midnight, it will be officially launched, and at 00:05, ten paid chapters will be uploaded, which constitutes the post-launch update.


    After the launch, there will be a guaranteed daily update of at least five chapters, that is, 10,000 words.


    The update time is set at 23:59 every evening.


    Starting from zero "monthly tickets" each month, for every additional 100 monthly tickets, an extra update will be added, tallied at the end of the month.


    For each alliance leader, one extra update will be added, for silver, ten extra updates.


    I hope everyone will come to the Qidian reading platform to support the legitimate subscription.


    Thank you.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    Now that the formalities are out of the way, I''d like to thank four big shots who recommended my book during its new book promotion.


    -


    "Misbehaving in a Stopped World"


    Pudding''s book is super cute and very interesting, and the author updates frequently.


    -


    "Then Let Them Offer Loyalty!"


    An established master in the light novel area, Changshi''s work is also very good, with frequent updates. He''s a genuine senior of mine, having been in the industry many years longer than I have.


    -


    "High Martial Era"


    A book by the future platinum-level author Faker Immortal, it''s a great urban martial arts novel with outstanding performance, and truly frequent updates that have put a lot of pressure on me.


    -


    "My Son Yang Jian Has the Qualities of a Great Emperor"


    A fascinating book from Liu Lian''s old homestead, it''s also a headliner in this genre, worth checking out if you''re interested.


    -


    Initially, I didn''t expect this book to perform so well during its new book promotion, so I didn''t seek out any entry recommendations. It was only during the third round of recommendations that I belatedly sought support from a few big shots.


    If I''d known, I would''ve thickened my skin and asked for more entry recommendations. Who knows, the results might have been even better.


    It''s just that I''d already done it once with my last book, and I felt somewhat embarrassed to ask again for this one.


    Smile.


    I suddenly feel like I''ve changed a lot. When I wrote my first book for Qidian, the operations officer said he got me an entry recommendation from the famous author Yuan Tong. I freaked out and insisted the operations officer cancel the recommendation.


    And now, I''ve started to thickly apply some face in asking for entry recommendations myself.


    Enjoy exclusive adventures from empire


    After writing for several years, my skin has indeed gotten much thicker.


    ...


    In conclusion.


    Thanks to all the readers for your support, allowing me to complete nearly all the promotions for the new book period. The book even reached as high as third on the new book list, just behind "The Talking Elbow" and "Offering Flowers in Front of Buddha", and a week before that were Gu Zhenren and I Eat Tomatoes...


    This new book list was indeed very competitive, with three platinum authors and six great ones in the top dozen or so. Reaching the third place was very satisfying to me, and I thank all the reader lords.


    The upcoming plot will be very exciting, and I hope you will like it.


    See you tonight.

 Chapter 73

    Moreover, this long sword Spiritual Treasure doesn''t offer any enhancements to Magic Practitioners.Spiritual Treasures suitable for Magic Practitioners are those that can provide them with enhancements.


    For instance, increasing Spell power, reducing the consumption of Spiritual Energy during Spellcasting, extending the range of Spells, or even... ignoring the silent incantation of Spell hearts.


    For a relatively basic Foundation Establishment Spell like the "Thunder Summoning Technique," there''s no need for silent incantation; it''s an instant cast, but some more complex Spells with greater power do require silent incantation of the Spell''s heart.


    Some even more powerful Spells need the caster to form hand seals to cast them.


    In such complicated situations, having a Spiritual Treasure that can ignore silent incantations is naturally a significant enhancement for Magic Practitioners.


    However...


    He still felt that in most cases, the "Thunder Summoning Technique" was more useful. Although it was just a Mid-grade Foundation Establishment Spell, the instantaneous nature of the Spell allowed him to unleash it repeatedly with a power that was not weaker than high-level Spells.


    Of course, it''s still necessary to find some high-level Spells.


    Discover stories at empire


    Currently, his attack methods were a bit too one-dimensional. Leave alone anything else, if he were to meet an idiot with an entry immune to all Thunder Spells, he would be left staring blankly.


    ...


    "I need to find more attack methods."


    "And some life-saving methods."


    "That Scion of Ten Thousand Demons'' escape technique was incredibly powerful; I''ve got to pick up one of those."


    "And some more Spiritual Treasures suitable for Magic Practitioners." S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Also need to..."


    Standing still, Chen Qiu was playing with his index finger, feeling somewhat overwhelmed by the thought of how busy he was about to be, when Fat Long and the others came running back with a large pile of Storage Bags and Storage Rings.


    "Brother Qiu, all the spoils of war are here."


    "But Brother Qiu, you were a bit heavy-handed; many of the Storage Bags and Storage Rings were smashed, only these Storage Bags that the Demon Clan cultivators subconsciously pressed under themselves before dying were preserved."


    "I must say, they were quite nice people."


    "Not too many intact Spiritual Treasures; there are some that haven''t been severely damaged and the scholar said we could sell these for some Spirit Stones."


    "Hmm."


    Chen Qiu looked at Fat Long''s smiling face with a complex expression. Ever since he encountered the "Reversing Yin and Yang" entry, he had been unable to look at Fat Long the same way.


    Who would join the Flower Offering Sect?


    It was a Dual Cultivation sect; if one willingly joined this sect, then surely they had a suitable entry for this cultivation style, right?


    And among them, who''s to say there weren''t any with the "Reversing Yin and Yang" entry?


    After all, it was just a green entry, not too rare.


    ...


    "Brother Qiu, what''s wrong with you?"


    "Why do your eyes look so strange?"


    "It''s nothing."


    Chen Qiu silently shook his head, deciding to keep this to himself and not tell Fat Long, lest he shatter Fat Long''s cultivation focus. It was better to act as if nothing had happened; ignorance is bliss.


    He thought they wouldn''t have much in the way of spoils, but to his surprise, there was still quite a lot.


    Wait a minute!


    A sudden thought struck him: when the Demon Race invaded, the workshop owners of Wentiang Market had fled in advance, so wasn''t the market now left unguarded? The merchants would most likely have fled too; if not now, then when?


    "Let''s set off, scholar!"


    Chen Qiu didn''t even bother to check the haul from the Storage Bags and immediately grabbed the scholar, ready to head to Wentiang Market.


    The parting words left by Chao Tian Sect couldn''t have been truer.


    Sword Cultivators are truly powerful.


    At least when it comes to traveling, no matter how hard Magic Practitioners try, they can''t catch up to Sword Cultivators. In terms of speed, Sword Cultivators definitely earn the title of the fastest in the world!


    ...


    ```


    Before setting off, the scholar might have noticed that Chen Qiu had some misconceptions about sword cultivators and couldn''t help but open his mouth to explain, "Brother Qiu, actually, sword cultivators don''t just wield their swords and fight the enemy up close."


    "Once they enter the Golden Core Stage."


    "Sword cultivators often are such that you see the sword but not the person, able to take an enemy''s head from a thousand miles away."


    "Especially the Golden Core Sword Technique, that''s tens of thousands of green sword shadows spreading like a rain of swords for nearly a hundred miles, leaving not a blade of grass alive within that range."


    "What''s more, there are many branches of sword cultivators, like those who specialize in sword arrays. Combining sword cultivation with array repair, carrying a sword box, and forming a sword array with dozens of flying swords often allows them to defeat enemies above their own level!"


    "They are not weaker than magic practitioners."


    "..."


    Chen Qiu turned his head toward the scholar with some confusion, "Did I ever say that sword cultivators are weaker than magic practitioners?"


    "No."


    The scholar said somewhat resentfully, "Well, indeed I didn''t, I just said that off the cuff."


    "If sword cultivators are so strong, and you were once ranked as the number one sword cultivator of Da Xia, why couldn''t you kill the Scion of Ten Thousand Demons, who was just at the Foundation Establishment Stage, multiple times?"


    Fat Long interjected at the right moment, his tone laced with a hint of teasing.


    "This, this, this..."


    The scholar was somewhat provoked by this and indignantly explained, "You haven''t faced the Scion of Ten Thousand Demons directly, once you do, you''ll know. It''s impossible to kill him. I killed him three times, and the last time, I was very sure that I had killed him!"


    "Moreover, I even dissected that corpse, ensuring that it was the body of a living person, yet not long after, he began moving around in Da Xia Country again."


    "I really had no other options, I exhausted all means, but just couldn''t kill him."


    "Understood."


    Chen Qiu helped the scholar out with a light laugh, "That Scion of Ten Thousand Demons indeed has some techniques. Without some methods, he wouldn''t have caused such a commotion in Fufeng City in front of so many Golden Core cultivators."


    "It''s said that you got chased down back then because you were upholding justice."


    "It''s clear that you do have a heart of gold. After Fufeng City was breached by a demon beast, you immediately went to rescue the city''s civilians. This act of caring for the well-being of the people, even as you fell from grace, is indeed worthy of the title of Da Xia''s number one sword cultivator."


    Just then¡ª


    The scholar''s brother, the bearded, burly man who rarely spoke up, couldn''t resist chiming in, "There was a storyteller in the city who spoke recently of my brother''s past glory. My brother was actually there to save that storyteller; the rescue of others was just incidental."


    "Right, this is the first storyteller in these years to mention my brother in Fufeng City."


    "If you don''t speak, no one will think you''re mute."


    The scholar looked at his younger brother expressionlessly, "Learning to be quiet is the first rule in understanding the ways of the world."


    Then, perhaps as a form of release, the Qingfeng in his sleeve vanished in a flash, turning into a Liu Guang that disappeared between heaven and earth, and entering Wentiang market.


    ...


    In just a few breaths of time,


    Chen Qiu and the others had already arrived at the gate of Wentiang market.


    But... at that moment, the skies above Wentiang market were filled with an extremely thick scent of blood, the sight meeting their eyes was one of bodies torn asunder; the whole market was completely deserted, and one could see that almost every building had been cut off at the waist.


    All the pills, talismans, and spiritual treasures in the shops had been plundered.


    And he even saw an old acquaintance.


    A guard captain lay in a pool of blood. He had once given some silver taels to this man, asking him to help clean up the battlefield, and in return, the man had once warned him not to be deceived by that old taoist.


    But now...


    This man was lying in a pool of blood, his body torn to pieces, and only through his bloodstained face could one barely recognize the familiar face.


    Just then¡ª


    A familiar, age-worn voice slowly sounded from behind him.


    "A long time ago, when my master sent me down the mountain, he told me something."


    "In the business of fortune-telling, you can''t save a ghost that''s meant to die."


    "See, I told him a few days ago that there was going to be a bloody disaster in Wentiang market soon and advised him to leave this place quickly."


    "He didn''t believe it."


    ```

 Chapter 74

    A familiar voice arose from behind, and Chen Qiu almost instantly turned his head to see the expressionless old man now standing behind a few people, holding his tattered black flag, looking over the mess in the Ask Heaven Workshop Market.It was no one else.


    It was precisely the fortune-telling Taoist who had warned him about the excess of resentful spirits on his person.


    "Did you know about the disaster that would befall the Ask Heaven Workshop Market?"


    Seated cross-legged on the shoulders of the bearded muscleman, the scholar asked curiously, "Then why didn''t you inform everyone in advance so they could know? That way, they wouldn''t have had to die here, and so many people in Fufeng City wouldn''t have had to die."


    "How should I say this?"


    The silver-haired old man glanced at the scholar and said indifferently, "Even if the people of Ask Heaven Workshop Market and Fufeng City had heeded the advice and were willing to flee, then what? The invasion of the Demon Clan would still have to occur elsewhere."


    "To save one small fish at the expense of another."


    "That could not be considered a virtuous deed."


    "Don''t argue with me about righteousness. This old man has his own path to follow. What I hate most in this life is hearing people say, ''Why didn''t you speak out to prevent the disaster if you could have avoided it''?"


    "The only reason I was willing to shoulder some karma to warn this young child was simply because I took a liking to him."


    "Regrettably, he doesn''t heed advice very well."


    Afterwards, the old man shook his head and shook the black flag in his hand, turned around, and gazed distantly toward the sky, murmuring, "Turbulent times are on the horizon, who can remain untouched forever?"


    "Even the ''Avoiding Heaven Sect'' has shown signs of activity in this world."


    "Who can truly hide?"


    "Right, young man, you are quite persuadable. The resentful spirits of the demon beasts on you are gone, but now you''ve accumulated a slew of resentful spirits from Demon Clan cultivators. That''s good, you figure it out yourself."


    With that¡ª


    The old man slowly stepped forward and vanished on the spot like smoke.


    From beginning to end, not a trace of spiritual energy fluctuated from the elder, making it impossible to gauge his level of cultivation.


    ...


    "..."


    Chen Qiu gazed emotionlessly in the direction where the old man had disappeared, without speaking. He knew he had met someone formidable the last time he encountered this elder¡ªordinary people could not have identified the fact that he had an excess buildup of resentful spirits.


    And now, it seemed he was indeed right.


    However, it also reminded him that he should deal with the resentful spirits of the Demon Clan cultivators that were on him as soon as possible. After all, they represented a not-insubstantial fighting strength, which he was somewhat reluctant to waste for no good reason.


    If by tonight there were still no useful opportunities,


    Then he would not hesitate to deal with them immediately; it would not be worth risking his body being invaded by resentful energy just for a bit of fighting strength.


    Just at that moment¡ª


    A powerful pressure of someone at the Golden Core stage suddenly enveloped the entire Ask Heaven Workshop Market. Out of nowhere, a barefoot middle-aged man floated above the marketplace, his spiritual energy carrying a terrifying force that surged like waves toward Chen Qiu and the others.


    In almost an instant¡ª


    Such formidable power forced Chen Qiu and the others to uncontrollably fall face-first to the ground.


    "It''s the Barefoot Immortal..."


    Pressed to the ground, the scholar couldn''t help but say in a hoarse and hurried voice, "It''s the Barefoot Immortal, the workshop owner of the Ask Heaven Workshop Market, with the cultivation of the fourth layer of the Golden Core."


    "Damn it..."


    Chen Qiu, forcefully pushed to the ground by the wave-like terrifying power, tasted the bitterness of dirt in his mouth and couldn''t help but feel a nameless fury rising within him. This was the second time today he had been overpowered and brought to the ground by the mere presence of someone at the Golden Core stage!


    While it immensely irritated him, it also filled him with an intense longing to break through to the Golden Core stage himself.


    Immediately afterwards,


    the barefoot middle-aged man floating in mid-air looked down at the four people lying on the ground with an indifferent gaze, as if looking at ants, and said, "Was it you who robbed my Mystical Market?"


    "Killed my people?"


    "No."


    Chen Qiu, whose cheek was forcibly pressed against the ground, couldn''t even lift his head to look at the middle-aged man in the air. He could only scream with all his might, "When we arrived, it was already like this."


    "We are only at the Foundation Establishment level of cultivation; it''s impossible for us to kill so many people in such a short time!"


    "Oh."


    Your journey continues on empire


    The barefoot middle-aged man glanced at his nails casually and said, "Apart from you, there''s also the presence of Da Xia''s envoys here; you''re not suggesting that it was the Da Xia envoys who robbed my Mystical Market, are you?"


    "Da Xia Country has decreed that no envoy may kill without cause, nor may they rob others of their opportunities and possessions without cause."


    "Just as it is absolutely forbidden to kill on the Da Xia Official Road."


    "Both are iron laws of the country."


    "Here, there are only traces of you and the Da Xia envoys. If it wasn''t you, could it really be the Da Xia envoys? I''ll take you to the Capital to see how His Majesty intends to explain this time."


    The next moment¡ª


    An overwhelming surge of Spiritual Energy suddenly transformed into tens of thousands of Spirit Lines, binding Chen Qiu and the others, and just as the barefoot man prepared to rise, his pupils suddenly burst with an incredulous light. The man instantly lost his previous indifferent composure, excitement taking over as his breathing became hurried and intense!


    In an instant, he descended from mid-air and stopped in front of the scholar.


    "Is... is that the scent of a lower-grade Golden Core Spiritual Treasure?"


    "You actually possess the scent of a lower-grade Golden Core Spiritual Treasure?"


    "Quick, quick, quick, bring it out!"


    "Fortune in misfortune, fortune in misfortune indeed!"


    With a greedy gaze fixed unblinkingly on the scholar''s sleeve, where a miniature longsword seemed to shrink back with a life of its own, the barefoot middle-aged man became extremely excited as he said, "Never would I have imagined I''d one day have the chance to possess a lower-grade Golden Core Spiritual Treasure." S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Having said that,


    the barefoot man waved his hand casually, retracting all the Spirit Lines bound to the group, and transformed his Spiritual Energy into a massive cage, enveloping them all.


    A lower-grade Golden Core Spiritual Treasure already possesses a certain level of Spiritual Wisdom; to capture such a treasure, one must construct an airtight cage to prevent the Spiritual Treasure from escaping.


    To be on the safe side, this cage had to be extremely solid; wasting Spiritual Energy on binding them would be making a mountain out of a molehill ¨C after all, they were but a few Foundation Establishment infants. Even if I let you run, how far could you possibly get?


    Then, with a face filled with greed and ferocity, he took step by step toward the scholar, ready to claim his own opportunity.


    A group of Foundation Establishment infants possessing a lower-grade Golden Core Spiritual Treasure ¨C wasn''t this an opportunity just waiting to be picked?


    Even if he stood still and let these Foundation Establishment infants hit him, they wouldn''t be able to shatter his Protective Spirit Qi no matter how hard they tried.


    Golden Core and Foundation Establishment, the difference is like heaven and earth.


    Once one reaches Golden Core, one enjoys boundless freedom beneath the Nine Heavens.


    It''s not just a mere jest.


    "Fellow daoist."


    Feeling the restraints off his body, the scholar, with a rather pale face, sat back down cross-legged in place and hoarsely said to the barefoot man approaching him step by step, "My name is Bai Yi. You should have heard of me; I was once the number one Sword Cultivator of Da Xia, and I was also at the Golden Core level."


    "Could you do me the honor and let us go today?"


    "Once my cultivation is restored, I will surely repay you handsomely. You know as well as I do that we have nothing to do with what happened to the Mystical Market."

 Chapter 75

    "My Azure Edge was indeed a lower-grade Golden Core Spiritual Treasure in the past, my Lifebound Spirit Treasure, yet as my Cultivation Realm plummeted, it has now degraded to a lower-grade Foundation Establishment Spiritual Treasure and is not worth much. Taking it would be of little use to you.""How about it?"


    "You should have heard of my reputation as a scholar; I have never broken my word."


    "Heh."


    The corners of the Barefoot Immortal''s mouth curled up, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes. "You''ve been sitting on the cliff edge of Wentiangfang Market for a few years now. I really hadn''t expected you to be the once top-ranked Sword Cultivator of Da Xia."


    "The White-clothed Sword Cultivator, I have indeed heard of your name, chased and hunted like a homeless dog for months on end. I thought you were long dead by now, yet here you are, still clinging on to life."


    "If I were to capture you alive and deliver you to the Zhang Family, that would be quite an opportunity."


    "Today is really a good day."


    "It truly is a blessing in disguise."


    Having said that¡ª


    The murderous intent in the Barefoot Immortal''s eyes surged out intensely, but just at this moment, the man before him spoke urgently and with utmost seriousness.


    "Don''t kill me, I''ll tell you about a great opportunity that can lead to a breakthrough to the Nascent Soul!"


    This statement momentarily threw the Barefoot Immortal into confusion.


    To this day, no one in Da Xia Country has managed to break through to the Nascent Soul stage.


    If it were anyone else, he certainly wouldn''t believe them, but the White-clothed Sword Cultivator was once acclaimed as the number one Sword Cultivator of Da Xia, the most prominent of the younger generation, the unparalleled pride of those years!


    Such a person having access to this kind of information was not impossible.


    Perhaps...


    It was precisely because the White-clothed Sword Cultivator had learned of this secret that he had attracted the full-force pursuit from the Capital City Zhang Family!


    However, it was at this moment that he sensed something amiss, his gaze turning towards the scholar''s face, perceiving a hint of unease behind the seriousness.


    Unfortunately...


    It was too late.


    Behind the Barefoot Immortal, Chen Qiu had at some unknown time already stood with a sword in each hand, his expression icy as a tremendously powerful aura, rivaling that of a Golden Core Great Power, suddenly burst forth from him.


    Almost in the blink of an eye, dark clouds covered the skies above Wentiangfang Market.


    "Die!!!"


    Accompanied by Chen Qiu''s furious roar, a strikingly exaggerated bolt of thunder instantly fell from the Nine Heavens, smashing directly onto the hastily gathered Protective Spirit Shield of the Barefoot Immortal. With just that single strike, the Protective Spirit Shield was covered with cracks and nearly shattered!


    But it was far from over!


    Almost in the blink of an eye.


    Three consecutive bolts of thunder, like a bolt out of the blue, slammed down upon the Barefoot Immortal from the skies above!


    The Protective Spirit Shield shattered!


    The Protective Spirit Treasure fell to the ground!


    Four successive thunderbolts with the full power of a second-layer Golden Core realm, unleashed by the "Thunder Summoning Technique," unexpectedly struck the Barefoot Immortal on the crown of his head, akin to the calamitous thunder atop the Five Thunders, causing the middle-aged Barefoot Immortal''s pupils to gradually dilate.


    Numerous cracks appeared on the surface of his body.


    Immediately following that, hundreds of thunder snakes, each a fraction of their original size, materialized beside Chen Qiu and struck the Barefoot Immortal in an instant. He spared no effort, having detonated four entries in succession, and yet the Barefoot Immortal, despite looking like he was on the verge of immediate death, was just tottering on the brink!


    Almost simultaneously¡ª


    Fat Long, the bearded strong man, and the sword in Chen Qiu''s hand thrust out like a sudden clap of thunder, piercing straight into the body of the Barefoot Immortal, who had lost their Protective Spirit Shield!


    This strike, which would usually be unable to penetrate his defenses, became the final straw that broke the Barefoot Immortal.


    The Barefoot Immortal''s body surface began to rapidly crack open, spreading like a shattered doll; in an instant, his whole body turned into a pile of minced flesh and fell to the ground.


    Immediately after, a Golden Core emanating golden light shot out from the broken flesh, transforming into a streak of light and shooting towards the horizon!


    This speed far exceeded that of ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivators!


    As long as the Golden Core wasn''t lost, there would be a chance to seize a new body and be reborn, albeit with heavy losses; after all, there was still an opportunity to live another life.


    With Chen Qiu''s speed, it was absolutely impossible to catch up to this Golden Core.


    However...


    Chen Qiu wasn''t in a hurry, his expression remained calm as he watched the Golden Core that was about to disappear into the clouds.


    In the next moment¡ª


    The scholar sitting cross-legged nearby had a slight tremor at his fingertips, and his cyan blade turned into a ray of light that also shot out at a speed far surpassing the Golden Core by several times. In almost the time it took to breathe a few breaths, the cyan blade returned, piercing through a Golden Core that was trembling continually and sending messages of entreaty through its Divine Sense.


    "A stray dog?"


    A hint of coldness emerged in the scholar''s eyes as he looked at the pierced Golden Core on the tip of his blade and chuckled, "Is that your evaluation of me, a White-clothed Sword Cultivator?"


    "When did the White-clothed Sword Cultivator, who once suppressed thirteen cities with a single sword, become nothing more than a stray dog in your eyes?"


    His three-foot cyan blade was once a low-grade Spiritual Treasure of the Golden Core, but as his realm plummeted, it had degenerated into a low-grade Spiritual Treasure of Foundation Establishment, commonly used for transportation and not for attack.


    The cyan blade was already at the end of its strength, and even ordinary battles could likely lead to its shattering.


    If his Lifebound Spirit Treasure were to shatter, the backlash for him would be extremely severe.


    Only with his Lifebound Spirit Treasure, was he able to manipulate freely under the condition of being able to use the slightest bit of Spiritual Energy, for its greatest effect was that it almost didn''t consume any Spiritual Energy.


    Their luck was also not bad.


    This person was merely at the fourth level of Golden Core Cultivation, and the core was still fragile without proper cultivation. Once one''s Cultivation broke through to the sixth level of the Golden Core, the core would become extremely sturdy, even wielding terrifying power.


    The Golden Core could attack enemies while out of the body.


    It could even be stronger than some low-grade Golden Core Spiritual Treasures.


    To think of escaping the body at that level of Golden Core Cultivation, he wouldn''t be able to catch up, and even if he did, he wouldn''t dare to strike it, but with a sixth level Golden Core, they probably wouldn''t have managed to assassinate him and cause the core to flee the body anyway.


    "Brother Qiu."


    The scholar withdrew his gaze from the Golden Core, turned his head slightly to look at Chen Qiu and softly said, "The common method for Foundation Establishment Cultivators to increase their Cultivation is to slowly comprehend the way through their mental method. Aside from that, although killing demon beasts can also improve Cultivation Progress, the increase for Foundation Establishment Cultivators from killing demon beasts is very low, far less than during the Qi Refinement Realm."


    "But apart from that, there are some opportunities that can greatly boost Cultivation."


    "Such as swallowing a Golden Core."


    "It can significantly increase Cultivation without any side effects."


    He roughly figured out what Chen Qiu''s tactic was just now; if nothing unexpected, it should be the ''Self-Destruction Term,'' a type of entry that allows the possibility of fighting beyond one''s level. The downside is that it''s too cost-intensive for entries. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Brother Qiu had just acted four times in succession, equivalent to self-destructing four entries.


    Although he wasn''t sure where Brother Qiu got so many entries from, the loss was certainly significant. A Golden Core might not make up for the entire loss, but it could at least mitigate some of it.


    "Mhm."


    Chen Qiu didn''t say much, taking the Golden Core and ignoring the fear and pleas for mercy transmitted through Divine Sense, and immediately swallowed it. Upon entry, it melted with no particular taste.


    Soon after, an extremely scorching heat flowed instantly through his veins and arteries.


    Vast and powerful Spiritual Energy began to surge wildly throughout his veins, and his Heavenly Dao Foundation also began to revolve rapidly.


    Not daring to delay even a moment.


    Chen Qiu immediately sat down cross-legged, began to practice his mental method with his eyes tightly closed, and started to quickly digest the heat brought about by swallowing the Golden Core.

 Chapter 76

    Dozens of breaths later."Hoo..."


    Chen Qiu slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a hot, arrow-like mist, a sensation that was quite wonderful. He even felt as if he was floating, about to ascend to immortality.


    It felt as if his body had been thoroughly cleansed.


    A bit like a divine communion.


    What are flirtatious skeletons compared to the exhilarating rush brought by a significant increase in Cultivation?


    Only then did he perform introspection.


    His Cultivation Progress had reached 96%.


    He was just a step away from breaking through to the third level of Foundation Establishment.


    Honestly, he was extremely satisfied with this progress. He had a visceral understanding of how slow Cultivation progress became after making a breakthrough to Foundation Establishment.


    He had killed tens of thousands of demon beasts, on top of being in an environment with such dense Spiritual Energy.


    And only just managed to break through from the first to the second level of Foundation Establishment.


    This speed was already exceedingly fast.


    Next, even if he didn''t circulate his mental method, just relying on the Heavenly Dao Foundation to daily rotate and absorb nature''s spiritual energy, it would take him only fifty days to break through to the third level of Foundation Establishment. If he operated his mental method day and night, this speed could be even faster, needing less than fifteen days.


    ...


    Chen Qiu looked toward the Heavenly Dao Foundation slowly rotating above his Dantian.


    There were now four fewer entries on it.


    They were¡ª


    "Foundation Temporarily Halted," "Start from Scratch," "Never Discouraged," "Chopping Wood Sacred Body."


    The first three entries were completely useless after the breakthrough in Foundation Establishment; the last entry was also useless.


    He didn''t have to chop wood any longer, there was no future in it.


    And it had to be said, his luck was indeed good.


    For a second-level Foundation Establishment cultivator to kill a fourth-level Golden Core, the difference in levels was enough to stuff a Fat Long between them, an almost impossible feat!


    But just then.


    The scholar timely activated the aura of a Mid-grade Spiritual Treasure from inside his sleeve, drawing all of the Barefoot Immortal''s attention and causing him to release the Spirit Line that bound them. He transformed his Spiritual Energy into an even larger cage, ready to entrap the escaping Mid-grade Spiritual Treasure.


    Furthermore, at the critical moment, the scholar disturbed the Barefoot Immortal''s mind, causing a moment of distraction, and he didn''t immediately activate his Protective Spirit Qi with full force. Chen Qiu then utilized the almost unthinkable tactic of self-destructing four entries in succession.


    Only by these extremely forced means was he able to surpass more than a dozen small realms and kill a fourth-level Golden Core!


    If there had been the slightest mishap along the way, they would have met their demise right then and there.


    If it hadn''t been for the scholar''s reputation causing a moment of distraction in the Barefoot Immortal¡ªif Fat Long had said those words, it''s likely the Barefoot Immortal wouldn''t have been distracted at all and would''ve simply struck them down with a cold laugh.


    Or if Chen Qiu hadn''t been able to self-destruct four entries, if he hadn''t just broken through to the second level of Foundation Establishment, allowing the power of his Self-Destruction Term to match a full-force blow from a second-level Golden Core.


    Or if the scholar''s Flying Sword hadn''t been exceptionally fast, a speed few in the world could match, they wouldn''t have caught up to the fleeing Golden Core.


    And if the Barefoot Immortal hadn''t been overconfident, feeling that binding them was pointless and thus focusing all his attention on capturing the Mid-grade Spiritual Treasure.


    They would have failed.


    It was this series of coincidences that led to such a rare cross-level battle, spanning more than a dozen grades!


    A full-force blow from a second-level Golden Core!


    The power was extraordinary¡ªafter all, even a cultivator at the Golden Core Realm couldn''t continuously deliver several full-force blows. Full-force meant a desperate move, otherwise four strikes wouldn''t have nearly sent the Barefoot Immortal to the brink of demise.


    After the Golden Core Realm.


    Each realm is a chasm apart.


    If one does not possess some supreme Spiritual Treasures or other means, even battling across a minor realm would be a fantasy.


    ...


    Chen Qiu shifted his gaze from his Tao Foundation, the recent cross-level battle had drained a considerable amount of his foundation, leaving him with only three entries he could use for Self-Destruction.


    "Alchemy Posture," "Every Plant and Tree," "Heavenly Deficiency."


    Besides these three entries, the others were quite useful to him.


    The "Heavenly Deficiency" entry allowed him to enhance his remaining senses when he closed his eyes, which was actually a pretty good effect and sometimes very useful. If it wasn''t absolutely necessary, he didn''t really want to self-destruct this entry.


    He also had two "Mid-grade Heavenly Dao Retrospection Talismans," with which he could select any two entries that he had discarded during the last ''three choices'' within the Great Realm of Foundation Establishment.


    If he was willing,


    he could use the retrospection charms right now to reclaim the two useless entries from his recent advancement to the second level of Foundation Establishment and reserve them for future self-destruction.


    However, a cultivator could only use the Mid-grade Heavenly Dao Retrospection Talisman twice within the Great Realm of Foundation Establishment. He was saving them for the contingency that during a ''three choices,'' all three randomly selected entries would be incredibly useful to him.


    Using them purely for the sake of Self-Destruction Terms would be a bit too wasteful.


    However, if those four previous self-destructs had not killed that Barefoot Immortal, he wouldn''t have held back. As long as he was willing, he would only need to pay a tiny price to self-destruct at least five more times!


    After those five times... each subsequent self-destruction would be like stabbing a knife in his own heart.


    The remaining entries were extremely well-matched to him; self-destructing any of them would cause him agonizing pain.


    It would be like exchanging future potential for a chance to save his life now.


    ...


    Just then¡ª


    Fat Long grinned, playing with several small items in his hand, "Got some good news, Brother Qiu. Only three storage rings from this guy were destroyed; three are still intact."


    "As long as we find an Artifact Refiner to break the restrictions in these three storage rings, the wealth of a Golden Core Great Power is still something to look forward to."


    Chen Qiu''s mouth curved into a smile as he took the three storage rings, glanced at the pile of storage rings and Storage Bags that resembled a small mountain within his small world, and then looked towards his companions, "Let''s find a place to take stock of our gains."


    "Then, we''ll sell what needs to be sold and exchange what needs to be traded."


    "You all should also see if there''s anything you need."


    "Me?"


    The scholar shook his head, "I don''t want any, I''m on a stipend; taking a share of the spoils would be overstepping."


    "In Da Xia, someone on a stipend like me is considered an employed guest and does not share in the spoils."


    "Oh, I forgot to tell you."


    Chen Qiu glanced at the scholar with a smile and said, "From today, you won''t get your stipend anymore. I''ve formed this sect called ''Chao Tian Sect,'' and I''ll initiate you later. You might find something of interest in this sect."


    "Inside, you may even find a chance to restore your Cultivation, and possibly advance your swordsmanship further."


    "I''ll give you the position of a sect elder. As an elder, you naturally share the fate of the sect, so no need for a stipend." S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I see."


    The scholar turned his head towards Fat Long with a helpless expression, his eyes revealing a hint of amusement.


    He actually wanted to say that sect elders usually do receive a stipend too.


    But more than the stipend, what made him happier was the feeling of being part of a group, something he had never experienced before.


    This was the first time he was really integrating into a group.

 Chapter 77

    Since his debut!The White-clothed Sword Cultivator had fought alone with his sword and killed his way to the top three of the Da Xia Heavenly Pride Leaderboard!


    People thought him to be of a solitary nature.


    In truth, he simply couldn''t fit into any sect or family; he was naturally free-spirited, disliked constraints, and wouldn''t do anything he didn''t want to, not even if the Heavenly King himself insisted.


    Following Chen Qiu, he suddenly realized that the Cultivation Path could be traveled with so many others.


    Lively and bustling was actually quite nice.


    He had always envied the group, especially when he was being chased by a crowd and, damn it, had no one to even entrust his last wishes to.


    From now on, he could finally outnumber others just like the other sects did.


    "I want to be the Great Elder."


    Fat Long, standing next to him, patted the scholar on the shoulder with a serious expression, "What do you think, scholar? I''ve been with Brother Qiu longer and have a bit more experience than you; you don''t mind, right?"


    "Not at all."


    The scholar helplessly shook his head and smiled, "Then, I''ll be the Second Elder."


    "Can I... be the Third Elder?"


    A burly man with a goatee hesitantly questioned in a muffled voice, standing aside.


    "Of course."


    Chen Qiu looked at them and smiled, "The future reputation of ''Chao Tian Sect'' depends on all of you."


    ...


    "Mommy... that''s really scary."


    At this moment, Fufeng City was in disarray, covered with corpses; the City Lord of Fufeng City, who had returned at some point, was dispatching people to collect the bodies and clear the debris-littered cobblestone roads.


    The entire Fufeng City was in chaos, filled with cries of lamentation.


    Meanwhile, the Family Head of Yuncheng Wang Family, who had initially planned to leave Fufeng City but was forced back by demon beasts, was now hiding in a collapsed teahouse. He cautiously peered outside and only after confirming it was safe, retracted his head with a terrified expression, continuously patting his chest.


    "It ended just like that?"


    "How did so many Demon Clan cultivators die?"


    "I was ready to play the hero, and it turns out I wasn''t needed at all?"


    After the breach of Fufeng City, he felt some fear, but still gritted his teeth, ready to step forward and use a Self-Destruction Term to protect the safety of Fufeng City despite lacking lofty aspirations.


    He always felt that if he wasn''t strong, then watching Fufeng City fall was just that.


    But now that he had some strength, just watching the citizens of Fufeng City being slaughtered, though it wasn''t really a problem, felt somewhat uncomfortable to him.


    Although the entries were precious, he still had many even after using three or four. He thought using three or four entries to ensure the safety of Fufeng City''s citizens was worth it.


    Just as he was about to take action¡ª


    Someone stepped forward, riding a Flying Sword with Thunder Snakes all around like a descending Thunder God, wiping out the Demon Clan cultivators outside the city in the blink of an eye. The whole process seemed effortless.


    The head he had barely managed to courageously stick out was quickly pulled back in.


    "That... Minister Liu."


    The Wang Family Patriarch looked at the young man sheltering with him and cautiously said, "It seems safe now, and I suddenly have an idea. Fufeng City is now in great need of rebuilding."


    "Perhaps we don''t need to hurry back to Yuncheng so soon."


    "We can find many profitable ventures here, don''t you think, Minister Liu?"


    "..."


    Minister Liu looked at his Family Head with a speechless expression and couldn''t help but retort, "You''ve actually got a plan now."


    "Master, you think too small. Didn''t you hear the Heavenly Dao Decree just now?"


    "The major update ''Chaotic World Struggle'' to the Heavenly Dao introduced a new Fame Ranking!"


    "The rules for ranking are extremely simple. As long as more people know about you, you can make the list. Everyone on the list receives a different Heavenly Dao Blessing daily based on their ranking. Don''t you have even a slight interest in this ranking?"


    "What?"


    The Wang Family Patriarch stood frozen on the spot, carefully examining the attendant Liu and taking a good look at him from head to toe, "Who do you think between the two of us could make it onto that list? Have you seen who are on that list?"


    "You compare our fame with theirs?"


    -


    ''Fame Ranking''


    ''Rank One'': Xia Xundao, fame value 18,920,000.


    ''Rank Two'': Xia Dexin, fame value 12,930,000.


    ''...''


    ''Rank Five'': Ji Renjian, fame value 9,290,000.


    ''...''


    ''Rank Thirteen'': Ji Taiping, fame value 7,820,000.


    ''...''


    ''Rank Nineteen'': Lie Yang, fame value 6,820,000.


    ''Rank Twenty'': Ying Fengzi, fame value 6,530,000.


    -


    The Wang Family Patriarch looked at the ranking again and continued, "Look at the list yourself. The first place is His Majesty, the second is the Crown Prince, the fifth is Da Xia''s top beauty, ranked first on the beauty list as the ''Heavenly Dao Beauty''."


    "And it''s not just about being the Heavenly Dao Beauty; she''s truly a beauty even in the eyes of the common folk."


    "The thirteenth, is the current top Sword Cultivator in Da Xia."


    "The nineteenth, is the current top Artifact Cultivator in Da Xia."


    "The twentieth, is the current top Array Repairer in Da Xia."


    "Even the last person on the list, which is the one thousandth, is a well-known Evil Cultivator wanted by Da Xia Country, who has slaughtered several villages. Which one do you think we could replace on that list?" sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Upon hearing this,


    Attendant Liu meaningfully patted the Family Head''s shoulder: "Sometimes, you really shouldn''t belittle yourself. After all, this is a Fame Ranking, based on how many people know of you, not on your Cultivation, strength, or experience."


    "This list even includes a mere actor. How could you not match up to her?"


    "The scene of you slicing nine oxen in Fufeng City, I''ve already saved it in a Memory Stone. Next, we just need to make copies and widely distribute them across various cities. No one will be able to resist witnessing such an extraordinary scene."


    "Moreover, the ''Fame Ranking'' is still in its initial phase. Those listed are currently well-known, and there aren''t any out-of-the-box strategies in play yet."


    "As long as we can make it to the top ranks in a short period, the Heavenly Dao Blessings we receive daily will be an immense fortune."


    "What we need to do is quite simple..."


    "We simply find a few local tyrants in each city, then sell the Memory Stones to them at a low price. If they realize the value, they''ll naturally think of ways to make many copies and distribute them."


    "Master, don''t speak yet, I know what you''re about to say. Doing this, our profit margin will definitely be low, but that doesn''t matter. Otherwise, Master, if you alone went to a foreign city to sell these Memory Stones, let''s not even discuss whether you could visit several cities at once; consider, if you were taking meat from the local tyrants'' plates, wouldn''t they let you feast in their city after seeing red from jealousy?"


    "We only need to spread these Memory Stones across Da Xia''s 365 major cities as quickly as possible. Then, you will reap an unimaginable amount of fame."


    "Is that so..."


    The Wang Family Patriarch''s eyes flashed with astonishment as it truly hadn''t crossed his mind that this could work; it took him a while to respond, "But what if those local tyrants set the selling price too high, leading to few being able to afford them?"

 Chapter 78

    "It''s simple,"Liu Gongfeng said solemnly, "We just need to find a few more shops in each city to prevent them from forming a monopoly. They''ll compete with each other on price. Plus, they''re certainly aware that this sort of thing is all about making money from people''s curiosity."


    "After the first wave of interest passes, it won''t be worth much."


    "Moreover," he added, "those who buy the replica Memory Stones will keep talking about them with relatives and friends. I estimate that within seven days at most, if all goes well, your fame, my lord, without mention of anything else, should have no problem surpassing that of the least known among the Evil Cultivation."


    The Wang Family Patriarch''s mouth slowly opened, and after a long while, he muttered, "But isn''t this... somewhat disgraceful? I have many relatives and friends in Yun City."


    "Face is the least valuable thing,"


    "Forget about that, come here!"


    Liu Gongfeng hurriedly pulled out a Memory Stone from his bosom and aimed it at the Wang Family Patriarch, "We need to add another scene; you have to say your name. I''ll come up with a catchy phrase for you."


    "Hmm..." S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I, Wang Tiedan from Yun City, dare to stake my life against the Heavenly Dao, who else dares to stand on the same stage!"


    ...


    Fame Ranking.


    At the time of major updates to Heavenly Dao, a new ranking based on the cultivators'' fame will change daily; however, the accumulated fame points will not be removed.


    This means that even if you become nationally known within three days, but no one talks about you after those days,


    your fame points will still not decrease.


    You will still receive the daily Heavenly Dao Blessing associated with your rank.


    This is perhaps what they call striking while the iron is hot. One could anticipate that the cultivators ranked in the top hundred of the Fame Ranking will consider their daily Heavenly Dao Blessing as an unexpected boon.


    And just like that, the gap between cultivators of the same rank gradually widens.


    ...


    Outside the Capital, within a certain peak.


    A middle-aged man, dressed in a black robe embroidered with black peonies, stood erect like a pine tree at the edge of a cliff, his back carrying a long sword, exuding a sharp Sword Intent.


    Simply standing there,


    made one feel a pain in the eyes at first glance.


    This was a sign of Human Sword Unity, with every plant and tree acting as a sword, and the released Sword Intent made it impossible to look directly; but since he had only recently stepped into this realm, he could not yet control the Sword Intent freely.


    This man was none other than Ji Taiping.


    The number one Sword Cultivator in Da Xia Country.


    With the Cultivation of the fifth level of Golden Core, he wielded a Cold Sword unmatched in the world; as long as those old demons did not emerge, even cultivators at the sixth level of Golden Core, he could just as easily slay them.


    At that moment, Ji Taiping stood at the cliff''s edge with a cold expression, looking towards the Fame Ranking in front of him.


    However, upon seeing himself ranked thirteenth, a cold glint flashed across his eyes, clearly dissatisfied with his position.


    And it was at this moment¡ª


    A tall and beautiful woman, looking as if she had stepped out of the Immortal Realm, dressed in a white long dress and barefoot without a speck of dust on her feet, slowly walked out from the bamboo forest, leaning her head against Ji Taiping and whispered,


    "Kill everyone ahead, and brother will naturally be number one."


    "Nonsense."


    Ji Taiping shook his head before affectionately tousling the woman''s hair, his eyes flickering with a mischievous light as he laid his hand on her shoulder and let it slide down, "You too are ranked ahead of me, at fifth place."


    "Could I actually kill you as well? Besides, the first place is surely His Majesty''s, who would dare surpass that."


    "Hmm."


    Ji Renjian gazed distantly at the rolling clouds in the sky, and after a moment, she murmured softly as if her voice was made of cotton, "Brother, are you with me merely because as a Heavenly Dao Beauty, I can greatly accelerate your understanding of the Sword Dao."


    "Or do you truly love me?"


    "What nonsense."


    Ji Taiping''s expression darkened as he shook his head, "Since you were little, I''ve doted on you in every way. Were you a Heavenly Dao Beauty back then? In your heart, do you really see your brother as such a utilitarian person?"


    "I truly love you,"


    "I once made an oath before you, with the sword in my hand, declaring that if my love for you contained even a speck of impurity, one day I would certainly shatter into pieces along with my sword."


    "You also know that I am a Sword Cultivator,"


    "Oaths taken by Sword Cultivators with their swords are absolutely without a hint of falsehood,"


    "How about¡ª"


    As a glint of lust flashed in Ji Taiping''s eyes, he abruptly drew Ji Renjian''s soft, boneless body into his arms, caressing her up and down, "Let me take good care of you right now."


    "Mm..."


    Ji Renjian''s cheeks instantly blushed as her mouth was sealed: "But...you are my distant cousin...and the Crown Prince won''t agree..."


    "If he doesn''t agree, I''ll kill him,"


    "You can''t... kill..."


    "Then what do you suggest we do, once I become the strongest in Da Xia, my sword will be the only law of this world!"


    "I want to marry you, who dares to stop me!"


    ...


    Two teacups later.


    Ji Taiping lay on a grass mat beside a cliff, his eyes flickering with ruthlessness and anticipation as he gazed at the name "Bai Yi," ranked 986th on the list.


    White-clothed Sword Cultivator.


    The former premier Sword Cultivator of Da Xia Country.


    They both gained fame on the same day, both renowned for their rare talent in the Sword Dao,


    But the world deemed Bai Yi stronger because he always bested him by just one move¡ªno more, no less. Even after Bai Yi fell in battle as he was hunted down by the Capital City Zhang Family, some still believed he was inferior to the White-clothed Sword Cultivator.


    Just because...


    He lost by only one move every time.


    Just a single move was enough to keep his position as the foremost Sword Cultivator of Da Xia unstable. When people occasionally spoke of him, some shortsighted ones would remark that if not for the White-clothed Sword Cultivator being hunted to death, Ji Taiping would never have become the top Sword Cultivator of Da Xia.


    Over the years.


    He had killed many storytellers who boasted of the White-clothed Sword Cultivator.


    He wanted the world to forget the White-clothed Sword Cultivator and only remember him, Ji Taiping, as the true premier Sword Cultivator of Da Xia!


    He had thought that Bai Yi had long perished, killed by the relentless pursuit of the Capital City Zhang Family. But unexpectedly, Bai Yi had reappeared on the "Fame Ranking," indicating he was still alive, whereabouts unknown!


    As long as he found Bai Yi!


    Defeating him honorably before the eyes of the world!


    No one would then dare to question his status as the first Sword Cultivator of Da Xia, and it would also clear the unease in his heart.


    Thinking of this,


    Feeling exhilarated, Ji Taiping couldn''t help but caress Ji Renjian firmly in his embrace. Hearing the beauty in his arms softly cry out in pain, he quickly came back to his senses, affectionately resting his chin on her head and muttered dreamily,


    "I, Ji Taiping, must become the Sword Cultivator recognized by everyone as the premier of Da Xia..."


    "No, not just as a symbol of the younger generation''s top Sword Cultivator of Da Xia, I want to be the foremost Sword Cultivator that even the old demons would fear!"


    "And you, the most beautiful woman in the world."


    "With me, it is just right."


    ...


    Meanwhile, in an inn in Fufeng City, Chen Qiu was sitting cross-legged on the floor, his entire body ice-cold as he circulated his mental technique. Fat Long and others sat anxiously by his side acting as guardians, not knowing what else they could do.


    The issue was quite serious.


    The resentful spirit of that Golden Core fourth-layer Cultivator was currently perched on Chen Qiu, almost crushing him to death, his body as cold as the underworld itself. If you stuck out your tongue to lick it, it might freeze and stick together.

 Chapter 79

    It took a full three sticks of incense for Chen Qiu''s condition to somewhat recover. Originally, they did not plan to stay in Fufeng City, but they had no choice but to stop and rest there for a moment when Chen Qiu''s condition suddenly deteriorated rapidly on the way.Seeing Chen Qiu open his eyes,


    Fat Long approached him anxiously, "How are you feeling, Brother Qiu? Are you okay?"


    "It''s not serious."


    Chen Qiu, his body covered in a layer of sticky cold sweat, sat cross-legged on the bed with a beast fur blanket wrapped around him. His condition had almost improved a bit by then. Although he had not returned to normal, he was no longer in danger of passing out.


    On the way, that intense resentful energy had almost penetrated his body. Fortunately, he had enough spiritual energy within him to barely resist it.


    Swallowing that golden pill had not only greatly enhanced his cultivation but also refilled his drained Tao Foundation to the brim.


    "It would be great if I could kill another golden core."


    Chen Qiu, sitting cross-legged on the bed, licked his lips with a hint of greed flickering in his eyes. He was contemplating the thrill of the gamble. In fact, there were many ways to solve his current predicament.


    He could release the resentful spirit and let it flee as far as possible, disappearing into the world after an hour.


    Or he could destroy the resentful spirit entry.


    Either would perfectly resolve the issue.


    But...


    This was a Golden Core Fourth Layer resentful spirit!


    It was almost the strongest tool he had at his disposal. If he could use this resentful spirit to kill another golden core, he would not only gain a new golden core, allowing for a significant breakthrough in his cultivation, but he would also acquire a new Golden Core resentful spirit.


    It was just a pity that his body couldn''t hold on much longer.


    The backlash from this Golden Core Fourth Layer resentful spirit was more severe than the combined backlash of hundreds of thousands of resentful energies from demon beasts. It was a qualitative change that sheer quantity couldn''t address.


    Foundation Establishment and Golden Core were as different as heaven and earth.


    If he wasn''t a Foundation Establishment first level cultivator with the assistance of the Heavenly Dao Foundation and an exceptionally expanded body able to contain vast amounts of spiritual energy, he would have already passed out.


    Once resentful energy invaded the body and corroded the Dantian,


    there were hardly any solutions¡ªit was basically a wait for death unless a top-notch Alchemy Cultivator happened to pass by, willing to help, and had the right heavenly and earthly treasures in their storage ring to refine the corresponding pill.


    "I can still hold on for another hour!"


    After assessing his physical condition, Chen Qiu looked up at the scholar whose complexion was deathly pale and said in a weakened voice, "Do you have any weak early-stage Golden Core enemies with no backing sect, the kind that my Golden Core Fourth Layer resentful spirit can certainly defeat?"


    "This..."


    The scholar''s brain whirred, murmuring subconsciously, "Brother Qiu, the kind of person you''re talking about... wouldn''t really qualify to be my enemy. I would have cut them down with a single sword long ago; how could they have lasted until now?"


    "And besides, aside from a few with stubborn personalities, there are very few Loose Cultivators among Golden Cores. Even if they''ve been Loose Cultivators all along, with their patchwork and disparate techniques, joining a sect as a patron is not an issue."


    "Wait¡ª"


    "I''ve actually thought of one!"


    "Over a thousand miles from here, there is a Forbidden Land called ''Poisonous Thunder Swamp''. The swamp spans over forty miles and covers a large area, perpetually enshrouded in a poison cloud that obstructs both visibility and Divine Sense."


    "And from time to time, Heavenly Thunder flashes within the poison cloud. Rumors say that in ancient times, a poison cultivator and a Magic Practitioner fought fiercely there, and both fell. The remnants of the battle from thousands of years ago still linger. Ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivators stepping into it would struggle to escape with their lives."


    "Even Golden Core cultivators, without top-grade Detoxification Pills, would suffer greatly from entering rashly."


    "There has always been a ''Poison Thunder Old Man'' who is a Golden Core Great Power with Dual Cultivation of poison magic, secluded in cultivation here,"


    "Back then, he and I had a bit of grudge. Every time he emerged from seclusion, he would inevitably kidnap a group of mortal women, bringing them back to enjoy in the Poisonous Thunder Swamp. The ones he abducted were always women without much background, and he did so within the rules, with the nearby City Lord''s Mansion turning a blind eye."


    "After all, no one reported to the government, so there was no need for the authorities to pursue the matter forcibly."


    "But just as I was about to catch up with him to deliver a deadly blow, the Zhang Family sent people after me, and I was unable to attend to him,"


    "What does it mean to ''abduct within the rules''?" Fat Long asked with a frown of confusion.


    "It means not to make a move on the official roads and not to act openly and honorably within the city."


    "This is considered ''abduction within the rules''?"


    "Hmm."


    "Then did none of the victims'' families dare to report to the authorities?"


    "It''s not that none dared, it''s just that this man is extremely ruthless, always leaving no traces behind in his actions, causing no trouble for the nearby government. The families of the abducted women were all killed, and naturally, no one was left to report him. Though he is not a Demon Cultivation, his actions are not much different from those of the Demon Cultivation,"


    "Let''s go."


    Chen Qiu''s teeth chattered from the extreme cold, and he spoke weakly, "Meet with him."


    ... S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was only a matter of twenty or so breaths.


    Chen Qiu and his companions had already left Fufeng City by several hundred li.


    And the scholar also stopped, quickly pulling out a bottle of Qi Replenishing Pills from his pocket and guzzling them down, "Wait a moment, Brother Qiu. I''m running low on Spiritual Energy, I need to take some pills."


    "..."


    ...


    Thus, with stops and starts along the way, had it not been for the Demon Clan cultivators'' Storage Bags filled with plenty of Qi Replenishing Pills, they truly would have run short on them.


    It''s worth mentioning that¡ª


    The most abundant item in the Storage Bags of those Demon Clan cultivators was Qi Replenishing Pills. It makes sense, considering what they lacked in the Heavenly Dao Prison was everything but Spiritual Energy, so naturally there was no need for the pills.


    In terms of speed of replenishing Spiritual Energy,


    Taking Qi Replenishing Pills was indeed much faster than absorbing Spirit Stones.


    The difference is that the Spiritual Energy obtained from absorbing Spirit Stones is absolutely pure, whereas although the pills work quickly, they inevitably contain some impurities, which would continuously coat the Tao Foundation, causing it to rotate slower and slowing down the absorption of external Spiritual Energy.


    But it wasn''t much of a problem.


    After all, as long as one practiced the mental method and spent some time, these impurities could easily be expelled from the body. However, it meant spending time, which implied that taking too many Qi Replenishing Pills at once would gradually weaken their effect.


    Once the impurities were completely cleared, their effect would be restored.


    And the top-grade Qi Replenishing Pills contained extremely few impurities, requiring consumption of many more to feel the weakening effect, so for a Magic Practitioner, top-grade Qi Replenishing Pills were also a rare treasure.


    After quite a few hundred breaths of walking and stopping along the way, Chen Qiu and his companions finally arrived at the ''Poisonous Thunder Swamp'' mentioned by the scholar.


    Just as the scholar said,


    This was a swamp spanning several tens of li, with thick sludge churning and emitting a foul stench, shrouded in large volumes of black smog above, completely obscuring the interior of the swamp.


    Merely getting a distant whiff was enough to feel the intense foul smell and a slightly dizzying sense of confusion.


    It was evident just how domineering the toxicity within the swamp was.

 Chapter 80

    "This is the place, Brother Qiu.""Hmm."


    Chen Qiu, his complexion deathly pale, nodded slightly. His fingertips trembled as the Golden Core fourth-layer resentful spirit that had been clinging to him suddenly burst forth like a tiger breaking free from its chains, and in the blink of an eye, it transformed into substance and roared as it charged into the swamp''s poison mist.


    "Phew..."


    The moment the Golden Core fourth-layer resentful spirit left him, Chen Qiu''s complexion visibly regained some of its color, and his spirits lifted significantly. The coldness emitting from his body, which had been palpable, also ceased.


    "Damn it..."


    He watched the fading figure of the resentful spirit and couldn''t help but curse under his breath.


    The green entry "Resentful Spirit Summoning" was truly powerful. He relied on this resentful spirit to survive many crises, but the cost was also truly great. Just thinking about how close he was to being devoured by the resentful spirit sent shivers down his spine.


    Now, he felt much better.


    Although his complexion was still unsightly, this was due to the nearly ten thousand Demon Clan cultivator resentful spirits weighing down on him. He had originally found it quite unbearable, but after experiencing the intensity of the Golden Core resentful spirit, he found that the nearly ten thousand Demon Clan cultivator resentful spirits weren''t as distressing.


    It was bearable, after all.


    Without comparison, there was no harm.


    Earlier, when he attacked the Barefoot Immortal in the Qiantian Pavilion Market, he had not used these nearly ten thousand resentful spirits. Mainly because controlling resentful spirits caused too much commotion, and the surging resentful energy could almost instantly make the Barefoot Immortal become alert.


    Only a quick-acting Killing Move like the Self-Destruction Term could seize the moment of the Barefoot Immortal''s distraction and deliver a fatal blow!


    ...


    Even after becoming a resentful spirit, the combat power might be slightly reduced, as they lack self-awareness and act purely on instinct. The poisonous substance blocked his Divine Sense, and since his Divine Sense couldn''t extend that far from his body, he had no way to remotely control it.


    He merely issued a simple command, kill all living beings in the swamp.


    The rest was left up to its instincts.


    After all, even as a Golden Core fourth-layer resentful spirit, crushing a Golden Core first-layer poison cultivator should be no problem at all.


    However, moments later¡ª


    There suddenly came a cacophony of countless roars and curses from within the swamp.


    Numerous spells exploded within the swamp, tearing gaps in the black mist, clearly indicating that there might be quite a few people inside.


    "This is not good..."


    The scholar murmured with a somewhat unpleasant expression, "Although I haven''t seen anyone, the accents of those speaking sound very much like the Poison Sect. A sect where from the Sect Master to the outer disciples, all are poison cultivators, it seems they have consulted with Poison Thunder Old Man and sent quite a few disciples here for training."


    "As far as I know, this sect often sends their disciples to various deadly places in Da Xia Country to train."


    "They might not be Demon Cultivation, but their behavior is no different from that of Demon Cultivators."


    "This sect ranks at number 78 in the ''Da Xia Sect rankings.'' The Supreme Elder is an old poison cultivator with a mid-stage Golden Core. A genuine poison cultivator, from entries to spells, everything is distinctly poison-related and forms their unique system, unlike those Loose Cultivators like the Barefoot Immortal who don''t have their own system."


    "Of course, since it''s training, the elders definitely will not be here, but... just in case a disciple escapes and remembers what we look like, we would be facing some retaliation from the Supreme Elder in the future."


    "It''s not a big issue."


    Chen Qiu shook his head, "If we kill them all, there''ll be no one to carry the message. We''ll keep our distance, and even if they use Sound Transmission Talismans to send messages back, they won''t know who killed them."


    "You use your Flying Sword to hover around the swamp. If anyone escapes the swamp, eliminate them."


    Having said that,


    his nearly ten thousand Demon Clan cultivator resentful spirits on the surface of his body all materialized, enveloping the few of them like a vast army. Then, all at once, they let out a ghastly howl reminiscent of the wailing of ghosts from the depths of the underworld and madly charged into the Poison Mist Swamp.


    Poison mist?


    This thing has no effect on resentful spirits, how can you corrode a body that doesn''t even exist?


    ...


    "Ah?"


    The scholar hesitated for a moment, then shook his head with an ugly expression, "Brother Qiu, the tactic used in Fufeng City can''t be replicated here. My spiritual energy won''t allow me to employ that sort of tactic in this environment."


    "I can''t manipulate the size of the Spiritual Treasure as I wish, nor can I use the Flying Sword for transportation."


    "Moreover, my Flying Sword is at the end of its strength, unsuitable for confronting enemies. It can only penetrate something as soft as tofu that normal Golden Core cultivators are made of; otherwise, even the Protective Spirit Qi of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator could shatter my Flying Sword."


    "No need."


    Chen Qiu shook his head, his expression calm, "You Sword Cultivators are so stubborn. Can''t you think of a different approach?"


    "The speed of the Flying Sword is an advantage in itself, why must you insist on using the sword to confront enemies?"


    "Later, I''ll load up your Flying Sword with talismans. Once you''ve found the target, you just control the Flying Sword to fly above their head, flip the sword over, and release the spiritual energy controlling the talismans on the blade. That shouldn''t consume too much spiritual energy, right?"


    "Can''t you still confront the enemy that way?"


    "It''s not necessary for the Flying Sword to strike someone in order to confront the enemy."


    "..."


    The scholar, expressionless, fell silent for a long time before speaking hoarsely, "Since ancient times, there has never been a Sword Cultivator who fought like this. It feels... strange."


    "And it''s such a waste of talismans."


    "Not a waste."


    Without another word, Chen Qiu handed over the few dozen low-grade Foundation Establishment ''Summoning Thunder Talismans'' to the scholar, "Consider it inventory clearance. These talismans, equivalent to a full-strength Foundation Establishment strike, are of no use to me now."


    "Besides, as long as we don''t let even one escape to send a message, a few talismans are worth the expense."


    "Once we have more Spirit Stones in the future, I''ll buy you some Golden Core Talismans to stick on your sword and throw around for fun."


    "Take them." Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "..."


    The scholar took the stack of talismans with a dazed look, remaining silent. He couldn''t shake the feeling that his path as a Sword Cultivator was veering off course, although it seemed this method was indeed quite suitable for him at the moment.


    ...


    "So many disciples."


    Chen Qiu glanced at the freshly spawned resentful spirits behind him. For every Poison Sect disciple that died in the swamp, a new resentful spirit was added to his side¡ªfor a total of over eighty now.


    What a joke.


    Demon Clan cultivators were nearly invincible among their peers, and even with a slight decrease in battle strength as resentful spirits, their overwhelming numbers were unstoppable as they swept through the Poison Mist Swamp.


    Finally¡ª


    After a few sticks of incense had burned, no more sounds of battle emanated from the swamp.


    Only a Golden Core shot out from the poison fog, attempting to flee the swamp, but the scholar, who had been lying in wait, trembled at the fingertip. The green sword shot out from his sleeve in an instant, piercing the Golden Core within a few breaths and returning to him.


    "Truly a good partner."


    Chen Qiu looked at the three-foot green sword floating in front of him, a Golden Core impaled on its tip, and couldn''t help commenting with satisfaction. Without the scholar, even if he could kill a Golden Core cultivator through deception, he would have no way to seize this nourishing essence.


    Back when he didn''t even have a single Spirit Stone, how did he dare to promise the scholar 3000 Spirit Stones?


    Looking back now, that decision was indeed correct.

 Chapter 81 There was once an Evil Cultivation, named... Scion of Ten Thousand Demons!

    And the talismans he had handed over to the scholar went unused, for not a single disciple of the Poison Sect had escaped the Poison Mist Swamp; all had perished within the marsh.At that moment¡ª


    The resentful spirit of the Barefoot Immortal, with pupils glazed white, was holding the withered body of an old man. He strode out of the swamp and threw the body down in front of Chen Qiu.


    "The process of collecting bodies is still the most enjoyable," he said.


    Chen Qiu, smiling, wrapped his arms with Spiritual Energy and carefully stripped the Storage Ring and all else from the old man''s body, not even sparing items like shoes and belt, for they might be some fine Spiritual Treasures.


    Immediately following,


    Thousands of Demon Clan cultivators also emerged, each carrying the bodies of several hundred Poison Sect disciples and dumping them on the open ground.


    Fat Long and his acquaintances swiftly approached and stripped all of the Storage Bags and Storage Rings from their waists.


    ...


    "I really can''t fit anymore,"


    Fat Long opened his robe to reveal the dozens of Storage Bags tied with ropes from his chest to his thighs, and the inner pockets lined with dozens of Storage Rings; a gentle shake emitted a multitude of metallic clanking sounds.


    A look of extreme happiness appeared on his face, his lips almost stretching to his ears.


    "Brother Qiu, this time I''ve really eaten my fill, so full I couldn''t be fuller," he said.


    "I can hardly stow away any more."


    Storage Bags and Storage Rings each possessed a separate small space, and cannot be nested within each other.


    "..."


    Chen Qiu gave Fat Long a look but said nothing. As a member of Chao Tian Sect who possessed a small world, that space could fit another hundred thousand Storage Rings, but Fat Long insisted on hanging some on himself, claiming it brought him a sense of happiness.


    He didn''t stop him.


    After all, there would be no fierce battle coming up, and if Fat Long liked wearing them, he let him be.


    The items on Fat Long''s person were just a small portion; most were kept in his ''Chao Tian Sect'' small world.


    He glanced down at the black Golden Core struggling on the tip of his sword, and he did not devour it immediately. The Golden Core Great Power''s resentful spirit was still nearby, and consuming the Golden Core now could bring forth resentful energy potent enough to overwhelm him in an instant!


    He planned to leave both the severely injured Golden Core Great Power''s resentful spirit and the remaining Demon Cultivar resentful spirits here to disappear automatically from the cosmos when the hour came.


    On his person were only over three hundred resentful spirits of the Poison Sect disciples, all from the Foundation Establishment Stage and Qi Refinement Realm. After swallowing this Golden Core, it would only add a resentful spirit of a single layer of Golden Core to his collection.


    Although it would still be uncomfortable,


    At least it didn''t carry the risk of resentful energy entering his body like earlier.


    Compared to having a Golden Core level resentful spirit as an ace up his sleeve, suffering a bit in normal times is better than being helpless in the face of danger.


    ...


    Just as he was about to leave after stripping down the Storage Rings, Storage Bags, Spiritual Treasures, and other items from the bodies,


    Chen Qiu suddenly pondered while gazing at the pile of bodies, "What do you say, should we leave a name? Say that it was a sacrifice by Da Xia?"


    From the reaction of the Barefoot Immortal from the market, he had roughly figured out that the Capital had probably been aware of the Demon Clan''s invasion and had sent a Da Xia Sacrifice to suppress this chaos.


    And this Da Xia Sacrifice did not trouble himself, for after suppressing the chaos, he conveniently plundered the market.


    Chen Qiu happened to be framed, even though he indeed had such intentions, but he hadn''t taken action yet!


    That was the workshop owner of the market!


    He estimated that there were many fine spiritual treasures and talismans at their disposal; if it weren''t for the fact that their fates did not dictate their demise just yet, how could they stand here at this moment? What he disliked most in his entire life was being falsely accused.


    Now...


    Could he take this small opportunity for revenge?


    "No."


    Fat Long shook his head helplessly, "Brother Qiu, this frame-up seems too obvious, and besides, you don''t even know which Da Xia official it is, you could at least leave a name?"


    "That..."


    At that moment, the scholar next to him hesitantly said, "Why not say it''s¡­ Bai Yi, the premier sword cultivator of Da Xia, who acts for heaven to strike down evildoers?"


    Before Chen Qiu and others could even speak, he quickly shook his head apologetically.


    "That, forget I said anything."


    "I just mentioned it offhandedly; it really isn''t proper. I don''t have much desire for fame, after all, being ranked 986th on the ''Fame Ranking'' already satisfies me, but seeing Scion of Ten Thousand Demons ranks at 712th feels somewhat inappropriate."


    "..."


    Fat Long looked emotionlessly at the scholar, and after a moment, he said slowly, "That doesn''t sound like someone who doesn''t care about fame."


    "Ever since the ''Fame Ranking'' appeared, I remember we have been quite busy, right? When did you have time to check the Fame Ranking?"


    "You even found your ranking and that of Scion of Ten Thousand Demons at the earliest opportunity, didn''t you eagerly search for your name as soon as the list was released?"


    Just as Chen Qiu shook his head, preparing to end this topic and leave this place for a nearby large city.


    "Kekeke!!!"


    A voice filled with viciousness and brutality laughed wildly next to their ears, and a streak of red light shot from the horizon and landed in front of them in the blink of an eye.


    This red light was composed of a sky full of blood mist.


    When the blood mist dispersed,


    a man in tattered clothing covered in wounds, with dried blood on his lips and a fierce, greedy expression, looked excitedly at the hundreds of poison cultivator corpses on the barren ground before him.


    "Truly, heaven does not forsake me, Scion of Ten Thousand Demons!"


    "Heaven does not forsake me, Scion of Ten Thousand Demons!!!"


    "These poison cultivator corpses will be excellent Blood Meal to greatly heal my injuries; I smell it, I smell the scent of fresh Blood Meal."


    As his words fell,


    Scion of Ten Thousand Demons suddenly realized something, his expression filled with intense shock as he looked at the skeletal, blood-stained elder''s corpse among the bodies¡ªit was indeed the corpse of a Golden Core poison cultivator.


    And it looked to have died not long ago.


    Could there be some Golden Core Great Power here?


    He quickly glanced around, only spotting a few men standing nearby and the pile of corpses without any Storage Rings, and he immediately realized that just recently, a tremendously powerful Golden Core cultivator must have slaughtered these poison cultivators and taken all the Storage Rings. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    These men were likely just passers-by, drawn by the residual battle fluctuations and prepared to loot the corpses.


    After realizing this, Scion of Ten Thousand Demons, with a malicious smile, looked toward Chen Qiu and his companions; the blood mist surged out from his hand again, transforming into a massive hammer, as he advanced step by step towards them: "Since you''ve come, don''t leave. Become my Blood Meal."


    "Consider it a slight contribution to my plan for vengeance."


    "Let everyone in this world know, there was once an Evil Cultivator named¡­"


    "Scion of Ten Thousand Demons!"

 Chapter 82

    "..."Chen Qiu looked oddly at the young man in tattered clothes and covered in wounds before him. Was this the Scion of Ten Thousand Demons that the scholar had been so full of praise for?


    Wasn''t he said to be unkillable, no matter what?


    He seemed to be just an ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator, and it looked like his luck wasn''t particularly good either.


    At this moment¡ª


    Within the Poison Mist Swamp.


    A resentful spirit at the fourth level of the Golden Core, who had once lain down, now silently got up and walked out of the Poison Mist Swamp. In a few breaths, it reached directly behind the Scion of Ten Thousand Demons, and then casually slapped down.


    "I want this world..."


    "Smack!"


    The Scion of Ten Thousand Demons'' fierce roar suddenly came to an abrupt halt, then his entire body exploded into a mist of blood that dispersed between heaven and earth.


    "Don''t let your guard down, Brother Qiu!"


    The scholar, who was sitting cross-legged on the back of the bearded strong man, had a wary and tense expression as he controlled the Flying Sword, constantly hovering around and quickly scanning the surroundings. He had to find out what method the Scion of Ten Thousand Demons was using to repeatedly escape his pursuit.


    "This thief''s methods are unfathomable, and he surely wouldn''t die so easily!"


    "Perhaps he is already feigning death and has escaped thousands of miles away by now!"


    ...


    "Um..."


    Standing to the side, Fat Long hesitated for a moment before stretching out a finger and poking the thigh of the scholar sitting on the strong man. "Hey, scholar, I want to ask you something. If a name disappears from the ranking list, does that mean that person is dead?"


    "Certainly, the Heavenly Dao Ranking wouldn''t list the name of a dead person!"


    Although he didn''t know why Fat Long had suddenly brought this up,


    the scholar still swiftly responded with a guarded expression, but soon thought of something incredible. His mind flashed with an unbelievable possibility, and he immediately looked toward the Fame Ranking.


    He saw...


    His own ranking had risen from the original "986th" place to "985th," while the Scion of Ten Thousand Demons, who had been "712th," now had his name replaced by someone unfamiliar.


    After scouring the entire Fame Ranking list, the Scion of Ten Thousand Demons'' name was nowhere to be found.


    And this also meant that the Scion of Ten Thousand Demons had been removed from the Heavenly Dao Ranking, that is... he was dead beyond doubt.


    "..."


    After confirming this message, the scholar looked dazed as if struck by a hammer, standing there in disbelief, muttering to the pool of flesh and blood not far away on the ground, "How is it possible, how is it possible!" S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "The Scion of Ten Thousand Demons'' Escape Technique is of the highest level among Evil Cultivation Jutsu, and he must have mastered at least three, each at the Great Perfection Realm. How could he have died so easily!"


    "In my prime, I killed him three times, and never truly managed to kill him!"


    "He..."


    "How did he die so easily this time?"


    The impact of this scene on him was too great; he even began to doubt whether he had really been the number one Sword Cultivator of Da Xia. Maybe after becoming deranged, he had fabricated this title for himself.


    Perhaps he was never really the number one Sword Cultivator of Da Xia!


    He was just an ordinary Foundation Establishment Sword Cultivator!


    "You know..."


    At this point, Fat Long added the final blow tentatively, "Scholar, this Scion of Ten Thousand Demons didn''t seem as strong as you said. It feels like he died at the slightest touch. Did you really kill him three times without actually killing him?"


    ...


    "Alright,"


    Chen Qiu could tell that the scholar''s Dao heart was about to shatter and hastily signalled Fat Long with his eyes not to talk too much before coughing softly and comforting, "This Scion of Ten Thousand Demons must have been chased and killed all the way here and had already suffered severe injuries."


    "Moreover, when he made his move just now, I could sense that the adversary had three extremely grievous concealed wounds."


    "These three extremely severe injuries are likely left by the scholar back in the day."


    "Otherwise, the Scion of Ten Thousand Demons wouldn''t have died so easily. Those three swords of the scholar from that time probably contributed to seventy percent of the effort."


    Then, he turned his gaze to the bodies of the poison cultivators.


    He had intended to just leave these poison cultivator bodies here, but seeing how the Evil Cultivation Scion of Ten Thousand Demons was earlier, perhaps these bodies could still be a great supplement to an Evil Cultivator?


    After hesitating for a moment,


    he took out a pocket-sized Sect Leader''s Chair from his bosom. This Sect Leader''s Chair was the core of all the Formation of the "Chao Tian Sect" and was also the Spiritual Treasure that could open this small world ¨C or rather, that small world was hidden within this Sect Leader''s Chair.


    The greatest gain this Heavenly Dao Secret Realm had brought to him was this small world.


    Leaving aside the items left by the Chao Tian Sect, just this small world alone, once word got out, even the Golden Core Great Powers would be envious and vie for it. Most Golden Core cultivators never had the opportunity to own such a thing as a small world throughout their lives to their deaths.


    A Foundation Establishment Stage Heavenly Dao Secret Realm''s final reward turned out to be a small world ¨C this was indeed something that no one had expected.


    Fortunately¡ª


    After that Heavenly Dao Secret Realm event concluded, the Heavenly Dao Decree did not expose this piece of news, otherwise the moment the news that Chen Qiu owned a small world got out, he would practically have to hide within the small world until he cultivated to the Golden Core Stage.


    His spiritual energy poured into the Sect Leader''s Chair, and a powerful suction force burst forth from his sleeve, drawing all those poison cultivator bodies into the small world, neatly placed on a wasteland within the Chao Tian Sect.


    To be used later.


    These poison cultivator bodies were also quite the treasures.


    ...


    Having done all this, Chen Qiu cleaned up the traces of the battlefield before he and the scholar headed for a city not far from here.


    "Kai Mountain City."


    It was one of the 365 cities of Da Xia but not an ordinary one; although there were Qi Refinement commoners to be seen everywhere, it was clear that there were quite a few more Foundation Establishment Cultivators ¨C about four or five could be seen among every hundred people.


    Some carried long swords on their backs.


    Some wore Daoist robes.


    It seemed rather lively. This city was over a thousand miles away from Fufeng City. Interestingly, there were no markets around Kai Mountain City, or rather, the markets were located inside the city itself.


    The market and Kai Mountain City had become one and the same.


    They encountered no trouble entering the city, and after tipping a few silvers, they easily entered without having to queue.


    "Huh?"


    Right as they were entering the city, Fat Long suddenly hesitated and glanced at a woman not far away being adored like a star amidst her entourage, saying subconsciously, "Brother Qiu, isn''t that an old acquaintance we''ve run into?"


    "Hmm?"


    Chen Qiu followed Fat Long''s gaze and saw a woman followed by four or five men, also entering the city through another passage to their left. That woman was not someone else but the ''Heavenly Girl'', a roving emissary of the Flower Offering Sect who had favored Fat Long several times.


    He had a rather good impression of this woman.


    After all, back then in the Heaven Asking Market inn, this woman had come to warn Fat Long specially, saying that there would be a big crisis in Fufeng City soon and it would be wise for Fat Long to leave quickly. He hadn''t seen this woman again since the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm and the Demon Race invasion.


    Unexpectedly, he encountered her here.


    But upon this second meeting, she lacked her previous radiance and glamour. Although she was surrounded by crowds, by the looks of it, she was clearly being held hostage.

 Chapter 83 Advancing to the Third Level of Foundation Establishment. (Seeking First Subscription)

    And at this moment¡ªThe Heavenly Girl of the Flower Offering Sect, who had obviously noticed Fat Long, flashed a hint of surprise in her eyes. Then, she lightly bit her red lips and shook her head almost imperceptibly before shifting her gaze away, no longer meeting Fat Long''s eyes.


    Clearly worried about being noticed by the few men around her.


    ...


    "What is she doing?"


    Fat Long looked baffled as he watched the woman being taken away by several men and hesitated, "Is she trying to tell me not to act rashly and not to save her with that gesture?"


    "Does this woman have a problem with her brain?!"


    "After being bullied by the Flower Offering Sect for so long, what makes her think I would risk my life to save her?"


    "Just because she passed me a message, she thinks I''ve forgiven her?!"


    "I, Fat Long, will never forgive those who''ve forced me in this lifetime!"


    He looked at the woman''s departing figure with some indignation. The Flower Offering Sect was his lifetime trauma, and this grudge couldn''t possibly be dispelled just because she had sent him a message.


    "Don''t mind it."


    Chen Qiu shook his head with no intention of going forward to find out what had happened. Instead, after entering the city, he walked straight along the main path, planning to find an inn to settle down first.


    Just then¡ª


    A little boy with a red cloth tied on his head approached him with blinking eyes full of anticipation, looking at Chen Qiu: "This Memory Stone contains Chopping Nine Oxen''s Image, the lucky fellow from Fufeng City the other day."


    "That lucky one has both ''Nine Ox Power'' and ''self-extinguishing root'' entries. He gambled with the Heavenly Dao dozens of times in a row."


    "Would the Immortal like to see it?"


    "Only for one or two Silver pieces."


    "..."


    Chen Qiu looked at the little boy in front of him with a weird expression, not because he found the price expensive, but because he found it strangely quick. It hadn''t been that long; the distance from Fufeng City was more than a thousand miles away, and the Memory Stone had already been brought over?


    Your efficiency is quite incredible.


    Waving his hand to signal Fat Long to throw over a piece of Silver, he took the Memory Stone, planning to relive the moment when he was interested later on. A gambler with such good luck, the next time he needed to gamble, he would hold this Memory Stone in the palm of his hand; perhaps he could rub off some Qi Fortune.


    ...


    After casually choosing an inn and booking three top-tier rooms,


    Chen Qiu was the first to enter one room alone, planning to wash up and sleep. Since coming out of the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm, he had been on the go constantly without any rest.


    After the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm was the invasion of the Demon Clan, after the invasion was the assassination of the workshop owner, then a rush to the Poisonous Thunder Swamp, using resentful spirits to kill the Poison Thunder Old Man, slaughtering the disciples of the Poison Sect, and ambushing the Scion of Ten Thousand Demons.


    Only then did he finally reach Kai Mountain City.


    He really hadn''t had the chance to rest this whole time; today, however, he finally had time to rest properly and take stock of his recent gains.


    After washing up and changing into a new robe, he sat cross-legged on the bed and practiced his mental method. After a hundred breaths, adjusting his body to its optimal state, he finally opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath of stale air.


    This was when he was at his best.


    He had only a few hundred resentful spirits from the Poison Sect disciples on him, which hardly had any significant impact on him.


    But soon... his state was about to be not so good again.


    Chen Qiu took a deep breath, pulled out a Golden Core from his chest, and put it to his mouth. This Golden Core was none other than that of the Poison Thunder Old Man''s. He hadn''t even met this person, his resentful spirit went in and killed the poison cultivator of that layer of the Golden Core.


    The Golden Core dissolved the moment it entered his mouth.


    The familiar heat flowed instantly through his meridians, the majestic Spiritual Energy began to rampage within his body unscrupulously, and his skin started to turn slightly red, faintly showing steam rising from the top of his head.


    Fortunately, he was already accustomed to this from previous experiences. Besides, this Golden Core was just from the first layer, nowhere near as explosive as the last one.


    Soon he controlled the rampaging Spiritual Energy and slowly guided it to flow gently through his meridians, following the fixed route of his mental method.


    ...


    After several cups of tea.


    The Chen Qiu sitting cross-legged on the bed slowly opened his eyes. His previously reddish skin gradually lost its warmth and returned to its normal color, while the Spiritual Energy fluctuating on the surface of his body was somewhat uncontrollable.


    This was clearly a sign of a realm being repeatedly broken through in a short period, resulting in an unstable state.


    For the next month, he intended to go nowhere, just to stay in this inn to stabilize his Cultivation, and by the way, see if he could seek some Spells and Spiritual Treasures in Kai Mountain City suitable for him.


    To make up for his weaknesses.


    At this time, his Cultivation Progress had already risen from the original¡ª


    ''Cultivation'': Foundation Establishment Stage Second Level (96%)


    to¡ª


    ''Cultivation'': Foundation Establishment Stage Third Level (36%)


    -


    The previous Golden Core of the fourth layer had boosted his Cultivation Progress by 90%, while this Golden Core from the first layer only increased his Cultivation by 40%. The difference was naturally because of the varying strengths of the Golden Cores, as well as the increasing difficulty of breaking through each realm as one''s Cultivation improved.


    And above his Dantian, that familiar panel shrouded in mist appeared once more.


    -


    "Cultivation greatly improved, formally entering the Foundation Establishment Stage Third Level."


    "Please choose from the three random entries below within ten breaths."


    1:


    ''Entry Name'': Exclusive Love.


    ''Entry Level'': Green.


    ''Entry Effect'': For every member of the opposite sex of your own kind who truly falls in love with you, you will receive ten Spirit Stones. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    2:


    ''Entry Name'': Tired of the World.


    ''Entry Level'': Yellow.


    ''Entry Effect'': Every time you kill a member of the opposite sex of your own kind who truly loves you, you will receive thirty Spirit Stones.


    3:


    ''Entry Name'': Capable of Toppling a Nation and a City.


    ''Entry Level'': Green.


    ''Entry Effect'': You will be able to more easily attract the favor of members of the opposite sex of your own kind. In their eyes, you will appear more charming than an ordinary person.


    -


    "..."


    Chen Qiu looked expressionlessly at these three entries above his Tao Foundation. For a moment, he even wanted to pull out his Mid-grade Heavenly Dao Retrospective Talisman and choose all three entries.


    It must be said.


    Each of these entries, if possessed individually, might just be a plain economic or lifestyle entry.


    But if these three entries appeared together, if one had all of them,


    That would be akin to¡ª


    ''Every Plant and Tree'', ''Start From Scratch'', ''Never Discouraged''.


    The same combination move of this trio of entries.


    Moreover, even stronger, as each acquisition of Spirit Stones seemed more numerous and didn''t appear to have a cap.


    It''s just that...


    A normal person, even if they don''t like a woman, would find it difficult to feel too much disgust if the woman loved them wholeheartedly.


    It''s like a kitten meowing with eyes only for you, running towards you. Even if you don''t like cats, unless you have an extreme personality, you''re unlikely to crush the kitten underfoot.


    In one''s lifetime.


    One won''t receive love from too many people.


    Thus, most people cherish every bit of love and kindness. For most, personally killing a girl who truly loves you would essentially haunt them with a Heart Demon for life.


    If one killed ten, a hundred, a thousand, or even ten thousand.


    The heart would grow cold, the blade dull.


    Under the extreme guilt, the body''s defense mechanism would automatically extinguish all conscience to prevent the body from harming itself due to excessive guilt.


    In such a case, one would already be considered a Demon Cultivation.


    These three entries combined are the genuine ''Demon Cultivation Terms''.


    It''s like the ''Path of Ascension'' entry.


    Someday on the Path of Ascension, one must kill one''s parents and offspring first.


    The ''Path of Ascension'' entry effect is that for every relative you kill with whom you share a blood relation, you will receive three Spirit Stones.


    Quite good.


    If a Demon Cultivator happens to possess these four entries, that truly would be a calamity upon the world.


    To make a member of the opposite sex fall in love with you, add ten Spirit Stones.


    Let them bear your child, kill one with each birth, birth another with each killing, and for every one killed, add three Spirit Stones.


    If they can''t bear children anymore, kill them and add thirty more Spirit Stones.


    If one sought out thousands of members of the opposite sex, one could directly create a man-made spirit stone mine.


    ...


    "Sigh."


    Chen Qiu exhaled a deep breath and without much hesitation, abandoned the idea of having this set of entries. Such a path was too wicked, and at least his character couldn''t bear the weight of killing hundreds or even thousands of women who truly loved him.


    With that effort.


    He could improve his Cultivation, kill more Golden Cores, which was much faster than killing women for money, right?


    He casually chose the ''Capable of Toppling a Nation and a City'' entry. Compared to the first two, at least this one was occasionally useful, such as... maybe helping with the layout for the upcoming ''Fame Ranking''.


    He was also quite envious of the ''Heavenly Dao Blessing'' that came daily.


    ...


    What Chen Qiu didn''t know was that.


    His name had already appeared at the bottom of the ''Fame Ranking'' at some point, and the rank of ''Bai Yi'' on the Fame Ranking was also rapidly climbing.


    In many sects.


    Under the leadership of the elders, numerous disciples stood solemnly in the sect''s square, looking up at the images projected by the Memory Stone hovering in mid-air.


    "A Magic Practitioner standing on a Flying Sword, like a spell perpetual motion machine, continuously bombarded the Demon Clan cultivators on the ground with a waterfall of Heavenly Thunders."


    ...


    ps: Officially launched, asking for first subscriptions and monthly tickets.

 Chapter 84

    "This..."Within the Caotian Sect, hundreds of disciples looked blankly and in shock at the scene projected by the Memory Stone in mid-air, momentarily at a loss for words.


    A Magic Practitioner, quite normal.


    A Sword Cultivator, also quite normal.


    Why does it become so damn abnormal when you combine the two?!!!


    Is this the kind of effect two Foundation Establishment Cultivators can produce when they work together?


    "Have you learned it?"


    The Inner Sect Elder of the Caotian Sect looked at the Outer Sect Elder beside him with a hesitant expression, "What do you think? Can we also select a few disciples to replicate this? Such synergy in the near future at the Major Sect competition for the younger generation will surely yield impressive results."


    "Ah?"


    The Outer Sect Elder made a surprised sound and incredulously turned to the Inner Sect Elder, "Elder Liu, don''t you want to take a look at the methods used by that Magic Practitioner? To cultivate the Thunder Summoning Technique to the Great Perfection Realm at the first level of Foundation Establishment is already remarkable, difficult but not impossible."


    "But his Spiritual Energy is like it has no limit, unleashing spells like a storm. Even when Fufeng City was reeling under a Demon Race invasion and the Spiritual Energy was incredibly rich, you at least need to exit the battle and recuperate your Spiritual Energy with a mental method, right?"


    "Look at him, he hasn''t stopped at all, has he?"


    "And that Sword Cultivator, which Sword Cultivator could make the Flying Sword move so fast at Foundation Establishment? Forget our sect, how many can be found in the entirety of Da Xia?"


    "Moreover, this familiar technique, this familiar Flying Sword, isn''t this Sword Cultivator the former number one Sword Cultivator of Da Xia, Bai Yi?"


    "How can this be replicated?"


    At this moment, the disciples who were still confused below also began to realize, yeah, how the hell can this be replicated.


    ...


    On the high platform at the sect plaza.


    "Sect Master."


    The Great Elder of the Caotian Sect spoke with an ugly expression, "The annual Sect Disciple fighting competition held in the Capital is about to begin. This year, we still haven''t cultivated any particularly outstanding disciples. How about letting Zhao Yishi compete this year?"


    "Even if he can''t secure the championship, he could at least seize a commendable ranking and win a decent prize, bringing some positive feedback for the sect."


    Zhao Yishi, though he has not yet acquired an entry that can synergize with the ''Heaven-reaching Giant,'' has indeed found several Body Cultivation Methods. His strength should not be underestimated: saying that with one punch he could split a mountain is an exaggeration, but he''s certainly not weak.


    He counts as outstanding among the younger generation of disciples.


    However, in past ''Sect Disciple Fighting Competitions,'' the Sect Master has always refrained from letting Zhao Yishi compete.


    The Sect Master''s intention is that Zhao Yishi must have a decisive effect, make a name for the Caotian Sect instantly; otherwise, he will not compete at all. If he does compete, it must be to secure first place.


    The impact of such an outcome would be extremely significant.


    "Not urgent..."


    The Sect Master of the Caotian Sect stood on the high platform, his eyes slightly narrowed as he thoughtfully watched the scene projected by the Memory Stone in mid-air, "That Magic Practitioner named Chen Qiu is a new friend Zhao Yishi made in the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm."


    "A friend of Zhao Yishi is a friend of the Caotian Sect."


    "Chen Qiu has not yet joined any sect and is a Loose Cultivator. If I send Zhao Yishi to win him over, Chen Qiu will likely not refuse to join the Caotian Sect, especially since even in decline, we remain one of the top sects in Da Xia."


    "If we manage to persuade Chen Qiu to join the Caotian Sect, let''s not consider this year''s ''Sect Disciple Fighting Competition'' where I expect Chen Qiu could represent the Caotian Sect and achieve a not-so-bad result."


    "Just speaking of..."


    "If these two grow in stature in the future, one an exceptional Body Cultivator, the other a Heavenly Thunder Magic Practitioner, wouldn''t they be invincible under the heavens?"


    "Moreover, I did not expect that the former first Sword Cultivator of Da Xia had not perished, just that his Cultivation had greatly declined. This individual is also without a sect, if we could ask the Supreme Elder to come out of seclusion, withstand the pressure from the Capital City Zhang Family, we can also bring him into the sect."


    "The talent for the Sword Dao of this individual," you should also know, "was mentioned years ago alongside Ji Taiping as the being most likely to attain the Nascent Soul through Sword Dao in Da Xia!"


    "If we could help him restore his cultivation."


    "In that case¡ª"


    "Then the future Caotian Sect would have, one peerless Body Cultivator, one Heavenly Thunder Magic Practitioner, one invincible Sword Cultivator!"


    "Wouldn''t the prosperity of Caotian Sect be just around the corner?"


    "And after I die, my memorial tablet could be placed at the highest position within the Caotian Sect''s ancestral shrine!"


    The Sect Master of Caotian Sect grew more and more excited as he spoke, already envisioning a scene years down the line with three Golden Core Peak powerhouses, garbed in robes embroidered with the Caotian Sect insignia, looking down upon all living beings. As Sect Master, if he could lead the sect to such heights, he truly would die without regrets!


    "I''ve decided!"


    The Sect Master of Caotian Sect slapped his thigh root with an exhilarated tone, "Let Zhao Yishi be kicked out to wander outside the sect. Although we don''t know where Chen Qiu is right now, a child of heaven such as he cannot conceal himself forever; he is bound to explode onto the scene one day!"


    "As long as we find traces of Chen Qiu, we should take the opportunity to have Zhao Yishi meet him."


    "Remember not to be too deliberate, don''t tell Zhao Yishi anything, and don''t reveal even a hint of a desire to recruit him. These children of heaven often have a great deal of pride and hate it most when people approach them with an agenda."


    "Zhao Yishi is a simple-hearted kid. Just let him be himself, and if they hit it off, wouldn''t the rest just come naturally?"


    "Such a child of heaven can''t possibly remain a Loose Cultivator for a lifetime, right?"


    "I have a premonition¡ª" S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I seem to see it now, the name of Caotian Sect resounding throughout the entire Da Xia Country."


    "Caotian Sect will surely prosper greatly!"


    ...


    Within a mountain stream in the Caotian Sect territory, Zhao Yishi lay in the crevice, mouthful of spring water, while casting both "Invisibility Technique" and "Disguise Skill" to blend himself with the surrounding nature.


    Only his mouth, brimming with spring water, remained visible.


    Anyone standing by would see nothing more than a hot spring.


    At this moment.


    Several young women in thin veils were frolicking in the hot spring.


    "Sister, how did you find such a hidden hot spring?"


    "Yes, the temperature here is just right, very comfortable, and the scenery is beautiful too. If only I could live here every day. Unfortunately, my master keeps pushing me to sword cultivation, and I can only sneak out once in a while, which is so annoying."


    "Be quieter, shh! This is Caotian Sect territory. I also discovered this place by chance when I was chasing a wild rabbit and stumbled upon it. If we make too much noise and the patrolling disciples hear us, we''ll be expelled."


    "Sister, look, the hot spring is bubbling."


    "Don''t be so amazed; isn''t it normal for hot springs to bubble?"


    "..."


    Zhao Yishi listened to the playful voices of the young women above while enjoying the peace of the moment. He loved this kind of life, serene and tranquil.


    Just then¡ª


    An urgent mission message from the sect came through the Sound Transmission Ring embedded in his molar.


    "Ah."


    Zhao Yishi, who was reluctant to get up, pondered the severity of disobeying orders, and after a deep sigh in his heart, he slowly rose from the stream like a Heaven-reaching Giant.

 Chapter 85

    He then spat out the spring water that still lingered in his mouth, mixed with the few young women who had been swimming inside it, onto his palm, and gently placed them on the rocks beneath the mountain stream, squatting down as he did so.Zhao Yishi squatted down, looking down on the young women with their expressions of disbelief and shock, and said in a deep voice,


    "I should thank you all."


    "During the third challenge of the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm last time, some moron of a previous owner claimed he had drunk urine, so I could take over from there."


    "It''s just that this habit isn''t very good; you should keep it tighter in the future."


    "I have some matters to attend to first, I''ll host you again next time."


    With that,


    Zhao Yishi''s massive form took steps that rose like stepping on lotuses, moving through the air, and swiftly disappeared into the clouds.


    Only leaving behind the young women standing there with their thin, soaked veils, staring in the direction Zhao Yishi disappeared, their pupils filled with bewilderment and terror.


    ...


    Dawn arrived.


    Chen Qiu, who had been cultivating cross-legged on the bed overnight, sensed the sunlight from outside the window and slowly opened his eyes.


    The changes from that one night were significant.


    It had allowed him to make two consecutive breakthroughs in a single day, which he had now solidified considerably.


    Upon introspection,


    His Tao Foundation appeared much brighter and more solid than before.


    At least now, his body showed no signs of instability or spiritual energy chaos; he looked at the spiritual energy leaping on his fingertips like flames, then at the teacup on the mahogany table, and flicked his finger lightly.


    A spirit line immediately coiled up the teacup, and as the spirit line retracted back into his body, the teacup from the previous night, filled to the brim, returned to his hand.


    Not spilling a drop.


    Chen Qiu picked up the teacup and took a sip, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes. Although turning spiritual energy into threads was a fairly simple technique, after all, it represented considerable progress compared to his past self, giving him a sense of significant accomplishment.


    It was somewhat like the feeling he had as a child when he first learned to ride a bicycle.


    Now, at the third layer of Foundation Establishment, he was no small fry in any city, even the Capital; Foundation Establishment cultivators were now Da Xia''s backbone.


    Afterward, he extended his Divine Sense into the small world to take stock of his latest gains.


    Before parting ways the previous night, Fat Long had already handed over all the Storage Bags he was carrying to him.


    Within the small world now¡ª


    Over a thousand Storage Bags, which weren''t valuable and couldn''t fetch much money. He didn''t plan to sell them but instead decided to keep them in the small world, as they might come in handy in the future.


    From the Storage Bags, he found quite a few low-level talismans, Pills, Spiritual Treasures, and some fragments of Spirit Stones and silver, worth a total of about two thousand Spirit Stones at a glance.


    Over three hundred Storage Rings with unbroken seals.


    These rings were left by the Demon Clan cultivators and disciples of the Poison Sect; the seals had not been broken yet, and the items inside the rings usually had a higher value. Breaking the seals on this batch of Storage Rings would certainly reveal more valuable treasures than those found in the Storage Bags.


    There were also some semi-ruined Spiritual Treasures and such, which, according to the scholar, could also fetch some money as materials, although the exact price was unknown but surely not too much.


    However, the real jackpot was¡ª


    The three personal Storage Rings left by the workshop owner of Ask Heaven Market!


    And the two Storage Rings snatched from the Poison Thunder Old Man!


    Both of them were Golden Core cultivators!


    The Storage Rings were sure to contain a lot of good treasures.


    And the two Storage Rings on the Scion of Ten Thousand Demons; he wondered if they contained his Far Escape Technique. Even Golden Core Stage cultivators couldn''t catch up with that Far Escape Technique, which really made him quite envious.


    ...


    After organizing his gains, Chen Qiu finally got up and left the guest room.


    As usual, Fat Long was already standing outside the door of the guest room, grinning and waiting for him.


    But this time, there was a scholar and his younger brother.


    "Let''s go have some breakfast."


    Chen Qiu, looking touched, patted Fat Long''s shoulder and turned to walk down the corridor towards the stairs. It had to be said that the emotional value Fat Long provided was indeed very high; waking up to his grinning face waiting outside the room every morning was really something.


    The group quickly found a roadside vendor selling mutton soup.


    Dipping into the soup, they enjoyed a few hot pancakes fresh out of the pan.


    It was already winter.


    The snow had not yet fallen.


    On the streets, many commoners dressed in thick jackets greeted everyone with joy on their faces, looking quite festive.


    "It seems like today is the Winter Solstice."


    Glancing at the people on the road, Fat Long pondered and said, "Then later today we must have some dumplings. A bit of festive ritual is still necessary."


    "Eh?"


    The scholar, who had been drinking meat soup, suddenly revealed a flash of surprise in his eyes, "How did my ranking on the Fame Ranking go up to No. 898? I knew the Heavenly Dao Blessing from last night was particularly generous."


    "Brother Qiu, you''re on the list too!"


    Chen Qiu raised an eyebrow and looked at the Fame Ranking, finding his name at No. 982. He searched with his Consciousness in the Storage Ring and found last night''s Heavenly Dao Blessing.


    The Fame Ranking changed every day, and after midnight, the Heavenly Dao Blessing would automatically appear in the Storage Ring. He had no idea he was on the list yesterday and thus had not been conscious of it.


    Only now did he pay attention to it.


    In the Storage Ring on his index finger was a small box, roughly the size of a small bench.


    It was inscribed with four sharp and bold characters in seal script on the top.


    "Heavenly Dao Blessing".


    Chen Qiu took it out of the Storage Ring and tentatively opened the wooden box wrapped in black cloth. Inside, a pill lay quietly, with lines of small print introducing it at the bottom of the box next to the pill.


    "Foundation Establishment low-grade Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pill."


    "Consumption can increase a small amount of Cultivation."


    "It''s actually a Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pill!"


    The scholar sitting beside him lit up and couldn''t help exclaiming, "A Cultivation Pill of this kind can be taken to improve Cultivation Progress, and is a specialty pill crafted by Alchemy Cultivators."


    "There are low-grade, mid-grade, high-grade, and top-grade Cultivation Pills."


    "Different grades of Cultivation Pills enhance different amounts of Cultivation, and they need to be consumed along with the running of a mental method. However, Cultivation Pills leave impurities in the body that, if not regularly and promptly cleansed, will merge into the Tao Foundation, resulting in an unstable foundation."


    "Generally speaking, consuming a low-grade Cultivation Pill typically requires spending three days to eliminate the impurities. The higher the grade of Cultivation, the more it boosts, and correspondingly more time is needed to remove the impurities." S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Such things are usually prepared for Cultivators who do not have many Spirit Stones."


    "After all, directly absorbing Spirit Stones is definitely the best. The Spiritual Energy in Spirit Stones is absolutely pure, so there''s no need to spend time removing impurities."


    "In the short term, ''Cultivation Pills'' surely increase Cultivation speed more than Spirit Stones, but if you include the time needed to remove impurities, in the long run, taking Cultivation Pills is far less effective than absorbing Spirit Stones."


    The scholar paused before continuing.


    "However, Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills have no side effects and contain no impurities."


    "At most, consuming too many at once can result in an unstable foundation, so some time is needed to consolidate the foundation."

 Chapter 86 Becoming famous should be done early, this saying really makes sense.

    "So you''re saying, the Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pill increases the speed of cultivation much faster than a Spirit Stone?"Fat Long pondered aloud.


    "Not much faster." The scholar shook his head, "If it''s just a low-grade Cultivation Pill, it actually won''t be much faster than a Spirit Stone."


    "But the Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pill has no impurities, which means you can use both at the same time."


    "You can take the Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pill while absorbing the Spiritual Energy from the Spirit Stone."


    "The combined speed would then be much faster than just absorbing from the Spirit Stone."


    "The Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills can''t be crafted by Alchemists and often appear in places like the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm, and they are extremely rare. It''s quite a surprise that this time the Fame Ranking''s Heavenly Dao Blessing turned out to be the Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pill."


    ...


    Chen Qiu glanced at the wooden box in the scholar''s hand, then at his own.


    Both contained a low-grade Heavenly Dao Foundation Cultivation Pill.


    That is to say.


    The blessings for the 898th and 982nd ranks are the same, making it unclear how much the ranking needs to change for the blessings to change again.


    He did not speak but tentatively pinched the transparent, shrimp dumpling-like Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pill and brought it to his mouth.


    It melted in his mouth with a sweet flavor.


    No sooner had this thought appeared in his mind than he felt a wildly violent surge of Spiritual Energy rampage throughout his body. Regardless of being at a roadside stall, he immediately closed his eyes to meditate, controlling the flow of Spiritual Energy slowly along the meridian paths within his body.


    A few breaths later.


    He slowly opened his eyes and performed introspection on his inner panel.


    -


    "Cultivation": Foundation Establishment Stage third level (36.8%)


    -


    "Good stuff."


    Chen Qiu looked at the Cultivation Progress on the panel and chuckled lightly. It had increased by 0.7%, from 36.1% which he checked this morning; the 0.1% was from last night when he consolidated his realm by practicing his mental method.


    The effect was quite good.


    The most important was the absorption speed, much faster than with a Spirit Stone, just a few breaths'' time. It''s just that one pill felt hardly satisfying. It would be nice to have more.


    He wasn''t worried about taking too many at once and destabilizing his foundation.


    Breaking through two realms in one day yesterday, the breakthrough speed at the Foundation Establishment stage is much slower than during the Qi Refinement Realm. Such speed almost guaranteed an unstable foundation and disordered aura.


    But last night he discovered another wonderful use of the Heavenly Dao Foundation.


    That is...


    A Tao Foundation built on the base of the Heavenly Dao is truly hard to destabilize.


    Just practicing for one night had virtually stabilized his realm. His aura was already stable by this morning, and in three or four more days, his aura would be completely stable, much faster than he had imagined.


    "If only there were more, or if they were mid-grade or high-grade ones."


    Chen Qiu looked regretfully at the Fame Ranking. Although the exact thresholds were unclear, it was almost certain that the higher one''s rank, the greater the grade and quantity of the Heavenly Dao Blessings received each day.


    "How can I move up this Fame Ranking?"


    "It''s difficult."


    The scholar shook his head helplessly, "Brother Qiu, take a look at who are on the Fame Ranking. Without exception, they are all well-known for a long time. To surpass these people in fame is almost as hard as reaching the heavens."


    "Also, I have a feeling that this ''Fame Ranking'' won''t last too long. After all, the Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pill was very rare in the past and isn''t likely to suddenly appear in large quantities."


    "According to historical records, there are many small changes before a major version change in the Heavenly Dao. This includes temporary rankings like this." S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Last night, when we suddenly rose in the rankings, I thought about it. Most likely, our battle in Fufeng City was recorded with a Memory Stone and then spread by the disciples of various major sects and families."


    "But it should be very difficult to rise further after that."


    "If you can''t reach the top of the list in a short time, even if you get there later, the list might disappear one day."


    "It''s really true that fame should be achieved early."


    "..."


    Chen Qiu sat there thoughtfully, not speaking. How to become famous?


    That itself had become a problem.


    He wanted the blessings that came with fame, but he didn''t want to be too conspicuous and catch the attention of some old demons; it was a difficult balance to maintain.


    Just yesterday, he had acquired an entry "Capable of toppling a nation and a city."


    It could enhance his charm to the opposite sex; perhaps he could use that to amplify his fame?


    Just as he was pondering¡ª


    A noisy commotion suddenly emerged from the road.


    "Damn it, who told you to copy the Memory Stone for other families?"


    "Just a Nine Ox Image Stone and you want to make how much money?"


    "Come on, let''s talk it over slowly outside the city."


    "Today, I''ll let you see exactly how many eyes the Horse King has!"


    Chen Qiu turned his head, almost reflexively.


    On the bluestone road, a burly man with a broad sword strapped to his waist and wearing armor was gripping a thin young man by the neck, cursing as they walked towards the city gates, followed by several other similarly dressed, brawny men.


    It looked like they were preparing to settle the matter outside the city.


    Such incidents were not very common, but they were normal enough.


    This area had no government patrols, and the people around them kept their heads down, pretending not to see anything, trying to avoid unnecessary trouble.


    "I was wrong, I was wrong, please let me go, I really was wrong!"


    The thin young man, gripped by the neck, was struggling to breathe, his face flushed red, his heels couldn''t touch the ground, and he was almost being dragged forward.


    He looked quite pitiful.


    ...


    Chen Qiu had only glanced briefly before returning his gaze. It was a common sight in Fufeng City, nothing unusual.


    "Let''s have the soup first; it''ll get cold otherwise."


    He lowered his head to look at the mutton soup in front of him, spiced with chili oil. He picked up the porcelain bowl and shoveled the mutton and glass noodles into his mouth with his chopsticks, followed by a bite of crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside pancake.


    That bite was satisfying.


    But just then¡ª


    The thin young man, being held by the brawny men towards the city outskirts, caught sight of Fat Long and a few others sitting at a roadside stand out of the corner of his eye and, after confirming he hadn''t mistaken them, called out with all the strength he could muster.


    "Fufeng City, Sky-bursting Gang!"


    "Folks, save me!"


    "..."


    Fat Long looked at the soon-to-be-dragged-away thin man, his mouth twitching slightly, before glancing at Chen Qiu.


    At that moment, the burly men also heard the shout and stopped. They turned to look in Chen Qiu''s direction, and seeing no reaction from them, they slapped the thin young man''s head hard and roared.


    "Shut the hell up!"


    "Don''t make me cut off your tongue first!"

 Chapter 87

    "Folks from the same hometown meeting each other, eyes brimming with tears, huh."Chen Qiu sighed lightly and deliberately finished the lamb soup in his bowl before setting it down. Digging a handkerchief from his breast pocket, he wiped the corners of his mouth and said helplessly.


    "Fat Long, the slogan you shouted for the Sky-bursting Gang that day was too loud."


    "If we don''t get rid of this guy, he might spill something if he''s dying, causing a whole lot of trouble."


    They had transmigrated to this world.


    It could be a big deal or a small one.


    If this person survived or somehow blurted out on his deathbed that he was a transmigrator and exposed them as well, it would significantly impact them. It wasn''t impossible that some old demons might want to dissect what transmigrators were made of.


    Everyone is curious.


    Even old Demon Race cultivators with Golden Cores are curious.


    Unfortunately, Demon Race cultivators with Golden Cores often have ways to satisfy all their curiosities.


    "Hmm..."


    Thinking about the seriousness of the matter, Fat Long nodded as he watched the young man being kidnapped slowly walk away, a fierce light flickering in his eyes.


    "Shopkeeper, time to settle the bill."


    Chen Qiu gestured for the shopkeeper to come over and, after throwing down some money, pointed toward the departing figures of the burly men and asked, "Which power in Kai Mountain City do these men belong to?"


    "This..."


    The shopkeeper hesitated significantly, reluctant to say more, but after glancing at the coins, noticeably more than the cost of the meal, he whispered, "Those guys are from Kai Mountain City''s ''Fierce Tiger Gang,'' a bunch of scoundrels. The gang leader is a third-layer Foundation Establishment strongman."


    "You seem like you''re from out of town, so it''s best if you avoid provoking any trouble."


    "If you''re not on good terms, pretend you didn''t hear anything. Don''t lose your life over a moment of valor."


    "Thanks."


    Chen Qiu stood up, patted the shopkeeper on the shoulder with a smile, and turned to leave the stall, following the figures that had almost disappeared from sight.


    If it''s just the third layer of Foundation Establishment, it should be manageable.


    ...


    Outside Kai Mountain City, in a certain part of the Deserted Forest.


    The burly man was at that moment holding a knife to the ear of the young man kneeling on the ground, his face showing a fierce grin, "Brother, remember this¡ªwhen you come to Kai Mountain City, you abide by Kai Mountain City''s rules."


    "Today, I will show you what the rules of Kai Mountain City are."


    Just then¡ª


    "Oh?"


    "What are the rules of Kai Mountain City?"


    A casual voice came from behind through the woods.


    "Who''s that!"


    The burly man holding the knife instantly changed his expression, turned around, and saw Chen Qiu and his three companions emerging from behind the trees, their footsteps crunching dry leaves as they walked.


    "It''s you."


    The burly man''s eyes flashed with recognition, and he bellowed angrily, his aura as a peak Qi Refinement cultivator fully unleashed, "I am the third ranking officer of the Fierce Tiger Gang in Kai Mountain City!"


    "Are you sure you want to make an enemy of the Fierce Tiger Gang?"


    "Care to share your names?"


    "..."


    Fat Long, slightly exasperated, rested his elbow on the scholar-like young man''s shoulder, gazing coldly at the burly man before him, and snorted, "Just be a local ruffian, will you? Calling yourself ''I am'' like you''re someone important?"


    "Trying to clear your name or what?"


    "Neither scholarly nor martial."


    "Doesn''t it sound awkward hearing your own words?"


    As his words finished.


    The burly man''s expression darkened immediately. Without another word, he advanced with his knife toward Chen Qiu and his companions.


    "Hey."


    Fat Long saw this and got excited, hurriedly standing up and rubbing his hands together as he moved forward, "Don''t anyone else act, let me handle this. It''s not often I get someone I can beat!"


    The burly man''s speed grew more exhilarating.


    In the last few strides he reached his peak, leaping into the air with a fierce roar, his large blade carrying a terrifying momentum as it cleaved towards Fat Long who was approaching him!


    He was confident. If this strike hit home, even if this fat man was at the peak of Qi Refinement, he was confident he could sever the fat man''s body!


    However¡ª


    The next instant!


    Fat Long''s body suddenly radiated a milky-white, semi-transparent light shield that firmly enclosed him. The terrifying strike of the blade landed on the spiritual energy shield and didn''t even make a crack.


    "Clang."


    The sound of metal clashing echoed through the jungle. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The burly man was flung several meters away, struggling to rise from the ground. Looking towards his blade that had been knocked away and his own tingling and uncontrollably trembling hand, he found it hard to believe. His throat was dry, his eyes filled with a hint of despair as he looked at Fat Long and said with a trembling voice.


    "Spiritual energy protection. That''s a hallmark of a Foundation Establishment expert!"


    "You...you''re a Foundation Establishment... expert?"


    "Could you spare my life?"


    "This rule-breaking fellow is yours. My boss is also a third-level Foundation Establishment expert. If you kill us, it will attract retaliation. We have no grudge against each other, so how about we call it even?"


    "If you gentlemen are still in Kai Mountain City today and you spare my life, I will definitely have our boss come and apologize personally."


    "Can... you?"


    As he spoke, the burly man''s voice even started to whine. Can you? Naturally, you can''t. In the past, many had pled for mercy from him and he''d never spared any of them. Now he finally understood the despair of those he had faced.


    Even though he knew it was impossible, at this point, he couldn''t help but pin all his hopes on those words.


    It was like grasping at a lifeline.


    ...


    "What do you think?"


    Fat Long''s face beamed with a smile as he twisted his neck, step by step approaching the burly man who had been knocked to the ground, lifting his fist. It felt truly exhilarating. Finally, someone he could actually beat. None of the enemies he had encountered in the past few days had been beatable by him.


    Facing such an easy target, of course he wanted to take full advantage.


    Meanwhile, the other members of the Fierce Tiger Gang within the Deserted Forest were also fearfully supporting the burly man, crouching together, waiting for the unknown verdict.


    Run?


    How could one in the Qi Refinement Realm outrun someone in the Foundation Establishment Stage?


    Just then¡ª


    A wiry young man, tied up and abandoned to the side, looked urgently towards Fat Long who had already walked up to the burly man and raised his fist, shouting hurriedly and anxiously, "Big brother, hold back, don''t kill him!"


    "He''s still useful!"


    "..."


    Fat Long looked emotionlessly towards the wiry young man, as if looking at an idiot. Did you think he was here to save you, still shouting at this moment for mercy? Wait and you''ll be killed along with the others.


    Moreover, your mind doesn''t seem right either.


    They were about to chop off your head just now, and now you start shouting to spare him.


    "Huff... huff..."


    The burly man sitting on the ground looked at the fist, just inches from his head, suspended in mid-air carrying a terrifying force. His entire body trembled faster, gasping for air, the fear making him wait even longer for the impending verdict.


    That fist.


    If it smashed on his head, his head would burst on the spot!


    No surprises!


    At that moment, the wiry young man spoke even more urgently, "Big brother, give me a chance to explain in the forest nearby. After I explain, you''ll understand!"


    "When you were killing Demon Clan cultivators in Fufeng City, I was hiding inside the city. We''ve actually met before."


    "I didn''t expect to meet you in Kai Mountain City today; it must be fate."


    "Just give me a hundred breaths'' time, I''ll definitely make things clear!"

 Chapter 88

    "..."Fat Long glanced doubtfully at the thin young man sitting on the ground, hesitated, and then turned to look behind him at Chen Qiu, who nodded and began walking towards the depths of the Deserted Forest before he casually said to the young man,


    and likewise followed Chen Qiu''s pace.


    "Let''s go, let''s hear your explanation."


    "Thank you, thank you so much!"


    Seeing this, the skinny young man quickly scrambled up from the ground with grateful eyes and followed the two into the jungle.


    ...


    After the group had left,


    the burly man who had been full of fear suddenly became lively in spirit and looked at the remaining two people left behind by the group.


    One looked to be a taciturn fellow, short in stature with a full beard.


    The other, a scholar with disabled legs, sat cross-legged on the shoulders of the bearded man.


    They didn''t seem to be very capable of fighting.


    The burly man seemed to move casually towards another part of the Deserted Forest and tentatively asked, "May I inquire what your Cultivation is?"


    As soon as he finished speaking,


    the bearded strong man''s Foundation Establishment Cultivation was unmistakably revealed.


    "Not bad."


    The initially escape-minded burly man immediately stopped moving, expressionlessly looked down at the crimson soil beneath him, and absentmindedly fiddled with the dead grass around him, resigning to the fact that it seemed like he was fated to die there that day.


    ...


    "Um..."


    Deep in the Deserted Forest, the skinny man glanced at Chen Qiu and whispered to Fat Long, "We used to be fellow villagers, and this gentleman, this gentleman..."


    "We''re all fellow villagers."


    Fat Long said irritably, "Just say what you want to say."


    Chen Qiu, standing to one side, took out a soundproofing charm from his chest, activated it, and enveloped the group to ensure their conversation could not be heard by others.


    "This gentleman is also a fellow villager?"


    The skinny man looked at Chen Qiu with a flash of astonishment in his eyes, then took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Since we''re all fellow villagers, let me introduce myself first. I am an offering from the ''Yuncheng Wang Family.''"


    "My name is Liu Zide."


    "You may not have heard of the ''Yuncheng Wang Family,'' but since you''re in Fufeng City, you must surely know about the Nine Ox Festival. I was the one who planned the whole event. With just that one event, we earned thousands of Spirit Stones, which is the total profit of the Yuncheng Wang Family for over a decade!"


    "Oh?"


    Chen Qiu, who had shown little interest at first, suddenly perked up and sized up Liu Zide, a glint of appreciation flashing in his eyes, "You were the one who organized that festival?"


    "Gambling spirit and ability combined, not bad at all."


    Last time, he''d felt that the person who orchestrated the festival was quite talented, perfectly seizing upon the lack of entertainment in this world, and profited heavily. He hadn''t expected that it was his fellow villager who did it, which made him far more interested in the man before him.


    "The gambling spirit is something the master possesses; it has nothing to do with me."


    Seeing that Chen Qiu acknowledged his past achievements and even showed admiration, Liu Zide finally relaxed, letting out a long sigh of relief. With this, the subsequent conversation would be much easier.


    He naturally knew that Chen Qiu was the leader of these people.


    I just didn''t know that Chen Qiu was also a fellow villager.


    When I first arrived in Fufeng City, I saw Fat Long shouting about the Sky-bursting Gang. Although I wasn''t sure if it was a coincidence or a case of the same name, I still took note of it in my heart. I tentatively shouted earlier and, unexpectedly, it really was a fellow villager.


    "Let''s have a formal introduction."


    With a serious expression, Liu Zide looked at the two of them and said word by word, "I used to be a small owner of an MCN, with hundreds of marketing accounts under my banner, mainly profiting from generating traffic."


    "In my previous life, I didn''t learn any skills, except for how to manipulate traffic."


    "Since we are all fellow villagers, I''ll just speak frankly. I''ve smelled a big business opportunity, but it''s too big for me to handle alone, I need to find partners to cooperate."


    "I recorded the scene of the Nine Ox Festival onto Memory Stones, and I have already started to spread it wildly in two cities. Initially, my plan was to sell Memory Stones to let various city factions help spread them, thereby quickly increasing the lord''s fame."


    "Just like that, in one day, I spread it across two cities and successfully got the lord onto the list before yesterday''s midnight."


    "But after last night''s midnight, after seeing the content of the Heavenly Dao Blessing, I realized the value of the Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pill far exceeds the cost of the Memory Stones. I noticed that you two are already on the list; you must know the Heavenly Dao Blessing provides the Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pill."


    "No need to speak more on the value of the Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pill." Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Having said this,


    Liu Zide''s whole demeanor became extremely agitated, and, with an excited expression, he said excitedly, "In my initial plan, I calculated the cost of the Memory Stones, but now the profit from the Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills has far surpassed the cost of the Memory Stones!"


    "We can completely ignore the cost of the Memory Stones, distributing them for free through all channels!"


    "With enough Spirit Stones for activation, I can mass-produce at least three celebrities with hundreds of followers!"


    "The more vulgar and exaggerated items attract more attention. This world has not yet experienced the dirty baptism of capital. Just a few coarse, exaggerated things entering the market, especially for free, will attract a lot of attention and bring massive fame to the protagonist!"


    "For instance, one female with nine males!"


    "Nine men with their faces covered, only revealing one woman to gain fame."


    "To be more sensational, you could even add some plot, like nine evil cultivators and one pure, unblemished Daoist Holy Daughter."


    "Brothels are everywhere in this world, but no one shoots this kind of thing. This is a huge market gap, as watching the excitement and visiting brothels are not conflicting activities. We could even cooperate with brothels!"


    "Or take those with unique talents, for example!"


    "For example, find two people with entries like ''Nine Ox Power'' and ''Bull Strength,'' record them with Memory Stones, and the spread would definitely be wide, boosting their fame tremendously!"


    "I can think of countless ways in my mind!"


    "Everyone deemed ''Da Xia''s No.1 Array Repairer'' and such would not rank in terms of fame. Ordinary people who don''t care about Cultivation won''t care who Da Xia''s No.1 Array Repairer is. They love whom they love; it has nothing to do with them."


    "But precisely these ordinary people are the ones with the greatest base numbers. They may not care who the No.1 Array Repairer of Da Xia is, but they definitely won''t be able to resist something like ''Nine Ox Power'' and ''Bull Strength'', which they may have never even heard of!"


    "As long as we control the three hundred people we promote, the Heavenly Dao Blessings they receive every day will be ours!"


    "That''s nearly a thousand Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills every day!"


    As if already seeing fruit of victory, an agitated Liu Zide, with his neck swollen and face flushed red, said, "That will be a tremendously huge interest, and in the early stage, it only requires a portion of Spirit Stones as startup capital."


    With Da Xia Territory divided into nineteen provinces and 365 large cities, both Fufeng City and Kai Mountain City belong to ''Xuzhou'' province."


    "And ''Xuzhou'' is a large state, with a total of 47 large cities."


    "The territory of Da Xia is too vast. We obviously can''t reach all the cities, but we can take over all 47 cities, and the ordinary people in these 47 cities will be an important force for us to climb the charts!"


    "The only key element of this plan is speed!"


    "Before others have time to react, we''ll take over all the cities within ''Xuzhou'' in an instant. So even if others catch on and want to imitate us, they will have to move to other provinces."


    "Although we''ll lose some profits to competition."


    "There is a silver lining. If any major family is envious of us, their energy will definitely focus on how to expand into other provinces, not us, at least we will be lower on the priority list to plunder our fruits."

 Chapter 89

    I must say,Liu Zide''s emotional contagion is very strong.


    "..."


    Chen Qiu and Fat Long, standing in place, slowly opened their mouths in astonishment, a flash of shock crossing their eyes. They had already begun to imagine the earth-shattering changes that would occur throughout Da Xia Country if Liu Zide''s plan were to succeed.


    Damn it...


    This could be considered a complete transformation of a world.


    In the past, it was said that if one cannot change the world, then one must adapt to it. Whereas Liu Zide''s philosophy seemed to be if you can''t change the world, then forcibly make a miracle, just damn change it!


    Chen Qiu pondered Liu Zide''s train of thought.


    I must say, it seems like it really could work, and there was already a successful case precedent. He found the name of the Patriarch of the Yuncheng Wang Family that Liu Zide mentioned on the "Fame Ranking," ranked 936th.


    -


    ''Rank 936'': Wang Tiedan, fame value 9203.


    -


    Higher than his own rank.


    He was only ranked 982, dozens of ranks below him.


    It turns out that the recognition he gained from bravely slaughtering nearly ten thousand Demon Clan cultivators was not as much as one Nine Ox Festival.


    And the name ''Wang Tiedan'' was the first on the entire "Fame Ranking" that was neither a murderous Evil Cultivation, nor a famed young generation Disciple, nor a big shot in any industry, nor any famed courtesan or the like.


    It can be said that Wang Tiedan is the only one who made it to the ranking by being "unconventional."


    And Liu Zide''s plan was to mass-produce three hundred Wang Tiedans, essentially a case of bad money driving out good.


    "..."


    Chen Qiu stood silently, his expression complex; after pondering for a long time, he concluded that the plan was basically feasible, especially given that Liu Zide had invested all his talent points in this aspect; nobody else could manage it as effectively as Liu Zide himself.


    Of course, mass-producing three hundred Wang Tiedans was definitely an exaggeration.


    But mass-producing seventy or eighty felt entirely possible.


    The most significant issue here is that... the benefits are too substantial, and the greed is somewhat unseemly. It involves vulgarity and lowliness, which could easily attract the disdain and greed of some morally fastidious old demons.


    In other words,


    the risks are as great as the benefits.


    But as Liu Zide said, if only one is fast enough to eat a full wave before anyone else can react, then even if you leave the stage afterward, you''ve had your fill.


    "Huff."


    Chen Qiu took a long breath and finally decided internally. He patted Liu Zide''s shoulder and said with a sure expression, "Tell me your specific plan for cooperation; I''m quite intrigued."


    Liu Zide nodded, his expression serious as he held up three fingers.


    "Three points."


    "First, we need a large amount of Spirit Stones in the initial stage because everything must be done quickly. Traveling will require the use of Flying Boats, recruiting a large number of talents must be widely advertised with a heavy investment of Spirit Stones, and we will also need many hands on deck to negotiate with the local tyrants in all the cities as quickly as possible."


    "This will definitely result in expenses being several times higher due to the need for ''speed.'' sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "In simple terms, it''s about using the most Spirit Stones in the shortest time to carve out a place in the world."


    "We will need roughly fifteen thousand Spirit Stones in capital."


    "..."


    Chen Qiu remained silent, not saying a word. He had a total of eighteen thousand spirit stones in his small world, including those from the storage bags. This was all his possessions. With Liu Zide''s single request, he was asking for all the spirit stones Chen Qiu had earned recently.


    Although there were still many storage rings with restrictions that hadn''t been cracked open, it was uncertain how many spirit stones were contained within them.


    "Have you lost your mind?"


    Fat Long looked at Liu Zide with a speechless expression, "Do you have any idea what fifteen thousand spirit stones represent? Even if I give you that many spirit stones, would you dare to accept them? Wouldn''t your hand tremble just holding them?"


    "There''s no other way..." Liu Zide shook his head helplessly, "I know it sounds exaggerated, I''m well aware of what fifteen thousand spirit stones mean."


    "Our Wang Family''s annual profit used to be just a few hundred spirit stones. Even a set of large Sound Transmission Talismans purchased by the sect for their disciples wouldn''t cost more than a thousand spirit stones."


    "Fifteen thousand spirit stones are equivalent to the annual profit of more than fifty Wang Families combined."


    "But... I''ve calculated carefully, to cover the entire ''Xuzhou'' in the shortest time, and to find a family that specializes in making Memory Stones, placing large orders and so on, indeed, approximately that number is needed."


    If it were an ordinary person, he would not have said it, since an ordinary person would not have so many spirit stones, but he saw Chen Qiu and his companions take away all the storage bags and storage rings from the bodies of the Demon Clan cultivators while in Fufeng City.


    The harvest should have been considerable.


    Maybe it would be enough to support his plan.


    The initial investment of spirit stones required for his plan was too vast; a typical sect or even a family might not be able to support it, and the Yuncheng Wang Family he was currently working for was even less likely to afford it.


    He had almost given up on the plan, but then he encountered Chen Qiu and his group here. Perhaps it was also Heaven''s way of encouraging him to be bold and go for it.


    After pondering for a moment, Chen Qiu finally spoke softly, "Didn''t you say that the Nine Ox Festival you organized last time earned several thousand spirit stones? Where are those spirit stones? Are you discussing this with me in the capacity of an offering from the Wang Family, or are you speaking as Liu Zide?"


    "As Liu Zide."


    Liu Zide said sternly, "Even though the old master is a good person, he cares a bit too much about face... After setting up in two cities, no matter how I persuaded him, the old master resolutely gave up."


    "He said a Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pill was not worth the loss of his face."


    "The old master has already traveled overnight back to ''Yun City,'' saying I should come back when I''ve thought it through. I wanted to follow the old master back to Yun City, but I really couldn''t bear to miss out on such a big business opportunity, so I left the inn this morning intending to get some food, but then I was discovered by the ''Fierce Tiger Gang.'' They think it''s unethical for me to have given a copy of the Memory Stone to several forces."


    "Then I ran into you guys."


    "State your second condition."


    "I will take some of the spirit stones from the fifteen thousand and go to ''Zhao''s Escort Agency'' to hire a few escort masters who can protect my personal safety. This needs to be negotiated in advance."


    "And the third?"


    "I need one-tenth of all profits."


    Perhaps worried Chen Qiu and others would refuse, Liu Zide spoke with less confidence but forced himself to say, "Trust me, I''m worth the price. Apart from me, you won''t find a better candidate."


    "And I will offer you a value-added service."


    "For example, Brother Qiu, although your appearance may not be particularly stunning, you have a rather unique aura, and when compared to other cultivators of the same rank, you are undoubtedly invincible."


    "I can package you up so that Brother Qiu''s fame soars in a short time."


    "The method is very simple."


    "Shower every storyteller in all the big cities with spirit stones, then spend heavily to get a few high-ranking beauties on the Fame Ranking to express their affection for Brother Qiu, and then Brother Qiu rejects them."


    "Then find a few past-their-prime seniors to publicly lament that they were not as good as Chen Qiu in their youth."


    "Finally, concoct some stories, and combine that with other tactics. After one set is launched, Brother Qiu, your fame will skyrocket."


    "If Brother Qiu has any unique trump cards as well..."


    "That would be a finishing move!"


    "Um... how about half of one-tenth? At least let me take something back, so I can have some face when I return to Yun City. Otherwise, I''ll feel utterly disgraced."

 Chapter 90

    "..."Chen Qiu pondered for a moment, then suddenly smiled and looked towards Liu Zide, "This is our first meeting, and you''re already asking me for fifteen thousand Spirit Stones. You really have the nerve to ask."


    "However, I think you''re quite imaginative."


    "The fifteen thousand Spirit Stones are yours, and this Sound Transmission Ring too."


    "Let''s not talk about ten percent or five percent anymore. Let''s go with the ten percent you mentioned. I''ll give you ten percent."


    "I hope you won''t disappoint me."


    ...


    Very soon.


    Chen Qiu dispelled the soundproofing charm and, taking Liu Zide with him, returned to the Deserted Forest. He looked towards the scholar and softly said, "It''s going to be hard on you these two days following him. Temporarily obey his commands, do whatever he tells you."


    "And this man."


    He glanced indifferently at the robust and burly man on the ground, "Since you said not to kill him, then we won''t kill him."


    Then, he casually tossed a Storage Bag full of Spirit Stones in front of the burly man.


    "Go back and tell your boss to mobilize all the members of your gang to buy up all the Qi Replenishing Pills in Kai Mountain City."


    "I''ll be waiting here for you."


    Only then did he look towards Liu Zide, clapped his shoulder with a smile and said, "There''s no need for a Flying Boat anymore. My two brothers here are much faster than any Flying Boat. I''m entrusting them to you for these few days; they should help you speed up significantly."


    ... S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Quick, quick, quick!!"


    "Shopkeeper, bring out all the Qi Replenishing Pills in your shop. We''re buying all of them!"


    In an instant.


    Hundreds of burly men, shirtless and wearing armor, frenziedly bought up Qi Replenishing Pills in all the big pharmacies of Kai Mountain City, as if they intended to buy up every single pill in the city!


    "Boss."


    The burly man from the Deserted Forest tentatively stood in front of a young man and said weakly, "Are we really going to deliver the Qi Replenishing Pills to him? With so many Spirit Stones, we could completely run away."


    "Run away?"


    The young man sitting in a rocking chair shook his head helplessly, "A person who can casually throw out two thousand Spirit Stones won''t be afraid of you running away."


    "It''s just not clear where this person comes from, why he needs so many Qi Replenishing Pills, and why he needs them so urgently."


    ...


    "We''re off."


    Liu Zide, with a serious expression, stood in the Deserted Forest and bowed towards Chen Qiu and the others, "Thank you, Brother Qiu, for your trust. Rest assured, I''ll definitely make these fifteen thousand Spirit Stones earn you several times more!"


    "If there''s a loss of even one stone, I''ll bring my head to you."


    The scholar, on the other hand, turned his head away with some resignation, as if he felt like a concubine who had been passed on to another master.


    Damn.


    He was so annoyed; he didn''t want to leave Chen Qiu''s side at all.


    Chen Qiu also noticed the scholar''s discomfort and couldn''t help but comfort him with a smile, "It''s up to you, scholar. As the Second Elder of the Chao Tian Sect, this is your first mission. Take it seriously."


    "I''ve staked everything on this."


    "This batch of Qi Replenishing Pills is almost like the last straw that will break my back."


    "Don''t worry, Sect Master."


    The scholar also brightened up upon hearing this, "As the Second Elder of the Chao Tian Sect, I will give it my all!"


    "Shall we first go to Qiu Yuan City?"


    Liu Zide looked tentatively at the scholar beside him, unsure what method the latter would use to take him away.


    "Mm."


    The scholar nodded lightly. From his sleeve, a three-foot green blade transformed into a beam of Liu Guang, shooting towards the distance. Immediately thereafter, the scholar and his two companions vanished on the spot without a trace, a method of travel far superior to any Flying Boat.


    It''s just... somewhat costly in terms of Qi Replenishing Pills.


    ...


    After the others had left, the boss of "Fierce Tiger Gang" came to see Chen Qiu, expressed his apologies, and also departed.


    The vast forest was suddenly left with only Chen Qiu and Fat Long.


    "It feels so empty all of a sudden."


    Fat Long sighed as he glanced around.


    Chen Qiu did not speak, only shook his head and returned to Kai Mountain City. To be honest, he wasn''t quite used to the absence of the scholar, and always felt like something was missing at his side.


    The most important thing was...


    His deficiency in movement technique became entirely exposed after the scholar left.


    "..."


    Chen Qiu helplessly affixed a "Gale Talisman" to himself, then proceeded to stride forward!


    He now had too many weaknesses that had to be addressed!


    ...


    "What, cracking a forbidden spell?"


    Inside a shop in Kai Mountain City, a shopkeeper with a face full of flesh looked sternly at Chen Qiu and his group, saying, "We can''t take on this job. Don''t you know that it''s strictly forbidden by Da Xia Country''s laws to break the spells on others'' Storage Rings?"


    "Can''t do it, can''t do it."


    But as he saw Chen Qiu and the other turn to leave, he lowered his voice and added with a light cough, "However, you might want to have a look at the abandoned temple three miles west of the city after nightfall, there seems to be an old expert there who does this kind of work."


    "Oh."


    ...


    Night fell.


    Chen Qiu and Fat Long were already waiting in the abandoned temple three miles west of the city, sitting on the dusty ground and warming themselves with a campfire.


    "Brother Qiu."


    Fat Long looked at Chen Qiu beside him, who was sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, recuperating and rotating his mental method, and said somewhat boredly, "When is the shopkeeper coming? It''s almost time."


    "Just wait a little longer."


    Chen Qiu said calmly with his eyes closed.


    This shopkeeper was recommended by the scholar, who said that this business had the best reputation for cracking forbidden spells, and in many years, there hadn''t been a single case of leaking customer information or double-crossing.


    For someone recommended by the old Jianghu hand like the scholar, he was still trustworthy.


    Sometimes he felt his luck was truly good.


    When he first entered Jianghu, Fat Long, the All-Knowing, had told him much information, which saved him from many detours.


    And when the things they touched upon rose to a higher level, and Fat Long no longer knew the relevant information, he met the scholar, who, as an ex-Jianghu hand, took over the role of All-Knowing.


    Without the scholar and Fat Long,


    It might have taken him many more days to embark on the cultivation path, and he might have hit wall after wall, perhaps even without knowing the term ''Step by Step''.


    It''s not that people become more fatalistic with age,


    but as they grow older and look back on their lives, they find that many very right decisions were not made by themselves but under the influence of fate, made unconsciously.


    Just then¡ª


    Footsteps crunching on fallen leaves could be heard outside the temple. Soon, a middle-aged man with a mask walked in and stood at the entrance, speaking in a purposely lowered and gravelly voice.


    "Are you two young friends here to break a Storage Ring''s spell?"


    "Mhm."


    Fat Long, already somewhat impatient, said gruffly, "Hurry it up, shopkeeper. We''ve been waiting for you for a long time."


    "What shopkeeper, not shopkeeper. You''re mistaken, young friend."


    "I remain unchanged in name and deed, known in the Jianghu as Wang Laoqi!"


    After that, the masked middle-aged man didn''t say much else, directly moving to sit cross-legged in front of Chen Qiu and said hoarsely, "Bring out the Storage Ring."

 Chapter 91 Devote Yourself to Your Profession.

    "Hmm."Chen Qiu nodded, opened his eyes, lifted his sleeve and gave it a shake, causing more than thirty Storage Rings to fall down. Then, he quietly said, "Thank you, elder."


    If this Shopkeeper insisted on acting like an elder, Chen Qiu had no objections to addressing him as one.


    "Wow."


    A hint of surprise flashed in the middle-aged man''s eyes, "That''s quite a lot."


    Then, one could see the middle-aged man''s fingertips spark with a strand of Spiritual Energy, finer than a strand of hair and barely visible in the dim light. He picked up a Storage Ring, closed his eyes, and drove the Spiritual Energy into the ring¡ªit took him several breaths to fiddle with it.


    A very faint, crisp sound was heard in the silent temple.


    "Phew!"


    The middle-aged man exhaled softly, a trace of pride appearing on his face as he set the Storage Ring aside and chuckled, "It''s just the most basic restriction, obviously from ''Xuzhou.'' ''Xuzhou'' likes to make these barely-there restrictions." S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Low cost, less hassle."


    Then, he picked up another Storage Ring, followed the same method as before and easily broke the seal again, proudly saying, "Another ''Xuzhou'' restriction, though this one is a bit more complicated, with some extra seals added by the sect."


    "However, the person who set the restriction from that sect was clearly half-baked. All the extra restrictions they added focused on the key point of breaking the previous restriction, which is like worrying about thieves, so you add an extra lock to your door."


    "I just had to smash the door."


    "No challenge."


    "Oh?"


    As the middle-aged man picked up another Storage Ring, a flash of combativeness appeared in his eyes, "Interesting, I haven''t seen this type of restriction for many years. You''ve come to the right person; such restrictions have been lost for many years."


    "Not to mention breaking them."


    "Luckily, I happen to have read some ancient texts on how to break these types of restrictions."


    "Phew... alright, this will take some effort, but it''s manageable." Read exclusive chapters at empire


    ...


    "..."


    Fat Long had a complicated look as he stared at the Shopkeeper, whose neck was covered in sweat, who was fighting more vigorously, and even seemed excited. His eyes sparkled with a brilliance that not even a mask could hide. How should I put it?


    He now understood what it meant to really love what one does.


    For some reason, he felt that compared to the profits from breaking the restrictions, the Shopkeeper might be more obsessed with the act of breaking them¡ªit''s addictive, huh?


    ...


    "Refreshing!"


    After breaking the seals on more than thirty Storage Rings, the middle-aged man wiped the sweat from his neck, took a long breath, looked up at Chen Qiu and his companion with a smile, and said, "All done, my Divine Sense did not leak out at all, as both of you could sense."


    "I know the rules. In our line of work, we value reputation greatly."


    "Now that the job is finished..."


    Before he could finish speaking.


    Chen Qiu once again waved his sleeve, and another batch of Storage Rings clattered to the ground, this time even more, amounting to three hundred plus, "Here are some more, please trouble yourself again, elder."


    "..."


    The Shopkeeper looked at the Storage Rings scattered across the floor, his mouth twitching slightly, thinking, this guy must have slaughtered a sect or something, right?


    Buddy, that''s quite dark.


    "Well... my young friend, breaking restrictions is very draining on Spiritual Energy, and my own cultivation is quite shallow, I''m afraid..."


    Before he could finish speaking again.


    Chen Qiu once again waved his sleeve, and clink-clank, about a dozen bottles of Qi Replenishing Pills fell to the ground: "No worries, I have enough Qi Replenishing Pills, keep at it."


    All thanks to the scholar.


    It made him develop the good habit of always carrying extra Qi Replenishing Pills.


    "Phew..."


    The Shopkeeper let out a long breath, a fighting spirit surged across his face as he said solemnly, "Since that''s the case, there''s no need to worry about anything else, let''s begin."


    ...


    Finally¡ª


    Several hours later.


    The sky had already turned fish-belly white and was starting to brighten.


    The middle-aged man, whose face was ashen and lips were slightly purplish, had long lost his face mask, not that he cared anymore. His body was covered in cold sweat, clearly, this night had taken a toll on him.


    Though his physical condition seemed poor, he felt a surge of pride as he looked at the neatly arranged stack of Storage Rings beside him.


    "Finally got it done, and it''s almost dawn, so..."


    "Wait a moment."


    Before he could finish, Chen Qiu interrupted again, solemnly placing seven Storage Rings on the ground, "There are seven more Storage Rings, I ask for your assistance, old sir."


    "More?"


    The middle-aged man paused for a moment and then his gaze quickly settled on five of the Storage Rings, his voice filled with disbelief, "Are these Golden Core Great Power''s Storage Rings?"


    He felt the aura of Golden Core Great Power emanating from these five Storage Rings!


    The remaining two Storage Rings were not ordinary either; the Evil Energy emanating from them almost soared to the heavens, clearly belonging to a poison cultivator who had many lost souls on his hands.


    Without even waiting for Chen Qiu to speak, the middle-aged man took a deep breath, his face written with determination and excitement as he rasped out.


    "Rest assured, young friend, leave it to me!"


    This was the first time he had the chance to break the seals on a Golden Core Great Power''s Storage Rings, which to him was almost like facing a sacred entity!


    ...


    Then, from Fat Long''s perspective.


    He saw the middle-aged man first perform the Spring Rain Technique to cleanse his hands, then with a devout expression, he held the Storage Ring imbued with Golden Core aura in his hands. The moment the hair-thin Spiritual Energy Threads penetrated, his face instantly flushed abnormally red, and his eyes closed tight, his voice shaking with excitement.


    "Worthy of being a Golden Core Great Power''s Storage Ring!"


    "This Golden Core Great Power must be a poison cultivator, with quite a few self-imposed seals within, specifically targeting the Divine Soul with poison seals. If someone attempts to break them, the soul-corroding poison will instantly kill the intruder."


    "I must be extremely careful, even the slightest mistake could be disastrous!"


    "Exciting, exciting, really exciting!!"


    "Truly thrilling!"


    "..."


    Fat Long looked at this scene and scratched his head in resignation. Frankly speaking, as a guest, he quite liked the Shopkeeper''s passionate demeanor¡ªit was clear that the Shopkeeper genuinely loved his profession.


    As a guest, he appreciated people who loved their job.


    But...


    From another perspective, he really couldn''t understand why someone would be so interested in breaking the seals of Storage Rings.


    If you''re really so fascinated by seals, why not switch to Array Repair?


    Studying Formations would expose you to even more seals.


    Chen Qiu also looked interestedly at the middle-aged man in front of him, recognizing that this man was not putting on a show, but genuinely loved what he did, and was also talented. It seemed, from what the other said, that besides him, it would be difficult for others to break the seal of this Golden Core poison cultivator''s Storage Ring.


    He liked people who were dedicated to their professions.

 Chapter 92 Open and Clear Young Master.

    This time, breaking the seal took even longer than before, consuming an entire three sticks of incense''s time.It was not until the middle-aged man let out a long sigh that he carefully placed the storage ring to one side, his forehead already covered in cold sweat. After placing the storage ring on the ground, his hands began to tremble uncontrollably.


    This trembling was a result of his hands being intensely focused on performing extremely delicate tasks for an extended period.


    It was clear that he had been forcibly suppressing it earlier, and after he put down the storage ring, he immediately released the suppression.


    "Young friend,"


    the middle-aged man, looking extremely pale and in poor condition, spoke in a hoarse voice,"I really can''t go on, not at all. I can only get this far today. Shall we continue with the remaining rings tomorrow night here?"


    His hoarseness was not feigned this time.


    It was as if he had been shouting for dozens of minutes, rendering his throat hoarse; his lips were cracked, and he truly looked completely spent.


    "Alright."


    Chen Qiu got up, looked at the middle-aged man, and passed him a storage bag while speaking softly, "You''ve worked hard, sir. This storage bag contains the previously agreed upon price."


    The price for breaking a storage ring''s seal wasn''t expensive.


    A single spirit stone could break the seal on three storage rings.


    Although this was something prohibited by Da Xia''s law, how should one put it? There are many things forbidden by Da Xia''s law. Some are absolutely untouchable in public, some are strict laws that result in immediate punishment upon infringement, some are ignored if the public turns a blind eye, and some are even overlooked when done right in front of government officials.


    Different laws have different degrees of enforcement across various states and at different times.


    Like the act of breaking the seal of a storage ring, in "Xuzhou," it wasn''t strictly enforced; it was more of a turn-a-blind-eye situation. If it were strictly enforced, naturally, the price would skyrocket.


    He gave thirty more spirit stones.


    First, it was to form a good relationship; he didn''t mind spending a little money to make a connection with someone skilled in a particular area.


    Second, the poison cultivator''s storage ring seemed genuinely difficult to break and, from what the other party had said, the risks were not small. He would have felt guilty if he did not give a few more spirit stones.


    The middle-aged man who took the storage bag and probed it with his divine sense couldn''t help but smile and, with joy in his face, made an obeisant gesture towards Chen Qiu, "The young master is generous, and this old man thanks the young master."


    Only then did he slowly turn towards Chen Qiu and his companions, leaving the temple.


    The rustling sound of footsteps on fallen leaves grew fainter and fainter until they finally disappeared. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ...


    "Tsk."


    Fat Long, watching the man leave, clicked his tongue and said, "I thought he was the kind of person who gave up everything for his hobbies. Turns out he''s still happy to take spirit stones."


    "He changed his address quite quickly, didn''t he?"


    "After receiving the tip, he went from ''young friend'' to ''young master''."


    "Quite smooth on the tongue."


    "Normal." Chen Qiu, with a calm expression, swept a glance at the extinguished bonfire beside him, "The standards of a saint are only fit to be imposed on saints and should not be used to judge others. Everyone likes spirit stones."


    "We''re not returning to Kai Mountain City tonight."


    Without waiting for Fat Long to speak, Chen Qiu waved his sleeve, and a strong force of suction enveloped them, drawing him and Fat Long into the small world.


    ...


    Under the dusk.


    The mountain gate engraved with the words "Chao Tian Sect" stood in decline at the mountain''s peak.


    This was the site, or rather the ruins, of Chao Tian Sect.


    It was his second time entering this small world since acquiring it.


    This small world had no stars, and the light didn''t change much; it remained in a constant state of near dusk, without any night.


    "..."


    Chen Qiu swept his gaze around. The last time he had entered this small world was in the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm. Now, as he re-entered holding the Sect Leader''s Chair, all Formations and restrictions made way for him.


    With a single thought, he could observe any corner of the Chao Tian Sect.


    However, the place had fallen into considerable disrepair; to renovate these collapsed buildings would require a large number of Spirit Stones and would be a time-consuming task. Not to mention, repairing the Formations was a major project.


    He didn''t think further on it.


    After his Divine Sense swept through the Chao Tian Sect via the Sect Leader''s Chair, he headed towards one of the disciple dormitories that was still in relatively good shape.


    He found that he was really getting lazier. Since losing the scholar, even walking a few steps felt unbearably slow.


    Shaking his head, he applied another ''Gale Talisman'' to himself and Fat Long before striding toward the disciple dormitory.


    Those Storage Bags may not have had much else, but they were full of these low-level talismans.


    Even Loose Cultivators commonly stocked a few talismans in their Storage Bags¡ªthese things could be life-saving in critical moments. Being stingy with Spirit Stones and reluctant to spend them could cost you your life when it really mattered.


    Perhaps because of this mindset, there were scarcely any Spirit Stones in those Storage Bags. Enjoy more content from empire


    ...


    After finding a bed in the disciple dormitory that was still reasonably intact and sweeping away the dust with a surge of Spiritual Energy, Chen Qiu then sat cross-legged on the bed and began his cultivation for the night.


    This act of dust-clearing also signified that his control over Spiritual Energy was improving.


    At that moment, he suddenly remembered how the middle-aged man that night had turned Spiritual Energy into Spiritual Silk, finer than hair by several times. With a thought, a thread of Spiritual Silk burst forth from his fingertip as well.


    Yet no matter how focused he was, he could only control the Spiritual Energy to the thickness of a strand of hair. Any finer and it would shatter, dissipating back into the world as Spiritual Energy.


    "Sigh."


    He let out a helpless sigh, realizing there was still much room for improvement in his fine control over Spiritual Energy.


    After reaching Foundation Establishment, he found that his nighttime cultivation almost replaced the need for sleep. He would feel just as refreshed the next day, as if he had slept a whole night.


    Before beginning cultivation,


    he first sent his Consciousness to probe into each of the Storage Rings whose restrictions had been breached that night.


    Two incense sticks of time later, he had finally sorted through the contents of this batch of Storage Rings.


    ''There are over nine thousand Spirit Stones.''


    ''Various low-level talismans, low-grade Pills, low-grade Spiritual Treasures, and low-level Spells, among others.''


    Most of the Spirit Stones had come from the Storage Rings of those few hundred Poison Sect disciples. The Storage Rings of the Demon Clan cultivators were virtually empty.


    Moreover, those Demon Clan cultivators liked to collect all sorts of odds and ends.


    For example, several pieces of red bellybands that had turned stiff and white.


    Perhaps, in the Heavenly Dao Prison, these items were more precious than any Cultivation Technique or Spirit Stone.


    "..."


    Suppressing his disgust, Chen Qiu sorted out those odds and ends and threw them outside the door, planning to dispose of them outside the temple first thing in the morning.


    After all this, he took a deep breath and seriously rubbed his hands together.


    Full of anticipation, he probed his Consciousness into the Storage Ring of that poison cultivator with a Golden Core.


    So...


    Let''s see what treasures the Storage Ring of a Golden Core Great Power might contain!


    Hopefully, it held tens of thousands of Spirit Stones or something of the sort; that would be worthy of a Golden Core''s reputation!

 Chapter 93

    As soon as the Divine Sense probed into the ring, he discovered that the space within this Storage Ring was many times larger than that of other Storage Rings.It was clearly not an ordinary item.


    Just this Storage Ring alone must be worth quite a sum of money.


    It had to be said that the scholar''s recommendation was reliable. The shopkeeper with the Foundation Establishment fifth-layer Cultivation did not even entertain a single thought of snatching when he saw a person with third-layer Foundation Establishment Cultivation holding such a treasure.


    Even though the shopkeeper definitely couldn''t defeat him, according to common sense, a fifth-layer Foundation Establishment should definitely be able to crush a third-layer.


    One could only say that his professional ethics were maxed out.


    ...


    When this Storage Ring came into view, the first thing he saw was a huge pile of Spirit Stones, roughly sweeping through, there were about more than eight thousand pieces.


    "Tsk!"


    Chen Qiu grinned with satisfaction, because among this pile of Spirit Stones, he also found about twenty or so milk-white ones with even richer Spiritual Energy, which should, without a doubt, be Mid-grade Spirit Stones.


    A single Mid-grade Spirit Stone was worth a hundred low-grade Spirit Stones.


    These twenty-four Mid-grade Spirit Stones were roughly equivalent to 2400 Spirit Stones.


    But in actual value, they were worth more than 10,000 Spirit Stones.


    Because although a single Mid-grade Spirit Stone contained about a hundred times the Spiritual Energy of a low-grade Spirit Stone, in many applications, such as when laying out arrays, the array''s eye must be fitted with a Mid-grade Spirit Stone, so you couldn''t possibly replace it with a few hundred low-grade Spirit Stones during that time.


    Therefore, the actual exchange rate is much higher.


    Worthy of being the Storage Ring of a Golden Core poison cultivator, just the Spirit Stones alone amount to about 14,000, more than all the Spirit Stones combined in the Storage Rings of all the Poison Sect disciples and those Demon Clan cultivators.


    Originally, his pockets were pretty much emptied for that plan involving Liu Zide.


    And then, these Storage Rings suddenly brought him a total of about 18,000 low-grade Spirit Stones and twenty-four Mid-grade Spirit Stones.


    A feast overnight.


    This was nearly catching up to the earnings he had accumulated after continuously reaching Foundation Establishment 999 times in the wilderness of Fufeng City.


    A full belly.


    "Murder for loot adds a gold belt to your robe; the ancients really did not deceive me."


    Content with what he found, Chen Qiu''s Divine Sense continued to probe into the depths of the Storage Ring, coming across some spare clothes and some poisonous herbs that looked unrecognizable and rather dangerous.


    That damn grass was so dark it was gleaming, adorned with some purple, looking not at all safe.


    Enjoy more content from empire


    I''ll have to ask the scholar what these are when he comes back; there''s an entire large patch of them.


    However, these are probably not very valuable. He noticed that there were a dozen or so Jade Boxes also filled with medicinal herbs. The herbs in the Jade Boxes obviously seemed more precious, and there were many porcelain bottles filled with pills.


    Some he recognized, others he had never heard of.


    ''Qi Replenishing Pill,'' ''Cultivation Pill,'' ''Three Corpses Brain Divine Pill,'' ''Nine Flower Jade Dew Pill,'' ''Bloodthirsty Seal Throat Pill,'' ''Herb of Clear Sight,'' ''Five Poison Immunity Pill,'' and so on.


    Although he didn''t understand all of them, he could still easily identify some of the pills as poison pills.


    The quality of these pills was not low; if he couldn''t use them, selling them would bring in a great wealth.


    "Hmm?"


    Chen Qiu''s eyes suddenly narrowed, his Divine Sense lingering on a short pedestal within the Storage Ring''s space, where a Jade Scroll was placed with five big characters engraved on it: ''Nine Poison Nether Soul Technique.''


    The Jade Scroll was also shimmering with a familiar light!


    Shockingly, it was a Heavenly Dao Secret Realm product that one could master to great accomplishment once learned!


    And it was an extremely superior Foundation Establishment Daoist Skill.


    At the same time, he saw something in the Storage Space that he had once used: an ''Enlightenment Stone,'' which could elevate any Cultivation Technique to the Great Perfection Realm!


    When his Divine Sense probed the ''Nine Poison Nether Soul Technique,'' his mind vaguely received a message from between heaven and earth.


    ''To learn this technique.''


    ''One must first immerse the body in Nine Poison Liquids for 24 hours and personally slay three hundred and thirty people who have committed the seven deadly sins.''


    ''Otherwise, one will surely suffer from poison corroding the Divine Soul and die on the spot, beyond the help of gods or immortals.''


    -


    "..."


    As Chen Qiu processed this information in his mind, his mouth slowly opened wide, and his Divine Sense swept over the interior space of the Storage Ring, murmuring, "Damn, I''ve really hit the mother lode this time, I hope this doesn''t cut my lifespan short, right?"


    According to the information in his mind.


    The seven deadly sins are the seven evils of the Buddhist Sect, namely: killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, divisive speech, harsh speech, and idle chatter.


    And that faint sense of information from the cosmos had informed him that he had met the condition.


    Which meant,


    he had, at some point, already killed over three hundred and thirty people guilty of the seven deadly sins.


    To commit all the seven sins, to be honest, would be quite difficult for a normal person to achieve.


    So, unless there was an unexpected turn, if his guess was correct, the three hundred and thirty sinners he had killed were those disciples from the Poisonous Thunder Swamp, who he initially thought were sent by the Poison Sect for training.


    Now it seemed there might be more to the story.


    Putting everything else aside, it would indeed be challenging for the Poison Sect to ensure that every disciple had committed the seven sins.


    ...


    Chen Qiu''s divine sense swept over the poison herbs, pills, Enlightenment Stones, and the Jade Scrolls from the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm, stored in his space. Clearly, it must have taken the Poison Thunder Old Man many years to gather all these items.


    Just as he was about to achieve a milestone in his cultivation technique.


    A Golden Core fourth-layer resentful spirit, appearing from out of nowhere, barged into the Poisonous Thunder Swamp without a word and assaulted him with punches and kicks, killing the Poison Thunder Old Man right there in the swamp.


    Years of accumulation were finally intercepted just as everything was about to succeed.


    And the interloper...


    Was none other than him, Chen Qiu.


    "Huff..."


    Chen Qiu took a deep breath, a flicker of intense interest passing through his eyes. To tell the truth, he quite liked the ''Nine Poison Nether Soul Technique.'' It was a spell that suited magic practitioners.


    Poison cultivators commonly used various spells as their attack methods, similar to magic practitioners. Poison cultivation was a specialization within the broader magic practitioner category. Compared to magic practitioners, poison cultivators favored spells with toxic effect.


    ''Nine Poison Nether Soul Technique''


    A top-grade Foundation Establishment spell.


    After extending his divine sense into the jade scroll, he soon understood the general information about this spell.


    When cast,


    it would convert the spiritual energy released from the body into green demon fire with toxic properties. Once touched, the protective spirit Qi would be corroded instantly, riddled with holes, followed by the enemy''s agonizing screams as they melted into a puddle of green pasty flesh within the maggot-filled soles of the feet.


    The more abundant the spiritual energy within the body, the more green demon fire one could release.


    Even if the enemy had a higher cultivation and their protective spirit Qi couldn''t be corroded, the toxicity contained within the green demon fire could directly scorch the divine soul. It would flow against the protective spirit Qi, attacking the divine soul directly.


    Without the right methods to protect the divine soul, one would grow weaker with each battle until the divine soul was completely eroded away, leaving a soulless husk of a body.


    A somewhat strange but powerful spell.


    And when cultivated to the Great Perfection Realm, the resentful spirits accompanying you could heed your command during the casting of this spell, each adhering to a strand of demon fire, increasing its speed and power. Moreover, they could emit a continuous, piercing wail of spirits in the enemy''s ears, inducing a faint illusion.


    When the Daoist skill is cultivated to the peak,


    hundreds of captivating emerald-colored demon fires could easily obliterate all enemies that dare to invade in the night.


    And make the invaders understand what true fear is. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It could be called a true inferno of darkness.


    Targeting the body, the mind, and the soul.


    ...


    "Very good."


    Chen Qiu nodded in satisfaction. This would become his second main offensive spell, ensuring his attack methods were not so monotonous anymore.


    With the Enlightenment Stone and all the necessary materials prepared, he almost needed to prepare nothing.


    He could just pick up what was already there.


    He would start practicing tonight. Thinking of this, he could scarcely contain his excitement. Immediately, his divine sense left the storage ring, and he stood up and walked outside to the courtyard of his residence, waking up Fat Long.


    It was time to light a fire and boil a bath for himself with the Nine Poisons.


    After understanding the Poison Thunder Old Man''s intentions and looking at the pills and medicinal herbs beside him, everything became crystal clear at once.


    Indeed, there were nine different types of poison, along with some neutralizing medicinal herbs and various Detoxification Pills just in case. He didn''t need to worry about making a mistake, as the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm Jade Scroll would remind him through the cosmic intent which poisons to add to the cauldron, following a standard procedure.


    "Good, everything''s well prepared," he muttered to himself.


    Before long, the water in the large cauldron began to emit steam, and after Chen Qiu waved his sleeve to extinguish the flames with a burst of spiritual energy, he stripped off his clothes and jumped into the cauldron. He didn''t add the poisons right away, but instead turned to Fat Long and instructed seriously,


    "Keep an eye on things, If I faint midway or something unexpected happens, the Detoxification Pills are right there. Just pour them into my mouth."


    "You got that?"

 Chapter 94 Birds of a Feather.

    "Understood."Fat Long nodded solemnly and seriously.


    Chen Qiu did not delay any further but immediately, according to the information from the Heavenly Dao Jade Scroll, placed the surrounding poison fog and neutralizing herbs in the warm medicinal tub in order, soon feeling a slight sting.


    The spiritual energy inside his body began to boil and gradually turned violent.


    He instinctively closed his eyes, preparing to circulate his mental method.


    But the next instant¡ª


    He opened his eyes even faster, his mouth twitching in pain he couldn''t suppress.


    Under the entry "One with Heavenly Deficit," all his senses were enhanced, including his sense of pain.


    Damn it... I might as well keep my eyes open, keeping them open doesn''t affect the cultivation, it just feels weird, like how some people don''t want to stare into each other''s eyes while kissing, usually at least one person has their eyes closed.


    If both are stubborn, then the scene is quite tender.


    Time flew by.


    Chen Qiu was not in a hurry, simultaneously circulating his mental method and experiencing the tingling sensation from the poison immersion. He was a Magic Practitioner, not a poison cultivator; if he were the latter, he probably wouldn''t even feel this slight pain.


    Many poison cultivators have grown up ingesting poisons since their childhood, their internal spiritual energy turning a jade green color.


    With a casual strike, their blows carried toxicity.


    ...


    Meanwhile here¡ª


    The scholar, initially reluctant, was gradually turning into a state of full admiration and shock. He could never have expected that this thin man in the Qi Refinement Realm beside him had so many ideas in his head.


    For example, during their journey, they briefly talked a few times.


    They discussed his identity as Da Xia''s number one Sword Cultivator, an identity that he had now openly acknowledged. With the leak of the Memory Stone, enemies were assuredly going to come knocking, and since hiding was no longer an option, he no longer wished to conceal his identity.


    They talked about the time he competed with Ji Taiping for the title of Da Xia''s number one Sword Cultivator.


    They also talked about his reputation in Da Xia.


    This man named Liu Zide was the one giving him these strategies.


    "You could occasionally look distressed and stare at your late wife''s hairband in public. What use is a Sword Cultivator no matter how formidable? Isn''t there always someone in the world deemed the strongest Sword Cultivator? This persona is strong, but to maintain it, you''ll always have to face challengers."


    "How dangerous is that, what if you die one day?"


    "We can switch to a persona that is safer and more memorable."


    "This way, even if someday you are no longer the strongest Sword Cultivator, you still have your uniqueness."


    "The persona of a widower who remains faithful is very suitable for you. Then, in those brothels where others are lecherously frolicking, you, clad in a green robe, would sit alone in the attic, your face showing signs of vicissitude as you drink wine under the moon."


    "Broadcast this scene with a Memory Stone, then find a few scholars to compose some poems about this moment."


    "Then you can spend a few Spirit Stones to hire some admirers, so wherever you go, a crowd of them will scream excitedly at you; wouldn''t others become even more curious about you then?"


    "Moreover, people tend to follow the crowd; when many people like something or someone, others tend to more easily like that thing or person. This way..."


    "..."


    Liu Zide said a lot, and it sounded like these were just the most basic strategies; he hadn''t even started on the more clever ones.


    What a genius. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If he had known these tricks back then, he couldn''t even imagine how imposing he would have been.


    ...


    In Qiu Yuan City.


    The scholar sat cross-legged in a chair, looking towards Liu Zide nearby who was anxiously and urgently directing in the courtyard, lifting his tea cup to his lips with an emotional sigh: "Truly a great talent."


    The bearded strong man sitting beside him did not say anything but just looked down at the ants on the ground.


    His brother''s favorite thing was fame.


    Liu Zide''s greatest skill was making people famous.


    These two really matched each other.


    Birds of a feather.


    Meanwhile, Liu Zide was furiously yelling into his Sound Transmission Ring: "No matter how much that woman with the ''Nine Yin Strength'' is offering, tell him, I''m offering ten times that!!!"


    "Money is no object, understand!!"


    "Have her board the fastest Flying Boat and come to Qiu Yuan City at the highest speed!"


    Then, turning to the nine men pretending to be Evil Cultivators, he angrily yelled: "Have you jerks ever even seen an Evil Cultivator? Can you act out that kind of brutal inhumanity of an Evil Cultivator?!"


    "A pitiable White-clothed Saintess of a famous sect is right in front of you."


    "And you''re asking her if she has a husband?!"


    "Be more brutal, understand?"


    Standing among the nine Evil Cultivators, the Saintess in white, her eyes glistening as if teary, coyly turned to Liu Zide and seductively said: "Boss, this is my first time in front of so many people, with so many people."


    "Can you add two more Spirit Stones later?"


    "Add, add!!!"


    Liu Zide, with one hand on his hip, looked towards this White-clothed Saintess, pointing at her nose and scolded: "I''ll add your mother, can you drop that slutty act?"


    "You''re supposed to be portraying a naive and pitiable Holy Daughter from a proper sect, understand?!"


    "The kind that is unknowing and innocent!"


    "Act slutty one more time, and I''ll kick you out; I can find loads of sluts for ten Spirit Stones, got it?!"


    "Oh..."


    The Saintess looked a bit aggrieved and nodded her head.


    "Yes, yes, yes, that''s the spirit!"


    "Get ready with the Memory Stone, let''s try it again!"


    ...


    A few moments later.

 Chapter 94 Critters of the Same Mound. _2

    "Okay, perfect!!!"Liu Zide nodded with satisfaction, not bothering to review the footage on the Memory Stone again. Instead, he immediately handed the Memory Stone over to the burly man beside him in Kai Mountain City, speaking seriously and urgently.


    "There are no restrictions on this Memory Stone; it can be copied freely!"


    "Take it and replicate three hundred thousand copies for me at the fastest speed!"


    "Do you understand?"


    "Understood." The burly man, bare-chested and clad in armor, nodded very seriously and left the courtyard in a hurry to find his boss with the Memory Stone in hand.


    He originally had some grievances with Liu Zide in Kai Mountain City.


    But later, those grievances had been settled.


    Moreover, Liu Zide had given them a handsome reward to do some odd jobs, like communicating with the local tyrants of other cities, something they were undoubtedly better at!


    ...


    "Huh!"


    After completing the scene, Liu Zide didn''t dare delay for a moment. Looking around and seeing that the two with the "Nine Ox Power" and "Nine Yin Power" entries hadn''t arrived yet, he couldn''t help cursing through the Sound Transmission Ring again.


    "Did they fucking die on the way?"


    "Have they gone back halfway through a funeral?"


    "If they don''t get here within an hour, it''s all bullshit. The Spirit Stones I gave you are enough for you to take the fastest Flying Boat. If you try to save some Spirit Stones at the expense of my time!"


    "Then all of you can get lost. Do you understand?"


    "..."


    The scholar, sitting cross-legged on a chair and sipping his tea cup, looked at Liu Zide, who was so busy his heels couldn''t touch the ground in the courtyard, and couldn''t help but twitch at the corner of his mouth.


    This person... is pretty fierce.


    And his language is rather unclean.


    ...


    "Come on, on to the second scene!"


    After casually wiping the beads of sweat from his forehead, Liu Zide looked at the script he had written in advance and shouted to several men and women who were already prepared not far away, "You''ll play a female cultivator at the Golden Core Peak."


    "You are a well-known Demon Cultivator, who then, in a great battle, got heavily wounded and lost all your Cultivation, falling into a poor remote area. And you three will play Woodcutters at the first level of the Qi Refinement Realm."


    "Come on, prepare the Memory Stone!"


    ...


    "Come on, the third scene!"


    "You play the current Empress, and then..."


    "No, no, no..." The scholar, who originally wanted to sit indifferently on the side, spat out a mouthful of strong tea when he heard this, his eyes flashing with shock. Without caring about consuming Spiritual Energy, he immediately slapped the chair and flew over to Liu Zide, his voice even trembling as he said.


    "Brother, that''s really too daring, do you have a death wish?"


    "Do you have a vendetta against Brother Qiu? If this gets out, it''s hard to say how many people in Xuzhou will survive."


    "Really? Can''t do it?" Liu Zide shook his head with a touch of regret: "Well, if it''s not possible, never mind. It''s just a pity, though, as such a huge difference in status would definitely be a hit if filmed. Oh well, forget it."


    "Let''s move on to the next one."


    "Come on, continue with the third scene ¡ª this time you''ll play a Sect Master with the power of a Golden Core Great Power, who in an effort to further advance the sect, resignedly allows his wife to..."


    ...


    "Come on, the ninth scene!"


    "Give those two a close-up; together, they''re bound to be a huge hit!"


    ...


    "The twelfth scene!"


    "Can''t you put a little feeling into it, don''t you understand emotion? When you speak your lines, don''t be so dry, can you get a little more excited?" S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You''ve been an insulted and disregarded branch family member for three years, but suddenly, after making a breakthrough to Foundation Establishment, you acquire a Seven-colored entry, and your strength skyrockets. Those in front of you are the same people who used to mock you."


    "Now they all fear you and put on forced smiles in your presence."


    "Put yourself in the shoes of this discarded one ¨C what would you do? Yeah, right, just go for it!"


    ...


    "The seventeenth scene!"


    "The thirty-eighth scene!"


    "The seventy-ninth scene!"


    "The..."


    ...


    The sun rose and then set.


    By this time, more and more outsiders had poured into Qiu Yuan City. After a lot of Spirit Stones were invested, the stores all over Xuzhou from "Zhao''s Commerce" mobilized family power to serve Liu Zide.


    Even the Family Head, at the early stage of Golden Core, accompanied Liu Zide throughout, receiving his commands.


    His mouth almost uncontrollably twisted toward his ear; with so many Spirit Stones being spent, it was almost equivalent to a year''s profit for Zhao''s Commerce. Not just accompanying him, he even wanted to call Liu Zide his brother.


    In these days, it''s not easy to find a patron who spends so lavishly.


    Occasionally, he even released a bit of Golden Core aura, to make the actors playing Golden Core cultivators in the Memory Stone appear even more convincing.


    At the same time.


    Massive quantities of Memory Stones were constantly replicated, and then the scholar personally took charge of delivering them to the local tyrants in the 47 major cities of Xuzhou, who distributed them in large quantities for free. From there, it spread rapidly toward the surrounding villages and smaller counties.


    Everything was moving forward rapidly and in an orderly fashion.


    It has to be said, Liu Zide''s command abilities were indeed strong, and so was his ability to inspire emotion. He dealt with every minor detail in an orderly manner, with basically no mistakes.


    Only Liu Zide didn''t seem to be in good shape at the moment; having not slept or eaten for a long time and just sipping water, he looked so pale he seemed about to faint at any second. The physician of Qiu Yuan City had been ready nearby, administering concoctions from time to time to ensure he remained alert.


    Just as he said.


    He wanted to spread across the 47 cities of Xuzhou at the fastest speed before anyone could react. It was all about speed, the fastest possible, and for this, he was willing to pay several times the price.

 Chapter 94 Birds of a Feather Flock Together. _3

    ...At this moment, almost every family in Xuzhou that had a business in creating Memory Stones, the Family Heads all flushed with excitement, personally went to the family workshop, standing on the frontline to encourage their people!


    "Everyone better work your asses off for me, after we nail this deal, everyone gets triple pay this month!!!"


    Honestly speaking, the Memory Stone business was quite niche, but there had always been orders, the kind that provided a steady stream of income.


    But they couldn''t withstand the sudden arrival of a big client.


    Who started with a single sentence.


    Double the price, payment first, goods later, they wanted as much as there was available.


    That single, simple sentence had completely spurred the passion of all the family workshops in Xuzhou that produced Memory Stones, everyone working together, day and night without rest, halting all other business activities to produce only Memory Stones.


    Having lived a lifetime,


    they never imagined that there would come a day when they could get rich off Memory Stones.


    Indeed, life is full of opportunities.


    ...


    "Dig, dig with all your might!"


    The most basic material for making Memory Stones was something called "soft stone," and at this time, in Xuzhou, the owners of every mine with this ore, similarly flushed with excitement, were waving their whips, present in the mines themselves!


    To motivate the people below.


    They even specially hired some women from brothels to perform enticing dances on a high platform.


    "Brothers, put some muscle into it!"


    "Swing those picks, goddamn it, after this haul is done, everyone can go to the brothel and splurge for three days, my treat!"


    He was originally just a side member of the family, assigned to this unwanted mine, unable to make many Spirit Stones in a year, but suddenly there were many big orders, many small families buying "soft stone" at an inflated price.


    Although he didn''t know what had happened.


    But he knew one thing, he was about to make a killing!


    ...


    "Quickly!!!"


    In Qiu Yuan City, a shopkeeper bellowed into the Sound Transmission Talisman, "Everything''s sold out, all sold out, someone in Qiu Yuan City is buying up all the Qi Replenishing Pills, quickly have your sect send some more over, business has never been this good!"


    ...


    "Where are the Flying Boats? Weren''t there a lot of Flying Boats docked here on other days?"


    "Today, for some reason, suddenly a lot more people are taking Flying Boats, and there aren''t enough available, there''s been no return trips yet."


    ...


    "No way, where are the girls from your Qiu Yuan City brothels? I checked three places, and those madams told me that the girls have left, what, can your Qiu Yuan City brothel girls go for collective training or something? There''s none at your place either?"


    "Young Master, you''re not aware, today for some reason, many people have been demanding the girls from the brothels to go out, all booking by the day. Truly, we''re running short on girls."


    "This is so annoying... erm, madam, I see you''ve still got some charm to you, do you still take customers?"


    "Hehe, Young Master, you have quite the eye."


    ...


    The entire Qiu Yuan City, and even Xuzhou,


    was stirred into huge ripples after a reckless expenditure of fifteen thousand Spirit Stones, kicking various industries and countless people into frenetic activity.


    The fifteen thousand Spirit Stones directly hit the sinking market area, benefitting so many that had it all been spent at an auction, it wouldn''t have had such an extensive impact.


    Liu Zide was resolute in following through with his plan.


    He dialed up the speed to the maximum, cutting a path with Spirit Stones, in just one day, he had made nearly a hundred Internet celebrities who gained fame in unconventional, large-scale ways.


    This rate of spending money,


    Made the scholar twitch at the corners of his mouth in agonized madness, often feeling that this Liu Zide didn''t feel any pain spending money since it wasn''t his own Spirit Stones.


    Apart from that,


    To save time even for relieving himself, Liu Zide hired a specific Foundation Establishment Cultivator. This Cultivator had nothing else to do, his only task was to use Spiritual Energy to collect Liu Zide''s urine during his commands and bathroom breaks, and redirect it into a nearby dry toilet.


    The work wasn''t tiring, but it was somewhat demeaning for the dignity of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    Of course, after twenty Spirit Stones were thrown his way, the so-called dignity vanished into thin air.


    ... S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And so¡ª


    After 24 hours had passed, Chen Qiu had already crawled out of the medicinal vat, left the small world, reappearing in the temple near Kai Mountain City where he had been before.


    "Phew."


    Chen Qiu exhaled lightly, looking at the small green Demon Fire on his fingertip, murmuring with satisfaction, "Finally, I''ve gained another Attack Method."


    The Nine Poison Nether Soul Technique, under the influence of the Enlightenment Stone, had been cultivated to the realm of Great Perfection.


    Just one look and one could feel the terrifying destructive power contained within the small wisp of Demon Fire.


    He had arranged with the Shopkeeper the night before to meet here at midnight, to have the remaining Storage Rings'' seals all broken. It had been a while since midnight now, so it seemed like the other party was late.


    Just then!


    A Liu Guang sword suddenly shot from outside the temple and hung in the air, followed by the scholar appearing cross-legged in midair, then landing hard on the ground, looking up at Chen Qiu with a pale face and hoarsely said.


    "Brother Qiu, Liu Zide sent me to deliver you a message."


    "Message?"


    Chen Qiu frowned, glancing at the Sound Transmission Ring on his finger, which had no incoming messages, "Don''t we have Sound Transmission Rings? Why did he send you in person?"


    "He said he didn''t dare to tell you."


    "What is it, he didn''t dare to tell me?"


    "This..."


    Even the scholar sucked in a few breaths, his face pained, before he finally forced himself to say, "Liu Zide said the fifteen thousand Spirit Stones are almost spent, only a bit over three thousand left. It''s not quite enough, so he''s asking if you, Brother Qiu, could spare another ten thousand Spirit Stones..."


    "What?"


    Fat Long''s eyes almost popped out at this, yelling in disbelief, "That''s fifteen thousand Spirit Stones we''re talking about, not fifteen thousand coins, in just one day that bastard is about to run through it all?"

 Chapter 94 Birds of a Feather Flock Together. _4

    "Even if he was literally throwing them into the river, it wouldn''t have been this fast, would it?"After saying that, he rolled up his sleeves and walked towards the scholar, "Let''s go, take me to him. If I don''t knock his teeth out today, I''ll take his surname!"


    "..."


    Chen Qiu''s face was expressionless as he remained silent, repeatedly telling himself in his heart to stay calm, stay calm, stay calm. Then, after taking a deep breath, he said with a slightly trembling voice, "Are you sure he didn''t just throw all the Spirit Stones into the river?"


    "No."


    The scholar shook his head, pulling out an account book from his bosom, "I''m not making excuses for him, but the truth is I''ve seen most of the expenditure myself; it''s not been wasted. He even hired three accountants from Zhao''s Commerce, with all the accounts recorded here."


    "But the spending was a bit too fast..."


    "The City Lord of Qiu Yuan City even specially allocated an area outside the city for him..." Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ...


    "..."


    Chen Qiu took the account book and skimmed through it, finding a long list of expenses neatly recorded. The account book was nearly fifty pages thick, and it appeared that indeed many of the expenses were necessary.


    Before he could speak,


    the scholar took out a Storage Bag from his bosom and handed it over, "This is the Heavenly Dao Blessing from Liu Zide and his group as of midnight tonight, with a total of 67 people making the list. The highest-ranked individual is now 829th on the Fame Ranking."


    Liu Zide said, "The main task today was replicating the Memory Stones; they haven''t been distributed widely yet. Wait until tomorrow when they start distributing them widely, and after it ferments a bit more."


    "There will definitely be a huge harvest."


    Chen Qiu accepted the Storage Bag and probed inside with his Divine Sense. A total of 67 Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills lay quietly inside, rather tempting to the eye.


    "Huh..."


    After pondering for a short while, he still took out a Storage Ring containing ten thousand Spirit Stones and tossed it over, saying earnestly, "Tell Liu Zide for me, if I''m to throw down 25,000 Spirit Stones and end up earning just a few hundred Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills in return."


    "He should get ready to experience what heaven on earth truly feels like."


    "Understood!"


    As soon as these words were uttered, the scholar''s figure had already vanished from the spot, and in the blink of an eye, he was by the side of Liu Zide in Qiu Yuan City, throwing the Storage Ring filled with Spirit Stones into the expectant arms of Liu Zide without any cheer.


    "Here, Brother Qiu gave this to you."


    "But Brother Qiu was clear, if you can earn him a few hundred Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills in return for throwing down 25,000 Spirit Stones, then you can look forward to your latter life."


    "Don''t worry."


    Liu Zide''s cheeks flashed with an abnormally excited blush, his entire complexion pale and the circles around his eyes dark, looking like a sickling as he pocketed the Storage Ring. Then he took out dozens of Spirit Stones and tossed them to the expectant crowd around him, roaring


    "Triple the price!"


    "Tell those family workshops, I''m offering triple the price for them to speed up, we''re running out of Memory Stones!"


    "Whoever is fast gets a feast; whoever is slow can go eat dog shit!"


    ...


    In a temple in Kai Mountain City.


    Chen Qiu introspectively looked at his purse that had instantly deflated again with some distress. Just last night he had gained 18,000 low-grade Spirit Stones and 24 Mid-grade Spirit Stones from the Storage Ring.


    In the blink of an eye, 10,000 Spirit Stones had vanished.


    Does Liu Zide even realize what 20,000 Spirit Stones signify?


    But soon, he turned his attention to the 67 Foundation Establishment grade low-grade Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills in the Storage Ring.


    To tell the truth, he was actually very satisfied with the harvest of the first day.


    After all, 67 names had made it onto the list, which means that Liu Zide must have shot at least 67 scenes. Then, in a short period of time, he spread the Memory Stones enough to make these 67 individuals known enough to be listed, which was quite sufficient.


    He believed that, barring any accidents, the harvest in the next few days would definitely be increasing significantly.


    He finally understood why the Wang Family Patriarch of Yuncheng was so bold to place his bets; it''s not that the patriarch had such great courage, but with someone like this acting as an advisor, once you approve his plan, you''re essentially ready to bet everything you have.

 Chapter 95 Parents Unthreatened by Foes.

    "Hu!"Chen Qiu no longer felt heartache over those Spirit Stones. Since he had already spent them, there was no need to dwell on it; he just needed to patiently wait for the results to come.


    Then, he turned his attention to his Cultivation panel.


    -


    ''Cultivation'': Foundation Establishment Stage Three (36.9%)


    -


    The effect of the lower-grade Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills was quite impressive. One pill could increase his Cultivation Progress by 0.7%; he had a total of 67 pills here, which, if he consumed them all, would raise his Cultivation Progress by 46.9%.


    That far exceeded the progress provided by consuming a Golden Core of a Foundation Establishment Stage One cultivator.


    Moreover, these pills came with no side effects, left no impurities, and were quickly absorbed.


    "Good stuff indeed." sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chen Qiu weighed the Storage Bag in his hand. The shopkeeper who had made the appointment with them had not yet arrived, but he did not hesitate any longer and took out a Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pill and put it into his mouth.


    It melted upon entering his mouth, and within a few breaths, the Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pill had been completely absorbed by him.


    He did not linger any longer and reached for another pill.


    One after another, yet another.


    After three sticks of incense had burned.


    He slowly opened his eyes. Now his Cultivation Progress had reached:


    -


    ''Cultivation'': Foundation Establishment Stage Three (83.8%)


    -


    Advancing in the Foundation Establishment Stage was extremely difficult. It was quite common for Foundation Establishment cultivators to be stuck in a small realm for three to four years. If one was the head of a household or held an important position in a sect, unable to focus on cultivation,


    then advancing a small realm in five to six years was considered quite normal.


    Especially from Foundation Establishment Stage One to Nine, advancing through each stage became exceedingly difficult.


    Most people in their lifetimes, given a little fortune, could cultivate to the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    But to break through to the Golden Core, or to reach the latter stages or even the peak of Foundation Establishment, one needed not just a little fortune but hundreds of such fortunes to progress this far on the path of cultivation.


    The reason he had been able to advance so quickly in the Foundation Establishment Stage was essentially due to two things:


    Golden Cores and Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills.


    These were no longer little strokes of fortune; they were big fortunes that many Golden Core cultivators could hardly come across. Unfortunately, to put it bluntly, throughout the entire Da Xia Country, counting all the Golden Core cultivators, one by one,


    at least half of them


    had never killed two Golden Core cultivators in their lifetimes.


    Golden Cores were not so easy to kill. After breaking through to Golden Core, everyone had climbed up through countless fortunes, and who knew what kind of trump cards or last resorts other Golden Core cultivators had. Engaging in a life-and-death battle and who would fall could really not be predicted.


    Just at this moment¡ª


    Rustling footsteps came from outside the temple.


    The shopkeeper from the night before arrived late, stepping into the temple, he immediately looked towards the two by the campfire, their faces flickering with shadows, and said apologetically, "Gentlemen, I have arrived late, there was a minor mishap on the road."


    "Then... shall we begin?"


    "Yes."


    Chen Qiu placed the remaining six Storage Rings on the ground seriously and said, "Then I will trouble you, elder."


    Although the shopkeeper appeared somewhat exhausted, he quickly entered the state of concentration. Without uttering many words, he focused his Spiritual Energy once more and began to sit cross-legged on the ground, attentively starting the ban-breaking process again.


    ...


    This time it was evidently much quicker than before. Perhaps having some experience from breaking the ban on a Golden Core Storage Ring once before, all six Storage Rings were decrypted before dawn.


    "Now the job is truly complete."


    The shopkeeper''s eyebrows concealed his unhideable fatigue, and with a pale face and hoarse voice, he said: "Then I shall take my leave first."


    ...


    After the shopkeeper left.


    Chen Qiu inserted his Divine Sense into the six Storage Rings. The Storage Ring of the poison cultivator Golden Core was completely empty, devoid of anything, not even a set of changes of clothes.


    It was as if it were a newly purchased Storage Ring.


    However, according to the shopkeeper''s words, this Storage Ring had many bans added by the poison cultivator Golden Core, even several times more than the one that contained the Heavenly Dao Jade Scroll.


    With such a serious approach, there must be a reason.


    But after pondering for a moment, he couldn''t understand why the poison cultivator Golden Core had added so many bans to a Storage Ring that did not contain anything. He set it aside for the time being and looked towards the remaining five Storage Rings.


    Two of them belonged to that Evil Cultivation.


    Disappointingly.


    These two Storage Rings did not even have changes of clothes inside.


    No Spirit Stones, no pills, and most regretfully, none of the fleeing techniques he had hoped for.


    Each Storage Ring contained a piece of paper.


    "Remember this, I am... Evil Cultivation, Scion of Ten Thousand Demons!"


    "..."


    It was evident that the Scion of Ten Thousand Demons had thrown away or hidden all the contents of his Storage Rings elsewhere, perhaps when he was seriously injured. Even if he died, he wouldn''t leave any benefits to his enemies.


    No wonder, although he was just a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    When the shopkeeper worked on decrypting these two Storage Rings, his brows were deeply furrowed, and he seemed to be having a lot of trouble, presumably because the bans laid inside were as numerous as the spider webs of the Chao Tian Sect.


    Chen Qiu shook his head and stored these two Storage Rings inside his small world, then turned his head to look at the other three Storage Rings.


    These three Storage Rings belonged to the workshop owner of the Ask Heaven Market. Although a Loose Cultivator, he had a significant Cultivation and was undoubtedly in possession of substantial stock, as managing a market could bring substantial revenues, not to mention the earnings from the inns of Ask Heaven Market alone each year.


    The first Storage Ring.


    Was starkly minimal, containing only Spirit Stones.


    But for some unknown reason, it had much fewer than the poison cultivator Golden Core. The poison cultivator, who had merely reached the initial stage of Golden Core, possessed tens of thousands of Spirit Stones, and here you are, a mid-stage Golden Core workshop owner with barely 2,000 Spirit Stones in your possession?

 Chapter 95 Parents Unthreatened by Foes._2

    Embracing the possibility that the other two Storage Rings might still contain Spirit Stones, Chen Qiu tentatively extended his Divine Sense into the second Storage Ring."Hmm?"


    He stood slightly stunned in place.


    He really did see something good.


    And it was his favorite kind of thing.


    Amidst a large number of Pills and talismans, there were a few Jade Scrolls emitting a milky white glow.


    Those three Jade Scrolls were indeed "entry jade slips."


    "Goodness gracious."


    Chen Qiu squinted with slight anticipation, his Divine Sense ventured further, thinking that this old brother really was a good man, leaving behind such entry jade slips in a Storage Ring to benefit future generations, huh?


    -


    "entry name": Heavenly Destiny Dual Cultivation.


    "entry level": Purple.


    "entry effect": When you possess either "Nine Ox Power" or "Nine Yin Power," the speed at which you cultivate any Dual Cultivation Heart Method will increase ninefold, and if you possess both these entries, the speed will be eighteen times faster.


    -


    "...Holy moly!"


    Chen Qiu looked at the entry panel in front of him, his mouth slowly opening in disbelief, as the entry panel was somewhat exaggerated, exaggerated if the conditions were met.


    This entry was comparable to a Pink Entry, or even a Seven-colored term! Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Not accounting for special entries like Grey, Bloodline, and Heavenly Dao Terms.


    The levels of entries from lowest to highest are White, Green, Yellow, Blue, Purple, Red, Golden, Pink, Seven-colored.


    And this entry was a Purple Entry!!!


    It was already considered a very high-level entry, although it was unknown where the workshop owner from Fufeng Market got this entry jade slip, what could be anticipated was that if this entry were put on the market, it would definitely sell for a sky-high price.


    "Fat Long..."


    Chen Qiu''s throat moved slightly, pulling his mind back from the small world and looking towards Fat Long, who was sitting nearby cultivating with his heart method, murmured, "It seems like your opportunity has arrived..."


    "Huh?"


    The cultivating Fat Long, slightly bewildered, opened his eyes and asked in confusion, "Brother Qiu, what are you talking about? Isn''t my greatest opportunity having met you?"


    "..."


    Chen Qiu was somewhat speechless and did not speak immediately; he later took out the "Heavenly Destiny Dual Cultivation" Purple Entry jade slip from his pocket and tossed it into Fat Long''s lap: "Take a look."


    He was the only one around who suited this entry the best.


    As long as a suitable Dual Cultivation Heart Method was found for him, under this entry''s effect, Fat Long''s Cultivation Progress would see a meteoric rise.


    This was also his first time encountering a Purple Entry.


    In the past, the highest level entries he had seen were either "Pink Entries", which had limitless growth potential, or "Seven-colored terms", which were basically impossible to possess.


    The highest-grade entry he had seen before was a Yellow Entry.


    He vaguely remembered that it was a lucky fellow, a young master of the Huang Family, who had the Yellow Entry "Hundred Percent Accuracy," but unfortunately, he wasn''t very bright.


    One thing puzzled him.


    Who could simultaneously possess the entries "Nine Ox Power" and "Nine Yin Power"?


    Logically, the "Nine Ox Power" entry is mostly available to male cultivators, and while females can also obtain it, the probability is very low, and the "Nine Yin Power" entry is similar.


    Furthermore, after the grand ceremony in Fufeng City, he had specifically inquired and found out that entries like "Nine Ox Power" and "Nine Yin Power" do not possess jade slips, not all entries can be produced from places like the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm.


    For instance, the "Nine Ox Power" entry can only be obtained randomly during a breakthrough in realms.


    Wait¡ª


    A bright idea suddenly flashed through Chen Qiu''s mind, he thought of a possibility.


    If a cultivator randomly obtained the "Nine Ox Power" entry upon entering the Qi Refinement Realm, then chose the "Yin-Yang Reversal" entry during the three choices at Foundation Establishment, and finally chose "Nine Yin Power" upon breaking through to the Golden Core Stage.


    In that case, it would entirely satisfy the stringent condition of simultaneously possessing "Nine Ox Power" and "Nine Yin Power" entries.


    At that moment, by adding the "Heavenly Destiny Dual Cultivation" entry,


    My goodness...


    Cultivating Dual Cultivation Heart Methods at eighteen times the speed, he could hardly imagine how fast the cultivation level would rise...!


    But such conditions were too harsh, continuously obtaining several entries that did not enhance combat power at all and successfully breaking through to the Golden Core Stage would be difficult; late-stage entries are not necessarily beneficial as they mean you struggle in the early stages.


    ...


    "Great stuff!!!"


    Upon finishing reading the entry effect, Fat Long, ecstatically excited, jumped up on the spot and looked towards Chen Qiu with excitement, "Brother Qiu, are you giving me this entry?"


    "Yes."


    "That''s great, that''s great, that''s great..." Fat Long, excitedly somewhat incoherently, initially wanted to say some words of gratitude, but quickly felt like he remembered something, paused in place, and looked up at Chen Qiu.


    "Wait, Brother Qiu, it seems I can''t practice Dual Cultivation Heart Methods, can I?"


    "Why not?"


    "Brother Qiu, have you forgotten I have the ''Hundred Percent Accuracy'' entry? Every encounter leads to conception, remember?"


    "..."


    It was only then, reacting suddenly, that Chen Qiu recalled this matter, falling silent for a moment before tentatively asking, "Isn''t there a kind of Dual Cultivation Heart Method that isn''t rated eighteen plus? "


    "Like the type where you don''t need to share a room but just need two people sitting face to face in the lotus position, with hands together in prayer, to practice?"

 Chapter 95 Parents Unthreatened by Foes._3

    "No."Fat Long shook his head affirmatively, "At least I haven''t heard of any place that has."


    "This really is a problem," Chen Qiu fell into deep thought, unable to figure out how to solve this issue for quite some time. It was indeed a drawback; it wasn''t practical to embark on the Cultivation Path with a bunch of children in tow, but neither could he just let the children meet their demise.


    Even if he had to do it, he would need to acquire the ''Immortal Road'' entry before dealing with them.


    Otherwise, it would be quite wasteful.


    Killing them in the womb? That felt even stranger and more sinful.


    ...


    Chen Qiu didn''t answer right away; he couldn''t think of any good solution either, merely gazing subconsciously at the remaining two entry jade slips in his Storage Ring. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    One of them was indeed quite useful to him.


    -


    ''Entry Name'': Every Step a Fortress.


    ''Entry Level'': Grey.


    ''Entry Effect'': After you master the ''Inch as Miles'' movement technique, when you employ this technique, the distance you cross will be enhanced fivefold, and it will consume nature''s spiritual energy instead of your own spiritual energy. However, you will not be able to control the direction or the landing spot, both will be entirely random.


    -


    ''Inch as Miles''.


    Like the ''Thunder Summoning Technique'', it is one of the more basic spells in the Cultivation World. Even many cultivators who aren''t Magic Practitioners, such as Sword Cultivators and Alchemy Cultivators, would know ''Thunder Summoning Technique''.


    After all, it''s not too complex of a spell.


    Just as many cultivators would learn the ''Spring Rain Technique'', primarily used to irrigate the spirit fields, but many would also use it to shower when outside.


    ''Inch as Miles'' is a very classic and widely disseminated movement technique.


    It''s suitable for close-range combat but not for travel and escape.


    It allows one to swiftly move to a position several meters away.


    It''s very fast, even faster than some long-range Teleportation techniques, but the consumption of spiritual energy is quite significant, making it difficult to use repeatedly in a short time. It''s a technique used in critical moments to dodge lethal blows from enemies.


    But with this entry...


    The movement technique becomes out of the ordinary. Just the fact that it doesn''t consume spiritual energy is strong, meaning it can be used without any limit. Its speed is faster than many long-range techniques.


    Only...


    The randomness of the landing spot and direction implies high unpredictability, such as... you could teleport directly in front of an enemy, essentially face to face.


    However, despite the drawback, Chen Qiu still shattered the jade slip, and the name of the entry gradually appeared on his Tao Foundation.


    In the short term, the effect of this entry was quite good for him, at least making up for the shortcoming of not having a movement technique.


    Later, when he acquired a better movement technique and no longer needed ''Inch as Miles'', he could self-destruct the entry.


    ''Inch as Miles'' is a very common technique; his small world even had a pile of over a dozen spell Secret Realms for it, though he didn''t plan to practice it.


    Tomorrow, he would go to Kai Mountain City and purchase an ''Inch as Miles'' from a Heavenly Dao Secret Realm product.


    Once mastered, it will be at the Great Achievement Realm.


    ...


    But when Chen Qiu looked at the last entry jade slip, his expression gradually turned odd, and for a moment, he didn''t know what to say, just tossing the entry jade slip into Fat Long''s arms.


    "Take a look for yourself."


    -


    ''Entry Name'': Parents Untouched by Foes.


    ''Entry Level'': Green.


    ''Entry Effect'': Any attack you suffer will be distributed to your progeny, and any attack your parents suffer will be transferred to you.


    -


    What an entry, Parents Untouched by Foes!


    It could be said to magnify filial piety!


    To a certain extent, for some species with strong reproductive capabilities, this could be a very powerful entry.


    This world isn''t just inhabited by the Human Race.


    There are the Demon Race, the bona fide Demon Race, not those Demon Clan cultivators.


    There''s also the Devil Clan, and so on.


    However, within the bounds of Da Xia, the Human Race is the highest ranking, any Devil Clan must stay obediently within the designated areas, and those from the Demon Race haven''t been seen in many years; it''s unknown if they''ve already gone extinct.


    Some Demons, like the Rabbit Demon, can have many in one litter. For those capable of such reproduction, this entry is quite powerful.


    And...


    The entry seems rather suitable for Fat Long as well.


    ...


    "What do you think?" Chen Qiu looked at Fat Long with a complex expression, "It''s like the heavens themselves want you to have children. Just have tens of thousands, and you could directly withstand a Golden Core level cultivator.


    "As long as your children don''t die off, you''re certain not to die.


    "That would make you invincible.


    "Plus, you don''t have a father or mother, so there are no side effects."


    "Brother Qiu, hold on..." Fat Long looked bewildered at the ''Parents Untouched by Foes'' entry, muttering in a daze, "Let me sort this out, why do I feel so confused?


    "I really don''t want to have children, I''m here for cultivation, not to have a bunch of kids?


    "I''m still aiming to achieve a Nascent Soul!"


    ...


    And so, after several sticks of incense had passed!


    "I''ve got an idea!!!" Fat Long suddenly shouted in excitement, almost causing the spiritual energy of Chen Qiu, who was meditating and cultivating, to backflow. He couldn''t help opening his eyes and said irritably, "Out with it!"


    "Look, Brother Qiu." Fat Long spoke earnestly, counting on his fingers, "I now have an entry that is extremely suitable for Dual Cultivation, but I also have the ''Hundred Percent Accuracy'' entry that is not conducive to Dual Cultivation, right?"


    "But you know about reproductive barriers, right?"


    "Humans and Demons can''t procreate."


    "So, I can look for some female Demons, thus perfectly harnessing my ''Heavenly Destiny Dual Cultivation'' entry while ignoring the negative effects of the ''Hundred Percent Accuracy'' entry."

 Chapter 95 Parents Unthreatened by Foes._4

    "Absolutely perfect!""What do you think, Brother Qiu?"


    "..."


    "..."


    Chen Qiu remained expressionless and silent for a long time before he softly said, "A female demon? Do you really need to debase yourself so much for cultivation? Can you really bring yourself to do it?"


    "I can''t."


    Fat Long suddenly calmed down, his expression distant as he looked through the gap in the temple roof at the stars above: "How could I bring myself to do it? Just thinking about those shells, that viscous liquid, those terrifying mouthparts, I can''t bring myself to do it."


    "I''m a human, not a mere savage beast."


    "How could I see a hole and be able to do it?"


    "Especially when I think about those demons even having eaten people, I feel utterly nauseated."


    "But then..."


    "What can be done about it?"


    "Meeting you, Brother Qiu, was my opportunity, but as your cultivation advances faster and faster, I can''t keep holding you back, can I? Scholar and the others have all found their places in Chao Tian Sect, while I, Fat Long, though self-proclaimed as the Great Elder of Chao Tian Sect, am utterly useless."


    "People need to realize their value, no one wants to be an unknown waste forever."


    "Moreover, I, Fat Long, even vainly hope to someday achieve the Nascent Soul, how could I live under others'' protection all my life?"


    "So¡ª¡ª"


    "Even if I can''t bring myself to do it, even if I feel utterly disgusted, even if I am nauseated to the extreme, and even if misunderstood by the world, I still have to force myself to do it."


    "Just consider it... slaying demons and eliminating devils."


    "It would also count as a service to the people."


    "...."


    Chen Qiu remained expressionless and silent, actually wanting to retort right then why you have to portray this matter as if you were going to sacrifice yourself for some unattainable ideal.


    But seeing Fat Long''s serious demeanor, he held his tongue, not wanting to discourage Fat Long.


    A moment later, he still gave a slight nod and said.


    "Okay."


    ...


    Soon, the sun had risen halfway into the sky.


    It was already noon.


    Chen Qiu slowly woke up from a room in the sky-character room of an inn in Kai Mountain City. He had not practiced and rested well the previous night, having slept rather sweetly, having already decided to continue sleeping in the disciple dormitory of Chao Tian Sect in the small world the night before.


    But...


    Chao Tian Sect was really too shabby.


    It was not at all comfortable to sleep there, so in the latter part of the night, they entered the city and went to an inn. The sky-character room was far more comfortable than the stone beds in the disciple dormitory.


    After getting up and sitting on the bed to circulate his mental method, expelling all the turbid air and external impurities from his body, Chen Qiu then opened his eyes, playing with a token in his hand.


    This token was found yesterday in the third Storage Ring on the workshop owner of Ask Heaven Market.


    When he saw this token.


    He knew why the workshop owner of Ask Heaven Market had only those 2,000-odd Spirit Stones on him.


    Most likely, most of the Spirit Stones had been used to buy this token.


    ''Fiery Flame Seven Killings Array''


    ''Golden Core Mid-grade Array Plate, capable of slaying a fifth layer Golden Core cultivator when activated.''


    "Damn it..." S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chen Qiu was playing with the token in his hand, his expression distant as he looked out the window, now recalling that he had had a close brush with death back then, it was just that he had acted too quickly, and Ask Heaven Market had not reacted in time.


    Otherwise, once the Array Plate was activated.


    Even if it was just activated and its power had not yet reached its peak, it would still be enough to kill him!


    It was just a bit too lucky. If there had been even the slightest error, he wouldn''t have seen tomorrow''s sun. Now this good thing belonged to him.


    He wondered why the workshop owner of Ask Heaven Market had spent so much to purchase this Array Plate.

 Chapter 96

    Chen Qiu frowned with some toothache as he gasped the cool air, at the same time his desire to enhance his Cultivation grew even stronger.It''s still too weak in terms of Cultivation.


    If his Cultivation could be a little stronger, who cares about any numbers, anyone who dares to provoke him would be wholly annihilated!


    This world is still too dangerous, he must become stronger as soon as possible!


    ...


    That day, he went nowhere and concentrated on cultivating in the inn.


    The sense of unknown danger made him completely reluctant to go out; he only wanted to stay inside the inn and cultivate, although he knew that even after a whole day of cultivation, his Cultivation would not improve much.


    Soon, the evening passed, and it was midnight.


    After the scholar inquired about his whereabouts using the Sound Transmission Ring, accompanied by a Liu Guang longsword shooting into the inn, the scholar quickly appeared before him, handing him two Storage Bags with an excited smile on his face.


    "Brother Qiu, take a look, it''s an absolute surprise."


    "I can only tell you, Brother Qiu, that Liu Zide is definitely a genius. I''ve never seen anyone crazier than him. He''s not particularly smart, but he''s extremely crazy, crazy to the point where I wanted to run away."


    "Today''s gains will definitely satisfy you, Brother Qiu, and I expect even more tomorrow!"


    "Oh?"


    Chen Qiu''s brows rose slightly as he took the Storage Bag handed over by the scholar, probing with his Divine Sense and saying with slight amazement, "So many?"


    In the bag, there were precisely 283 Mid-grade Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills for Foundation Establishment.


    There were only 67 yesterday, but today there were roughly four times more.


    "Of course."


    The scholar was also a bit proud of this achievement, showing off with a satisfied expression: "Today, there were 187 people on the board. Those in the last five hundred names on the ''Fame Ranking'' were mostly our people."


    "The news about the Heavenly Dao Blessing being Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills has not been divulged."


    "Those people in Qiu Yuan City don''t even know what we''re doing."


    "And this hasn''t even begun to ferment. According to Liu Zide''s plan, we can at least double it by tomorrow, and then double it again the day after. The fame points of our people are skyrocketing, and once the rankings rise, the blessings we get from the Heavenly Dao will also increase!"


    "As of midnight tonight, the highest ranked person has already reached 781st place on the ''Fame Ranking''."


    Chen Qiu nodded in satisfaction. This progress was indeed quite good. Based on this progress, the 25,000 Spirit Stones he invested seemed likely to be recouped, and there was still great hope for breaking even.


    ...


    After the scholar departed.


    Chen Qiu looked at the bag of Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills, and without saying anything, began stuffing them into his mouth as though they were candy beans.


    After taking 24 Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills, his Cultivation broke through to the fourth level of the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    At the same time, a familiar panel wrapped in clouds and mist appeared above his Dantian.


    -


    "Significant improvement in Cultivation, formally stepping into the fourth level of the Foundation Establishment Stage."


    "Please choose one of the three random entries below within ten breaths."


    1:


    "Entry Name": Sword Heart.


    "Entry Level": Green.


    "Entry Effect": This will slightly enhance your talent in the Sword Dao.


    2:


    "Entry Name": Ancestors Under Siege.


    "Entry Level": Green.


    "Entry Effect": Any attack you suffer will be transferred to your parents.


    3:


    "Entry Name": Unknown.


    "Entry Level": Unknown. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Entry Effect": This entry is the only unknown one. Confirm your choice to reveal its true nature, and this entry cannot be discarded by any means.


    -


    Another Sword Cultivator entry...


    Chen Qiu was a bit speechless. Did Heaven really want him to pursue the Sword Dao? Could it be that he was truly destined for this path?


    If there was another entry suitable for Sword Cultivation next time, he would practice Swordsmanship dual cultivation!


    He refused to believe in curses.


    The ''Ancestors Under Siege'' entry was completely useless to him; he had no parents. Unless calling someone father would magically make that person his parent, combining that with this entry would be quite invincible. But on closer thought, such an entry obviously didn''t exist.


    Otherwise, it would be too overpowered.


    The only choice left to him was the last unknown entry. To be honest, he was quite looking forward to it; his ''Dantian Expansion'' entry had come from an unknown one.


    And it was a unique level, the only unique level entry so far.


    He wondered what kind of entry he would get this time from picking the unknown one.


    Quickly¡ª


    A panel shrouded in clouds and mist appeared before him once again.


    -


    "Entry Name": Dual Casting.


    "Entry Level": Green.


    "Entry Effect": When you release any Spell, another will be cast without any consumption.


    -


    "Hmm."


    Chen Qiu arched an eyebrow and nodded. Not bad, it was equivalent to doubling his combat power.


    Just then¡ª


    "Bang, bang."


    There was a knock on the door.


    "Brother Qiu, it''s me."


    After Chen Qiu opened the door with a thread of Spiritual Energy, he turned to see Fat Long standing at the doorway and asked with a frown, "What are you doing at my room in the middle of the night with the bodies of two dead Rabbit Demons?"


    "Umm..."


    Fat Long said somewhat awkwardly and quietly, "Didn''t you give me some Spirit Stones today, Brother Qiu, and asked me to go buy a Dual Cultivation heart method?"


    "I bought a Mid-grade Foundation Establishment Dual Cultivation heart method from Kai Mountain City''s Square, which came from the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm; the effect is quite good, so I went to the demon beast market there and bought some demon beasts."


    "I figured the Rabbit Demon would be somewhat easier to handle."


    "So I bought a bunch of them."


    "But Rabbit Demons are a bit frail, usually dying after one session. Of course, there are benefits to killing demon beasts as well; it can increase your Cultivation Progress a little, though the amount you gain from Qi Refinement Rabbit Demons is basically negligible, but it''s better than nothing, right?"

 Chapter 97

    Not long after Chen Qiu had left, Ji Taiping, the number one Sword Cultivator of Da Xia, had descended above Qiu Yuan City with a towering Sword Intent. Although he was quite anxious and angry, he still lowered his voice and hoarsely said."Please, summon the City Lord of Qiu Yuan City."


    The number one Sword Cultivator of Da Xia.


    A title pursued by the younger generation of Heavenly Prides, it did not mean invincibility. There were three hundred and sixty-five major cities in Da Xia, and most of these cities'' City Lords possessed Golden Core Cultivation with the Qi Fortune of Da Xia.


    They were not to be underestimated, and although it was highly likely that they couldn''t defeat him, the City Lord represented Da Xia Country, so he couldn''t just barge into Qiu Yuan City recklessly. That would make him no different from an Evil Cultivation practitioner.


    By this time, Chen Qiu and the others had already fled. As for Liu Zide, though not as quick as Chen Qiu and the others, he was also fast. Having previously purchased a Random Teleportation Talisman, he had left Qiu Yuan City under the cover of night and was already disguised, making his way toward Yun City.


    A plan that had just begun instantly crumbled as each scrambled to flee separately.


    However...


    The remnants were like dandelions, spreading across forty-seven large cities of Xuzhou, and they had already taken root and sprouted, only waiting a few days to ferment, and would explode into a terror of public opinion unseen by anyone.


    Gossip, this thing is like a spiritual drug, spreading as soon as you converse with someone.


    The City Lord Mansion, though tasked with controlling public opinion, was also engrossed in it for the time being, and did not see any immediate need to intervene.


    ...


    At this time¡ª


    Chen Qiu and his group had already arrived at a cliff within the territory of Xuzhou.


    "We''ve arrived."


    The scholar looked down at the cliff shrouded in mist and nostalgically said, "Back then, I was just a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, spending most of my time here in arduous cultivation before heading to the Secret Realm to seek opportunities."


    Da Xia Country comprises nineteen provinces, among which Xuzhou is a major one.


    It is also the northernmost province.


    Since ancient times, being a major province often means the land is barren. Xuzhou is no different, its spiritual energy is thinner compared to other major provinces, the frequency of Secret Realms appearing is also lower, the land is less fertile, and there are fewer heavenly materials and earthly treasures.


    Many famous sects have their sect premises near the Capital, which is in ''Jing Province''.


    The spiritual energy there is significantly richer, and in some Cave Heaven Blessed Lands, the density of spiritual energy is even more than twice that of Xuzhou, hence the speed of Cultivation growth is naturally much faster than that of Xuzhou.


    "The territory of Xuzhou is extremely vast, from the easternmost to the westernmost point, it would take a normal Foundation Establishment sixth-level Cultivator using Sword Flight, assuming they fly non-stop and their spiritual energy isn''t exhausted, approximately three days and nights."


    "From the northernmost to the southernmost point, it just takes a day." S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "The Capital is located to the south of Xuzhou, and Xuzhou and Jing Province are adjacent on the map of Da Xia, with eleven provinces further south of Jing Province, hence most of the provinces are referred to as the Southern State."


    "The density of spiritual energy in the Southern State is not much less than in Jing Province, hence the Southern State also frequently gives rise to Heavenly Prides."


    The scholar sat cross-legged at the edge of the cliff, his gaze drifting through the mist to the north and quietly said, "Directly north of Xuzhou, outside the boundaries of the Da Xia Territory, lies a vast, endless desert."


    "I have heard that a Golden Core Peak Sword Cultivator once went to explore it and returned severely injured after three months, claiming he never saw the edge of the desert, and while crossing one area, he felt an extremely terrifying Nascent Soul aura. That Nascent Soul merely swept its Divine Sense over him and caused him severe injuries."


    "That desert has thus been named the ''Endless Desert''."


    "No one knows where the end of the desert lies, nor what lies beyond the edge of the desert, only that there is a Nascent Soul within the Endless Desert."


    Fat Long nodded thoughtfully, "Doesn''t Da Xia have any Nascent Souls?"


    "No."


    The scholar shook his head, "I can be certain of one thing, there is absolutely no Nascent Soul in Da Xia. Otherwise, Da Xia would have declared it to the world immediately, not for any other reason but to tell those unknown entities around us that we too have a Nascent Soul in Da Xia, and we should live together in peace."


    "That cannot be, can it?"


    Fat Long furrowed his brows in confusion, "To establish a sect recognized by the Heavenly Dao, the Sect Master needs at least an initial stage of Golden Core Cultivation. With so many sects in Da Xia, even if excluding those who are just passed over, there should be three or four hundred with Golden Cores, right?"


    "Plus, with three hundred and sixty-five major cities in Da Xia, each city''s City Lord mostly has Golden Core Cultivation, let''s say three hundred for those."


    "Then add some Golden Core Loose Cultivators, and some key figures like Supreme Elders and Family Heads in major families."


    "How can it be plausible that among so many Golden Cores, not one has ascended to Nascent Soul?"


    "..."


    The scholar did not speak immediately but fell into a rare silence with an unreadable expression, only shaking his head softly after a while and quietly said, "No, not a single Nascent Soul."


    "I am not sure of the specific reasons, but I know that Da Xia is more troubled by this than I am."


    "As for those Golden Core City Lords of the main cities in Da Xia that you mentioned, at least seventy percent of them are pseudo-Golden Cores."


    "These individuals are mostly stuck at the peak of Foundation Establishment without being able to break through. After pledging loyalty to Da Xia and being appointed to their positions by royal decree, they carry a hint of Da Xia''s national fate, which allows them to break through to Golden Core."


    "Though they have achieved Golden Core, they are fundamentally stuck at this stage, and advancing further in their Cultivation is very difficult. Moreover, once they are dismissed from office and Da Xia withdraws their national fate, their Cultivation will immediately fall back to the peak of Foundation Establishment."

 Chapter 98

    ```Has it always been this way?


    A cold glint flashed in the little brown bear''s eyes. Just because it has always been this way, does it mean it''s right? Had he not come to this world, it would have been fine, but since he had arrived, if he did not carve out a name for himself or strive for great achievements,


    then his arrival in this world would have been in vain.


    Gazing toward the south, a heroic spirit surged within him.


    It''s said that the human clan cultivators'' momentum is like a rainbow, but his bear paw is also sharp and unmatched!


    Why not ask whether those human clan cultivators are afraid of me?


    ...


    "Shopkeeper."


    In Qiu Yuan City, after Da Xia''s number one sword cultivator, Ji Taiping, had departed, and Chen Qiu and others had settled into the inn, several burly men surrounded the shopkeeper with expressionless faces, saying, "In the middle of the night, an eyeball larger than a person appeared outside the window."


    "Is it so wrong to ask for a refund?"


    "This..."


    The shopkeeper helplessly glanced over the men. He really wanted to say it was wrong, but after thinking it through, he felt that he indeed had no grounds to argue.


    Just then¡ª


    "Shopkeeper!"


    A woman, ragged and with severe injuries, stumbled in, her body leaning weakly against the counter, and hoarsely whispered, "Where are the two who stayed in your inn last night?"


    "One was a chubby fatso, and the other a young man in a green robe."


    "Are you looking for them, too?"


    The shopkeeper paused for a moment before instinctively shaking his head. "Don''t know, they disappeared last night. Da Xia''s number one sword cultivator Ji Taiping is also looking for them."


    "Hm."


    After a long silence, the woman spoke wearily, "If they come back later, tell them that the woman who''s been humiliating you for months is looking for them and has important matters to discuss."


    "Alright." The shopkeeper nodded.


    This woman was the wandering Heavenly Girl from the Flower Offering Sect, with whom Fat Long had a tragic connection.


    Despite her tattered clothes and visible sword wounds, they served to unintentionally reveal her charm, adding a sense of captive beauty.


    "Oh." Find your next read at empire


    The men who had come for refunds no longer cared about the silver taels, their lustful eyes greedily and unabashedly raked over her as they said suggestively, "What kind of treatment did you endure? Can we try it out, too?"


    The woman turned her head to look at the men, paused, and then with her hair swept coquettishly behind one ear, she smiled provocatively, "Of course, you can."


    Having said that, she turned to walk outside the inn.


    The men exchanged looks, their eyes alight with desire, and they burst into lecherous laughter together, "Interesting."


    The men followed the woman out of the city to the woods.


    Several incense sticks later.


    The woman emerged from the woods with a touch of red on her pale face, looking much improved. The wounds on her body were mostly healed, and in the woods there were now several more bodies, dried out like kindling.


    ...


    "Huff..."


    At this moment, dawn was breaking.


    Chen Qiu, who had been sitting cross-legged on a round rock cultivating all night, finally stabilized his realm and took out the remaining Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills from his embrace. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There were 259 left.


    "This Liu Zide does have some tricks."


    Chen Qiu looked at the full bag of Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills, and despite his considerable appetite, he couldn''t help but remark that in this aspect, Liu Zide was indeed better than him, yet it seemed that Liu Zide was somewhat foolishly loyal?


    He had tried to retain him, but Liu Zide insisted on returning to Yun City.


    Claiming that when he first arrived in this world, it was the lord who took him in, and that he couldn''t serve a second master.


    Since he couldn''t be retained, all he could do was wish him smooth sailing.


    After spending several hours absorbing all 200 Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills, his cultivation naturally broke through to the fifth layer of the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Ordinarily, according to taking one pill for a 0.7% increase in cultivation progress, it should have taken 143 pills for a breakthrough, but the difficulty of breaking through the fourth layer of Foundation Establishment was clearly greater than the third layer, with one pill only increasing the progress by 0.5%.


    At the same time¡ª


    A familiar panel shrouded in mist reappeared above his Tao Foundation.


    -


    ¡¸Cultivation has greatly increased, officially stepping into the fifth layer of the Foundation Establishment Stage.¡¹


    ¡¸Please choose one of the following three random entries within ten breaths.¡¹


    1:


    ¡¸Entry name¡¹: Nonsensical Babble.


    ¡¸Entry level¡¹: White.


    ¡¸Entry effect¡¹: When someone is deceived by your lies, you will gain a certain increase in cultivation. The greater the lie and the higher the cultivation of the person you deceive, the more cultivation you can improve, and you cannot gain cultivation progress through other means.


    2:


    ¡¸Entry name¡¹: One-day Golden Core.


    ¡¸Entry level¡¹: Blue.


    ¡¸Entry effect¡¹: Your cultivation will be raised to the early stage of Golden Core for one day, but you will not be able to increase your cultivation, and every year your cultivation will automatically drop by one small realm. This entry cannot be cleared.


    3:


    ¡¸Entry name¡¹: Guaranteed Cultivation.


    ¡¸Entry level¡¹: Grey.


    ¡¸Entry effect¡¹: You cannot enhance your cultivation through any means, but when your lifespan at each Great Realm is ending, you will automatically break through to the next Great Realm. The upper limit is the initial stage of Golden Core, and this entry cannot be cleared.


    -


    "..."


    Chen Qiu furrowed his brows as he looked at the three random entries that had appeared before him.


    Honestly.


    These three entries gave him the feeling of not knowing where to start. If he hadn''t drawn the Seven-colored term "Step by Step" at the first level of Qi Refinement Stage, he honestly thought these three entries would all be quite good.


    Whichever one it was, he would have been very excited.


    But now, he felt like he had a toothache.


    Firstly, the entry "Nonsensical Babble" didn''t need mentioning; as long as someone was deceived by you, you could increase your cultivation progress. Although this method of gaining cultivation certainly wouldn''t be as fast as taking Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills directly,


    ```

 Chapter 99 If You Cant Win, Flip the Table.

    "Be honest with your master."In the Caotian Sect, the Sect Master of Caotian Sect stood sternly on Zhao Yishi''s shoulder and leaned to look at him, "Did you or did you not take Ji Taiping''s entry jade slip?"


    "Rest assured."


    "Whether you took it or not, your master would never ask you to hand it over. What falls into your hands is your fate, how could it be easily handed over just because of Ji Taiping."


    Enjoy exclusive adventures from empire


    "But you should at least let your master know whether you are in the right or wrong, shouldn''t you?"


    "I didn''t take it."


    Like a giant standing in the back mountains of Caotian Sect, Zhao Yishi shook his head and said in a deep voice, "When I got to Kai Mountain City, I ate some rabbit meat and then Bai Yi brought me to Qiu Yuan City, I didn''t take anything."


    "The rabbit meat was pretty good."


    "Hmm."


    The Caotian Sect Master nodded in understanding, it wasn''t surprising that the entry jade slip was likely in Chen Qiu''s possession, because otherwise Chen Qiu wouldn''t have had to flee the scene.


    This kid is quite kind-hearted.


    To think of taking Zhao Yishi along while fleeing, but... with Zhao Yishi''s build, it''s a case of ''you can run away from the monk, but not from the temple''.


    After roughly understanding what had happened, he looked towards the Sect Master, who was standing mid-air outside the Mountain Gate gate, and declared loudly.


    "The Sect Master here has inquired with the disciple, and he did not take your so-called entry jade slip."


    "This is the explanation for you."


    "Even children know to report to the government when they lose something; you should try asking them, and let them help you look for it."


    "Regarding your desire to investigate the disciple''s Tao Foundation, that is even more preposterous. The Ji Family might be strong, but here at the Caotian Sect, it isn''t just the younger generation of disciples who are lacking, the Supreme Elder hasn''t passed away yet."


    "..."


    With a dark expression, Ji Taiping stood outside the Mountain Gate of the Caotian Sect, feeling the might emanating from the Mountain Protection Array, he turned and walked away without saying a word.


    ...


    Meanwhile¡ª


    In a canyon in Xuzhou.


    Chen Qiu, sitting cross-legged on a rock, had finished absorbing all of the remaining fifty-nine Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills, and his Cultivation Progress had reached the fifth layer of the Foundation Establishment Stage at 29%, only then did he perform introspection on those over two hundred people confined in the disciple dormitory of the small world.


    By tonight.


    This batch of people could produce a large amount of Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills again.


    The plan conceived by Liu Zide was truly excellent; no matter how many Spirit Stones there were, at most, they would lay down a Spirit Gathering Array to accelerate the absorption of Spiritual Energy, but it definitely couldn''t match the speed and dominance of the Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills in elevating Cultivation.


    So many Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills could significantly accelerate his Cultivation increase.


    Just now, it had given him a semblance of security.


    Just waiting for nightfall.


    Upon receiving the remaining batch of Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills, he could then break through to the sixth layer of the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Meanwhile, Fat Long had caught several plump yellow fish in a stream and was continually flipping them over a campfire, the smoky aroma wafting through, greatly stimulating one''s appetite.


    Chen Qiu didn''t hold back.


    He immediately stopped cultivating, glanced at the sunlight obscured by clouds, stood up, sat beside the campfire, took a piece of the fish, blew on it to cool it down, and then brought it to his mouth.


    "Hmm?"


    Chen Qiu, who just wanted a taste of something mundane, was surprised as the fish''s flesh slid into his mouth; its silky texture and plump flesh burst on his palate with a slightly burnt and spicy flavor.


    Truly delicious.


    He had tasted the roasted rabbit prepared by Fat Long, and it was just mediocre, barely edible.


    But the delectable taste of this fish had nothing to do with Fat Long''s culinary skills; it was solely because the yellow fish''s flesh was plump and delicious.


    "How is it?"


    Fat Long, quite pleased with himself, grabbed a plump yellow fish skewered on a stick, took a big bite, and then said contentedly, "The yellow fish in this stream are probably so big because there are no human activities nearby."


    "And they''re boneless too, just a sprinkle of seasoning makes them indescribably perfect."


    "Indeed."


    Chen Qiu nodded and was about to take another bite when he suddenly caught a glimpse of a yellow fish energetically leaping out of the water in the periphery of his vision.


    Once, twice, three times.


    As if it never tired.


    And this peculiar scene also caught Chen Qiu''s attention. He walked to the edge of the stream, squatting down to carefully observe the fish. Its entire body was covered in gorgeous scales, yellow mixed with some milky white.


    And not a single scale was damaged; truly a rare and plump yellow fish.


    Upon Chen Qiu''s approach, the fish stopped jumping out of the water, instead swimming upstream only to return in front of him and leap again, then continued moving against the current.


    After repeating this four or five times,


    Chen Qiu understood, raising an eyebrow in mild surprise, "Can a yellow fish also possess Spiritual Wisdom? I feel like this fish is guiding us, suggesting we follow it upstream?"


    "Is that so?" sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Fat Long, squatting beside him, smacked his lips, "I think it''s saying it''s the fattest and tastiest, asking us to eat it first."


    "Scholar, where does this small stream originate?"


    "The stream originates from underground water flowing out of the mountain; I''m not sure about further upstream."


    "Let''s go and have a look. Scholar, you stay here. Let your brother come with me. We''re free anyway," Chen Qiu always felt the little yellow fish was showing them the way, and when he thought about the proverb of the fish leaping over the dragon gate, it felt like some kind of fortuitous encounter.


    It would be a pity to miss it.


    With the Scholar''s brother accompanying them, even if they encountered any danger, they could return instantly.


    ...


    Thus, the three of them followed the little fish and headed upstream against the current, soon reaching a small waterfall about three to four feet high in the canyon, taller than a person, with a dark pool below it.

 Chapter 99 If you cant win, flip the table. _2

    And as the yellow fish leaped out of the water before them, with a flick of its tail, it dove straight into the depths of the pond.A few exchanged glances.


    After Chen Qiu released Spiritual Energy to encircle Fat Long and the others, he slowly submerged into the water, following the little yellow fish towards the bottom of the pond to explore, the Spiritual Energy acting as a barrier to keep the water at bay and ensure they could breathe.


    Thus, they descended.


    A considerable amount of time had passed, perhaps the duration of several incense sticks, and they were now a fair distance from the surface. Yet the little yellow fish seemed unaffected by the pressure and continued to swim deeper.


    The water was extremely clear.


    However, at this depth, there was no light whatsoever, and they relied solely on the glow from the Spiritual Energy for illumination. Chen Qiu was not feeling much pressure; he had enough Spiritual Energy to sleep for a while down here.


    The consumption of Spiritual Energy at this level wasn''t even as much as he would naturally regenerate through the rotation of his Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment.


    Time passed unknowingly.


    Chen Qiu began to feel a tightness in his chest, having descended several hundred meters, still without sight of the bottom. Just as he considered retreating, they finally reached the base, where the little yellow fish swam into a cave at the side.


    A somewhat cramped cave.


    But there was no problem for the three to pass through side by side.


    It seemed to lead to an underground river.


    Once intent on retreat, Chen Qiu followed once more. This time, it didn''t take long, perhaps the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. In the meantime, they had passed through many tortuously complex caves at the bottom of the pond.


    And after passing through the final passage formed by underwater rock walls...


    Suddenly, everything opened up before them!


    Chen Qiu and the others emerged from the water, appearing inside a colossal underground natural cavern. The cavern''s roof was laden with odd and mysterious stalactites, and at a glance, the cavern seemed large enough to fit a small village.


    Moreover, breathing was easy here; there was definitely a connection to the outside world, although the exact pathway was unknown.


    "Wow."


    Fat Long looked around in awe, "I''ve never seen such beauty in my life. To cultivate here would be the utmost secret; surely no one would find us."


    Their voices echoed, the empty sound drifting by their ears.


    At this moment, Chen Qiu noticed that the little yellow fish had disappeared without a trace. It seemed that this was the place the fish intended to bring them, but what was special about it?


    He carefully scanned the interior of the cavern.


    It was a very pure cavern, clean, with no trace of human activity or carving. Indeed, it was like a paradise beyond the world, but how was this related to serendipity?


    Just then¡ª


    From a distance, along the rocky wall passage of the cavern, the sounds of conversation and scattered footsteps came closer.


    "The group of brothers who went to the Poisonous Thunder Swamp the other day are all dead, and the killer still hasn''t been found. It''s said that even Poison Thunder Old Man died, and he was on the same level as a Golden Core Great Power like the Sect Master."


    "Who in Xuzhou could silently kill a Golden Core?"


    "Could it be one of those reclusive old demons?"


    "That''s unlikely. The Sect Master said those reclusive old demons are all in deep seclusion, sustaining themselves on a thread of Spiritual Energy without expending it on anything else, just waiting for a chance to break through to the Nascent Soul stage. Those old demons wouldn''t likely make a move."


    "Indeed, it''s really strange."


    ...


    Soon¡ª


    Four or five disciples clad in the sect''s standard robes came walking into the cavern through the narrow passage, chatting idly as they cautiously knocked off a stalactite from the roof of the cave before returning the way they had come. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Only after these disciples had left, did Fat Long and the others reemerge from the small world.


    Chen Qiu thoughtfully watched the retreating figures of the disciples. This cavern was actually Poison Sect territory? Poison Sect was so close to them.


    Poison Sect was no minor force.


    In the sect rankings, it ranked 78th, a position not at all low, and even higher than Caotian Sect.


    But these were not important.


    What was important was what he had just seen in the small world: the disciples of Poison Sect carefully knocking down and taking away shards from stalactites that had fallen from above the cavern. Although he didn''t know the specifics, the careful and serious manner of the others suggested it was no ordinary matter.


    "Heh."


    Chen Qiu smiled and with a grand wave of his hand, said, "Pack it up!"


    ...


    After the time it took several incense sticks to burn.


    The cavern that had been full of stalactites was now bare, even those with just a point sticking out had been knocked down and packed away by them, totaling more than two hundred.


    Just as they were preparing to search the surroundings for any heaven and earth treasures...


    "Damnit!"


    Perhaps their actions were too grand and triggered some restriction, as a formidable Golden Core presence rapidly advanced towards the cavern from afar. Chen Qiu and Fat Long, without a hint of hesitation, instantly grabbed the shoulders of their scholar brother.


    The next instant!


    The three disappeared from the spot.


    A moment later, a middle-aged man with red hair and a beard suddenly appeared in the cavern, floating in mid-air, staring fiercely at the now desecrated and empty cavern and roared, "Damn, damn it!!!"


    "Whoever it is that dares to intrude upon Poison Sect''s forbidden land, to take what Poison Sect has accumulated over a hundred years!"


    "Once I find you, I swear to chase you to the ends of earth and sea!"


    Whoever it was.


    Since they had taken his ''Dragon Vein Stone,'' they would surely appear at the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard competition, and at that time, all would be revealed!


    ...


    "Dragon Vein Stone?"


    The scholar looked incredulously at the pile of stalactites Chen Qiu brought out, deeply shocked, "An ordinary one is a treasure for forging Spiritual Treasure, just one added to the forging process and your Spiritual Energy will flow more smoothly in the Spiritual Treasure created from Dragon Vein Stone." Your journey continues at empire

 Chapter 99 Flip the Table if You Cant Win._3

    "And our connection will deepen even further.""For instance, my Qingfeng, even if he is hundreds of miles away, I can still maintain a spiritual energy connection with him, precisely because a Dragon Vein Stone was added during its forging."


    "And here you have hundreds..."


    "Although only nine are fully mature, the rest were plucked while still saplings, but they still have an effect, just not as strong. Dragon Vein Stones, such treasures of heaven and earth, have extremely harsh growing conditions."


    "They must be on an Earth Vein, and moreover, that Earth Vein must pass through underground water, and only after years of relentless clashes between the malevolent energy and the Earth Vein''s righteous energy can they form."


    Discover hidden stories at empire


    "A single mature Dragon Vein Stone takes a good three hundred years to form."


    "Hmm..." sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chen Qiu, with a somewhat odd expression, turned around to look at the stream behind him: "Given how rare they are, I just followed that yellow fish all the way here, and then I found so many."


    "..."


    Even the scholar fell silent, tilting his head towards the stream. Was that yellow fish really a fortunate encounter? He had lived there for a long time before, so why hadn''t the yellow fish shown him the way then?


    Moreover, why would the yellow fish grant Brother Qiu such fortune?


    He just ate a lot of your kin, is this how you treat your family grudge?


    After a long silence, the scholar softly said, "Brother Qiu, this is also your destiny, and since you have encountered this opportunity, it means you must embark on your journey to the Capital."


    "No."


    Chen Qiu shook his head firmly: "Without reaching Golden Core, stepping into Jing Province is forbidden; opportunities can arise anytime, but life is only one."


    "This opportunity might not always be available..."


    The scholar''s expression turned complex as he explained, "Why do the young ones of the world aspire towards the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard so eagerly? Apart from the rewards of the Heavenly Dao Blessing and the fame, the most crucial is the rewards during the ranking confirmation of Heavenly Pride Leaderboard itself."


    "''Heavenly Pride Leaderboard'' confirms the ranks at the end of each year and starts a new leaderboard."


    "It updates once a year."


    "In a few days, on the first of the New Year, it is the day when the sect''s leaderboards and the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard among other rankings refresh and confirm."


    "That day."


    "The favored youths gathered in the Capital will enter a Heavenly Dao Secret Realm exclusive to them; only cultivators below the age of fifty and above the first layer of Foundation Establishment can enter."


    "Inside the Secret Realm, they undergo various trials to determine the top three of the new year''s ''Heavenly Pride Leaderboard.''


    "After the ranking confirmation, this ranking will remain fixed for an entire year, unless someone at the top unexpectedly dies, the ranks won''t rise further."


    "After ranking confirmation."


    "Those ranked in the top thousand of ''Heavenly Pride Leaderboard'' will receive the Heavenly Dao Blessing, and the top three will have the chance of receiving treasures bestowed by the Heavenly Dao."


    "Simply put, you provide the materials for forging a Spiritual Treasure, and then the Heavenly Dao helps you forge the most suitable Spiritual Treasure for you."


    "This kind of Spiritual Treasure is known as a Heavenly Dao Spiritual Treasure."


    "It''s a result even the peak artifact creators in Da Xia Country cannot achieve, perfectly tailored to you and it''s also a Lifebound Spirit Treasure that can grow as your cultivation advances."


    The scholar suddenly had a hint of indulgence on his face, looking down at the miniature long sword in his sleeve: "My Qingfeng here is a Heavenly Dao Spiritual Treasure, full of spirit."


    "''Dragon Vein Stone,'' such a rare heavenly and earthly treasure, Brother Qiu aren''t you saying you''ve never had a suitable Spiritual Treasure for a Magic Practitioner?"


    "This time at the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard is your chance, Brother Qiu. With your skills, winning the top three should be no problem."


    "Top three?"


    Chen Qiu frowned deeply without speaking; indeed, the prospect of obtaining a Heavenly Dao Spiritual Treasure was enticing. Even though he was resolute about not entering Golden Core before reaching the Capital, he did need a Spiritual Treasure that suited him especially well.


    Thinking for a moment, he then inquired.


    "Is the selection of the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard conducted within the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm, not on some platform?"


    "It is not."


    "Can those Golden Core old demons meddle in matters within the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm?"


    "They cannot, but the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm used for the selection of Heavenly Pride can be seen by outsiders."


    Chen Qiu nodded in understanding; a few days ago it was the winter solstice, and in seven days a new year would begin, which also meant there were only seven days until the start of the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard competition.


    Then he made up his mind, looking up at the scholar.


    "Let''s set off."


    ...


    As night fell, during the hour of the pig.


    In DaMing City near the Capital of Jing Province, inside a named ''Xinghua House'' in a brothel private room.


    Chen Qiu sat by the window overlooking the bustling street below, occasionally hearing the shouts of the old madam and the laughter of the girls, casually picking up a grain of golden-brown peanut and tossing it into his mouth.


    He chewed leisurely, savoring it.


    Then, he picked up a cup of clear liquor and took a light sip, the spicy sensation soothing his mood quite a bit as the street below filled with the smoke and scent of people carrying loads and hawking their wares, imbuing the entire city with a sense of liveliness.


    The scholar sat opposite him, also smiling as he looked down at the scene below.


    At this moment, only the two of them were in the private room.


    Fat Long and the scholar''s brother had gone out to gather information, with Fat Long responsible for gathering the information and the scholar''s brother handling crucial moments of escaping.


    Just then, a knock came at the door.


    The old madam entered laughing, waving a handkerchief and followed by seven or eight girls in a row standing neatly in front of Chen Qiu and the scholar, hands stacked above and below on their abdomens, looking at Chen Qiu and the scholar with synchronized moves, their voices carrying a flirtatious tone.


    "Greetings to the young masters."


    "What do you think?"


    The old madam looked eagerly at Chen Qiu and his companion: "These girls are all transferred from the Capital, each skilled in numerous arts, many officials and nobles specifically come here to enjoy their company, what do you young masters think, are they satisfactory?"

 Chapter 99 If You Cant Win, Flip the Table._4

    The scholar seated cross-legged on the chair, his cheeks faintly flushed, turned his head to look out the window and snorted coldly."Red powdered skeletons."


    "As a sword cultivator, no matter how many red powdered skeletons I see, only my sword remains firm."


    Chen Qiu grabbed a peanut and tossed it into his mouth, drained the cup of wine in his hand, and then, propping his cheek with his hand, he swept his gaze over the seven or eight girls, one after another, before waving his hand dismissively.


    "Bring in another group."


    "Alright."


    ...


    Soon, the old madam led in another string of girls, one by one.


    "How about this time?"


    "..."


    Chen Qiu, with an expressionless face, took out a few spirit stones from his bosom and threw them over, "Isn''t this the same damn group from before? You think changing clothes fools me? Bring some top-tier girls with some clout."


    The old madam, without a hint of embarrassment, joyfully picked up the spirit stones from the ground and tucked them into her bosom, then said excitedly, "Understood, understood."


    ...


    This time, the old madam brought in only three.


    But each one was a top-tier heavenly immortal in the eyes of mortals; their temperament and attire were first-class.


    "Young master, how about this time?"


    "Hmm."


    Chen Qiu nodded and then gestured with his hand, "Keep all three."


    "The one on the far left, take my brother to the side room next door; he''s a bit shy, you take the initiative."


    "Brother Qiu!"


    The scholar, who had been pretending to be composed, could no longer hold back and said sternly, "I am a sword cultivator! Sword cultivators do not indulge in worldly pleasures!"


    "Do not indulge in worldly pleasures?"


    Chen Qiu shook his head, "I don''t understand sword cultivation, but considering your leg''s been crippled for so many years, you must be suffocated. As your sect leader, it''s my duty to help you release some of that pent-up energy."


    Half pushed, half escorted,


    the scholar, his neck growing red, was led into a side room of the private chamber by the tall girl who had been on his left.


    "Keep these two here; I''ll have two more brothers coming over later, for them."


    "Then..."


    The old madam tentatively asked, "Won''t you join in, young master?"


    "I do not indulge in worldly pleasures."


    "Oh."


    The old madam tactfully closed the door and withdrew.


    ...


    "Can you play any instruments?"


    Chen Qiu, holding his wine glass, turned his head to look at the two girls in the private chamber and casually inquired.


    Dressed in light gauzy skirts, the one on the left in pink and the girl on the right in blush red, their faces naturally very beautiful, every movement they made even carried a hint of shyness, and they seemed almost like maidens untouched by men.


    "Yes, we can also dance, would you like to see, young master?"


    "Show me."


    Soon,


    the girl in the pink dress sat on a high stool cradling a pipa, her face sorrowful as she softly sang while gazing out the window, while the remaining girl in the blush red long dress danced in the dim light of the room.


    The dance was very graceful.


    And Chen Qiu''s thoughts gradually drifted, he turned his head to look out at the bustling street, not sure what was on his mind, but felt that at this moment, things seemed very peaceful, as peaceful as when he was beside the stream in the canyon.


    It was a kind of tranquility, yet it was not.


    ...


    Just at this moment¡ª¡ª


    The scholar''s disciple brother came out of the private room expressionlessly, followed by a very embarrassed Fat Long and the scholar brother''s noticeably frustrated and indignant cursing.


    "I told you not to misuse your entries like that..."


    Fat Long tugged at the scholar''s disciple brother''s sleeve somewhat embarrassedly: "Your brother also needs his own space. We could have just walked back, it''s not that far. Don''t scare your brother witless, that would be a real sin."


    The scholar''s disciple brother stood by without saying a word, his face expressionless.


    Fat Long didn''t say anything more but dashed to Chen Qiu''s side and took out an enormous parchment: "Brother Qiu, the names listed here are of those who pose a strong threat to your ranking within the top three."


    Chen Qiu waved his hand to signal the two girls to wait in another room, then frowned as he looked at the parchment list.


    "So many names, huh?"


    "Must be seventy or eighty, right?"


    "Yeah."


    Fat Long nodded helplessly: "Brother Qiu, although your Cultivation has been improving rapidly, you are currently only at the fifth layer of Foundation Establishment. This time, in the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard competition, there are several Heavenly Prides with Golden Core Cultivation."


    "Plus other Heavenly Prides with at least the seventh layer of Foundation Establishment, and there are so many of them."


    "Most of the Heavenly Prides'' entries cannot be investigated, only a small portion of them can be known."


    "For example, this ''True Disciple'' from the Mechanical Puppet Sect is unanimously considered by the outsiders to be a strong contender for the top ten. This cultivator employs the rare, long-lost Puppet Cultivation."


    "They use demon beast flesh and blood and resentful spirits, combined with various heavenly and earthly treasures, to create powerful Mechanical Puppets."


    "They control the puppets with Spiritual Energy to fight for themselves."


    "It is said that this time they have prepared a large amount of heavenly and earthly treasures, intending to seize one of the top three spots and then construct a Lifebound Puppet from the Heavenly Dao."


    "The Puppet can be controlled remotely with Spiritual Energy or even piloted from within."


    "Its entire body is made of the very rare ''Black Shining Stone'' which can significantly absorb damage from Spells, making it your most troublesome opponent this time, Brother Qiu. It somewhat counters you."


    "All the information is here, but most of this information is publicly available. What I can find out, others can too. There''s so much surveillance that there are hardly any secrets left."


    "Take a look, Brother Qiu."


    ...


    Chen Qiu didn''t say anything more, gesturing with a wave of his hand for Fat Long and the girls to go off and play in the adjacent room before he started to frown at the stack of information handed to him.


    It had to be said.


    Indeed, there were many strong contenders.


    Almost every Heavenly Pride listed here was fully supported by a sect and family; not a single weak one among them, and their entry pairs were all well-matched.


    In this situation, he felt if he didn''t use Self-Destruction Terms, it would be tough even to make it into the top twenty.


    And he didn''t have that many entries to self-destruct with, to begin with.


    There were seven more days until the competition officially started.


    In those seven days, he should be able to raise his Cultivation to around the seventh or eighth layer of Foundation Establishment with the help of Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills. By then, paired with his Thunder Summoning Technique and the newly learned ''Nine Poison Nether Soul Technique'', he should be able to fight those at the peak of Foundation Establishment Cultivation. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But those early-stage Golden Core Heavenly Prides would be a bit more troublesome.


    He had a Golden Core stage resentful spirit on his back; if he could start a snowball effect, it wasn''t out of reach, yet those Heavenly Prides were the very peak of Da Xia''s younger generation.


    They would undoubtedly be difficult to handle.


    "..."


    Chen Qiu''s eyes narrowed slightly as he began to consider whether there was a chance to overturn the situation before the competition started.


    The Heavenly Dao didn''t care how many people entered the selection for the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard in the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm. Find exclusive stories on empire


    It would start and end on schedule.


    If he couldn''t beat them, he would overturn the tables.


    If he were the only one to enter the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm, then he would undoubtedly be the rightful number one.

 Chapter 100

    "..."At that moment, inside a private room of Xinghua House, Fat Long and a few others had already left for the adjoining chamber, accompanied by singing and laughter. Chen Qiu sat alone at a table by the window, overlooking the bustling street below, deep in thought and silent.


    He indeed needed a suitable Magic Treasure.


    The prospect of obtaining one of the top three Heavenly Dao Spiritual Treasures from the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard was very enticing to him.


    Only...


    He felt the risks were a bit too great, with Golden Core Heavenly Prides competing, and the specific rules of the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm unknown. According to the information gathered by Fat Long, the selection process within the Secret Realm varied every year.


    Nobody knew what it would be this year.


    Perhaps it would be a good choice to wait until next year?


    By next year, he would definitely be at the Golden Core stage one hundred percent. Even if he faced some difficult challenges, hurling a Self-Destruction Term would force them to kneel before him.


    But what about this situation...


    He had considered other methods too, such as poisoning other Heavenly Prides before the competition or ambushing them, ensuring they''d be eliminated before even entering the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm. However, whatever he could think of, other sects would surely have thought of as well.


    The Heavenly Pride Leaderboard wasn''t being held for the first time.


    Such scenarios must have occurred many times already, and those sects would have long since developed corresponding strategies.


    The scholar was quite familiar with the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard. It would be better to ask him about it later and make plans accordingly.


    ...


    "So soon?"


    Chen Qiu lifted his gaze toward the scholar, who had swiftly redressed and, using his Spiritual Energy to support himself, flew over to take his seat cross-legged on a red chair opposite him. Chen Qiu asked softly, "You''re quite knowledgeable about the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard. Tell me about the time you participated."


    "Alright."


    At this moment, the scholar only felt refreshed and invigorated. This was his first time indulging in such pleasures. Many years ago, he too had pursued the top beauty of Da Xia on the Heavenly Dao beauty rankings, Ji Renjian. Only... the story that followed was quite distressing for him.


    After his Cultivation was wasted, there was no more to the story.


    Perhaps noticing the scholar''s distant gaze, Chen Qiu couldn''t help but tease, "What, struck by a beauty''s poison?"


    "No." The scholar shook his head with a complex expression, "I''m just reminded of someone I admired a long time ago. If she knew of my fall from grace now, she might be disappointed."


    "Admired? You expressed your love?"


    "I guess so."


    "What do you mean by ''guess so''?"


    Find exclusive stories on empire


    "I helped her many times in secret. In all of Da Xia, no one wielded such dense Sword Intent but me. She must have recognized it, but she never sought me out, rejecting me in a rather indirect manner."


    "That''s good, you should learn more from Fat Long in this regard."


    Chen Qiu shook his head, choosing not to continue the conversation on this topic and went straight to the point, "Tell me about your time at the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard."


    "Alright."


    After a moment of silence, the scholar spoke softly, "I''ve participated in the contest for the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard twice."


    "The first time I was fourth, and Ji Taiping was fifth."


    "Not very famous."


    "After that, I cultivated arduously for half a year, and six months later I single-handedly fought the top three on the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard, slaying them all with my sword, becoming famous overnight."


    "The next year I competed again, and without any doubt, I took first place."


    "The following year, Ji Taiping also secured the first place in the Heavenly Pride."


    Speaking of this, the scholar''s face was filled with pride and disdain, "Ji Taiping didn''t dare compete with me on the same stage the second year, refraining from participating in the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard contest, fearing he wouldn''t get first place. The thing Sword Cultivators fear the most is hesitating to draw their swords."


    "He didn''t dare to cross swords with me. Even though he secured the top spot in the Heavenly Pride the following year¡ª"


    "It''s nothing much." S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "The Heavenly Pride Leaderboard is open only to those with Foundation Establishment or higher Cultivation, under the age of fifty, and one can participate in the contest a maximum of two times."


    "The content of the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm for determining the rankings is always different."


    "The first time I participated, it was a tournament of direct combat, sword against sword, blade against blade."


    "The second time, it was a treasure hunt. There were 1,024 Heavenly Dao Fragments scattered in a small world, and the rankings were based on the number of Heavenly Dao Fragments one possessed."


    "The battles were always brutal."


    "However, one does not truly die in the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm. When one is severely injured, the will of the Heavenly Dao expels them from the small world, or one can opt to concede and leave the small world early, unless one doesn''t even have the chance to be severely injured, dying too swiftly."


    "That''s real death."


    "And such cases were not rare in previous years."


    "Every year there are Golden Core Heavenly Prides, these contestants often being strong contenders for the top spot, who go all out against Foundation Establishment Heavenly Prides from other sects, leaving them no chance of surviving the injury, thereby weakening the young generation''s strength of other sects."


    The scholar shook his head, speaking earnestly, "I think you really should give it a try, Brother Qiu. Even if you can''t vie for the top three, you can still place around thirtieth or fortieth. After the rankings are set, you can receive the Heavenly Dao Blessing."


    "It''s not impossible to vie for the top three next year."


    "I think with your strength, Brother Qiu, it''s worth a try."


    "..."


    Chen Qiu nodded in understanding and then absentmindedly tapped his fingertip against the table surface, his gaze drifting out the window as he already had a rough plan in mind.


    ...


    If it weren''t for the stroke of luck that brought him a significant cache of Dragon Vein Stones and knowledge that the top three on the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard would receive Heavenly Dao Spiritual Treasures, he wouldn''t have set foot into the Capital before reaching the Golden Core stage.


    And now he was already in a satellite city just outside the Capital.


    Mainly, the allure of the Heavenly Dao Spiritual Treasure was far too great for him.

 Chapter 101 Over and over again, until its done.

    Within the Chao Tian Sect.Fat Long built up a bonfire and sat on the ground with the scholar and his younger brother, chatting casually.


    "Although life was tough before."


    Fat Long remarked with a wistful tone, "I''ve always believed that life won''t always be this harsh. There will be a day when the bitterness ends and sweetness begins, a true powerhouse will never feel humiliated by yesterday''s kneeling."


    "Look, I''ve made it through, haven''t I?"


    His face brimming with pride, he couldn''t help but boast, "With my ''Heavenly Destiny Dual Cultivation'' entry, maybe in a few years, I''ll be able to reach the Golden Core. Then, I''ll trample over the Flower Offering Sect, and slaughter everyone there!"


    "Damn it, I can remember this grudge for a lifetime!"


    "Moreover, with Brother Qiu covering for me, even if it''s harder now, it''s still many times better than before. Even if we become enemies of the entire world, at least we have the small world as a place where we can take shelter and not be reduced to stray dogs."


    "I think it''s pretty good as it is now."


    "Indeed." The scholar too smiled and patted his legs, "I always felt that after becoming a cripple, the only reason to keep living was my brother. But I don''t know why, after spending more time with you guys, it feels like my life has some hope of its own."


    "Hey."


    Fat Long laughed, slung his arm around the scholar''s shoulder, and grinned, "Life always gets better, come on, let''s drink to celebrate our surely bright future!"


    Even the typically quiet brother of the scholar raised his cup and said in a deep voice, "Actually, I''ve always hated it when my brother says he lives for me, but he keeps saying so."


    Explore more adventures at empire


    The three gathered by the bonfire, their laughter and conversation echoing into the night as they reminisced about the past and looked forward to the future, their bond deepening with each moment.


    Not far away.


    Chen Qiu sat cross-legged on an oval stone, cultivating alone.


    Yes, when he had left the valley, he had packed that oval stone by the stream into his small world.


    This stone was quite comfortable to cultivate on.


    After he had absorbed all 142 Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills.


    His Cultivation had gone from...


    ''Cultivation'': Foundation Establishment Stage Five (29%)


    To¡ª¡ª


    ''Cultivation'': Foundation Establishment Stage Six (0%)


    ...


    "Foundation Establishment Six."


    Chen Qiu slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a cloud of impure breath. His body was covered with a layer of Spiritual Energy like a film. Casually summoning a Thunder Summoning Technique towards the barren ground nearby, he nodded with satisfaction.


    The Thunder Summoning Technique released at Foundation Establishment Stage Six was significantly larger than before.


    And in the moment he executed it, the ''Dual Casting'' and ''Ten Layers of Spellcasting'' turned it into twelve Thunder Summoning Techniques.


    Foundation Establishment Stage Six, just one step away from the upper phase of Foundation Establishment.


    Under the effect of the Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pill, his speed of breaking through Cultivation was astounding to everyone, and at the same time, that familiar panel wrapped in mist and clouds appeared above his Dantian.


    Under the effect of the ''Step by Step'' entry, breaking through each small realm allowed him to freely choose one of three random entries.


    -


    ''Your Cultivation has surged, officially entering Foundation Establishment Stage Six.''


    ''Please choose one from the three random entries below within ten breaths.''


    1:


    ''Entry Name'': Saving Lives and Healing the Wounded.


    ''Entry Level'': Green.


    ''Entry Effect'': All your spells for healing injuries will not work on yourself but will be three times more effective on others.


    2:


    ''Entry Name'': Slippery.


    ''Entry Level'': Green.


    ''Entry Effect'': Each time you are attacked, you will automatically teleport to a random location within thirty feet.


    3:


    ''Entry Name'': Complementary Enhancements.


    ''Entry Level'': Green.


    ''Entry Effect'': The larger your Tao Foundation overall, the farther your Divine Sense can reach.


    -


    "Heh."


    Looking at the three entries, Chen Qiu''s face finally revealed a smile; without any hesitation, he chose the third one. Several upgrades had passed without landing an entry that suited him, but this time he got one that was perfectly aligned.


    The accuracy of a spell primarily depends on Divine Sense.


    Once the Divine Sense locks on to an enemy, as long as your spell is faster than the enemy''s movement, it will be traced and hit by your spell.


    The same applies to a Sword Cultivator controlling a Flying Sword to attack enemies.


    However, Divine Sense leaving the body is a technique of Golden Core Great Powers. Before reaching the Golden Core, Divine Sense can only leave the body for a short distance, used for opening Storage Rings and such, and the idea of locking onto an enemy is just a pipe dream.


    This is also why Foundation Establishment Cultivators don''t start by throwing spells in battle.


    If you miss and run out of Spiritual Energy, you''re just a sheep waiting to be slaughtered.


    Even Magic Practitioners primarily use Spiritual Treasure as their Attack Method, ensuring that spells are almost certain to hit before making a move.


    Of course¡ª


    He is an exception.


    He generally aims with his naked eye and then smashes hundreds of spells over, sure that some will hit. This kind is a special case, usual Foundation Establishment Cultivators can''t do it like he does.


    With ''Complementary Enhancements,'' even before reaching Golden Core, he can use Divine Sense externally, which greatly enhances his Attack Method. In Foundation Establishment, many times this could catch the enemy by surprise. He could even smash hundreds of Thunder Summoning Techniques in the sky, then lock the enemy with Divine Sense.


    ...


    "Go!"


    Chen Qiu''s gaze sharpened as he looked at a small stone in the barren land not far away, casually sending a Thunder Summoning Technique smashing towards it. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The twelve Thunder Summoning Techniques drawn in different arcs precisely hit the small stone.


    "Pretty good."


    Chen Qiu smiled with satisfaction. This entry greatly enriched his means of attack. At the Foundation Establishment Stage, it would often catch the enemy off guard. He could even rain down hundreds of Thunder Summoning Techniques from the sky and lock on to the enemy with Divine Sense.

 Chapter 101 Over and over again, until its done._2

    Hundreds of Thunder Summoning Techniques traced different arcs across the sky and smashed towards the enemy, giving them a huge surprise.Although the distance his Divine Sense could extend from his body was far inferior to a Golden Core Great Power¡ªhe had tested it to be roughly within a hundred meters¡ªit was enough. Any enemy within a radius of a hundred meters, no matter how they moved, could be precisely targeted by his Thunder Summoning Technique.


    Once he reached the Golden Core stage, with the enhancement of this entry, his range of Divine Sense would be much farther than that of his peers at the same level.


    By then, he would be able to initiate an attack with his Thunder Summoning Technique even before entering his opponent''s attack range, basically always seizing the initiative.


    Quite good.


    In fact, the first entry was also quite good. If it were chosen by another cultivator, they would only need to diligently practice spells that could heal injuries. Then, on the battlefield, they could become a powerful healer, frantically restoring their teammates'' health, ensuring that as long as they did not fall, their teammates would not fall either.


    The second entry wasn''t bad either.


    If it weren''t for the third entry being so perfectly suited for him, he estimated that he would most likely have chosen the second one. With that, combined with the "Shrink Earth into Inches" he had yet to learn, he could directly teleport randomly without a fixed point.


    Never mind whether the enemy could find his position, even he himself would not be able to find where he landed.


    "Phew!"


    Chen Qiu took a long, satisfied breath and then continued to circulate his mental method to solidify his sixth layer of Foundation Establishment realm cultivation. Tonight, of the 389 Cultivation Pills, there were still 247 left after consuming 142.


    If the Fame Ranking remains and exists for the next seven days,


    the Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills he would obtain should be enough for him to break through to the peak of Foundation Establishment before the start of the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard competition. By then, with his numerous hidden cards, it wouldn''t be impossible to try venturing into the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm.


    ...


    "Based on this rate, Brother Qiu isn''t far from Golden Core anymore. Are there any restrictions for breaking through to Golden Core?"


    Fat Long looked towards Chen Qiu, who was diligently cultivating, and turned his head to ask the scholar curiously.


    "Yes."


    The scholar nodded and said with a smile, "The most basic restriction is that one needs to raise their cultivation to the peak of Foundation Establishment and then choose a day with good heavenly conditions to circulate the mental method and condense the Spiritual Energy in the body into Spiritual Liquid."


    "And try to make the Spiritual Liquid boil vigorously, constantly scouring the Tao Foundation. After washing the Tao Foundation countless times, the Golden Core hidden within the Tao Foundation will be revealed."


    "If you break through successfully, that is the Golden Core stage."


    "Is it that simple?" Fat Long raised an eyebrow, "I heard that so many cultivators at the peak of Foundation Establishment in your Da Xia Country failed to break into Golden Core and could only submit to Da Xia to serve as City Lords, relying on Da Xia''s Qi Fortune to break through to Golden Core. I thought it was very difficult to break through."


    "It''s just simple to talk about,"


    the scholar continued with a nod.


    "The process of condensing Spiritual Energy into Spiritual Liquid requires a massive amount of Spiritual Energy, to begin with, which means you need to prepare a sufficient number of Spirit Stones for yourself. The absorption speed of low-grade Spirit Stones is definitely too slow, so mid-grade Spirit Stones are a must."


    "Qi Replenishing Pills have impurities and are certainly not suitable to use on such an important occasion as breaking through to Golden Core."


    "Even the absorption speed of mid-grade Spirit Stones is not enough; you need to prepare at least forty-nine mid-grade Spirit Stones to set up a Spirit Gathering Array and sit at the Array Core to prepare for the breakthrough."


    "This is the first difficulty: wealth!"


    "A single mid-grade Spirit Stone is worth nearly 600 low-grade Spirit Stones on the market and is incredibly hard to collect. You must prepare nearly 30,000 low-grade Spirit Stones and spend several years to acquire forty-nine mid-grade Spirit Stones."


    "Just this first difficulty essentially filters out most people from the threshold of Golden Core."


    "Without the support of a family or sect, to put it bluntly, how many terrible deeds must you commit to gather forty-nine mid-grade Spirit Stones for yourself?"


    "The second difficulty: once, twice, and thrice, exhaustion after the third."


    The scholar paused before continuing, "After the Spiritual Energy becomes Spiritual Liquid, it must be made to boil and then you must scour the Tao Foundation with the mental method. This process is very painful, similar to the agony of scraping therapy during the scouring of the Tao Foundation."


    "And not a single accident can occur."


    "If the outside world fails to provide enough Spirit Stone energy, fail."


    "If someone interferes from the outside, fail."


    "If you become faint-hearted from unbearable pain, fail."


    "If the Tao Foundation has hidden injuries or an unstable foundation, then each scouring will multiply the pain several times. In case of any distraction, it will still be a fail."


    "If any accident occurs midway, causing the first attempt to break through to Golden Core to fail, then the Spiritual Energy in your Tao Foundation will transform into Spiritual Liquid, and although you won''t have Golden Core cultivation, you will possess the Spiritual Liquid that only those with Golden Core have."


    "After Spiritual Energy turns into liquid, the power of spells will be significantly strengthened."


    "At that point, you''re called a Half-Step Golden Core."


    "To break through from Half-Step Golden Core to Golden Core is much more difficult than the first breakthrough. If you fail again, the difficulty of the next attempt will be multiple times higher, and without some fortuitous encounter, you could very well be stuck there for life."


    "That''s why, virtually all cultivators at the peak of Foundation Establishment try to prepare everything possible and then open the Sect Protection Array, either in their sect or family, with numerous people joining hands to protect them while they wholeheartedly attempt to break through to Golden Core."


    "As for Loose Cultivators, they often find a desolate place to attempt the breakthrough alone." Find exclusive stories on empire S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Goodness..."


    Fat Long murmured in shock, "It does sound very difficult, no wonder so many people are stuck at the peak of Foundation Establishment and can only rely on Da Xia''s Qi Fortune to step into Golden Core. Just these 30,000 Spirit Stones can crush the majority of people."

 Chapter 101 Over and over again, until its done._3

    "Otherwise?" S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.The scholar helplessly shook his head and said, "What else did you think the purpose of founding a sect was, to find a Golden Core Great Power in the early stages to help you cross the bridge for just 100 Spirit Stones?"


    "Are those Golden Core Great Powers worth only 100 Spirit Stones?"


    "If you even dared to ask for 150 Spirit Stones, you wouldn''t even see the list, as it would have been taken by someone else."


    "Those families nearly deplete their entire fortune raising a Golden Core, if you don''t reciprocate, all the people in your family will starve to death."


    "For something as harmless and effortless as crossing the bridge, getting 100 Spirit Stones is already quite good."


    "Just this¡ª"


    "You feel it''s already quite challenging, right?"


    "But even if you accomplish all that I''ve mentioned, the Golden Core formed would just be a First-grade Golden Core."


    "Golden Cores are graded from First to Fifth Grade."


    "First Grade is the weakest, Fifth Grade the strongest."


    "Each advancement in grade requires a large amount of heavenly treasures and resources, all those crisp Spirit Stones; I nearly lost half my life trying to achieve a Second-grade Golden Core."


    "Hey."


    Fat Long laughed and said, "I''m not worried about this, Brother Qiu will definitely be the strongest, a Fifth-grade Golden Core."


    "..."


    The scholar rolled his eyes at Fat Long and said, "Although I also have great faith in Brother Qiu, I must tell you that in Da Xia Country, openly, I have only heard of one person with a Fourth-grade Golden Core, and that is His Majesty. How many more there are in secret, I do not know."


    "But as for a Fifth-grade Golden Core, I can definitively tell you¡ª"


    "Not a single person has it."


    "It''s recorded in historical legends."


    ""


    ...


    After the scholar had finished purifying the impurities, Chen Qiu circulated his mental method to slightly solidify his cultivation realm, then he no longer intended to continue taking Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills; letting himself adjust to the sixth layer of Foundation Establishment first would ensure a stable Tao Foundation.


    Leaving the small world, they prepared to hit the road again.


    Traveling intermittently, by the time the sun reached mid-sky at noon, they had already stopped at a high mountain in Southern State, having covered a third of the total journey to the Boundless Icefield.


    "Isn''t this a roundabout way?"


    Fat Long, staring at the map in his hands, wondered, "Wouldn''t it be faster if we just went straight across ''Qiang State''?"


    "Hmm."


    The scholar shrugged and said, "Theoretically, yes, but many years ago, His Majesty took a Flying Boat to ''Qiang State'' for a disguised inspection. On the way, he was overtaken by several Sword Cultivators using Sword Flight, and soon after, ''Qiang State'' banned Sword Flight in the entire state."


    "Only officials from Qiang State are allowed to use Sword Flight, it''s forbidden to others."


    "So, we have to go around ''Qiang State''. Also because of this ban, ''Qiang State'', originally one of the more prosperous states in Southern State, has gradually become somewhat deserted over the years."


    "It has become a haven for many Evil Cultivators."


    "Those Evil Cultivators don''t rely on Sword Flight, so in Qiang State, they''re like fish in water."


    "Let me rest a while, I''ve taken too many Qi Replenishing Pills. We''ll continue the journey later; if nothing unexpected happens, we will surely reach the Boundless Icefield before nightfall."


    ...


    Capital City, within the Zhang Family.


    "Family Head."


    A figure clad in black kneeled on one knee and solemnly reported, "It has been clearly investigated; the former White-clothed Sword Cultivator who was hunted by the Zhang Family is indeed still alive, only his cultivation has fallen to the initial stages of Foundation Establishment. Recently, he appeared at the Heavenly Dao Pavilion and bought a ''Heavenly Dao Jade,'' presumably to suppress the poison."


    "He''d been hiding in Wentiang Workshop Town in the past years, but the current whereabouts of the workshop owner of Wentiang Workshop Town are unknown, nowhere to inquire."


    "The Magic Practitioner that follows him, according to the Huang Family in Fufeng City, was still in the Qi Refinement Realm a few days back and had some feuds with their Huang Family, yet in less than half a month, he has already stepped into the second layer of Foundation Establishment."


    "He''s a Magic Practitioner renowned for frequently releasing multiple Spells to gain fame."


    "Wherever he passed, all the Qi Replenishing Pills in the city''s shops were nearly sold out. According to my subordinate''s assumption, this Magic Practitioner must have an entry that highly suits Magic Practitioners, but to maintain his combat power, he must consume a large amount of Qi Replenishing Pills."


    "Interesting..." The middle-aged man sitting on the chair with eyes slightly narrowed, looked at the image of Chen Qiu and the scholar fighting together in Fufeng City, murmured, "Good that he didn''t die, very good indeed."


    "This is just too perfect."


    "This time, I must get from his mouth how to prove Nascent Soul."


    Back then.


    Everyone thought it was just a trivial grudge, but the Capital City Zhang Family mobilized their whole clan to hunt this Number One Sword Cultivator of Da Xia, Bai Yi, but the real reason, only they knew.


    That was...


    This Number One Sword Cultivator of Da Xia, Bai Yi, knew how to prove Nascent Soul!


    This unresolved issue of Da Xia Country for centuries, Bai Yi knew it, and back then, they had tried as much as possible to only severely injure Bai Yi to force out that secret, but unfortunately, he still died. They have been regretting that matter all these years.


    However, unexpectedly, he had faked his death that day, which reignited a glimmer of hope in their hearts.


    "Issue the orders!"


    "Do not be stingy with Spirit Stones; gather all information about Bai Yi and that Magic Practitioner including those around them."


    "Find a suitable opportunity, and catch them all at once with a thunder strike."


    "Understood."


    The figure in black solemnly responded, and then slowly retreated from the dim room.


    "Very good."


    Discover more stories at empire


    After the black-clad figure had left, the Zhang Family Patriarch slowly stood up with his hands behind his back, paced around the room a few times, his face unable to suppress the excitement emerging. Once they, the Zhang Family, learned this answer, they would possess the only Nascent Soul in Da Xia!

 Chapter 101 First Time and Again, Thrice to Exhaustion. _4

    By then, Da Xia Country might as well change its name.He would also have to sit upon that imperial throne.


    But soon, his expression revealed a hint of worry and tension, uncertain whether Bai Yi had leaked this news. No, he had to act swiftly, before too many people noticed Bai Yi, and capture him!


    Although Bai Yi''s techniques for escaping were exceedingly powerful, as long as a trap was set in advance, even wings wouldn''t help him escape.


    "That''s right!"


    The Zhang Family Patriarch suddenly thought of something, looking towards a shadowy corner of the room and hoarsely said, "Find something for Ji Taiping to do, preferably send him away from the Capital. He has a deadly feud with Bai Yi and I don''t want that fool to interfere with my plans."


    "Understood."


    A voice of an elderly man came from the shadowy corner of the room, his presence felt but not seen.


    ...


    In the Capital, within a certain mountain peak.


    Ji Taiping furrowed his brows as he looked at the message coming from his Sound Transmission Ring Palace, his back to everyone as he stood at the edge of a cliff. After a long silence, he turned to his side to speak softly to Ji Renjian.


    "The palace commands, there''s turmoil in the Hundred Countries to the West, I must go there to quell the disturbances and mediate peace," he said.


    "This journey is likely to take dozens of days."


    "I will accompany you," Ji Renjian, barefoot on the green stone, leaned against Ji Taiping''s shoulder with a dazed look and said softly.


    "No, you can''t."


    Ji Taiping shook his head and said, "Have you forgotten the promise between you and me? You cannot leave Jing Province. Last time, you sneaked out without telling me, encountering danger many times along the way. If I hadn''t been secretly protecting you, would you still be standing here?"


    "The outside world is dangerous. Just stay on ''Qingfeng'' and don''t run around. Wait patiently for my return."


    "Mm."


    Ji Renjian looked at Ji Taiping with reluctance and said, "Then you be careful."


    She had always thought her brother to be indulgent in wine and women, somewhat dissolute and not serious. That was until she, on a whim, disguised herself and snuck out of Jing Province by herself. Even though she was dressed in disguise and deliberately made herself less attractive, as the Heavenly Dao''s number one beauty, the slightest bit of her beauty that leaked was enough to drive many to madness.


    Yet, every time she faced danger, S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    there would always be a green sword shot from afar to protect her.


    Though the wielder of the sword was unseen,


    she chattered with the sword incessantly along the way, and as it danced joyously around her as if expressing happiness, she knew that in the whole of Da Xia, only two people possessed such intense Sword Intent.


    One was the White-clothed Sword Cultivator, the other was her brother, Ji Taiping.


    At that time, the palace had given an order for both of them to quell the turmoil in the Hundred Countries; whoever succeeded would be appointed the title of National Guardian Sword Master, which would allow them to wield a thread of Da Xia''s Qi Fortune, and enhance their understanding of the Sword Dao, greatly strengthening their own power.


    In her memory, the White-clothed Sword Cultivator was obsessed with sword cultivation.


    He concerned himself with nothing but sword cultivation and had only met her once.


    The sword that protected her was, of course, her brother, Ji Taiping.


    Upon returning to the Capital and sharing her adventures with her brother, he remained expressionless and silent for a long time before admitting to his actions, and he forbade her from leaving Jing Province on a whim in the future.


    Soon afterwards, her brother took care of those relatives who had improper intentions towards her during her travels, executing them all.


    Although she felt her brother''s actions were somewhat cruel, thinking that he was avenging her, she felt very fortunate.


    From then on, her impression of her brother changed drastically.


    ...


    "Mm."


    Ji Taiping affectionately pinched Ji Renjian''s nose, then messed up her hair with a gentle smile and said, "Don''t worry, there''s not a person in this world who can kill your brother who has been born yet."


    "When I return, I''ll bring you some specialties from the Hundred Countries."


    Afterwards.


    Ji Taiping no longer lingered, turning to walk down the mountain, leaving Ji Renjian alone, gazing absentmindedly at his departing figure, lost for words. Continue your journey with empire


    Her name was Renjian.


    Her brother''s name was Taiping.


    When their parents named them, they intended it to mean ''peace in the human world''.


    She truly wished for peace in the human world so that her brother wouldn''t have to keep going to the Hundred Countries to pacify turmoil, so he could always stay by her side, and she could travel with him to other provinces.


    ...


    Descending the mountain, as soon as Ji Taiping set foot at the base, a man in black approached him hastily and said, "Lord Sword Master, as per your orders, we have identified three more storytellers who often brag about Bai Yi''s past deeds."


    "Kill them all."


    Ji Taiping walked forward with a cold expression and said, "In the future, you do not need to consult me on such matters. Not three, but even three hundred¡ªanyone who dares to brag about Bai Yi, count them one by one and kill them all."


    "No matter how big a problem arises, I, Ji Taiping, can handle it."


    "If one person in this world says I am not as good as Bai Yi,"


    "I''ll kill that one person."


    "If the whole world says I am not as good as Bai Yi,"


    "then I''ll kill the entire world."


    "You''re reporting to me when you could have killed them by now. In the future, if you encounter any problems, consult your predecessor before doing such foolish things. If it happens again, I''ll start with you."


    The man in black lowered his head quickly, a flicker of fear in his eyes, and whispered, "I understand."


    ...


    ''Fei City''.


    It was the southernmost of the nineteen provinces in Da Xia, perpetually cold due to the climate, which led the people here to be robust and stout, hence the name ''Fei City''.


    Originally, by crossing this province, they would have reached their intended destination, the Boundless Icefield.


    However, the scholar insisted on bringing them to the most prosperous city in ''Fei City''¡ªFei City itself¡ªclaiming he wanted to show them a great treasure.

 Chapter 102 Life is almost depleted, about to fucking die!

    "Fei City".At the end of the busiest street, sitting by the window of a teahouse, Fat Long looked at the furnace embedded in the table in front of him, huffed cold air, and shivered while holding a cup of hot tea, "Isn''t the temperature in Fei City too low?"


    "It''s my first time seeing a teahouse with a furnace embedded in the table."


    "No wonder everyone here is so fat." sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Any mortal who''s a bit thinner might have trouble surviving this winter."


    "Speaking of which, Scholar, why did you insist on bringing us here? Didn''t you say you wanted to show us a great treasure? Where''s the treasure?"


    "Here!"


    The scholar, with eyes brimming with excitement, looked down at the bustling street below, pointed at a woman sitting in a sedan chair, and said with a smile, "This is the Heavenly Dao second beauty. I''m sure you''ve never seen her. Not everyone gets the chance to see the Heavenly Dao second beauty. Don''t you want to take a look?"


    It was twilight.


    The street was lively, and there was the sound of gongs and drums.


    "Oh?"


    Hearing the scholar''s words, Fat Long suddenly became interested. He stuck his head out the window and saw a woman sitting in a large red sedan chair being carried down the street by eight robust men, each step leaving a deep footprint, and their foreheads beaded with more sweat.


    They were followed by a group of people beating gongs and drums, making it quite lively.


    It was as if a wedding procession was approaching from afar.


    The woman in the sedan chair was so overweight that she seemed to combine the size of eight or nine women, slumped inside, and with every movement forward, you could see her excess flesh shake like waves.


    No legs, no chest, and not even a stomach could be seen.


    All you could see was a smiling face and a large mass of fat.


    "What the heck?"


    Fat Long pointed out the window at the woman in disbelief and exclaimed, "You call this the Heavenly Dao second beauty? Are you sure she ranks second on the Da Xia beauty rankings?"


    "With that physique, if you slaughtered her, you could feed the whole country. There''d be enough meat for the entire population of Da Xia Country to indulge for three years!"


    "Not to mention?"


    "Unless that thing is three zhang long, even if you were in bed with her for three years, she''d still remain a virgin ¨C believe it or not?"


    "Smack."


    Chen Qiu, sitting opposite Fat Long, expressionlessly picked up his Jade Feather Fan and swatted away Fat Long''s hand that was pointing out of the window, "Talk all you want, but don''t point at people."


    No matter what her appearance was, since she could be the Heavenly Dao second beauty, she definitely must have suitors.


    He didn''t want Fat Long''s words to cause any trouble here.


    It wasn''t that he was worried about not being able to fight.


    But having less trouble was certainly better than more.


    Stay tuned to empire


    "That''s exaggerated."


    The scholar shook his head and clicked his tongue, "No need for three zhang, three feet should be enough. It''s said that this woman was once an ordinary girl who one day saved enough potion money, broke through to the first layer of the Qi Refinement Realm, and suddenly became the Heavenly Dao second beauty."


    "Back then, the original Heavenly Dao second beauty became the third because of her."


    "It''s all about that power."


    "Then overnight, suitors filled her doorstep. It was like she had achieved great success in one step."


    "Originally, due to her extreme obesity and ugliness, she was extremely unpopular among her neighbors, and they despised her in their conversations. Because she was unwilling to go out and stayed at home every day, she got fatter and fatter."


    "And then suddenly, she became a Heavenly Dao beauty, turning into a golden phoenix overnight. Every day at this time, she has to be carried around the city in her sedan chair with gongs and drums. She also needs to find a husband, claiming she wants to find one who truly loves her and is willing to protect her."


    "But to put it bluntly..."


    "What good man could truly fall in love with a pile of fat? To kiss her, you''d still have to use your hands to forcefully pull open the dangling fat around her mouth sitting on her chest; otherwise, you couldn''t even find where the mouth is. So despite becoming the Heavenly Dao second beauty and gaining wealth and honor, she still hasn''t found her ideal husband."


    Hearing the scholar, Chen Qiu also became somewhat interested in the woman making her rounds in the sedan chair outside the window. Although her body was indeed exaggerated, she had a very gentle smile.


    Not the kind of smugness seen in petty people who suddenly get their way.


    It seemed more like... just a very happy smile.


    It was visibly apparent that the people around were used to it, with hardly anyone giving the woman much attention. Meanwhile, some foreigners stood on Green Stone Street, watching with wide-eyed amazement, finding it quite strange.


    "What''s the effect of this woman''s Heavenly Dao beauty status?"


    Each Heavenly Dao beauty has a unique effect, and anyone truly loved by a Heavenly Dao beauty will gain that effect.


    The second Heavenly Dao beauty must have a good effect.


    "Here."


    The scholar, somewhat gleefully, pointed at a few men following the sedan chair procession: "That one looking lifeless in the light blue robe on the left is the top true disciple from Capital''s ''Jade Medicine Sect,'' the middle-aged man forcing a happy face is the Great Elder from ''Purple Moon Palace''s'' Outer Sect."


    "And that old man is the Inner Sect Third Elder from ''Medicine King Mountain.''


    "Medicine King Mountain is also an Alchemy Cultivation Sect renowned in Southern State, and those people behind them are all followers of this Heavenly Dao beauty, hoping they might someday take this Heavenly Dao beauty home."


    "These sects, without exception, are all Alchemy Cultivation Sects, with the highest number of Alchemy Cultivators, and are also known for their Alchemy."


    "Naturally, the effect of this Heavenly Dao beauty is¡ª"


    "To give her husband a success rate of one hundred percent whenever he refines pills."


    "A straightforward and brutal effect of a Heavenly Dao beauty."


    "Otherwise, do you think these Alchemy Cultivators, who are so high and mighty that it''s hard to even meet them, would chase after her like this? That Inner Sect Third Elder from ''Medicine King Mountain'' used to be quite domineering. When you asked him to refine pills, you had to provide three sets of ingredients yourself, two of which would be his, and if it was a rare pill formula, you''d need five sets of ingredients."

 Chapter 102 Lifespan is Almost Depleted, Dying Fast!_2

    "Look at you now, still shamelessly following behind.""Tsk, I''m curious about that old man who looks almost ready to croak. Even if he takes a bride home, what good would it do?"


    ...


    "Oh?"


    Chen Qiu''s eyes squinted slightly with a flicker of excitement. The effects of the Heavenly Dao Beauty were indeed awe-inspiringly powerful. Normally an Alchemy Cultivator could achieve a success rate of thirty percent per batch of pills, which was considered pretty good.


    Especially with some high-level pills.


    In that case, you''d be lucky to even get one pill from a batch, let alone a whole pill¡ªit was entirely normal even for the attempt to end in an explosion.


    But if you became the husband of a Heavenly Dao Beauty.


    Then no matter how difficult the high-level pills you were crafting were, as long as there wasn''t an issue in the alchemical process, a success rate that was normally ten percent could now be a full one hundred percent.


    This wasn''t just an ordinary improvement.


    It was extremely useful when crafting some high-level pills.


    Of course, if you couldn''t produce even a single pill, then the benefits of this one hundred percent improvement wouldn''t manifest at all.


    "This Heavenly Dao Beauty effect is really good."


    Even Chen Qiu, who wasn''t an Alchemy Cultivator but a Magic Practitioner, couldn''t help feeling tempted after hearing about the effects of the Heavenly Dao Beauty, not to mention the Alchemy Cultivators¡ªit probably kept them awake at night, so eager they couldn''t sleep.


    Bringing such a Heavenly Dao Beauty home was like bringing home a gold mine.


    "Eh?"


    Fat Long suddenly thought of something and started flipping through the Heavenly Dao Beauty Ranking, then grinned and said, "Let''s see if there''s a Heavenly Dao Beauty suitable for Magic Practitioners. Maybe we can find a wife for Brother Qiu, and get ourselves a sister-in-law."


    Soon¡ª


    Fat Long''s eyes lit up as he found his target: "The sixteenth entry on the Heavenly Dao Beauty Ranking has great effects, the power of the Heavenly Dao Beauty can accelerate the husband''s Spell cultivation speed, allowing him to master multiple Great Perfection Realm Spells much faster."


    "No good."


    The scholar shook his head: "She already has a husband, the Young Master of the Qu family from the Capital, Qu Qi."


    "Never mind, the Heavenly Dao Beauty ranked twenty-seventh is also quite suitable for Magic Practitioners. Her effect can enhance the husband''s speed of absorbing Spiritual Energy, which would greatly speed up both replenishing Spiritual Energy and improving Cultivation."


    "That doesn''t work either, she''s also taken."


    "By who?"


    "The Young Master of the Qu family from the Capital, Qu Qi."


    "How about the thirty-third?"


    The scholar quietly interrupted: "She has a husband too."


    "You''re not going to tell me it''s Qu Qi again, are you?"


    "Mhm."


    "What about the forty-third?"


    "Qu Qi."


    "Surely the eighty-ninth one isn''t Qu Qi as well?"


    "Still Qu Qi."


    "..."


    Fat Long looked up expressionlessly at the scholar: "What''s the deal, there are only five Heavenly Dao Beauties suitable for Magic Practitioners on this ranking, and all five are with that Qu Qi?"


    "His father has quite the knack for naming, huh?"


    "Can one person really marry five Heavenly Dao Beauties?"


    "Yes."


    The scholar spoke with mixed emotions: "As long as you''re willing and charming enough, you could even marry everyone on the Heavenly Dao Beauty Ranking. Qu Qi is in fact a Magic Practitioner. He''s now in the early stages of the Golden Core and has just broken through a few days ago."


    "He''s also one of the strong contenders for the top spot on the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard."


    "If Brother Qiu decides to participate in this Heavenly Pride Leaderboard, he may even meet him."


    "The ''Qu family'' has always been into commerce; they''re not lacking in anything but Spirit Stones. His father equipped him from head to toe, only the best of everything, several defensive Spiritual Treasures, to say nothing of talismans, pills, Array Plates, and more."


    "To marry these five wives for Qu Qi, the Qu family really spent a huge sum of Spirit Stones."


    "At that time, many people in the Capital said that the effects of these five Heavenly Dao Beauties weren''t worth that many Spirit Stones."


    "Guess what the old man Qu said?"


    "That old man Qu simply waved his hand disdainfully and said that no matter how good Spiritual Treasures are, how strong Spells are, other Magic Practitioners might have what Qu Qi has, but something like ''Heavenly Dao Beauty'' is unique!"


    "Once Qu Qi has it, nobody else does!"


    "That''s an everlasting gap!"


    "An unbridgeable gap!"


    "So..." Experience tales at empire


    The scholar spoke softly: "So the Capital created this miracle, the only one in Da Xia who has married five Heavenly Dao Beauties. These past few years, the Qu family has also been aggressively buying up entry jade slips that are suitable for Magic Practitioners."


    "It''s fair to say, a lot of people consider Qu Qi the hottest candidate for the chief spot this year."


    "No way," Fat Long said somewhat dazed, "So, someone who''s just been bolstered by Spirit Stones can be considered Heavenly Pride?"


    Gazing complexly at Fat Long, the scholar said: "Otherwise, why do you think the saying goes ''Wealth, Companionship, Magic, and Land,'' with ''Wealth'' ranked first, ''Companionship'' second, ''Magic'' third, and ''Land'' fourth?" S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Having all four, and all of the highest caliber."


    "If such a person isn''t Heavenly Pride, then who is?"


    ...


    After their conversation and a sigh about the immense talents the future husband of the Heavenly Dao Beauty must possess, they got up and left Fei City to continue their journey towards the Boundless Icefield.


    An hour later, the sky had darkened, and they had arrived at the Boundless Icefield.


    At a glance.


    The icefield stretched boundlessly, its cracked earth frozen solid. Standing there, one could feel the endless chill rushing towards them, and above the icefield spread a cloud so pitch black it covered hundreds of thousands of miles.


    It almost blocked all sight.


    The deeper one went, the blacker it became.


    Until, in its deepest part, it was almost like a black hole swallowing all light, where you couldn''t even see your own hand in front of you, losing all sense of feeling, unable even to tell if you were standing on solid ground.


    Such conditions could gradually lead to a breakdown of the spirit.

 Chapter 102 Lifespan is Almost Depleted, Dying Fast!_3

    And the Sword Cultivator from Da Xia Country who had reached the peak of the Golden Core cultivation never returned after delving into the Boundless Icefield."We''re here,"


    the scholar pointed deep into the Boundless Icefield, "The Inheritance Secret Realm is right at the edge of the Boundless Icefield. The temperature there isn''t too low, and the light hasn''t been completely devoured. It''s considered a safe area with no dangers lurking."


    "Hmm,"


    Chen Qiu scanned the surroundings and nodded, "Let''s set out."


    The Spiritual Energy here also contained a bone-piercing cold, constantly rotating automatically. The Tao Foundation absorbing the Spiritual Energy gave him the illusion that his Dantian felt like it was about to freeze over.


    Though uncertain whether he would be able to get through that Magic Practitioner inheritance,


    he still had to take a look.


    But he didn''t hold much hope. Bai Yi, once the foremost Sword Cultivator in Da Xia, hadn''t obtained the Sword Cultivator inheritance, so his chances of obtaining the Magic Practitioner inheritance weren''t high.


    ...


    "Qu Family Master,"


    Inside the Qu Family Courtyard, Ji Taiping, dressed in white, sat on a Taishi Chair and apologetically said to the Qu Family Master, "Initially, I had secured the ''Ten Layers of Spellcasting'' entry jade slip, but an unexpected incident occurred along the way resulting in the jade slip falling into someone else''s hands." S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "However, I''ve roughly identified who it is,"


    "It''s the hot topic Magic Practitioner from Fufeng City these days, Chen Qiu."


    "But with sudden orders from the palace demanding my presence to quell the turmoil in the Hundred Countries, I''m a bit preoccupied to personally attend to this matter. It could trouble the Qu Family Master to take more care. Perhaps that youngster hasn''t crushed the entry jade slip yet, hoping to sell it for a good price in the future."


    "After all, for a Loose Cultivator, Spirit Stones are most important. To him, a hefty sum of Spirit Stones would indeed be more valuable than the ''Ten Layers of Spellcasting'' entry."


    "Naturally,"


    The Qu Family Master, somewhat portly and cheerful, waved his hand for a servant to bring forth a tray, upon which lay a Storage Ring, "Since it concerns my son, I''ll naturally take it to heart. Lord Sword Master, you just go and quell the chaos."


    "I will remember this person,"


    "Although the entry jade slip wasn''t brought back, Lord Sword Master has also spent so much effort. Please don''t refuse this little token of my appreciation,"


    Seated on the Taishi Chair, Ji Taiping''s Divine Sense swept over the Storage Ring, showing a hint of satisfaction in his eyes. Without any pretense, he waved his sleeve to pocket the Storage Ring and then stood up to bow, "Then I''ll thank the Qu Family Master."


    "It''s nothing,"


    The Qu Family Master stood up and jovially escorted Ji Taiping to the gate of the Qu Family Mansion. After watching Ji Taiping leave, the Qu Family Master''s smile faded to a calm expression as he turned to a servant, "How is the progress with Qu Qi?"


    "The Heavenly Pride Leaderboard is about to start, hasn''t he returned yet?"


    "Reporting to the Family Master,"


    said a person in black clothing softly, "According to the messages from the Boundless Icefield, the assessment conditions for the Magic Practitioner inheritance are too strict. The young master is already on his way back, planning to acquire the Magic Practitioner inheritance after the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard finishes."


    "Hmm?"


    The Qu Family Master''s brows furrowed, "I''ve spent a significant amount of money to hire a Demon at the Golden Core Peak and even the Supreme Elder has left his retreat to escort. Accompanied by two Golden Core Peak cultivators, they couldn''t secure a Magic Practitioner inheritance?"


    "Hmm,"


    the person in black lowered their head cautiously, "That Inheritance Secret Realm has existed for over a thousand years, and it''s not something ordinary people can obtain. To date, none of the inheritances there have been taken away."


    "The young master has already made rapid progress, clearing the first three levels. With another attempt after the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard, he will undoubtedly clear all the assessments and successfully obtain the Magic Practitioner inheritance."


    "That''s true,"


    The Qu Family Master''s tightly knit brows soon relaxed, and he chuckled with one hand behind his back, "Send word to have Qi Tian Restaurant in the Capital prepare several tables of fine food and wine to be sent to the mansion. When my son comes back, we''ll have a good father-and-son talk."


    "Also tell him, I have found another excellent entry that fits well with his Magic Practitioner path."


    "At this Heavenly Pride Leaderboard, he must at least clinch a spot in the top three,"


    Just then¡ª


    "Well, if it isn''t the Qu Family Master,"


    A middle-aged man in a long robe with red hair and a helpless expression stood at the door to the Qu Family Mansion and said to the Qu Family Master, "I was just about to send someone to notify you, but here you are. Perfect, I have something to discuss with you."


    "Today is indeed a day of double happiness,"


    The Qu Family Master cheerfully waved his hand, "Bring out the wine. I shall have a good drink with Sect Leader Qiu."


    "No need for that,"


    The grey-robed, red-haired, middle-aged man looked somewhat upset as he said hoarsely, "There''s been a mishap. The nine Dragon Vein Stones you reserved were all ripe, but some thieves broke into the Forbidden Land of my ''Poison Sect'' and took away all the Dragon Vein Stones, even the immature ones."


    "..."


    The smile on the Qu Family Master''s face abruptly stiffened; after a moment of silence, he spoke calmly, "Sect Leader Qiu, surely you jest?"


    "You''re aware that Dragon Vein Stones are a top-tier material for crafting Magic Practitioner''s treasures!"


    "My Qu family has gathered all the top-tier materials across the world to forge an unparalleled Magic Practitioner treasure for my son. Those Dragon Vein Stones were key."


    "And now you''re telling me they''re all gone?"


    "With you overseeing the Poison Sect, is your Forbidden Land someplace that people can just barge into?"


    Read new chapters at empire


    "Or are you implying that someone paid more than I did, or perhaps you no longer wish to sell?"


    "Not at all,"


    Sect Leader Qiu heaved a sigh of resignation, "To put it nicely, I, Qiu, am always as good as my word; to put it bluntly, there is no one in Da Xia who can offer a higher price than your Qu family."

 Chapter 102 Lifespan is Almost Depleted, Dying Fast!_4

    ```"The Forbidden Land was indeed breached by thieves, and the Dragon Vein Stones were plundered completely."


    "I had originally kept one Dragon Vein Stone to forge a Magic Artifact for myself, but now I won''t keep it either. I''ll give it to my nephew."


    Having said that, he took out a two-foot-long Jade Box from his bosom and handed it over.


    "Hmm."


    The Qu Family Master''s face finally looked a bit better. Although one was not as good as nine, it was certainly better than none. He waved his hand to signal the servants to take the Jade Box before frowning and asking, "Did you not catch the thief?"


    "Your Poison Sect''s Forbidden Land shouldn''t be so easy to breach, right? Could the culprit just leave without a trace?"


    "No."


    Sect Leader Qiu spoke with eyes full of painful anger, "That thief didn''t leave any trace behind, very slick with the escape. I''ve already offered a hefty reward for the Taoist Sect to help me retrace the scene."


    "We will soon know who the thief is!"


    "No matter who the thief is, I will certainly tear him into pieces and let the thief taste what it''s like to be devoured by all kinds of poisons!!!"


    "No one can take my things for free in this world!"


    "..."


    Qu Family Master looked up emotionlessly at Sect Leader Qiu and said, "Were you hinting at me? Someone, bring a Xuan-grade Storage Ring."


    "Not at all."


    Upon hearing ''Xuan-grade Storage Ring,'' Sect Leader Qiu''s face immediately filled with a smile. He nodded his head, quite satisfied.


    It was said that in the Qu family''s accounts, there were more than a dozen shelves filled with Storage Rings.


    Different Storage Rings contained different quantities of Spirit Stones.


    Ranked from highest to lowest, they were Heaven, Earth, Xuan, and Huang.


    The Xuan-grade Storage Ring contained quite a few Spirit Stones. Although a large number of Dragon Vein Stones were lost, it was, after all, a bit of blood returned, and once the Taoist Sect found out the result, those Dragon Vein Stones might still be recoverable.


    Upon departing.


    Qu Family Master gazed earnestly at Sect Leader Qiu, "Tell the Taoist Sect to speed up their work and find the lost Dragon Vein Stones as soon as possible. My son is preparing to take one of the top three spots in the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard and then use these materials to forge a Heavenly Dao Spiritual Treasure that perfectly fits him."


    "You know how rare this opportunity is."


    "This is a matter concerning my son''s lifetime. If it can be made perfect, we must strive for perfection. I don''t want my son to have any regrets. Nine Dragon Vein Stones are certainly better than one, so I''ll have to trouble Sect Leader Qiu to put in extra effort."


    "Once the matter is dealt with, there will be a hefty reward!"


    "Rest assured."


    Sect Leader Qiu also nodded solemnly in agreement, saying, "Qu Qi is like my own nephew, whom I''ve watched grow up. His matters are my matters. As his uncle, I will naturally do my utmost."


    ...


    Upon the Boundless Icefield.


    Aboard a rather luxurious Flying Boat, a young man lay shirtless on a long chair, casting a lazy glance at the Icefield outside the Flying Boat, his mouth slightly open to swallow a grape that a maid peeled with her slender jade hands and passed to him.


    Impatiently waving his hand, he said, "Speed it up. Every extra moment spent in this godforsaken place is a waste of life."


    "If it weren''t for that old man at home who insisted I come here to retrieve some Magic Practitioner''s inheritance, I would never have come to this lousy place."


    "Yes."


    The servants around him nodded in agreement, and they pretended not to hear the disrespectful words the young master had for the old man.


    "What a bore..."


    The young man, shirtless and lying on the long chair inside the Flying Boat, thought about finding some fun after he started heading back. There was a Spiritual Energy Shield outside the Flying Boat, maintaining a constant temperature inside, so the cold outside couldn''t affect the inside of the Flying Boat.


    His name was Qu Qi.


    He had crossed into this world three years ago.


    At first, he was quite frightened¡ªa completely unfamiliar world, and there were Immortals. One could be killed at any moment. But he quickly realized that... his life seemed pretty good this time.


    In his father''s eyes, he was the only son who had been foolish for seventeen years and had suddenly come back to his senses.


    ```


    That was an incredibly good fortune.


    To him, it was a hundredfold adoration. In just three years of effort, he broke through from a mortal body to the early stages of Golden Core, and he barely even suffered. Is cultivating supposed to be exhausting?


    He was even too lazy to think about what he needed.


    Anyway, whether he thought of it or not, he had it all.


    The Heavenly Dao Beauties that ordinary people couldn''t even dream of meeting in their lifetimes¡ªhe had five of them, and he didn''t even know what he was lacking.


    All he had to do was lie down every day, and he became what the world saw as a Golden Core Great Power.


    It was that simple, without any difficulty.


    "I have to go back to face that old immortal again..."


    Lying on the couch, Qu Qi murmured absent-mindedly. If there was anything painful, it was that his cheap father liked to have a heart-to-heart with him. Every time they met again after a separation, he always seemed to want to sit down for a long chat.


    But toward this cheap father, he could say he felt no affection at all.


    Every time he saw the other''s face full of fat, he felt disgusted.


    Just at that moment¡ª


    A Divine Sense came from above the Flying Boat; it was the Qu Family''s Supreme Elder.


    "A hundred miles away, there''s a group of people delving deep into the Boundless Icefield. It looks like they''re heading for the Inheritance Secret Realm."


    "Don''t bother with them."


    Qu Qi shook his head, "There are always some so-called geniuses in this world who overestimate themselves. Not to talk about others, that once first Sword Cultivator of Da Xia, Bai Yi, is said to have gone several times, yet he also failed to obtain the sword cultivation inheritance, didn''t he?"


    "Genius is the most worthless thing in this world."


    "Some people are born standing at the peak of the world." Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "This gap in status can''t be made up for by mere effort."


    ...


    ...


    With a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth and without saying a word, the Qu Family''s Supreme Elder with Golden Core Peak cultivation on the Flying Boat had many times wanted to strangle this damned Qu Qi to death! Enjoy new tales from empire


    So what if you''re a transmigrator? Who the hell do you think you are showing off!


    It''s just a bit of luck that gave you the audacity to flaunt it all day.


    But he didn''t dare.


    The good news was, he transmigrated as a Golden Core Peak cultivator, almost invincible in this world!


    The bad news, his life was nearly at an end, damn near dead!


    Every bit of Spiritual Energy he used up was consuming the last of his lifespan. He even suspected that it was only when the original body was on the brink of death that he transmigrated. Although he didn''t die after transmigration, it was pretty close.


    He was now barely hanging on to a thread of life, hoping someone could successfully cultivate to the Nascent Soul stage, so with the help of the Qu Family, he too could achieve Nascent Soul and extend his life a little.


    He transmigrated a month earlier than Qu Qi.


    At first, he was in closed-door meditation, so no one noticed anything unusual about him, but he saw all of Qu Qi''s oddities and monologues, realizing his secret instantly. He just chose not to expose it.


    Wait until he achieved Nascent Soul one day!


    The first thing he would do is slap Qu Qi to death!


    Just to let this beast know, the gap in cultivation can''t be compensated for by a difference in status!


    ...


    ...


    ps: Qi Dian recently had a "50% off for full subscription" event for old books. You can enter it in My Activity Center. Those suffering from book droughts can go to the event page and fully subscribe to "New Rules Every Month," an old book by this author.


    164 characters, 12k average subscription, the result is still not bad. If you''re interested, feel free to have a look.


    50% off for a full subscription is quite a good deal, and while we''re at it... I''m asking for monthly votes, brothers~


    If you fully subscribe to an old book, you can get a monthly ticket and then cast it for me, cough, my thanks to the readers and lords.

 Chapter 103 Sword Bone.

    "We''re here."At the edge of the Boundless Icefield, dark clouds that extended for hundreds of miles above almost absorbed most of the light, and the bone-piercing cold, along with the howling wind, made Chen Qiu and his companions'' robes flap vigorously.


    The scholar pointed at a slowly rotating colorful vortex not far away and whispered, "This is the entrance to the Inheritance Secret Realm; inside are the nine inheritances."


    "Hmm."


    Chen Qiu nodded slightly, gazing into the depths of the icefield. From the moment he stepped into the Boundless Icefield, the wind direction never changed. It was as if there was a Fierce Beast in the depths of the icefield, constantly breathing out, with relentless icy winds blowing ceaselessly from deep within the Boundless Icefield.


    The deeper one went, the stronger the cold wind became.


    It was hard to imagine that a Sword Cultivator with the peak Golden Core Cultivation actually persisted in moving deeper in such conditions. Merely standing at the edge of the Boundless Icefield and glancing into the utter darkness that absorbed all light, he already felt like fleeing from this place.


    This kind of might from nature would instill fear even in those with the peak Golden Core Cultivation. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I''ll go in first."


    Chen Qiu looked at the scholar and the others, "You guys head to the small world to take shelter. Oh yes, scholar, there''s something I''ve been meaning to tell you. I left a gift for you; go and check it out."


    With that said,


    he waved his sleeve, and the scholar and the others, without any resistance, were naturally sucked into the small world. Find more to read at empire


    He, on the other hand, squinted his eyes slightly and strode towards the entrace of the Inheritance Secret Realm against the bone-piercing cold wind.


    ...


    Meanwhile, inside the small world, at the entrance of the Sword Pavilion of Chao Tian Sect.


    The scholar was looking at a translucent and greenish-white Sword Bone sitting upright on a short stone pillar with a visibly excited expression, "Is... Is this from Brother Qiu?"


    -


    ''entry name'': Sword Bone.


    ''entry level'': Grey.


    ''entry effect'': Your understanding of swordsmanship will be extremely slow, but after your death, anyone who touches your remains will have their comprehension of the swordsmanship they have learned improved to some extent. The exact amount of improved understanding depends on the individual''s natural talent.


    -


    Sword Bone.


    Touching these remains can enhance one''s understanding of their own learned swordsmanship; it is a treasured legacy for Sword Cultivators.


    Or to say, the reason why Chao Tian Sect can become a prestigious Sword Sect, a significant factor is the inheritance of this treasured Sword Cultivator legacy.


    "Heh."


    Fat Long, standing to the side, chuckled and said, "Of course it''s for you, who else here is a Sword Cultivator? But just now, when I was looking at the Heavenly Dao Beauty Ranking, that top Heavenly Dao Beauty, Ji Renjian, has an entry effect that is very well-suited for Sword Cultivators."


    "Weren''t you once the top Sword Cultivator of Da Xia? Have you never tried to win her over?"


    "Of course, I have."


    The scholar, his mind fully captivated by the Sword Bone, closed his eyes in a frenzy, his body frozen in place as though struck by a hammer. His slender fingers trembled as they gently and tenderly glided over the Sword Bone, murmuring in a trance.


    "Back then, it wasn''t just me pursuing Ji Renjian. The effect of that Heavenly Dao Beauty was enough to drive every Sword Cultivator in the world mad."


    "I tried as well, and I was even close to succeeding."


    "Once Da Xia sent me and Ji Taiping to quell the chaos in the Hundred Countries. Whoever could pacify the chaos would be granted the title of ''National Guardian Sword Master'' by the palace, which allowed one to wield a strand of Da Xia''s Qi Fortune. This title could significantly enhance one''s understanding of the Sword Dao."


    "At that time, Ji Taiping''s distant cousin, Ji Renjian, set out alone from Jing Province to tour other provinces. I gave up the title of National Guardian Sword Master and helped Ji Renjian through numerous crises along the way."


    "Although we never met in person, she spoke a lot to my Qingfeng sword, and our communication was quite intimate. If I had revealed myself then, maybe it would have already happened."


    "Oh?"


    Fat Long asked with a curious frown, "Then why didn''t you show yourself? That''s the top Heavenly Dao Beauty we''re talking about. Having that Heavenly Dao effect, you might have not been hunted by the Capital City Zhang Family to the extent of falling in rank and wouldn''t have been in such a state for so long."


    The scholar smiled, opening his eyes, and took a step back, looking at the Sword Bone with a sentimental expression, "The ''National Guardian Sword Master'' is not such a good thing. With that thread of Da Xia''s Qi Fortune above your head, you indeed grow stronger, but you also become a dog for the palace."


    "Wherever the palace says to go, you have to go."


    "I wanted to become the top Sword Cultivator of Da Xia, but I didn''t want to be the top Sword Cultivator driven by others."


    "Back then, I, like all other Sword Cultivators, was utterly infatuated with Ji Renjian, fantasizing that with Ji Renjian''s help, I could completely break through the barriers of Sword Dao and ascend to Nascent Soul."


    "This made me very conflicted internally."


    "Such acts of exploiting someone to satisfy my own desires, I couldn''t do them; they go against my principles of Sword Dao."


    "My principle of Sword Dao is, to cut down all that is unjust in the world, to right all that is not right."


    "The more I escorted her, the more conflicted I became. When it came down to the final step, I gave up. I still wanted to ascend on my own, not relying on a woman."


    As he said this,


    the scholar suddenly glanced around, fell silent for a long time, then spoke hoarsely, "Everything I just said, those are the reasons my brain tells me, but... the truth is not like that."


    "I was planning to go to the Hundred Countries. Even though I didn''t intend to quell the chaos, I remember there was a sword genius from the Hundred Countries who became famous, and I wanted to exchange thoughts on Sword Dao with him."


    "But on the way, I inexplicably changed my route and did not head to the Hundred Countries, and on the way back to Xia Country... I just happened to meet Ji Renjian."


    "Wait a minute¡ª" Fat Long frowned in confusion, "I''m a bit confused by what you''re saying. Do you mean someone secretly influenced you, changed your itinerary? You were the top Sword Cultivator of Da Xia; what kind of Illusion Technique could have interfered with you?"

 Chapter 103 Sword Bone. _2

    "..." S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.The scholar was silent for even longer this time, appearing as though he was waiting for something. Moments later, he continued, "The Heavenly Dao Beauty is a product favored by the Heavenly Dao. Anyone who dares to imprison, coerce, or use force to make Ji Renjian offer herself will be detested by the Heavenly Dao."


    "The backlash from the Heavenly Dao''s loathing is swift."


    "There have been attempts in the past, and heavenly thunder struck immediately."


    "But on Ji Renjian''s journey away from Jing Province, she encountered many petty thieves, yet not a single heavenly thunder fell. Once, I even waited a moment longer, and those villains had already removed Ji Renjian''s outer garments, but still, no heavenly thunder descended."


    "In the end, I took action."


    "Do you understand what this means?"


    Fat Long looked at the scholar''s younger brother bewilderingly, hoping to exchange glances with him, but the younger brother stood quietly by his side as if he had heard nothing at all.


    "Er..." Fat Long pondered hard for a while before he ventured, "Does this mean you replaced that heavenly thunder?"


    "No."


    The scholar shook his head, "The Heavenly Dao has no self-awareness. The absence of heavenly thunder means that those petty thieves had no lust in their hearts, they were just giving me the opportunity to play the hero and rescue the beauty."


    "I didn''t think too much of it at the time. It was only later, when I was being pursued, that I understood much more."


    "And that included this matter."


    "Someone had struck me with a Heart Gu, causing me to coincidentally encounter Ji Renjian and used the lives of a great many pawns to deepen the karmic ties between Ji Renjian and me."


    "Attempted to make Ji Renjian and me become a Taoist couple."


    "No... just wait!"


    Fat Long took a deep breath and, with one hand propping his chin and a thoughtful look, paced around three times before he seriously looked at the scholar, "You mean to say, someone used the lives of numerous pawns as the price, just to help you win the beauty?"


    "All the benefits are yours?"


    "What is he plotting?"


    "He''s trying to prove his way to Nascent Soul, or rather, he''s trying to break out of this cage."


    The scholar stretched out his arm, feeling the Sword Intent of the engravings on the stone pillar, gently touching them, and feeling a pricking sensation as he spoke softly, "I dare not say his name, but I can tell you who he is."


    "He is the current State Preceptor of Da Xia."


    "A very terrifying person."


    "He tried to bestow Ji Renjian to me, to create an unparalleled peerless Sword Cultivator and then utilize me to break the cage of Da Xia. However, at the final moment, my true nature was too resistant to such an act."


    "The State Preceptor then shifted his target to Ji Taiping."


    "I have observed Ji Taiping over the years; he has progressed rapidly and has stepped into the realm of Human Sword Unity, a realm all Sword Cultivators dream of. Last time in Kai Mountain City, I sensed the residual Sword Intent, it was violent like a volcano under a layer of ice."


    Read the latest on empire


    "This is a sign of rapidly elevating one''s realm by forceful reliance on external objects."


    "..."


    Hearing these secrets for the first time, Fat Long opened his mouth in disbelief and murmured, "Is the State Preceptor really so terrifying? Even Da Xia''s number one Sword Cultivator is his pawn?"


    "Yes."


    The scholar suddenly smiled, "I''ve met him once, a very young man, but for some reason, his pupils seemed cloudy, and his behaviors and methods didn''t seem to belong to a young person."


    "By chance, I discovered one of the entries in his word group."


    "The white entry, talking nonsense."


    "The more people the spun lies deceive, and the higher the Cultivation of those deceived, the more Cultivation he can enhance for himself."


    "Such a person has taken the seat of State Preceptor of Da Xia."


    "Many times, I wonder whether His Majesty is still clear-headed, and how many people and things inside Da Xia can still be believed; no one can tell."


    Upon suddenly encountering this information, Fat Long''s mind crashed for a moment before he murmured, "Why didn''t you talk about these things when Brother Qiu was around?"


    "Because of the Sword Bone."


    The scholar''s expression remained calm as he caressed the engravings filled with Sword Intent on the short stone pillar, "These memories were sealed with Sword Intent in the deepest part of my Sea of Consciousness when I faked my death. Later, as my Cultivation plummeted, I couldn''t unlock these memories."


    "The Sword Intent contained in these engravings shattered the fetters I had laid."


    Fat Long looked at the scholar slowly touching the engravings on the short stone pillar and suddenly remembered that at this challenge, Brother Qiu told him that someone who touched the engravings had been injured by the remaining Sword Intent, splattering blood everywhere.


    Yet the scholar, having touched the engravings for a long time, suffered no harm at all.


    "What will you do now?" Fat Long furrowed his brows and looked at the scholar, "The State Preceptor probably thinks you''re dead, but now you''ve appeared in Da Xia again; doesn''t that mean he''ll come after you?"


    "It doesn''t matter."


    The scholar shook his head, "All he wants is a peerless Sword Cultivator, and me, now reduced to a cripple, definitely cannot match Ji Taiping. Ji Taiping is now the strongest Sword Cultivator in his eyes."


    ...


    Meanwhile¡ª


    Chen Qiu had already stepped into the colorful vortex in front of him, appearing in a Heavenly Dao Secret Realm.


    This Secret Realm was not extensive, a platform similar to a sect square, with a giant Eight Trigrams Array carved into the ground.


    This Eight Trigrams Array was divided into nine palaces: Qian Palace, Kan Palace, Gen Palace, Zhen Palace, Central Palace, Xun Palace, Li Palace, Kun Palace, and Dui Palace.


    And these nine palaces each corresponded to.


    Magic Practitioners, talisman cultivators, Array Repairers, Alchemy Cultivators, Artifact Cultivators, Evil Cultivation, Demon Cultivation, Body Cultivation, Sword Cultivators.


    These nine palaces were situated in nine different directions, and the moment he stepped into the Eight Trigrams Array, eight palaces instantly dimmed, with no color, while the ground of the palace representing Magic Practitioners faintly emitted a milky white light.

 Chapter 103 Sword Bone. _3

    Chen Qiu''s eyebrows slightly furrowed as he scanned his surroundings. Outside the Eight Diagram Platform, he was enveloped by thick and inscrutable Chaos Qi. The ground was divided into nine squares, each ending with a vortex of white swirling.At this point, the other eight vortices had already stopped turning and were colorless and dim.


    Only the one representing Magic Practitioners was still slowly rotating.


    He didn''t linger long.


    He drew a long sword from his bosom, squinted slightly, and with a wary expression, slowly approached the white vortex symbolizing Magic Practitioners and then stepped boldly into it.


    With the arrival of a dazzling bright light,


    he suddenly appeared above a vast ocean. There he stood atop the water, where the sea allowed him to stand effortlessly on its surface like on a viscous liquid, with no light around him, just a sliver of moonlight.


    The pitch-black sea surface, like the gaping mouth of a Fierce Beast, was intimidating to the heart.


    Not a single island was in sight around him.


    Only a sky full of stars above his head.


    At the same time, an ancient and ethereal voice reached his ears.


    ¡ª


    "To obtain the Magic Practitioner''s inheritance, you must pass five rounds."


    "The challenger has Cultivation at the sixth layer of Foundation Establishment, and the difficulty of the rounds will adjust accordingly to the challenger''s Cultivation."


    "The first round, Navigating the Sea."


    "From this moment on, you cannot absorb nature''s spiritual energy, and each of your movements will consume your own Spiritual Energy. You must reach an island before your Spiritual Energy is exhausted."


    ¡ª


    "..."


    Chen Qiu swept his gaze around. With the naked eye, he saw no island anywhere, and there wasn''t a map or anything to indicate where the nearest island might be, meaning if he took the wrong path, he would have to cover a lot more ground.


    So far, he had no movement technique.


    His speed wasn''t fast.


    Although he had abundant Spiritual Energy and could last for a long time, he wasn''t fast without a movement technique.


    This round tested whether one could find an island before the internal reserve of Spiritual Energy was exhausted.


    ...


    After Chen Qiu looked around and understood the situation, he didn''t ponder too much and immediately exited the Inheritance Secret Realm, directly taking the scholar and others to the nearest Fei City.


    He purchased a "Shrinking Earth into Inches" produced by Heavenly Dao Secret Realm.


    Then he returned to the Inheritance Secret Realm once more.


    ...


    "Hmm."


    Chen Qiu nodded in satisfaction, "This time, it should be much easier to handle."


    ¡ª


    "Entry name": Tactical Advance.


    "Entry level": Grey.


    "Entry effect": Once you have mastered the ''Shrinking Earth into Inches'' movement technique, when you use this technique, the distance you cross will be enhanced fivefold, and it will consume nature''s spiritual energy, not your own. However, you will not be able to control the direction and landing spot; both will be entirely random.


    ¡ª


    This was the entry jade slip he''d found last time in the workshop owner''s Storage Ring.


    He''d just forgotten to buy the ''Shrinking Earth into Inches'' from the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm''s products.


    Products of Heavenly Dao Secret Realm, once learned, were at Great Achievement Realm. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This entry had no significant benefits except it did not consume one''s own Spiritual Energy, only nature''s spiritual energy, allowing for the possibility of eventually landing on an island, as long as the timeline was stretched long enough, even if the landing points were random.


    "Swoosh!"


    Chen Qiu activated the ''Shrinking Earth into Inches'' spell, taking a probing step forward. The surrounding scenery flashed by twelve times in an instant, and when he stopped, he looked back to find he was a hundred yards away from the original spot.


    This spell could indeed link with Dual Casting and Ten Layers of Spellcasting!


    One use, directly leveraging it eleven times without consumption.


    Chen Qiu sighed and held his forehead. The main issue was the excessive randomness of landing points; just now, he moved from three feet in the air to the surface of the sea, chaining twelve consecutive teleportations. He had to be careful using this spell in battle due to its unpredictability.


    But its randomness was perfect for this place.


    And the most perfect aspect was it didn''t consume any Spiritual Energy.


    "Continue!"


    ...


    An hour later,


    Chen Qiu, drenched, stood on the sea surface expressionlessly pulling a teapot out of his Storage Ring to his mouth. He wasn''t sure how many times he had teleported into the sea, and so far, he had not seen a single island.


    Most importantly¡ª


    He had completely lost his sense of direction.


    He wasn''t even sure if he had left the starting point, or how far he had gone.


    "Continue!"


    Chen Qiu muttered defiantly, continuing to teleport relentlessly.


    Logically, as long as there were islands in this sea, and since his ''Shrinking Earth into Inches'' didn''t consume his own Spiritual Energy, he would surely reach an island as long as the timeline was stretched long enough.


    ...


    An hour later,


    "Damn it!"


    Chen Qiu stood on the sea surface, swept his gaze around, and couldn''t help but curse silently. This place was also too quiet, without a single living creature, as if he was the only being left in the entire world.


    Moreover, here, his connection with the small world was severed.


    There was no way to chat with Fat Long and others to pass the time.


    "Continue!"


    ...


    Three hours later,


    "..."


    Chen Qiu scanned his surroundings emotionlessly, now doubting whether there was any island at all in this vast sea. He felt as if he had been deceived.


    And he had a suspicion: there might not be any islands above the water at all.


    The islands could be under the sea.


    But when he tried to dive using his Spiritual Energy, he found that a force much stronger than the buoyancy of the water, several times more powerful, prevented him from diving too deep.


    "No matter, continue."


    ...


    Nine hours later,


    "Finally, land!"


    A glint of joy flashed in Chen Qiu''s eyes as he looked towards the land not far from the sea level. He no longer used ''Shrinking Earth into Inches,'' but relied on his own Spiritual Energy to run towards the distant land across the sea surface!

 Chapter 103 Sword Bone. _4

    As the saying goes, a faraway mountain can kill a horse that looks close.What appeared to be nearby actually took him the time of several sticks of incense to finally step onto the beach.


    And at that moment, sitting on the edge of the beach, was an old man with silver hair holding a fishing rod, leisurely fishing. Nearby, in the sand, was planted a broken and tattered black flag, which had two lines of slightly crooked white stitching.


    "Dare not predict too much, fearing heaven and the ghosts."


    "Words must not be fully explained, lest they throw the world into chaos."


    ...


    "Why are you here?!"


    "Why are you here?!" S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chen Qiu looked at the familiar old man, feeling a bit dumbfounded, and blurted out subconsciously, while the other party also seemed equally flustered and incredulous as if they had seen a ghost!


    The old and the young asked the same question out loud.


    This old man wasn''t a stranger; he was the fortune-telling old man who he had encountered a few times before.


    He reminded him that there were too many resentful spirits on him.


    "It''s not..."


    The old man''s throat moved slightly, his face full of disbelief and confusion. After taking a few deep breaths, he abandoned his fishing rod and stepped briskly over to Chen Qiu, examining him up and down. Trembling, he said, "Never mind why I am here, you tell me first, why the hell are you here?!"


    "Me?"


    Chen Qiu pointed at himself: "I am here to go through the trials, preparing to obtain the Magic Practitioner''s inheritance."


    "Old man, why are you here? Is this your true identity?"


    "Is there any way to get through a back door or something?"


    "The hell with your back door!"


    The old man, as if he had truly seen a ghost, glared at Chen Qiu and couldn''t help but roar, "Are you fucking crazy?!"


    "You''re going through the Magic Practitioner''s trial, and you run onto my Array Repairer''s territory to do what exactly?!"


    "The first round for the Magic Practitioner''s island is deep under the sea, did you not do any research before coming?"


    "You just barged in?"


    "How did you manage to get through the Forbidden Sea and end up on my Array Repair Continent''s turf? You''re quite the runner, aren''t you? Come on, tell me how you did it, I''m really curious!"


    "I knew it was strange that I saw someone when no one was supposed to be going through the trials. I thought I''d seen a ghost!"


    "..."


    "..."


    Chen Qiu wore a strange expression as he silently stood in place, turning to look at the blue sea behind him. He had guessed that the island might be underwater, but after trying and failing to dive down, he had given up.


    "So..."


    He glanced around tentatively, "This should also count as an island, right?"


    "After all, the condition to pass the first round is just to reach any island. It didn''t specify that it had to be the one deep under the sea, did it?"


    "..."


    The old man''s mouth twitched uncontrollably before he waved dismissively, turned around, picked up his fishing rod, and sat back down in his original spot: "Don''t ask me. I don''t know. The Magic Practitioner''s inheritance isn''t my responsibility."


    Chen Qiu trotted over, reinserted the flag that had been made crooked by the sea breeze a bit deeper into the sand, and straightened it before blinking and speaking: "Excuse me, senior."


    "Is there any other source of information leakage?"


    "None."


    The old man glanced at Chen Qiu irritably and cut him off: "And don''t take out any roasted chicken or roasted rabbits or anything like that. People I''ve met in recent years are getting weirder and weirder, always taking out roasted chicken and handing it over out of nowhere."


    "As if a roasted chicken could make me open my heart to them."


    ```


    "At the very least hand over some Spirit Stones and I would''ve kept my mouth shut, delivery chicken to your mom, I''ve lived so long, what kind of chicken haven''t I eaten?"


    "Here you go."


    Chen Qiu''s expression turned serious, and he immediately pulled out a Storage Ring containing two thousand Spirit Stones and handed it over: "No offense intended, I mainly wanted to thank you for the warning you gave me back at the Wen Tian market; otherwise, I might now be infected with resentful energy."


    "Heh."


    The old man sneered and expertly grabbed the Storage Ring, stuffing it into his pocket: "You don''t seem like someone who listens to advice either, aren''t you still carrying a Golden Core resentful spirit on your back?"


    "Senior, you jest. It''s mainly cause young folks have fiery temperaments, gotta cool down the resentful spirit, especially when it''s hot.


    "Forget it."


    The old man shook his head: "Your Cultivation is up there now. A Golden Core resentful spirit can''t take you down; I''m too lazy to talk about it. But don''t waste your efforts, I can''t tell you anything."


    "Besides, don''t worry, you''ve definitely passed the first round."


    "But you''ll have to wait a bit."


    "Wait for what?"


    The old man rolled his eyes at Chen Qiu again: "Wait for that qualified old man who has to cross the Forbidden Sea to come here to announce your success and then take you back. But with his frail old bones, I seriously doubt whether he can make it across the Forbidden Sea."


    "The last time he came over for a catch-up was thirty years ago."


    "Thanks to your good fortune, before I die, I might get to see that old guy one more time."


    ...


    Chen Qiu thus chatted aimlessly with the old man on the beach for an hour.


    One could tell.


    The old man was talkative and liked to converse; he just restrained himself a lot. He would subconsciously start to boast about his past, and then abruptly stop, leaving Chen Qiu to hear the emotions but without the full story.


    In the middle, Chen Qiu also asked several times about this location.


    Is the Forbidden Sea and the Array Repair Continent inside a small world, or somewhere in Da Xia Country, or outside it?


    The old man shook his head but still didn''t answer.


    Just reminiscing.


    "Alas, when I was young, I was also a hothead just like you."


    The old man sat on the beach with a reflective look, gazing into the depths of the Forbidden Sea: "I was barely considered a prodigy when I was young, had a strong talent in Array Repair, but I didn''t like Array Repair, I preferred Gua Cultivation."


    "But my damn master insisted that I practice Array Repair, he provoked me, saying I would never pass the Array Repair inheritance."


    "Back then, being hot-tempered and stubborn, I went through all the rounds and made it to my master''s presence, only when I saw that sly smile of his did I realize I''d been tricked."


    "Afterward..."


    "Well, it''s pretty much been like this ever since."


    "And that damn old fossils, they all have their day to die eventually."


    Sitting by the side, Chen Qiu rotated the roast chicken on the grill and ventured: "Isn''t it true that no one has claimed the inheritance in the Inheritance Secret Realm?"


    Luckily Fat Long liked to grill some meat to eat, so his Storage Ring was never short of that kind of stuff.


    The old man said he didn''t like people giving him roast chicken and stuff, but he didn''t stop munching on the chicken and sipping small drinks, seemingly relishing the food quite a bit.


    "Hey."


    The old man, lifting his sleeve and not caring about his appearance, wiped the grease from his mouth and said reflectively: "You''ve hit the nail on the head, but I can''t say. Yet I know what you''re thinking, don''t worry about being imprisoned here just because you passed the Magic Practitioner''s inheritance."


    "Moreover, this place can''t really be called a prison."


    "It''s a place where you can barely cling to life when your time is nearing its end, ordinary people don''t even have the opportunity to stay here."


    "You certainly don''t have that privilege."


    ```

 Chapter 104

    "However¡ª"The old man paused, spat out a chicken bone, then turned his head to look at Chen Qiu, his expression a mix of smile and non-smile, "Young friend, you and I indeed share a certain fate, and you truly possess some talent and opportunity on the path of a Magic Practitioner."


    "This Magic Practitioner heritage, perhaps you really could make it through."


    By this time, a full hour had passed since Chen Qiu had arrived at the beach.


    Finally!


    Chen Qiu saw an old man with white hair and beard, who looked quite immortal, striding over the sea surface toward him, with each step flashing golden light, as if he was stepping from an unreachable shore.


    In the blink of an eye.


    He was standing expressionlessly in front of Chen Qiu, that familiar and ethereal ancient voice once again echoed by his ear.


    -


    "You have successfully passed the first round."


    -


    Strangely.


    Although he could see the old man''s mouth moving, and the shape of his lips matched the voice by his ear, the voice was directly resonating in the depths of his brain, similar to the way the "Heavenly Dao Decree" transmitted sound.


    Only the voice sounded less oppressive than that in the Heavenly Dao Decree.


    Afterwards.


    The old man paid him no more heed, walking to one side, sitting down crossed-legged, and began circulating his mental method. Suddenly, the nature''s spiritual energy around him was sucked in like water by a whale, forming a vortex as it entered the old man''s body.


    "Don''t rush."


    Sitting nearby and enjoying his roasted chicken, the old man glanced at the dignified elder absorbing spiritual energy not far away, his lips stretching to a happy grin, "This old immortal probably hasn''t felt the sensation of depleted spiritual energy in a long time."


    "Crossing the Forbidden Sea with this frail body really takes a toll on him," he added.


    "Let him restore some spiritual energy first."


    ...


    This elder representing the Magic Practitioner heritage restored spiritual energy quickly, needing only a few breaths to circulate his mental method, causing the surrounding spiritual energy to rush into his body as if answering his call.


    Just thirty minutes.


    The elder stood up, looking fully restored.


    Meanwhile, the fortune-telling old man beside Chen Qiu on the beach also stood up immediately, walking over with a playful look on his face, while the elder replied in an impatient and annoyed tone.


    From the occasional smile, it was evident that these two had known each other for a long time and had a good relationship.


    However, Chen Qiu couldn''t hear their conversation, uncertain what they were discussing.


    "Let''s go."


    Finally, after a conversation, the white-haired, bearded elder came over to Chen Qiu, waved his hand, and a golden light appeared under his feet, immediately taking him back across the "Forbidden Sea."


    As they were leaving.


    Chen Qiu heard the fortune-teller''s voice behind him.


    "Good luck, young friend, I have a premonition that the next time we meet, you might already be the number one Magic Practitioner in Da Xia!"


    "Hahahahaha." S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The old man''s laughter carried a clear and robust sound, tinged with a hint of melancholy as they parted.


    He also turned back to look at the old man, waved his hand, and loudly said, "Thanks for your hospitality, next time I''ll treat you to roasted goose!"


    "Deal, it''s a promise!"


    ...


    Another hour passed.


    Chen Qiu returned to the original spot, standing on the sea surface, surrounded by no islands or creatures, only the gentle sea breeze mixed with moisture and saltiness brushing against his face.


    The expression of the elder beside him looked quite unpleasant.


    He was all too familiar with that look.


    It was the look of someone whose internal spiritual energy was nearly depleted. Despite being the guardian of this Magic Practitioner heritage, the elder seemed incapable of absorbing the nature''s spiritual energy in the Forbidden Sea, a restriction more akin to a rule of nature than something a guardian could control.


    For instance, he felt that the second round could have been held on that beach.


    But they had to bring him to this other place for the second round.


    One could see that the elder''s expression was somewhat pale but still showed no emotion, very much in the style of an immortal; his lips slightly parted, and his voice resonated in Chen Qiu''s mind.


    -


    "Second round, spell duel."


    "A competent Magic Practitioner, even if faced with ten thousand enemies, should remain poised and composed."


    "In thirty minutes, ten thousand spiritual-energy limitless Magic Practitioner Puppets will simultaneously launch an attack at you, employing only the most basic and simplified version of the Thunder Summoning Technique, which will not harm you."


    "Using ''movement technique'' is strictly forbidden in this round."


    "Passing condition: within five hours, if you''re hit less than ten thousand times, you pass."


    -


    "Dodging attacks?"


    Shock flashed through Chen Qiu''s eyes, ten thousand spiritual-energy limitless Magic Practitioner Puppets simultaneously attacking him was daunting; never mind being hit less than ten thousand times in five hours, just one round would number in the thousands.


    Anyone weaker in movement technique would be eliminated in the blink of an eye.


    He scanned his surroundings, already no longer seeing that immortal-like elder, wondering where he might have gone¡ªprobably to find a place to restore his spiritual energy.


    There was still half an hour before the ten thousand Magic Practitioner Puppets would appear.


    He squinted his eyes, contemplating his strategy. His only movement technique was expressly forbidden, which seemed not as an inherent restriction of this round, but as if the elder had explicitly banned it for him.


    If he could have used this movement technique,


    he might have had a fair chance to pass relying on its randomness.


    But without this movement technique, unable to restore spiritual energy here, and his storage ring lacking other movement techniques from the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm, he could exit and reenter later.


    But he was worried that if he came back another time, the elder might ban his movement technique right from the first round.

 Chapter 105

    "You have successfully passed the third level."-


    These words emerged in Chen Qiu''s mind, signifying that he had successfully passed the third level of the Magic Practitioner''s inheritance trial.


    The Magic Practitioner''s inheritance trial consists of a total of five levels.


    At this moment, having passed three levels, he was only two away from obtaining the Magic Practitioner''s inheritance.


    "Phew..."


    Chen Qiu''s expression was firm and serious as he took a deep breath, ready to face the unknown challenges of the fourth level. He had a premonition that this would be his closest reach to the Magic Practitioner''s inheritance yet.


    He had already passed the first three levels.


    No matter what trump cards he needed to play for these last two levels, he must pass them; otherwise, his journey would have been in vain.


    ...


    "Ah..."


    Fat Long, somewhat bored, was lying in a rocking chair at the Mountain Gate of Chao Tian Sect, chewing on a piece of grass, and gazing at the chaotic sky above as he mused, "Is the Magic Practitioner''s inheritance so time-consuming? Brother Qiu still hasn''t come out."


    "There are only five days left until the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard begins."


    "If Brother Qiu is any later, he might really have to wait for next year''s Heavenly Pride Leaderboard."


    "Actually, I think waiting until next year is not bad. By then, Brother Qiu will definitely have reached Golden Core, and no matter which of those Heavenly Prides, it will all be a breeze for him, don''t you think?"


    He turned his head to look at the scholar, attempting to get a response.


    Ever since the scholar touched the Sword Bone, he had stayed by its side for days, regardless of eating or sleeping, acting as if in a trance and constantly mumbling about having enlightenment and realizations.


    It was unclear what exactly he had understood.


    Thus, only the scholar could keep him company for a chat. But... that guy was indeed reticent, not uttering a word no matter how hard Fat Long tried to make conversation.


    "Right."


    Fat Long suddenly remembered something, turned over in his chair, and looked at the scholar with curiosity: "We''ve been together for so long now, yet I still don''t know your name."


    "How should I address you?"


    However, as expected, the reply was still the scholar''s silence.


    "..."


    Fat Long lay back in the rocking chair with resignation and said to himself, "Forget it. If you don''t want to say it, that''s fine. Actually, I''m curious about something."


    "If¡ª"


    "You were sitting in the position of the State Preceptor of Da Xia Country, and you also possessed the entry ''nonsensical'', what kind of lie would you weave to deceive the world?"


    "This lie would surely be agreed upon by many, even some Cultivators with high Cultivation levels would recognize it."


    "So in Da Xia, what consensus could match such a grand deceit?"


    "For instance, that Da Xia is not actually a cage? Are the Golden Core Peak Sword Cultivators sent out to investigate merely figments? No, that piece of news isn''t widely known; its spread isn''t extensive enough."


    "Is there anything more widespread?"


    Fat Long lay self-entertained in the rocking chair, chewing on grass, lost in thoughts. With no demons or female cultivators around, and unable to cultivate further, he could only let his imagination wander.


    Just then¡ª


    "Yes."


    The usually silent scholar sitting beside him suddenly spoke up in a deep voice: "For example, that Da Xia Country has no State Preceptor at all."


    "What nonsense?"


    Fat Long gave the scholar an annoyed look: "Da Xia Country..."


    But he quickly froze in place and sat up in the rocking chair to ponder: this could indeed be considered a colossal lie. Everyone in the world knew that Da Xia had a State Preceptor, but in truth, if Da Xia had none, would that count as a world-deceiving lie?


    After pondering seriously for a long time, he suddenly slapped his forehead and lay back down in the rocking chair.


    "Forget it."


    "Let''s leave those questions for Brother Qiu to think about, and instead think about what to have for dinner tonight."


    "I feel like having some noodles."


    "Hey!"


    Fat Long immediately got up and scampered excitedly toward the Chao Tian Sect, saying, "You know, I''m really good at making noodles. Just you wait!"


    ...


    "The fourth level, Trial of the Heart."


    "A qualified Magic Practitioner, even at the lowest point, can find the determination to stand up again."


    "You will lose all memories and revert to the lowest commoner in the Cultivation World. If you break through to the first level of Foundation Establishment within a year in your dream, you will succeed in the trial."


    -


    The voice echoed in his mind in an instant.


    Chen Qiu, who was sitting cross-legged on the sea surface, clutching a Spirit Stone to recover his Spiritual Energy, had no time to say anything more; he suddenly collapsed, his eyes vacant, and lay flat on the sea surface.


    The Immortal-like elder standing in the air looked at Chen Qiu without sorrow or joy. Your next read is at empire


    In one''s life, there are many opportunities.


    Not a single Golden Core cultivator who has climbed up from the bottom would guarantee that, even if they could do it all over again, they would still be able to cultivate to the Golden Core Stage. There are just too many chances along the path of cultivation.


    Any Golden Core cultivator who has climbed up from the bottom has been through countless fortuitous encounters to get to where they are now.


    But...


    If they had to do it all over again, how many could reach the same position?


    The elder in the air fell silent, not speaking, just quietly observing Chen Qiu lying on the sea surface below. It was evident that Chen Qiu, unlike the previous challenger, had no family background or power.


    No one had told him how to pass the trial. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Nobody had prepared treasures for the corresponding levels.


    He had simply relied on his own bit of luck to emerge from obscurity and smoothly pass the first three levels. But if he were to revert to a commoner again, could he still stand up?


    With that¡ª


    He waved his hand, and the scenes from Chen Qiu''s experiences in the dream rapidly unfolded in the air.

 Chapter 106

    when this familiar voice reached chen qiu''s mind, almost at the same time¡ªhe once again heard the long-absent and profound voice of the heavenly dao slowly resounding in his ears.


    -


    heavenly dao decree: the heavenly dao has sensed it, in the boundless icefield south of fat state in da xia country, one of the nine great inheritances, the magic practitioner legacy, has been obtained by the sect master of chao tian sect, ''chen qiu''.


    such strength commands the admiration of all people.


    as he is the first cultivator to acquire the legacy,


    therefore, he is granted a wisp of ''heavenly dao destiny'', in hope that all people will regard this as a model.


    -


    this voice echoed in the ears of everyone in da xia country, and for a moment countless people subconsciously looked in the direction of southern state. could it be that someone had seized the magic practitioner legacy?


    how is that possible?


    the nine great inheritances have existed for over a thousand years. frankly speaking, over the years, countless heavenly prides have ventured to the boundless icefield to cultivate, their goal being one of the nine great inheritances, but without exception, all have returned without success.


    who exactly is this chen qiu?


    how did he manage to seize the magic practitioner legacy that no one has surpassed in over a thousand years?


    and what is this chao tian sect that has seemingly appeared out of nowhere? one has heard of the caotian sect, but what is this chao tian sect? it doesn''t appear on the sect rankings at all.


    ...


    the moment chen qiu heard the heavenly dao decree beside his ear, he thought to himself that he was set; this time there shouldn''t be any unexpected developments, mainly because the challenge guardian seemed to have too much authority, with puppets capable of unification and rage.


    he was afraid the guardian would come up with some unpredictable trick.


    but what was this ''heavenly dao destiny''?


    he scanned his storage ring with divine sense and found nothing tangible, nor did he feel any different in his body.


    he didn''t ask aloud, standing quietly in his place, appearing quite obedient.


    in front of such a powerful being, obedience definitely wasn''t the best answer, but it was certainly the least likely to lead to mistakes.


    he also faintly looked forward to what the magic practitioner inheritance might entail next.


    was it a spiritual treasure?


    or was it a spell?


    "..."


    as for the celestial guardian standing mid-air, upon hearing the heavenly dao decree, he appeared to be lost in thought as he gazed distantly towards the horizon, and only after a long while did he softly say, "before i give you the magic practitioner inheritance, i''ll take you to meet old man cao first."


    "it''s proper to bid farewell before parting."


    "alright." s§×arch* the n?vel?ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    chen qiu obediently nodded in agreement, having roughly guessed that old man cao must be the fortune-teller.


    golden light soon enveloped him once more, and both the young and the old turned into streaks of liu guang, rapidly shooting towards the depths of the forbidden sea.


    ...


    "ah?"


    within the small world, fat long and the others also heard this heavenly dao decree. fat long was slightly stunned before he couldn''t help grinning, turning to look at the scholar beside him: "tell me, scholar, is brother qiu too strong, or what''s the situation?"


    "you were the once golden core cultivation, da xia''s number one sword cultivator who slew the scion of ten thousand demons several times and failed to kill him."


    "brother qiu slapped him to death with one slap."


    "you''ve tried several times and couldn''t obtain the sword cultivator legacy, yet brother qiu finished it in slightly more than a day."


    "has the nine great inheritances really been unattainable for over a thousand years? it doesn''t seem that difficult."


    "..."


    the corners of the scholar''s mouth twitched slightly, and he then spoke with a resigned expression: "first of all, i need to clarify one point, that the escape technique and the art of evasion used by the scion of ten thousand demons are definitely top-notch! i truly couldn''t kill him, and that''s honestly infuriating."


    "i really don''t understand why brother qiu could so easily slap the scion of ten thousand demons to death with one slap. i really don''t get it."


    "secondly!"


    "i''ve never gone for the magic practitioner inheritance, but the criteria for the sword cultivator inheritance are so harsh it could make you question life. my sword intent, which i am proud of, was barely presentable there, and the threshold for passing the fourth round was human sword unity.


    "you should know that so far in da xia, only ji taiping has barely cultivated to human sword unity. a few years back, there wasn''t a single person in the whole of da xia who had reached this realm. although i''ve never sought the magic practitioner inheritance, it can''t be too simple either."


    your adventure continues at empire


    "otherwise, no one would have succeeded in all these years."


    "as for brother qiu... i can only say, he truly is a magic practitioner genius. it might seem unreasonable if it were anyone else, but if it''s brother qiu, i think it makes perfect sense."


    after finishing, the scholar suddenly laughed: "there''s good news, the name ''chao tian sect'' was mentioned in the heavenly dao decree just now. the reputation of chao tian sect has surely increased now!"


    "i''ve been touring around the corners of chao tian sect these past few days!"


    "i''ve discovered that it is an ancient sect of sword cultivators passed down in utmost purity, especially those sword cultivation values in the sect hall¡ªi highly approve of them. sword cultivators should indeed be like this!"


    "so once brother qiu helps me find a way to restore my cultivation, i, the second elder of chao tian sect, plan to make chao tian sect great again!"


    "let the world know¡ª"


    "what it means to be, a true sword cultivator!"


    "hey."


    fat long said expressionlessly: "the sect master is a magic practitioner, and you, the second elder, want to make the sword cultivators great again? are you not taking me, the great elder who cultivates dual companionship, into consideration?"


    "if anyone should be great again, it should be magic practitioners!"


    "by the way, what does your brother cultivate?"


    "well, he..."


    the scholar pursed his lips and shrugged but did not speak.


    "hey, isn''t that a bit too much?"


    "after all this time together, he doesn''t tell people his name or what he cultivates? is your brother being too unreasonable?"


    ...


    "chao tian sect?"


    in the capital, within the caotian sect, the sect master of caotian sect was sitting on zhao yishi''s shoulders and said in shock, "why does that name sound so familiar?"

 Chapter 107

    he was still lacking the following materials for his tenth-grade golden core.ten arbitrary grade entries, two nascent soul corpses, nine second-grade golden cores, one eight desolate fruit, and one stem of evil wood.


    that part about ten arbitrary grade entries was the least of his worries, now that he was at the sixth level of foundation establishment. he still had three small realms to go before reaching the pinnacle of foundation establishment, which meant he could obtain three more entries, plus he could still use the heavenly dao retrospective talisman once, making it four entries.


    together with some less useful entries, by gathering some entry jade slips, he could easily muster up ten useless arbitrary grade entries for use as pill refining materials.


    there was no difficulty in this.


    but those two nascent soul corpses... he really had no idea where to procure them unless he succeeded in obtaining them through two more inheritances. he doubted he had the ability to pass other inheritances'' trials.


    nine second-grade golden cores meant that he needed the golden cores of nine heavenly prides like the scholar.


    as for the remaining eight desolate fruit and evil wood, they were heaven and earth treasures that he had never even heard of.


    ...


    "..."


    the corners of chen qiu''s mouth twitched slightly. the difficulty was truly extraordinary, but he couldn''t deny that the allure of the ''tenth-grade golden core'' was enormous. he really wanted it. if he hadn''t had the seven-colored entry, it might be another matter, but having the most challenging part completed yet giving up now would be like spurning a gift from the heavens.


    that would be inviting celestial retribution.


    with his current foundation, as long as he wished and stepped into the pinnacle of foundation establishment, he could become a fifth-grade golden core anytime, an unprecedented occurrence in the history of da xia country.


    but...


    "brother qiu."


    the scholar excitedly said, "this third-grade golden core is perfect for you, just needing three golden cores as the pill refining materials. though not as good as fourth-grade, it''s still much better than second-grade."


    "dumbass."


    fat long said irritably, "didn''t you hear the heavenly dao decree just now? it granted brother qiu a whiff of heavenly dao destiny. with such a treasure, he''s definitely aiming for the fifth-grade golden core. if you''re going to form a core, aim for the strongest in da xia!"


    "but a fifth-grade golden core requires a nascent soul corpse, and there are none in da xia country. who can obtain a nascent soul corpse from the depths of the endless desert?"


    "how did his majesty of da xia get a nascent soul corpse? if he could get one, so can we."


    "you''re being unrealistic," the scholar shook his head. "a nascent soul corpse is out of the question. a third-grade golden core is already very powerful, making a fine starting point. with that, your speed of cultivation and power in the golden core stage will be much stronger than your peers, enough to be invincible at the same level."


    "to my knowledge, there are only a few people in the whole da xia country who have a third-grade golden core."


    "it''s only slightly below his majesty''s fourth-grade golden core. aside from him, no one''s golden core ranks higher than third-grade."


    ...


    "..."


    chen qiu ignored the ongoing argument between fat long and the scholar, already having secretly made up his mind to elevate his cultivation to the peak of foundation establishment, and then gradually seek the rest of the materials he was missing.


    as for the heavenly pride leaderboard, let whoever wants to go, go; he was not interested! your next read awaits at empire


    a mere heavenly dao spiritual treasure, he''d come for it next year!


    he had been preparing in the next few days to use heavenly dao cultivation pills to see if he could rapidly enhance his cultivation. he aimed to reach the golden core early stage before the start of the heavenly pride leaderboard competition, where with his combat power and trump cards, he was confident there wouldn''t be much problem sweeping through to the top three.


    now it seemed,


    forming the core would have to wait. like the tao foundation, the golden core was part of the foundation of cultivation; the stronger, the better. sear?h the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    a heavenly dao spiritual treasure had to make way in front of a tenth-grade golden core.


    after a long while,


    chen qiu didn''t keep it secret but calmly turned to the scholar and fat long saying, "i have a nascent soul corpse. after passing the magic practitioner inheritance, the predecessor passed away leaving his nascent soul corpse to me."


    "ah?"


    "ah?"


    the scholar and fat long abruptly stopped their argument, standing still in shock, before their eyes lit up with excitement, exclaiming, "then what are we waiting for? a fifth-grade golden core is a sure thing!!!"


    "what are we waiting for? brother qiu, i''ve been saving the heavenly dao cultivation pills i collected these past days just for you."


    "let''s aim for a fifth-grade golden core before the heavenly pride leaderboard starts, and completely crush those heavenly prides!"


    just moments ago, they had been debating the possibility of obtaining a nascent soul corpse, and now that was no longer an issue.


    chen qiu shook his head, paused for a moment, and continued in a calm, soft voice.


    "i also have the heavenly dao foundation and a seven-colored term."


    "ah?"


    this statement stunned the still excited scholar and fat long into silence. they both checked the jade slip in their hands again,


    it was only after a moment that fat long, with a shaky voice, said, "brother qiu, you have a seven-colored entry?"


    he knew about brother qiu''s heavenly dao foundation.


    back when he had failed to reach foundation establishment 999 times outside fufeng city, the heavenly dao was impressed by brother qiu''s perseverance and granted him the heavenly dao foundation, but he really didn''t know that brother qiu actually had a seven-colored entry.


    "a seven-colored entry..."


    the scholar subconsciously sat down with his legs crossed on the ground, not surprised by the heavenly dao foundation because he had one as well. but a seven-colored entry... that was beyond his comprehension. he had never even seen anyone with a red or golden entry, let alone seven-colored.


    though pink entries were just behind seven-colored entries,


    pink entries were an anomaly¡ªall of them being of the unlimited growth type without upper limits, even rarer than the red entries which were not as high-grade as pink ones.


    as for seven-colored entries, they were mentioned nowhere in historical records, nor did anyone even speculate on their effects. mainly, it was impossible to guess without knowing the effects of red and golden entries.

 Chapter 108 Betting Everything Twice.

    "very good."chen qiu stood up with a satisfied expression, familiarizing himself with the surging spiritual energy within his body. at the same time, he made up his mind that, aside from preparing for next year''s heavenly pride leaderboard and collecting materials for the golden core of the tenth grade,


    there was another important matter.


    that was, he needed to kill more demon beasts to allow his tao foundation to accommodate more spiritual energy.


    this year, if he went to participate in the heavenly pride leaderboard and played all his trump cards, with a bit of luck, there was indeed a chance of making it into the top three.


    but if he went again next year, by that time, it would be a total annihilation!


    he stopped thinking about these matters and instead used introspection to look inside his body, where the familiar panel enveloped by clouds and mist reappeared above his dantian.


    -


    "cultivation has greatly increased, officially stepping into the eighth level of the foundation establishment stage."


    "please make a choice from the three random entries below within ten breaths."


    1:


    "entry name": betting everything twice. s§×arch* the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "entry level": green.


    "entry effect": all your entries will be randomly replaced with entries of the same level, including this entry and the grey entries, excluding those that cannot be cleared.


    2:


    "entry name": unbearable pain.


    "entry level": grey.


    "entry effect": your sense of pain will increase fivefold, and all your attacks will also cause the enemy to experience five times the amount of pain.


    3:


    "entry name": resurrection.


    "entry level": white.


    "entry effect": when you die, your residual soul will wander the underworld without consciousness, and after a trillion years, you will be resurrected.


    -


    "..."


    "what a resurrection."


    chen qiu couldn''t help but twitch the corner of his mouth as he looked at the third entry.


    hard to evaluate.


    he was even somewhat at a loss for how to evaluate it. from a certain perspective, this entry was very strong¡ªafter all, it was the first he had seen that offered resurrection. but the problem was... isn''t that time span a bit too long?


    a trillion years?


    by that time, let alone enemies or family, it was uncertain whether the continent itself would still exist.


    but as the ten breaths were about to end, he still chose the "resurrection" entry. the reason was that of the three entries, it was the only one with no side effects, which made it perfectly suitable as a fusion material.


    the first entry could go as far away as possible. he was quite satisfied with his current set of entries and didn''t want to change any of them.


    even if there were no weak seven-colored terms, and perhaps "step by step" could be traded for a seven-colored term that could boost his combat power in an instant, he wasn''t interested.


    to put it bluntly,


    even "hundred-layered spellcasting" or the possibly existing "thousand-layered spellcasting" seven-colored terms, to him, were not as valuable as "step by step," an entry with high growth potential, especially suitable for someone with low cultivation like himself.


    however, once he could step into the transcendance tribulation stage in the future, "step by step" would lose its usefulness, and he wouldn''t mind trading it for a seven-colored term if he had the chance.


    as for the second entry, it was purely a negative entry for him.


    actually, the enemies who died by his hand were quite fortunate; they didn''t feel any pain at all and were basically instantly disintegrated. with thousands of thunder dragons surging over, the enemies had no chance to feel any pain.


    which meant that for him, it was purely about making himself feel five times more pain, which was pointless.


    he was no masochist, so why would he want such pain?


    ...


    originally planning to continue increasing his cultivation, chen qiu glanced at the remaining 251 heavenly dao cultivation pills and found them insufficient for his breakthrough to the ninth level of foundation establishment. however, there was only a little more than an hour left until nightfall.


    when that time came, another batch of heavenly dao cultivation pills would be bestowed.


    by then, it should be just about enough.


    if the fame ranking continued for a few more days, he calculated that he would be able to enter the peak of foundation establishment cultivation right when the heavenly pride leaderboard began. afterward, he could start preparing for core formation.


    ...


    ...


    chen qiu, expressionless and silent, turned around to look at fat long scholar and the others behind him. he had originally wanted to try out the perpetual motion machine idea he had in mind,


    to have fat long and the others stab him with their swords from behind to continuously replenish his spiritual energy when he needed to be a mobile turret.


    but in the actual practice, he discovered a flaw.


    that was...


    experience more content on empire


    under the "slippery" entry, every time he was attacked, he would automatically teleport¡ªan uncontrollable effect, rendering the perpetual motion machine plan a failure.


    he couldn''t possibly blow up this entry; it was one of the few movement techniques he had.


    he had wanted to learn the "golden light underground" spell from his senior, but was told it couldn''t be passed on. although he wasn''t given a specific reason, it was explained that the spell involved transforming seawater into a dragon, which was manipulating nature''s spiritual energy¡ªa nascent soul method beyond his current abilities.


    once you reach nascent soul, you can also command nature''s spiritual energy to fight for you.


    as a result, his current movement techniques were still limited to these two tools: slippery and shrinking earth to inches.


    both were random.


    "teach me sword flight."


    chen qiu, abandoning the perpetual motion machine idea for the moment, turned to the scholar.


    in theory, sword flight should have been learned right after entering the first level of foundation establishment, but he had advanced in cultivation too quickly, and one thing after another had kept him extremely busy, leaving no time to learn these skills that all low-level foundation establishment cultivators know.


    "okay."


    ...


    perhaps it was due to his natural talent as a sword cultivator, or maybe because of his current capacity for spiritual energy and the fine control he had over it, the sword flight technique seemed too elementary for him. in just the time it took to drink a cup of tea,

 Chapter 108 Betting Everything Twice._2

    chen qiu could now stand on his sword and soar freely between heaven and earth.this meant...


    he could arguably consider himself to have mastered a third movement technique, but the speed of sword flight was not really fast, significantly slower than the scholar''s speed.


    ...


    two incense sticks later.


    chen qiu and the others returned to "fei city" under the cover of night from the boundless icefield. by then, the streets were mostly empty as they checked into a fairly decent inn.


    planning to rest there for the night.


    although the small world was quite convenient and safe, it was... somewhat uncomfortable.


    in their room.


    chen qiu and his companions gathered around, eating the food and drinks provided by the innkeeper while chatting casually.


    "brother qiu."


    fat long picked up a duck leg and brought it to his mouth, "maybe we should find some people to repair the chao tian sect after a while. not necessarily fixing the big array right away, but at least rebuilding the collapsed ruins to officially establish our base."


    "hmm."


    chen qiu nodded, scheduling the refurbishment for the chao tian sect. indeed, the sect protection array might not need much spending if left unrepaired.


    residing within the small world, the sect protection array wasn''t urgently needed.


    discover stories at empire sear?h the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    however...


    it risked leaking the information that he owned a small world, so utmost caution was advisable. the best approach was to keep the construction team inside the small world and not let them out until he reached the golden core stage, where no one could threaten him.


    then, even if someone knew he had a small world, they could do nothing about it.


    ...


    after a satisfying meal and drinks.


    the scholars returned to their respective rooms to rest, while fat long went back to the small world, preparing to harvest the forthcoming heavenly dao cultivation pills; it was almost midnight.


    shortly, a few cups of tea later.


    fat long was let out of the small world by chen qiu, standing in place with a storage bag in hand and grinning, "brother qiu, got even more today, broke through 500, got 512 now."


    chen qiu glanced at his ranking on the fame ranking.


    -


    "rank fifty-four": chen qiu, fame value 4.03 million.


    -


    the rate of increase in his fame value was already slowing down. an imperial decree had turned him nearly into a household name, but his rise in the ranking could only go so far.


    above him were individuals who had been famous for a long time.


    the quickest way to surpass the people above him was to eliminate everyone above him, whose positions ranged from da xia''s number one sword cultivator to the most beautiful, the leading array repairer, and top alchemy cultivator.


    the heavenly dao blessing for rank fifty-four was¡ª


    "10 mid-grade foundation establishment stage heavenly dao cultivation pills.


    he first took out a low-grade foundation establishment stage heavenly dao cultivation pill and consumed it, this improvement only increased his cultivation progress by 0.1%.


    then he swallowed a mid-grade foundation establishment stage heavenly dao cultivation pill.


    it increased his cultivation progress by 1%.


    which means,


    this one mid-grade foundation establishment stage heavenly dao cultivation pill was equivalent to ten low-grade foundation establishment stage heavenly dao cultivation pills.


    with a ranking of 50, he could collect an amount equivalent to 100 low-grade foundation establishment stage heavenly dao cultivation pills per day, while liu zide, with all his elaborate arrangements and spending numerous spirit stones, could only obtain around four to five hundred such pills a day.


    and now he even suspected that those ranked in the top few places might be getting more than that daily.


    "..."


    chen qiu calmly looked at the "fame ranking"; most of those ahead were in the golden core stage, and consuming foundation establishment pills was futile for them, but they could easily gift them to younger family members or sell them for spirit stones.


    thus, the gap between family-backed cultivators and loose cultivators widened.


    without much thought,


    after fat long withdrew to another room to rest, he took out all the cultivation pills again to absorb the spiritual energy within, sitting cross-legged on the bed to enhance his own cultivation.


    the greater the force, the easier it is to chop wood.


    the higher the cultivation, the easier it is to chop people down too.


    ...


    nearly two hours later, when all the cultivation pills were absorbed completely, chen qiu opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath of stale air, inspected his body, and found his cultivation had reached¡ª


    -


    "cultivation": foundation establishment stage level eight (86.3%)


    -


    by tomorrow night when the next batch of heavenly dao cultivation pills arrived, his cultivation would smoothly advance to the ninth level of foundation establishment stage.


    in two or three days,


    he would reach the peak of the foundation establishment stage, and then he could save the heavenly dao cultivation pills to exchange for spirit stones.


    foundation establishment stage heavenly dao cultivation pills were of no use to those in the golden core stage.


    and fat long''s entry decided that dual cultivation enhanced cultivation speed the fastest, at nine times the rate, making using foundation establishment stage heavenly dao cultivation pills a waste. the scholar''s injuries hadn''t healed and his cultivation could not be improved, and as for the scholar''s brother, the scholar did not clarify, only mentioning that his brother couldn''t use them.


    ...


    just like that, after a night passed.


    sitting cross-legged on the bed, having cultivated through the night, chen qiu looked toward the window as dawn approached, the sky faintly lighting with the white of fish bellies, the dawn had arrived.


    the snow had drifted throughout the night;


    looking out the window now, the entire city was coated in silver white, as if covered by a mysterious veil, transforming into a tranquil, cool world of ice and snow. street vendors were already up early, shouting along the roadside.


    the scattered shouting, accompanied by the steam in the air,


    and the aroma of meat soup wafting through the air,


    inevitably eased one''s spirit.


    after a night of cultivation, his cultivation realm had almost completely consolidated, another advantage of being in the heavenly dao realm is that unless you attained golden core in one day, your cultivation realm was hardly unstable.

 Chapter 108 Betting Everything Twice._3

    ...in fei city, at an inn downstairs, there was a meat soup shop.


    chen qiu and his companions took advantage of the early morning, when the streets were not yet bustling, and sat at the stall to ask the shopkeeper for a few bowls of the first pot of meat soup. at the moment, goose feather-like snow still fluttered in the air. drinking a mouthful of the scalding meat soup in this kind of weather was extremely comforting.


    "this is so comfortable."


    fat long slowly rotated the porcelain bowl in his hand, slurped a mouthful of the meat soup along the edge of the bowl, and couldn''t help but draw in a few breaths of cold air with the soup still in his mouth, before swallowing and contentedly said.


    "i think, even if i achieve fasting after reaching golden core in the future, i''ll still come to drink a bowl of this meat soup in winter."


    "it warms the heart."


    "indeed."


    the scholar nodded in agreement. just as he was about to say something, he suddenly saw a flying boat approaching from afar over fei city, and standing on it was a giant figure.


    even though the distance was too great to see the face clearly, he could guess who the giant was.


    "zhao yishi? why has he suddenly come to fei city?"


    a hint of surprise flashed in the scholar''s eyes, "he''s not planning to attempt the body cultivation inheritance challenge, is he?"


    "most likely,"


    fat long nodded, his expression slightly strange, "it''s probably because the leader of the caotian sect heard that brother qiu snatched the magic practitioner inheritance and couldn''t sit still, so he brought zhao yishi along."


    chen qiu glanced up briefly and kept silent, instead contemplating the next steps of his plan in his mind.


    there were many things to do next.


    but they needed to be prioritized. southern state was quite developed, a land rich in spiritual energy, and it housed many major sects, especially those focusing on artifact cultivation, alchemy cultivation, and array repair, which were mostly located in southern state.


    "fat long, after eating, you and the scholar go gather some information,"


    "see what and where you can find out about the eight desolate fruit and the evil wood."


    "understood."


    both were essential materials for refining a grade ten golden core. though he had never heard of them, since they were qualified to be materials for a grade ten golden core, they must be extremely rare. he didn''t have much hope that fat long would be able to find information, but it was worth trying.


    these things wouldn''t just fall out of the sky.


    it was always worth a shot.


    just then¡ª


    "bang."


    an object suddenly fell from the flying boat high in the sky, tracing a beautiful parabola before crashing next to chen qiu''s stall, bouncing heavily off the ground several times, and rolling to rest quietly next to chen qiu''s feet.


    it was a piece of dried-up wood, resembling the kind villagers would use for kindling.


    immediately afterward, a voice of complaint could be heard from near to far.


    "that''s evil wood, can you not just toss it around carelessly? it''s very dangerous, you know?"


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    as the voice reached them, fat long scholar and the others were utterly bewildered on the spot, staring at the inconspicuous piece of wood lying at chen qiu''s foot, which contained a faint spiritual energy, their minds momentarily crashing with no idea what to say.


    sometime ago, the sky dropped entry jade slips.


    and now, the sky dropped the precious evil wood.


    could the sky truly rain treasures?


    fat long looked up at the blue sky somewhat blankly, considering whether to make a wish himself; this was just too preposterous.


    soon¡ª explore stories on empire


    a middle-aged man appeared out of the streaming light, first casually revealing his golden core cultivation, then with a trace of apology, looked towards chen qiu and his companions with a smile, "fellow daoists..."


    "wait a minute!"


    the middle-aged man suddenly froze on the spot, "aren''t you chen qiu?"


    "let me introduce myself, my name is zhao dezhu, i''m the sect master of caotian sect, and your buddy zhao yishi is my direct disciple."


    then he put on a very amiable smile. s~ea??h the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "to bump into you guys here, it really is fate."


    "..."


    chen qiu''s mouth twitched. how could a sect master seem to have no pretense at all? then, he seriously got up and gave a respectful bow with clasped hands, "i have seen sect master zhao."


    "what junior and senior? there''s no need for such formalities,"


    zhao dezhu pretended to be dissatisfied and sat down at the stall, then looked at chen qiu with a serious expression, "from now on, you call me brother, and i''ll call you little brother."


    "although we are meeting for the first time, since you are zhao yishi''s brother, you are also a brother of mr. zhao."


    "little brother, elder brother wants to ask you for a favor."


    "how did you get through the magic practitioner inheritance? are there any tricks or something? i want to see if zhao yishi can give it another try. his talent for body cultivation is not weak, and i believe that one day he will surely grow into a peerless warrior of body cultivation."


    "..."


    after remaining silent for a while, chen qiu looked up at sect master zhao seriously, "there is indeed a little trick, but might i presumptuously ask, where did this piece of evil wood come from?"


    "oh, this?"


    zhao dezhu looked curiously at the piece of wood in his hand, "this thing isn''t worth much. it''s just wood that grows in the evil land. it generates more heat when burned and is used for warming up. but the malevolent energy it emits can be somewhat fatal to ordinary people."


    "so, when it fell to the city below, i came down immediately, intending to pick it up."


    "you want it?"


    "here."


    zhao dezhu took out a storage ring from his robes and stuffed it back, "it''s filled up; i''m giving it to you. fei city is indeed cold enough; you do need to keep warm."


    chen qiu''s consciousness swept through the storage ring, which was filled with large amounts of evil wood, its characteristics and appearance exactly matching the information recorded in the jade slip given to him by the fortune-telling old man. it really was the evil wood needed for a grade ten golden core.


    he had thought it was something very precious, but now it seemed the evil wood was probably not even as valuable as the storage ring itself.


    after pausing for a moment without holding back, he looked at the caotian sect master and said seriously, "there is indeed a little trick for the body cultivation inheritance: from start to finish, one needs a strong fighting spirit."

 Chapter 108 Betting Everything Twice._4

    "how intense?""with broken legs, split body, crippled hands and only a head remaining, still using the mouth to bite the enemy to death."


    "is that true?"


    "couldn''t be truer."


    "understood." zhao dezhu stood up, his face serious as he bowed to chen qiu, "thank you, brother, for passing on the technique. i won''t stay here longer. feel free to visit the caotian sect whenever you are free."


    "as long as i am in the capital, no one dares to touch you."


    ...


    ...


    fat long looked at the flying boat, which had turned into a beam of light and started heading back oddly, "this sect master of the caotian sect, why does he seem so odd? it feels a bit...inappropriate."


    though the idiom wasn''t quite apt, he really felt like using it at that moment.


    being a golden core and the master of a sect. sear?h the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    that status could allow one to strut around da xia country, but he didn''t seem conceited at all, which was peculiar. there''s an old saying, "position brings vanity."


    just by sitting in that position, even if you are normally a gentle person, you would involuntarily become pretentious.


    "not sure."


    chen qiu shook his head. after throwing a few pieces of silver on the table, he got up to leave the shop and headed towards the street, planning to return to the inn and let fat long gather some intelligence. he also wanted to check if there was an auction nearby selling entry jade slips.


    he had not finished his advice to the sect master of caotian sect.


    maintaining intense battle intent indeed could make it possible to breakthrough to the fourth level, but just having intense battle intent wouldn''t suffice for the fifth level.


    but now wasn''t the time to discuss this; after passing the levels, there would be a nascent soul body, which was what he needed. this matter would need to be slowly strategized later, at least for now, it wasn''t suitable to tell the sect master of caotian sect.


    moreover...


    even having intense battle intent, it would still be hard to reach the fourth level, let alone the fifth level. intense battle intent is merely a technique, and not a guaranteed way to pass; body cultivation inheritance definitely includes extremely harsh challenges.


    exactly what challenges he didn''t know; he only knew some little tricks that some old fortune tellers had told him.


    ...


    "sect master?"


    zhao yishi, sitting on the flying boat, looked puzzled at the sect master resting on his shoulder, "didn''t you say we were going to challenge the body cultivation inheritance?"


    "not going yet."


    the sect master of caotian sect remained silent with a stern face. chen qiu had no reason to lie to him; hence, to attain the body cultivation inheritance one definitely needs intense battle intent.


    it actually makes sense.


    as a practitioner of body cultivation, one should indeed embody the belief that bare fists can break any spell.


    ironically


    his direct disciple hardly had any battle intent. the ''invisibility technique,'' a spell that becomes harder to cultivate with a larger body type, zhao yishi managed to cultivate it to the great perfection realm.


    that was hard-won.


    he needed to think of a way to take zhao yishi back to the sect, call everyone in the sect to perform a play to stimulate the latent battle intent in zhao yishi''s heart.


    for instance...


    the sect being slaughtered!


    all his former brothers meeting their death at the hands of an enemy!


    his senior sister violated and killed by the enemy!


    the sect master he dearly loved, also miserably killed by the enemy because he wasn''t strong enough! continue reading stories on empire


    even the supreme elder cut down by the enemy in one stroke!


    only by making zhao yishi feel the crisis of insufficient strength and intense hatred, could the battle intent be stimulated, thereby seizing the body cultivation inheritance opportunistically!


    however...


    the sect master sitting on zhao yishi''s shoulder turned his head slightly towards zhao yishi with some inner trepidation. he faintly worried whether this might backfire and make the inherently timid and battle-shy zhao yishi even more fearful upon witnessing such a scene.


    that would truly be a disaster.


    by the way, why have so many new phrases been popping up in the capital recently? and they all seem pretty catchy.

 Chapter 109 Useless Things.

    fei city, noon.snow blanketed the ground; the sunlight was relatively warm as it shone down, imparting a faint sense of warmth. this place was close to the boundless icefield, where summer was almost nonexistent, and autumn and winter dominated all year round. the howling cold winds from the boundless icefield poured into fei city at every moment. s§×arch* the n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    and fat long was in the inn, reporting the information he had gathered.


    "the evil wood is indeed as the sect master of the caotian sect said, originating from fei city. while it is said to grow in the lands of evil, no one knows why only the evil lands of fei city can produce such wood."


    "perhaps it''s because of the cold climate in fei city that this object exists."


    "just like there is said to be an antidote within seven steps of a snake bite."


    "it''s a common item used by the local sects and families in fei city for heating, truly not anything valuable."


    "as for the eight desolate fruit¡ª"


    fat long paused, then remarked with a sigh, "this piece of information cost some spirit stones; i learned about it from the ''world pavilion'' that specializes in selling intelligence. the evil wood can still be used for heating, but the eight desolate fruit is a truly useless item."


    "it belongs to the category of spirit fruits."


    "it grows completely at random, possibly sprouting from an apple tree or a pear tree. any type of fruit tree could potentially bear the eight desolate fruit; it''s a bit against the natural order."


    "and any tree that bears the eight desolate fruit will never bear another fruit again, nor will it ever bear fruit in the future."


    "the eight desolate fruit is octagonal, resembling a starfruit."


    "if there is any singular effect, it would be... its rarity."


    "because this fruit has no side effects when eaten, nor does it have any effect. it also lacks any taste, not sweet, not astringent, not sour, not spicy, and the texture is nothing extraordinary."


    "moreover, once the fruit is plucked from the tree, it will rot within nine hours."


    "it must be kept in a jade box to prevent decay."


    "the price is not high; if one desires it, it can be obtained for a little over three hundred mid-grade spirit stones, with the main expenses being the journey and the search. in the end, the fruit farmers will only receive a few taels of silver."


    "i have already paid a deposit to the world pavilion, and i have arranged for someone there to handle it."


    "hmm."


    chen qiu nodded, puzzled within his heart. the requirements for each stage of the golden core were extremely stringent, but he wondered why the two mentioned heavenly treasures were such ordinary items.


    the requirements for a third-grade golden core already included rare materials for forging such as dragon vein stones, so why did the tenth-grade golden core only require something like evil wood for heating? the eight desolate fruit was indeed a bit rarer but still a useless item. experience more tales on empire


    before he could ponder further.


    fat long spoke again, "there is indeed an auction tonight in fei city. this auction has been long in preparation, and most of the items on offer are things like alchemy furnaces, recipes, formation manuals, and the like, prepared for alchemy cultivators and talisman cultivators."


    "after all, there is a noticeable predominance of alchemy and talisman cultivators in the southern state."


    "however, i have heard that they will be selling two entry jade slips at the auction."


    "let''s go take a look tonight," chen qiu responded with an understanding nod.


    ...


    that night.


    chen qiu was already standing at the entrance of the "fei city" jia clan''s commercial building, a five-story pavilion that was one of the taller structures in fei city. at this time, many cultivators were entering the pavilion''s entrance.


    the auction was about to begin tonight.


    entry jade slips, even the most worthless ones, were rather rare and would often be promoted in advance and then sold to the highest bidder at the auction, of course, only the lower-grade entries. the high-grade entry jade slips didn''t have the chance to make it to auction, as they were mostly prearranged internally.


    chen qiu, standing at the entrance, did not enter immediately, but engaged in introspection of his small world.


    he still had more than four thousand lower-grade spirit stones and twenty-four mid-grade spirit stones.


    the mid-grade spirit stones must be saved for breaking through to the golden core.


    according to the scholar, an ordinary cultivator should prepare at least forty-nine mid-grade spirit stones when breaking through to the golden core, and then lay out a spirit gathering array to ensure a smooth transition.


    to be on the safe side, he planned to set up a higher-level spirit gathering array, which would require one hundred and eight mid-grade spirit stones.


    after all, his goal was the tenth-grade golden core, and forty-nine mid-grade spirit stones might not be enough.


    one of his goals in the coming year was to accumulate enough mid-grade spirit stones.


    based on the information from fat long, the two entry jade slips on auction weren''t particularly outstanding, so the four thousand lower-grade spirit stones he had should suffice for the purchase.


    "let''s go."


    chen qiu, about to step into the auction pavilion with fat long and the others, suddenly heard a sneering voice, "where did these country bumpkins come from, bringing a cripple to an auction?"


    "..."


    fat long stood still, looking around to confirm that there were no other disabled people nearby, before realizing the words were directed at them. with some disbelief, he looked at the young, richly-dressed gentleman beside them.


    this person... was he really that audacious?


    to speak to them in such a manner? and for their part, they had spent several spirit stones on their clothes at the wentiangfang market; they shouldn''t appear to be country bumpkins, should they?


    chen qiu glanced at the person and then, without saying another word, strode towards the auction pavilion without the slightest hesitation.


    "hey!"


    the young noble who had just spoken, with a playful smile on his face, called out to chen qiu and his group loudly, "i''m talking to you, are you deaf?"


    chen qiu didn''t respond, but simply patted fat long on the shoulder to signal him to enter the auction first.


    ...


    the young noble, accompanied by a gathering of other nobles, watched chen qiu''s retreating back without restraint, laughing loudly, while the young noble who had started the conversation grinned even more arrogantly at the others.

 Chapter 109 Useless Things._2

    ```"see? even chen qiu, who seized the magic practitioner''s inheritance, still has to bow his head when he sees me, ning laiping."


    "since he''s asking my grandfather for a favor, he naturally has to behave submissively."


    he certainly recognized chen qiu. s§×arch* the n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the moment chen qiu seized the magic practitioner''s inheritance, his portrait was basically sent to every family and sect with a bit of power within da xia country. his grandfather was none other than the most famous foundation establishment peak artifact refiner in fei city.


    naturally, he wouldn''t miss out on this news.


    by now, chen qiu had already stepped into the auction, and ning laiping looked in the direction chen qiu left with a cold smile, "an out-of-town magic practitioner who wants to acquire the lifebound treasure crafted by my grandfather has to learn to keep his head bowed."


    tonight''s auction highlight¡ª


    was his grandfather!


    his grandfather was at the peak of foundation establishment and on the verge of breaking through to the golden core stage. all artifact refiners, when using the power of heaven and earth to craft a spiritual treasure at the moment of their breakthrough, would imbue it with a more potent force than other spiritual treasures of the same level!


    stronger, more expensive, and rarer!


    his grandfather happened to be especially skilled at crafting spiritual treasures for magic practitioners and had gained fame for it. chen qiu''s purpose in attending tonight''s auction was clear; he wanted to win the privilege of having a spiritual treasure crafted by his grandfather at the very moment he broke through his cultivation level.


    thus, through this formidable treasure, he could participate in the competition for heavenly prides four days later.


    but ning laiping didn''t like this person.


    it wasn''t a matter of conflicting interests, rather, the news that his grandfather would break through that night and craft a magic practitioner''s treasure had spread throughout the entirety of fei city. he had been the center of conversation, with everyone congratulating him that his grandfather was about to become a golden core artifact refiner and would soon be able to craft golden core spiritual treasures for golden core cultivators. this would greatly enhance both his prestige and power.


    since chen qiu had gained the magic practitioner inheritance, the focus of conversation had shifted away from him. initially, he was just internally uncomfortable with it but could not voice his feelings without seeming petty to others.


    but since chen qiu just happened to be asking his grandfather for a favor, it was impossible to hold back the resentful energy in his heart without venting it a little.


    and those surrounding him also laughed and joined in.


    "he''s just a loose cultivator from the remote areas of north continent, getting arrogant now. does he really think acquiring a magic practitioner''s inheritance makes him invincible?"


    "exactly, even with his arrogance, doesn''t he still have to come beg mr. ning''s grandfather to craft a treasure for him?"


    "no matter what, he''s just a foundation establishment loose cultivator, after all, we''re either artifact or alchemy cultivators. if we were magic practitioners, how would it be his turn, chen qiu, to seize a magic practitioner inheritance?"


    those gathered around ning laiping were alchemy and artifact cultivators.


    either disciples of prestigious lineages or inheritors of family traditions.


    in southern state.


    artifact and alchemy cultivators were highly regarded and held the highest status. whether it be sword or magic practitioners, they often needed to seek the help of artifact and alchemy cultivators. moreover, both required immense talent and accumulation, making those capable artifact and alchemy cultivators exceedingly rare.


    hence a renowned artifact cultivator, in terms of connections and status, would far surpass cultivators of the same level.


    the younger generations of these artifact and alchemy cultivators often associated with one another, forming a small clique. even some golden core cultivators, when seeking favors from their elders, would treat them quite amiably and speak to them with praise.


    as the saying goes,


    "no dealings without scholars; conversation always of the learned."


    in ordinary families, even the golden core great powers that could be treated as honored guests had crossed paths with them, and these powers were highly respectful when asking for their elders'' help, indicative of a seller''s market.


    after years of immersion, they too didn''t think mocking a foundation establishment loose cultivator was a big deal, regardless of whether that cultivator had won a magic practitioner''s inheritance or not. once he came to fei city, he had to learn to keep a low profile.


    ...


    meanwhile¡ª


    inside the auction, chen qiu and others had taken their seats in the hall.


    "here."


    the scholar sitting cross-legged in the hall smacked his lips, "looks like we might not have to spend any spirit stones this time, someone is going to pick up the tab for us."


    "them?"


    fat long looked up toward those provoking young masters, sitting in the room labeled with the character for ''heaven'' on the second floor; he grinned, "you''ve got a point, just don''t know if those young masters will engage in a bidding war and save us some spirit stones."


    chen qiu leaned back in his chair, flipping through the auction listing in his hand, turning to the last page where he saw an old man who bore a resemblance to the young master who had challenged him earlier.


    there were also a few lines of small text introducing him.


    -


    "ning taiping."


    "a foundation establishment peak artifact refiner, the supreme elder of the ning family of fei city. though his cultivation is at the peak of foundation establishment, his threats extend to the early stages of the golden core, courtesy of the spiritual treasures in his possession."


    "ranked first among the top ten foundation establishment artifact refiners of fei state, regarded as the most likely to step into the golden core realm in recent years."


    "specializes in forging spiritual treasures for magic practitioners and can tailor them to fit the usual tactics of cultivators."


    "tonight''s highest bidder will earn the privilege of having an exceptional treasure crafted with the power of heaven and earth when ning taiping breaks through to golden core outside the city."


    "note: tonight''s highest bid secures only the forging privilege. forging fees and the necessary heavenly and earthly materials must be provided separately."


    -


    "got it."


    chen qiu nodded slightly, casually flipping through the auction list and said nonchalantly, "so ning taiping''s grandson thinks we''re here to request his grandfather to forge a magic practitioner''s treasure, which is why he provoked us?"


    "looks like it."


    fat long nodded, "seems like he''s used to being spoiled in fei city; his grandfather would probably smack him if he knew he was acting like this."


    ``` discover stories with empire

 Chapter 109 Useless Things._3

    and at this time, the auction had not yet begun.onstage, the beautiful woman hosting the auction was still preparing, while many cultivators who had just entered the hall were finding seats.


    just then¡ª¡ª


    a white-bearded elder dressed in a rather luxurious robe walked onto the stage with an icy expression, generously releasing his peak foundation establishment cultivation, "everyone present probably recognizes me, i am ning taiping."


    "i just heard from my grandson that a magic practitioner from outside said that all the artifact cultivators in fei city are nothing but a disorderly crowd?"


    "i would like to see which magic practitioner is so bold and reckless in my fei city!"


    although phrased as a question, his eyes, sharp as an eagle''s, filled with gloom, he stared directly through the crowd at chen qiu leaning on his chair and spoke word by word, "i heard from my son that this person calls himself chen qiu, the lucky one who has just obtained the inheritance of a magic practitioner in the heavenly dao decree."


    "do you know where that person is?"


    "i want to see where this person gets such courage from!"


    "..."


    the hall, which had been somewhat noisy, instantly fell silent; many looked oddly towards the direction of ning taiping, who was gazing at a young man lounging calmly in his chair with his legs crossed.


    this person was chen qiu?


    he looked indeed young and had the air of a heavenly pride. s§×arch* the n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    although ning taiping did not straightforwardly state that this man was chen qiu, his words nearly pointed directly at him ¡ª did these two have a feud?


    seeing chen qiu not speaking,


    ning taiping, standing on the stage, flashed a hint of satisfaction in his eyes and scanned the audience, "a minor dispute, let''s not disturb everyone''s refined tastes. the auction is about to start, please take your seats."


    ...


    inside the room no. 3 of the second floor''s heavenly character section,


    a charming lady wearing a low-cut, slit cheongsam, gently swirling the spiritual wine in her glass, looked towards ning taiping stepping down from the stage with a faint smile, "that chen qiu is still young, somewhat unable to play against the cunning old fox, ning taiping."


    "ning taiping also knows that this chen qiu is seeking something from him tonight, so he certainly wouldn''t dare to refute him directly to his face, thus using suppression against the newly arising momentum of chen qiu to build his own."


    "word will spread out."


    "that the one who obtained the magic practitioner inheritance, chen qiu, has to behave obediently like a grandson in front of him, ning taiping, who has always wanted to become the next leader of the artifact repair alliance."


    "with this momentum-building, coupled with his breakthrough into the golden core artifact refiner tonight, on the day of the leader''s reelection in seven days, ning taiping might indeed secure that position."


    next to the woman, an old man in hemp clothing looked disdainfully at chen qiu standing below the stage, "this kid is young, just having obtained the magic practitioner inheritance, being in his moment of pride."


    "being suppressed by ning taiping like this might leave some mental scars; it''s feared that his spirit might disperse a great deal."


    "just needing to consolidate for a while and stepping into the golden core later, he could have made a significant name for himself."


    "now, being humiliated in public, those unusual looks stabbing directly into his heart, it''s hard to gather up spirit again; one could basically say it''s ruined, such is the brittleness of a loose cultivator suddenly bestowed with a fortune."


    "typical."


    the woman, her slender white legs perched on a stool beside her, looked rather amused at chen qiu as she smiled, "building momentum is exactly about swallowing up others'' momentum to form one''s own."


    "that chen qiu, having no backing and needing others'' help, rushed to let others use him as a stepping stone, no one can stop that."


    "still too impatient after all."


    "if he''d find a place to endure hardship and fully digest the magic practitioner inheritance first, next year''s heavenly pride leaderboard could not be without his place; instead, he wanted to come here before the battle for heavenly pride with a handy spiritual treasure to seek favors, thus losing both face and substance."


    "but even so, being someone with a magic practitioner inheritance, taking him into the family to work for the family wouldn''t be out of question."


    ...


    "grandfather, looking at that chen qiu below, he still acts composed till now, probably gritting his teeth on the inside."


    inside room no. 7 of the heavenly character section,


    ning wuping looked at chen qiu sitting in the great hall and laughed with great satisfaction, "grandfather, you are truly imposing."


    "hmph."


    ning taiping was also quite pleased inside, he stroked his white beard, picked up a cup of steaming tea, took a sip, and then pretended to be calm and disdainful, "just a little kid, after a few scoldings, would he dare to talk back?"


    "if he dares to answer back with even a single word, once i take the seat of the leader of the artifact repair alliance, i''ll call on all artifact cultivators and alchemy cultivators not to do business with him, a loose cultivator without backing from a family needs no managing, in a few years he will fade into the crowd."


    "i''ve already prepared a golden core with a hefty sum, tonight with a second-grade golden core, i will step into the golden core realm!"


    "this fei city should also be renamed as ning city in the future."


    ...


    chen qiu was currently leaning back on his chair, patiently waiting for the auction to begin, while various discussions entered his ears, all consisting of some praising ning taiping and others pitying him; he initially didn''t take it to heart.


    until¡ª¡ª


    "it''s said that elder ning has already prepared a golden core, and tonight at the top of furnace peak outside the city, he will step into the golden core stage with a second-grade golden core. the ning family will soon be a golden core family, prospering under elder ning''s protection for a few hundred more years." read exclusive content at empire


    "quite good."


    hearing this news, chen qiu suddenly lightened up with a laugh; his tenth-grade golden core needed nine second-grade golden cores as fusion materials. he had been troubled about where to collect these since second-grade golden cores weren''t something common people could form.


    the first one had just been delivered to his door.


    just an artifact cultivator who had stepped into the first layer of the golden core was not so difficult to kill; the biggest crushing tactic against a foundation establishment cultivator was the divine sense attack, and just having stepped into the golden core, he probably hadn''t yet learned how to perform a divine sense attack, lacking this biggest crushing tactic.

 Chapter 109 Useless Things._4

    in such a situation, he was only half a step away from golden core.moreover, as an artifact cultivator, his strength mostly came from external forces.


    he didn''t even need to activate the self-destruction term to obliterate him with his own power, and this was his first time witnessing someone breakthrough to golden core in the presence of others. he seemed to be fearlessly creating momentum regardless of the consequences.


    ...


    the auction didn''t take long to begin.


    the first auction item.


    "the first auction item."


    "spiritual treasure, mid-grade alchemy furnace ''earth fire tripod furnace,'' starting bid..."


    "..."


    chen qiu leaned back in his chair with his eyelids slightly drooped as he waited for the subsequent items. he had almost reviewed the entire auction list, and there was nothing particularly useful for him, except for those two entries.


    not much later.


    -


    "the thirteenth auction item."


    "entry jade scroll, white entry."


    "entry name": refining technique.


    "entry level": white.


    "entry effect": when you forge a spiritual treasure, the success rate will slightly increase.


    "starting bid 100 spirit stones, each bid must be no less than 100 spirit stones."


    -


    this entry could be considered one of the highlights of the auction, as many cultivators in the hall were eagerly bidding.


    the price quickly reached 1,200 spirit stones, and the pace of the bids started to slow.


    "third call..."


    just as the hammer was about to fall, fat long raised his plaque and shouted loudly, "1,300 spirit stones."


    almost immediately after his words fell, ning wuping in room no. 7, who initially showed no interest in bidding, provocatively raised his eyebrows towards fat long sitting in the hall, "1,400 spirit stones."


    "hey."


    fat long started to smile and was about to continue bidding when he was stopped by chen qiu.


    "don''t raise the bid anymore, let him spend more spirit stones so we''ll have to give up fewer spirit stones later."


    "understood."


    ...


    "the fourteenth auction item."


    "entry jade scroll, green entry."


    "entry name": artifact refining god.


    "entry level": green.


    "entry effect": every time you forge a spiritual treasure, there is a low chance to randomly add a special effect.


    "starting bid 100 spirit stones, each bid must be no less than 100 spirit stones."


    ...


    this time, before fat long even had a chance to bid, ning wuping snatched the entry for 3,900 spirit stones, a price significantly higher than that of the green entry that had been auctioned at wen tian fang market.


    after all, this entry can be considered a divine-level for artifact cultivators.


    with this entry, any forged spiritual treasure could be sold for a much better price.


    "this artifact cultivator is truly wealthy."


    meeting ning wuping''s challenging gaze from room no. 7, fat long replied with a smile, "nearly four thousand spirit stones, tossed away just like that. it really does make people envy the life of an artifact cultivator."


    ...


    "the fifteenth auction item!"


    "elder ning''s qualification to forge a treasure by borrowing the power of heaven and earth during his breakthrough to the golden core stage."


    it was indeed the main event of the evening.


    many people had come specifically for this.


    the bids rose one after another, and those rooms with the character ''heaven'' in their number continuously increased their offers until the final price stopped at 12,300 spirit stones, an absurdly high sum. after all, so many spirit stones were merely for a qualification.


    that didn''t even include the forging fee or the precious materials needed to craft the spiritual treasure.


    even though a spiritual treasure crafted with the help of heaven and earth''s power during a great realm breakthrough could be nearly twice as powerful as ordinary ones of the same level, it definitely wasn''t worth 12,300 spirit stones; the price was purely a case of willingly being taken advantage of.


    no one knew what kind of a sucker was sitting in room number nine with the ''heaven'' character.


    many people in the large hall were quite shocked by the price, discussing among themselves, unclear why it had reached such an outrageous amount.


    meanwhile, chen qiu had not made a single bid from beginning to end.


    truth be told, he somewhat looked down on such level of spiritual treasure. the heavenly dao spiritual treasure in the top three of the heavenly pride leaderboard was his goal. such treasures needed to become one''s lifebound spirit treasure to unleash their full power, and he simply couldn''t be bothered to waste his efforts on cultivating them.


    before such a reputation could even be cultivated, he would already have obtained his heavenly dao spiritual treasure.


    "hahahaha!!!"


    a very hearty laugh came from room number seven with the ''heaven'' character, as ning taiping, with his white beard and looking rather robust, stood by the window with hands clasped in front of him, bowing to the opposite room number nine: "thank you, fellow daoist, for your support, at the cost of your wealth."


    and from room number nine with the ''heaven'' character came a dull, hoarse voice.


    "elder ning is too modest. the whole world knows that elder ning is fei city''s number one foundation establishment artifact cultivator. after stepping into the golden core stage, with just a bit of settling, he will become da xia''s number one artifact cultivator."


    "it is i who have picked up a bargain. these people don''t understand the significance of the four words ''elder ning''. this is worth the more than ten thousand spirit stones i spent."


    "once elder ning officially ascends to the position of da xia''s number one artifact cultivator, this treasure crafted by elder ning during his golden core breakthrough will also have great significance for collection and commemoration."


    "hahahaha." ning taiping, quite pleased by the words, stroked his beard heartily and said, "you flatter me, fellow daoist. since that''s the case, let''s not delay any further and set off immediately for the outside of fei city''s furnace peak. i will breakthrough before everyone''s eyes and forge the treasure on-site with the power of heaven and earth for you."


    "good!"


    ...


    your journey continues at empire s§×arch* the novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    fei city, furnace peak.


    named for its resemblance to an artifact cultivator''s forging furnace, it was also considered a sacred site by countless artifact cultivators. and it was atop furnace peak that ning taiping had chosen to make his golden core breakthrough.


    at this moment, ning taiping was sitting cross-legged on the ground, circulating his mental method with a spirit gathering array made from forty-nine mid-grade spirit stones arranged around him.


    in front of him, a golden core lay quietly within a jade box.


    already, quite a number of people had gathered around him within a few meters, mostly artifact cultivators who had come to witness the historic moment of ning taiping''s golden core breakthrough.


    "i think i''ve figured it out," fat long said, clicking his tongue as he stood among the crowd, "it''s not only about publicly suppressing brother qiu and hiring others to buy the treasure you will craft during his core formation at an exorbitant price, but also about choosing to make the breakthrough at furnace peak¡ªa sacred site among artifact cultivators."


    "this old man is creating momentum."


    it wasn''t too difficult to figure out. anyone with clear sight could see how ridiculous it was to spend more than ten thousand spirit stones just for a qualification, when with that many spirit stones one could purchase a superior early-stage golden core spiritual treasure.


    using it to buy a peak foundation establishment spiritual treasure would be downright foolish, wouldn''t it?


    and that''s just for the qualification, not to mention the extra costs for forging and precious materials.


    it was indeed a clumsy tactic.


    but it had to be said it was effective; with the right push from interested parties to spread the story, it would create a long-term positive effect for ning taiping similar to the one of ''spending a fortune on a horse''s bones''.


    "from a certain perspective," fat long said, arms crossed, standing on the spot and raising an eyebrow, "this old man is quite savvy with his plays. if it weren''t for using brother qiu as a stepping stone, he might''ve really built up his own momentum."


    "with this momentum, he could become a renowned golden core artifact cultivator in the future, and the ning family would become a truly major family in fei city."


    "it''s just that..."


    "too bad, though."

 Chapter 110

    just then¡ªning wuping, who was surrounded by a group of young lords in the crowd, noticed chen qiu and his companions standing among the people. he sneered and waved his hand, leading his entourage of equally frivolous friends towards chen qiu.


    standing in front of chen qiu.


    he deliberately projected his voice with spiritual energy, allowing everyone to hear his mockery clearly, "yo, isn''t that chen qiu who just acquired the magic practitioner''s legacy?"


    "what?"


    "feeling unwilling, coming here to see if you have a chance to obtain the treasure my grandfather, ning taiping, crafted during his golden core breakthrough?"


    "if you had the time, why didn''t you bid earlier? or could it be that you can''t afford it?"


    "didn''t you say that all artifact cultivators are trash? why are you silent now? keep talking."


    "..."


    chen qiu still did not speak, simply glancing at ning wuping. he had one merit¡ªhe never wasted words on the dead. they were just resentful spirits soon to cool his temper, talking more would be pointless.


    meanwhile, the artifact cultivators present couldn''t help but frown and start discussing chen qiu amongst themselves.


    "did chen qiu really say that?"


    "certainly, he did. otherwise, he would have retorted by now. look, elder ning and mr. ning said it in front of him twice, and he didn''t respond at all. doesn''t that mean he tacitly accepts it, lacking the confidence to counter?"


    "heh, after all, he just seized a magic practitioner''s legacy, it''s natural for him to be a bit arrogant."


    suddenly.


    the looks many people gave chen qiu gradually filled with disdain and contempt.


    if they were alone with chen qiu, they certainly wouldn''t dare to show such expressions, given he was a heavenly pride who had seized the magic practitioner''s legacy, definitely more formidable than them. but, under the successive insults from elder ning and mr. ning, chen qiu hadn''t bitten back.


    it must be either that his nature was weak, or he recognized his own lack of strength.


    they also got to join in on the fun, looking down on chen qiu. many began to feel an unusual sensation of pleasure, as it was their first time publicly mocking such a heavenly pride, feeling a sudden thrill of being above others.


    "go back to north continent!"


    suddenly, a cultivator in the crowd shouted angrily at chen qiu.


    following that remark, as if empowered by it, others no longer whispered amongst themselves but looked at chen qiu with anger and roared similarly.


    "fei city doesn''t welcome your kind of beast!"


    "get lost back to north continent, country bumpkin!"


    "you were just lucky to seize the magic practitioner''s legacy, and now you think you''re something special!"


    "pretending to be decent, yet you''re only following behind elder ning, begging for him to craft a spiritual treasure for you."


    "pah, you dare to call yourself a heavenly pride?!"


    meanwhile, ning wuping, who hadn''t expected this outcome, saw almost everyone emotionally aligning with him. he felt a rush as if he could lead a charge; his heart filled with an even greater sense of mockery as he laughed at chen qiu.


    "look, chen qiu, i know you urgently need a treasure for the heavenly pride competition in four days."


    "if you kneel here in public and bark like a dog three times..."


    "i''ll have my grandfather craft you another peak foundation establishment spiritual treasure. how about that?"


    no sooner had he finished speaking¡ª


    a person from the crowd immediately knelt down and barked three times, looking expectantly at ning wuping, "mr. ning, i barked three times, can you give it to me?"


    "scram!"


    ning wuping kicked out impatiently, then fixed his gaze on chen qiu. his eyes shimmered darkly, his countenance growing grim, "don''t act ungrateful when i''m speaking to you so much."


    "you haven''t said a word, until when do you plan to keep enduring?"


    "so, the one who seized the magic practitioner''s legacy is just a coward hiding in his shell."


    laughter erupted once more from the crowd.


    and at that moment¡ª


    "roar!"


    elder ning, who had been sitting in meditation and circulating his mental method, was almost ready. with a fierce shout, his face contorted as forty-nine mid-grade spirit stones suddenly shone brightly. the spiritual energy produced by the spirit gathering array was instantly absorbed by ning taiping into his body. sear?h the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    eyes closed tightly.


    face flushed red as his body emitted steam.


    with that roar, the place became quiet at once, as everyone looked on with envy and admiration towards ning taiping at the center. even chen qiu''s face revealed a hint of curiosity; this was his first time witnessing someone breaking through to golden core.


    he then glanced nonchalantly at a robed elder standing beside ning taiping.


    he couldn''t sense the elder''s cultivation level.


    but he could guess that the person was likely a golden core great power, invited by ning taiping to guard the way during his golden core breakthrough. it seemed ning taiping wasn''t completely foolish; despite the dangers of breaking through to golden core in front of a large audience, the risk was much smaller with a golden core protecting him.


    chen qiu''s gaze quickly swept past the robed figure without lingering, concerned about raising suspicion.


    plans had to change. read new adventures at empire


    if it were just a newly advanced golden core artifact cultivator, he wouldn''t need to use his trump card, the self-destruction term; his overt strength would suffice. but now, with an unknown level of golden core protecting the way...


    a new plan was necessary.


    using a self-destruction term to assassinate that guarding golden core was not a great idea. he had succeeded in taking out the workshop owner from the qiantian market that day mainly because the latter was virtually unguarded against them, a group of foundation establishment cultivators, and had carelessly exposed his back in a moment of distraction.


    only then was he able to instantly detonate multiple entries, preventing the opponent from even launching a divine sense attack before being killed on the spot.

 Chapter 111 That was a miracle.

    for instance¡ªdesign an arm guard with hundreds of tiny needle tips inside. whenever he willed it, these needle tips would pierce into his body. with such an object, he would need only three breaths to instantly recover full spiritual energy. experience tales with empire


    although, due to the "slippery" entry, it could cause uncontrollable teleportation everywhere.


    but all he needed to do was to retreat to his small world when his spiritual energy was depleted, replenish it in three breaths, and then burst out again¡ªthat would be perfect.


    that''s what a perpetual motion machine would be like.


    chen qiu noted this matter in his heart, preparing to find an artifact cultivator to design such a spiritual treasure the next day.


    it was only then that he exited the small world. s§×ar?h the n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    sitting cross-legged on the guest room bed, he looked up to the heavenly dao blessing of the night.


    512 foundation establishment stage low-grade heavenly dao cultivation pills, no change from yesterday¡ªit seemed these people''s enthusiasm was gradually fading.


    many things are like this, even if they''re interesting, the level of discussion will slowly decrease.


    moreover, the fame ranking has a mechanism where, once listed, your fame won''t drop, even if no one discusses you anymore. unless someone else catches up in fame, you can maintain your position indefinitely.


    he had risen by only one place in the fame ranking, it seemed that the effects of "heavenly dao decree" had reached their limit. still, it was 10 mid-grade foundation establishment stage heavenly dao cultivation pills.


    chen qiu swallowed a mid-grade foundation establishment stage heavenly dao cultivation pill, activating his mental method and slowly beginning to cultivate again.


    ...


    two hours later.


    "huff..."


    chen qiu opened his eyes and exhaled a turbid breath; he had absorbed all the heavenly dao cultivation pills granted by the night''s blessing, and his cultivation had reached...


    -


    ''cultivation'': foundation establishment stage ninth layer (47.5%)


    -


    he was just half a step away from reaching the peak of foundation establishment cultivation.


    after tomorrow''s arrival of the heavenly dao cultivation pills, he would have just enough. in fact, if he took a golden core pill now, he could probably reach the peak of foundation establishment cultivation instantly, but that seemed somewhat unnecessary.


    to him, there was not much difference between the ninth layer of foundation establishment and its peak.


    "still seven pills short."


    chen qiu looked at the jade box in his chest holding a second-grade golden core in each, murmuring with a distant expression. he was seven short of collecting nine second-grade golden cores.


    he had thought he would gain only one second-grade golden core tonight.


    unexpectedly, there were two. to be honest, this was truly beyond his expectations¡ªa real pleasant surprise.


    the power of that array plate was too fierce; he didn''t have the time to collect all the storage rings and storage bags. most of them melted in the flames, but he had taken special care of ning wuping and other opulently-dressed artifact cultivators.


    twenty-three storage rings from these people were now resting quietly in his small world.


    the auction''s entry jade slips were inside one of the storage rings, but whether it was one or two remained to be seen. the white artifact refining entry, ning wuping clearly had little desire for it, likely because he already possessed it, definitely not to be crushed and inscribed into his tao foundation.


    but the other green artifact refining entry...


    ning wuping seemed quite keen on it. he hoped the young man wouldn''t act so hastily, crushing the entry jade slip and inscribing it into his tao foundation as soon as he acquired it.


    otherwise, his gains this time would be one entry jade slip short.


    after approximately inventorying his gains, he then stored everything in his small world and turned his head to look out the window at the starry sky, a smile in his eyes.


    ...


    soon, day broke.


    a piece of news had already spread throughout fei city last night, and it continued to disseminate to nearby cities without decreasing speed.


    forging furnace mountain.


    named for its resemblance to the furnaces used by artifact cultivators, it was regarded as sacred ground by da xia''s artifact cultivators. last night, it was leveled to the ground by a grand array.


    leading the ning family¡ªhome to ten of fei state''s peak foundation establishment artifact cultivators, headed by ning taiping¡ªalong with young master ning, were wiped out overnight.


    almost a hundred artifact cultivators who attended the ceremony that night vanished without a trace.


    an ominous sign stood at the remains of forging furnace mountain.


    -


    ''i''m a buddhist; i don''t kill.''


    ''who said that?''


    ''they said it.''


    ¡ªsect master chen qiu of chao tian sect.


    -


    nearly a hundred people had attended the event at forging furnace mountain that night, but in the end, only a few like chen qiu survived; the others were nowhere to be found.


    and that chen qiu even arrogantly refused to live incognito from then on. instead, he left behind such a sign as if declaring war to all artifact cultivators in the world.


    last night''s disaster...


    many young generation artifact cultivators of fei state died on the spot, and elder ning, who was almost certain to advance to a golden core artifact refiner, perished on the spot, along with his golden core protectors.


    for a time¡ª


    many sects and families received the news.


    this was the first time so many fei state''s artifact cultivators had fallen at the hands of another. typically respected wherever they went, such a tragedy had never occurred before. an undercurrent imperceptible to ordinary folk began to stir throughout fei state.


    ...


    "interesting."


    in the fei city lord mansion, a portly middle-aged man sitting in a chair couldn''t help but chuckle as he looked at the message delivered to him by the person below: "this ning taiping wanted to ride on chen qiu''s momentum to boost his own."


    "but instead, he used his influence to enhance chen qiu''s reputation."


    "just after acquiring the magic practitioner inheritance, causing such a commotion in fei city, this chen qiu will no longer simply be known as a lucky loose cultivator. perhaps the words heartless and of indeterminate strength will have to be added."


    "quite interesting."


    meanwhile, the elder standing behind him hesitated and said, "master, won''t you take action? you are one of the top ten amongst the three hundred and sixty-five city lords of da xia. with your golden core seventh layer cultivation, capturing that chen qiu would be effortless."

 Chapter 111 That was a miracle. _2

    ```"why should i intervene?"


    the middle-aged man looked back at the elder in puzzlement and said, "i have no grudge against him, why should i attack out of the blue? when you take a shit, it''s because you need to, right?"


    "you can''t possibly bend over to take a crap out of nowhere, can you?"


    "why would i intervene without any reason?"


    "this¡­"


    the elder hesitated for a moment before hesitantly responding, "he killed someone on your territory, which is disrespectful to you."


    "¡­"


    the middle-aged man''s expression turned speechless and he rolled his eyes at the elder before leaning back in his chair and taking a deep breath, saying leisurely, "i know you are also an artifact cultivator, i understand a bit of empathy, but he didn''t kill anyone within fat city, so even if i wanted to intervene, i have no grounds to do so."


    "besides, it was ning taiping who destroyed his tao foundation first, creating a deadly feud. no matter how you put it, he isn''t in the right."


    "and besides, his majesty assigned me to defend the boundless icefield, not to manage these trivial matters."


    "boundless icefield¡­"


    the elder looked up towards the south and muttered, "city lord, you''ve been saying since you took office thirty years ago that the state preceptor predicted a disaster for fat province, where countless demons will emerge from the depths of the boundless icefield to slaughter the entire fat province."


    "but¡ª"


    "so many years have passed with no sign of it, and not even sword cultivators with golden core peak cultivation who entered the depths of the boundless icefield have returned. what kind of demon could possibly survive in its depths?"


    the middle-aged man let out a cold snort, "if i knew, i would be the state preceptor."


    ¡­


    "brother qiu."


    at this time, chen qiu and his group sat in the same meat soup shop as yesterday, as if nothing happened. the scholar looked at chen qiu with a nervous expression and said softly, "these past two days, i''ve figured out how to restore my cultivation."


    "hmm?"


    chen qiu''s eyebrows arched playfully as he turned to look at the scholar and said with a smile, "damn, that''s good news! i''m still waiting for you to inherit the sword cultivator''s legacy and give me that nascent soul body."


    "now i''m still two nascent soul bodies short and have no clue where to start."


    "such good news, why that expression? is it going to require a lot of spirit stones? no worries, i''ve got them."


    "it''s not that."


    the scholar shook his head feeling slightly embarrassed, but after a pause, he affirmed, "brother qiu, the heavenly dao jade you gave me last time has already mostly suppressed the toxins in my tao foundation."


    "but my legs have been eroded by the toxins for years and are useless."


    "to restore my cultivation and embark on the sword cultivator''s path again, i must first replace my bones and then detoxify them. if i exchange the sword bone of the chao tian sect with my own¡­"


    "i could stand again and also start cultivating once more."


    "ordinary human bones certainly won''t do, but that sword bone is no ordinary object. moreover, if i integrate that sword bone into my body, my sword intent will become even stronger; it''s just¡­ once fused, that sword bone can''t be passed on anymore, becoming one with me."


    "only after my death can it appear in the world again."


    "hey."


    chen qiu shook his head with a sense of helplessness, "i thought it was something big. that sword bone was intended for you anyway; just handle it as you see fit. none of us here are sword cultivators anymore, nor do we plan to pass it on."


    "but this bone-replacement sounds somewhat gruesomely surprising. are you really going to do it just like that?"


    "without any other preparation?" sea??h th§× n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    in fact, what he really wanted to say was that the sword bone being exposed for tens of thousands of years might carry all sorts of bacteria, which could be deadly if swapped into the body carelessly. but then he remembered it was a sword bone and it felt somewhat reasonable.


    if sword intent can kill a person, it can surely kill some bacteria.


    "we need them."


    the scholar nodded, "we need some heavenly materials and earth treasures to assist, some hemostatic items, roughly around three hundred spirit stones."


    "let''s go."


    chen qiu immediately got up to settle the bill and then prepared to go shopping with the scholar.


    ¡­


    in the small world.


    chen qiu had already acquired all of the heavenly materials and earth treasures the scholar needed. now, the scholar was sitting cross-legged in a room that had been tidied into a clean dormitory, with a sword bone as tall as the scholar himself beside him.


    "who will do it?"


    "i will."


    after circulating the mental method several times, the scholar took a deep breath, his fingertips trembling slightly as the long sword from his sleeve shot out, piercing deep into the root of his thigh, gouging out the leg bone.


    immediately, his entire thigh turned limp like a deboned chicken wing drenched in chili oil.


    he then chopped off the leg bone of the sword bone.


    and inserted it into his right leg.


    quickly, he did the same with his left leg.


    ¡­


    chen qiu looked on with admiration, seeing the scholar''s slightly pale face devoid of blood and his tightly pressed lips; the guy had an incredible tolerance for pain!


    it was almost creepy how natural he made it seem.


    ¡­


    an hour later.


    the sword bone''s head lay quietly on the bedside, while the rest of the bones had been fully swapped into the scholar''s body.


    fat long, puzzled, asked, "aren''t we swapping the skull too?"


    "that''s enough."


    at this point, the scholar, covered in unhealed wounds and blood pooling on the ground, was exceptionally excited as he moved his legs, his voice trembling with excitement, "my legs can move, my legs can move!"


    "i''m not a cripple anymore!"


    a human''s bones or the bones of a beast, once inside his body, would instantly be crushed to dust by his powerful sword intent. only the sword bone, cleansed by the sword intent for tens of thousands of years, could fully withstand the purging of sword intent in his body.


    allowing him to stand and walk again.


    and consequently nourishing him.


    "brother qiu."


    after shaking with excitement and studying for a while, the scholar got up, knelt on the bed, his upper body very upright as he looked at chen qiu, his voice revealing a determination and huskiness. your journey continues on empire


    ```

 Chapter 111 That was a miracle. _3

    "thank you, brother qiu, for bestowing the sword bone.""in the future, as a scholar..."


    "stop, stop, stop."


    chen qiu looked at the scholar''s leg where the wound had not yet healed; the act of kneeling even revealed the ghastly white bone. he hastily waved his hand, signaling the scholar to lie down, "i know, i know; there''s no need for words of loyalty. just lie down and focus on recovering."


    "the best way to repay me is to quickly inherit the sword cultivator''s legacy."


    ...


    with the aid of numerous heaven and earth treasures, the scholar''s injuries recovered quickly. even though the wound had not fully healed, the scholar could not help but get up from bed and continually paced around the disciple dormitory courtyard.


    his steps were a bit trembling.


    this was because he hadn''t walked in years and was still unaccustomed to it.


    "how wonderful."


    sitting on a small stool, fat long looked into the courtyard at the scholar, vaguely saying, "brother qiu, you''re close to reaching golden core, and the scholar is also close to regaining his cultivation. you both have bright futures."


    "you do too."


    chen qiu cast a glance at fat long and said displeasedly, "don''t worry, i won''t forget you. in a few days, i''ll arrange some witches for you to perform dual cultivation with."


    meanwhile,


    the scholar also struggled towards him.


    "how is it?"


    "very good." the scholar''s smile was genuine; it stretched nearly to his ears, indicating his extreme excitement. "after not being left maimed, the spiritual energy doesn''t leak out anymore. i have much more spiritual energy available now, and all i need to do is cleanse the residual toxins from my tao foundation."


    "however... i currently do not know which pill can detoxify this toxin."


    "but at least now i can consume far fewer qi replenishing pills, so we can travel much faster."


    "then that''s very good."


    chen qiu smiled and said, "regarding the pills, let''s see if we can find an alchemy cultivator to take a look at you."


    "but for now¡ª"


    "we need to find an artifact cultivator first."


    ...


    an hour later,


    outside fei city, chen qiu seriously squatted down and faced an old man cowering and trembling on the ground: "you''re li jia, right? i hear you''re the second-ranked artifact cultivator in fei city."


    "ah..."


    the old man, his eyes full of fear and body uncontrollably shaking, replied. someone had once told him that people only remember the first and never the second. he really wanted to retort right now, calling it nonsense.


    he had been remembered, and by a dangerous man at that!


    the slaughter of the ning family and nearly a hundred artifact cultivators by chen qiu the previous night had already spread throughout fei city; how could he not know and not recognize him, having even distributed portraits to his apprentices.


    he told his apprentices to be more observant and not to offend the wrong people.


    yet he didn''t do anything and didn''t understand why this dangerous man had targeted him.


    he had been relieved thinking that now he would be the number one artifact cultivator of fei city. he had just made a wooden plaque that read "fei city''s number one artifact cultivator" for his private room, and before he had time to hang it, this ruthless person barged in and captured him to this remote wilderness.


    now it seemed... the third-ranked artifact cultivator might be taking his place soon.


    "don''t be scared."


    chen qiu gently patted the old man''s shoulder and smiled, "i need you to forge a spiritual treasure, a piece of arm guard, with some special requirements..."


    after reiterating his idea from last night, he then said.


    "can you do it?" discover exclusive tales on empire


    "yes."


    the old man nodded his head like a bobblehead, saying, "no problem, it''s completely doable."


    after learning about the design requirements, his impression of the dangerous man before him became even more concrete. a normal person wouldn''t forge such a torture device. though he didn''t know who would be subjected to it, merely thinking about it was painful.


    "this exchange is going rather well, no?"


    chen qiu turned his head to fat long and smiled, "the outside world always says that fei state''s artifact cultivators are very proud, and if you need one to craft a spiritual treasure, you have to beg on your knees. but it seems that sometimes rumors aren''t very accurate. i find this senior very agreeable, and the communications are like a breath of fresh air."


    the old man didn''t know how to respond and could only force a smile that looked uglier than crying.


    "what do you charge for the forging?"


    the old man''s head quickly shook again, "your requirements are very simple, no need for spirit stones. let''s just take it as an apology for last night''s unintelligent actions of those artifact cultivators offending brother qiu."


    "then that''s good."


    chen qiu stood up laughing, "did you bring all the tools? i''ll wait here for you, start now."


    ...


    an hour later.


    chen qiu let the old man go and sat in the inn playing with his new arm guard, a lower-quality foundation establishment spiritual treasure, just as the old man had said, not very powerful but just right for him.


    once he donned this arm guard,


    and spiritual energy surged in with a thought, over a hundred steel needles would pierce into his body. because it was a lower-quality foundation establishment spiritual treasure, it ensured it would harm him but not cause major injuries.


    it only took less than three breaths.


    to instantly refill his spiritual energy, which was much faster than any qi replenishing pill or spirit stone, and without any impurities. this seemingly insignificant lower-quality foundation establishment spiritual treasure was definitely a crucial tactic in his enduring battles.


    "very good."


    chen qiu, satisfied, wore the arm guard inside his clothes on his left arm. from the outside, it was completely invisible. this arm guard had some defensive power, but being just a lower-quality foundation establishment spiritual treasure, one shouldn''t hope for too much. sear?h the ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    it was already noon by then.


    but the entire fei city was still very quiet without any disturbances.


    chen qiu looked out the window, puzzled, "didn''t those artifact cultivators claim they had many protectors behind them? isn''t anyone coming for revenge?"

 Chapter 111 That was a miracle. _4

    he had also prepared to lure over the golden cores behind those people.then, he planned to raid some sects and families without great formations, those artifact cultivators were truly wealthy, he was genuinely envious.


    indeed, it was a land of plenty.


    spiritual energy abundant, tempers abundant too.


    he shook his head and said no more, introspecting within himself, he hadn''t yet chosen the entry that appeared after his breakthrough to the ninth level of foundation establishment, he had been too busy to look at it until now when he finally had the time.


    ...


    meanwhile¡ª


    in the northernmost part of da xia country.


    within the endless desert.


    a young brown bear stood on a high platform, enjoying the excited cheers of countless members of the brown bear clan, while not far away, in the very center of the desert, dense patches of spirit rice were gracefully dancing.


    "son, you''ve done it."


    the young brown bear''s father was equally excited as he patted his son''s shoulder, "i apologize for doubting you earlier, i never imagined you could actually grow spirit rice in the desert!"


    "it''s a miracle!"


    "a problem that the devil clan hasn''t solved for so many years, and you''ve solved it!"


    "son, do you see the fanatical look in the eyes of our clan members? you''ve replaced me as the clan leader of this tribe already, and before long, you could even become the king of the brown bear clan!"


    the young brown bear''s furry mouth corners lifted slightly, as he stood on his hind legs, his gaze icy and filled with fighting spirit as he looked toward the direction of xuzhou, "i''ve always said, the devil clan must be united!"


    explore more at empire


    "it starts with the unification of the brown bear clan, becoming the king of the brown bear clan is just the beginning, not the end."


    "father, please select some strong members of the brown bear clan. i need to train soldiers, arm them to the teeth. in the future, they will be the core strength of my devil clan''s army, as well as my trusted followers."


    "when the devil clan''s army breaks through xuzhou¡ª"


    "the glory belonging to the brown bear clan will spread across the entire continent!"


    just as the young brown bear''s eyes showed his unabashed vision for the future, and the aura of a ruler almost materialized around him, he failed to notice that the tribe members down below, who had been excitedly cheering, had begun to fall silent, their eyes filled with confusion as they looked toward their new clan leader.


    even the old clan chief looked at the young brown bear with some confusion, "son, i have a question, what do you need trained soldiers for?"


    "hmm?"


    the young brown bear frowned deeply, turning to his father with some incomprehension, but still raised his furry bear paw coldly and said, "it''s of course to invade da xia, to occupy the fertile lands of xuzhou!"


    "to carve out a homeland for the brown bear clan!" s§×arch* the n?vel(f)ire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "what''s the purpose of conquering territories?"


    "countless food!!!"


    the young brown bear declared decisively and with fiery enthusiasm.


    "but..."


    the old clan chief, puzzled, pointed towards the dense spirit rice dancing in the desert: "don''t we already have an endless supply of food?"


    "under your leadership, my son, it took us less than ten days to successfully cultivate a vast expanse of spirit rice in the desert and even brought in a great harvest. we already have so much food now, why take the risk of our people dying to invade da xia country?"


    "..."


    the corners of the young brown bear''s mouth twitched, and after a long silence, he finally spoke softly, "that was a miracle."


    "a miracle that unites the devil clan. my intention was to use this miracle to strengthen the devil clan''s unity, not for the devil clan to live happily off these rice crops in the endless desert."


    "i understand your intention, son. my point is we already have endless food, so why attack da xia country?"


    "..."


    the young brown bear stopped speaking, his face expressionless as he walked to the side of the high platform, leaped into the air gracefully, tracing an elegant parabola, and nosedived head-first into the desert, motionless.


    he was feeling weary at heart, he longed for home, how he wished he could go back home.


    impossible to lead.


    wasn''t it just by rousing people''s emotions with half a million loaves of bread during that one person''s speech? why couldn''t he stir them up.

 Chapter 112

    "..."the young brown bear, with an expressionless face, pulled its head out of the desert and sat on the sands, gazing at the setting sun on the horizon. all around him, the excited voices of his tribespeople celebrating the bountiful harvest of spirit rice filled the air, yet he remained silent and unmoving.


    the joys and sorrows between individuals are often disconnected.


    it is the same among brown bears.


    the endless desert is no ordinary desert; its sands, baked under the intense sun, would instantly roast a seed placed within them, even at night. to cultivate rice in such an environment would indeed be astonishing.


    naturally, it was he who stealthily planted the spirit rice while all his tribespeople slept, thus creating an illusion that he led his people to a miraculous harvest, which, while solidifying their unity, also cemented his position as the young clan leader.


    but now...


    it seemed he had strayed a bit off course.


    or perhaps these brown bears held no great animosity towards da xia country. in the eyes of these brown bears, the demon beasts, still void of spiritual wisdom, were fundamentally different from themselves; no matter how many of these demon beasts were killed, they felt no pity. they even killed and devoured them themselves.


    in such a case, to train an army of their own from the devil clan, he needed to think of another way. explore more stories with empire


    "..."


    the young brown bear looked down at his fluffy bear paws for a moment and then lifted his gaze towards the edge of the desert''s sunset, muttering to himself.


    "if i weren''t a transmigrator, i might live in obscurity."


    "but since heaven has given me this opportunity to change the world,"


    "if i don''t achieve something significant¡ª"


    "how could i face my hometown and elders."


    ...


    in fei city, within fei country.


    chen qiu was sitting cross-legged on the bed of an inn''s room, introspecting above his dantian where a panel, enshrouded in mist, appeared after he broke through to the ninth level of the foundation establishment stage. he had yet to choose his new entry.


    -


    "cultivation greatly increased, officially stepping into the ninth level of the foundation establishment stage."


    "please choose one of the three random entries below within ten breaths."


    1:


    "entry name": if not mad, then not alive.


    "entry level": white.


    "entry effect": when you feel pain, you will slowly recover from your injuries. the more intense the pain your body endures, the faster you will heal.


    2:


    "entry name": lunar night demon wolf.


    "entry level": green.


    "entry effect": when you sign a beast taming contract with the first ''lunar night demon wolf,'' its size will increase tenfold, and it will be able to absorb moonlight essence for cultivation.


    3:


    "entry name": real and illusion.


    "entry level": green.


    "entry effect": every time you launch a spell attack, it will automatically generate an illusion of the attack that cannot cause any damage and cannot be discerned by divine sense.


    -


    chen qiu slightly squinted his eyes at the three entries before him. to be honest, he was a bit tempted to choose "if not mad, then not alive," the white-level entry, mainly because it could combo with another entry he had.


    "man of heavenly defect."


    this entry could significantly enhance the sense of pain when one closed their eyes or was blinded.


    and the entry he got randomly when he broke through to the eighth level of the foundation establishment stage.


    "unbearable pain."


    the pain endured is increased by five times but will also make the enemy''s pain feel five times greater with each attack.


    he did not choose it at the time, but he still had one heavenly dao retrospective talisman he hadn''t used yet, and he could completely pick the entry he had passed up on if he wanted to. however, it seemed somewhat unnecessary; amplifying the sense of pain only increased the speed of his physical injury recovery.


    it overlapped a bit with his set of entries.


    currently, he didn''t really need to enhance the speed at which he healed from physical injuries.


    it seemed like an entry more suited for body cultivation practitioners, like... zhao yishi.


    "man of heavenly defect" + "unbearable pain" + "if not mad, then not alive", and if one is more ruthless, blinding oneself or being born blind, they might be able to withstand a demon tide and fight their way through.


    if the enemy also has the "unbearable pain" entry, the attack inflicted on you would make your pain increase by another five times.


    one could potentially withstand a rain of swords and advance boldly, but... it would probably be quite painful.


    "..."


    chen qiu shook his head and eventually gave up on the "if not mad, then not alive" entry set. this set had quite a large drawback. not to mention anything else, the human capacity to endure pain has limits; if the pain is too intense, even with a firm will, one is likely to faint from the pain.


    if one were to be afflicted by some extremely painful poison or curse,


    it was not impossible to die purely from pain.


    he still had one chance to use a mid-grade heavenly dao retrospective talisman, and if he didn''t use it now, it would be useless after advancing to the golden core stage. since "if not mad, then not alive" was out,


    that left only "lunar night demon wolf" and "real and illusion" to choose from.


    he quite liked "real and illusion"; doubling his future thunder dragon attack with half of them real and half illusions, it would take quite some time to discern them. not to mention anything else, just in terms of the impact on morale, it would be a significant boost.


    and "lunar night demon wolf" seemed to be a top-tier entry in "cultivation hundred skills" under the category of "beast taming." sea??h th§× n??el fire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    with this entry, as long as he signed a beast taming contract with a lunar night demon wolf, his strength would significantly increase. but it wasn''t very useful for him; he didn''t really need it.


    could he handle a lunar night demon wolf if he encountered one?


    nevertheless, since it was a rare entry that he had not seen before, he''d see if he could encounter a "lunar night demon wolf" before his core formation stage. if he did, he would keep the entry for it; if not, he would just use the entry as core formation material.

 Chapter 113 Damn it...

    This scene was extremely inconspicuous within the chaotic battlefield, so much so that almost no one noticed it.But Chen Qiu happened to catch this scene.


    Although the Golden Core couldn''t make a move, and the combined Evil Clan members here were no match for him, he was used to making a decision internally before acting. Thus, he didn''t join the battlefield right away. This observation allowed him to witness this scene exactly.


    The dozen or so members of the Evil Clan, faces flush with excitement and exhilaration, were running toward the Evil Wood.


    Contending with each other along the way.


    In the end...


    One badly injured member of the Evil Clan grabbed the Evil Wood and immediately placed it into his Storage Ring. He then yelled loudly and did not continue to fight; instead, he turned around and fled into the depths of the Boundless Icefield.


    It looked like he intended to become a deserter.


    As for the other members of the Evil Clan who brushed past him, not one paid him any attention; they all brandished their cleavers and roared ferociously as they continued to charge toward the Cultivators of Fei Zhou!


    "Hold the line, hold the line!!!"


    At the edge of the Boundless Icefield, the Great Elder of Sky Wolf Sect, unable to act because of the Heavenly Dao rules, stood frozen in place, unable to move. He could only turn his head and look towards his battling disciples as the veins on his neck bulged with his bellowed command: "Kill these ghostly fiends!!"


    ...


    "Follow."


    Chen Qiu''s eyes remained fixed on the member of the Evil Clan who had snatched up the Evil Wood and turned to run deep into the Icefield, and he patted the scholar on the shoulder, signaling him to follow.


    Liu Guang shot out.


    They flew over the battlefield; their speed was so great that the chaotic battlefield below had not yet reacted, and they had already jumped over it, standing high above and overlooking the Evil Clan member running excitedly against the crowd below.


    The Evil Clan member ran upstream, ignoring his kin who were charging forward around him.


    After running for about the time it takes three sticks of incense to burn, the area was only half a stick of incense away from the Inheritance Secret Realm.


    Chen Qiu''s pupils suddenly constricted; he had originally thought that this Evil Clan attack was only what he had just seen, but deep in the Boundless Icefield, a hundred Zhang in diameter circle of light was spreading on the ground.


    At that moment, an endless number of members of the Evil Clan were emerging from within the circle.


    Every member of the Evil Clan emerged from the circle wielding a cleaver, their faces filled with eager and ferocious expressions, and proceeded to charge forward and gather together.


    And that circle...


    Was strikingly formed by 1024 meteorites.


    These falling stars that plummeted to the ground, most of the meteorites scattered aside, but these 1024 meteorites, arranged in a huge circle like some Formation, neatly crashed deep into the ground.


    The meteorites continuously emitted strange glows, a white beam connected all the meteorites together, and eventually formed a large teleportation array-like white circle of light.


    As for that¡ª


    The Evil Clan member holding the Evil Wood, his face flushed with excitement, was briskly jogging to the side of the circle, then without any hesitation, soared midair through Sword Flight, directly plummeting into the hundred Zhang wide circle.


    But just as this member of the Evil Clan was about to drop into the circle...


    "Boom!"


    Dozens of Thunder Dragons appeared without warning above this member of the Evil Clan, instantly blasting the person into pieces, with a large amount of flesh falling into the circle and, accompanied by a faint white flash, instantly disappeared from the spot.


    He fell dead on the spot.


    Even that Storage Ring carrying the Evil Wood also fell into the circle, disappearing along with the flesh.


    This commotion also caught the attention of quite a few members of the Evil Clan below.


    "Roar!"


    Find your next read at empire


    In an instant, countless members of the Evil Clan roared and soared into the sky through Sword Flight, aiming to encircle and kill Chen Qiu. Chen Qiu, watching this scene unfold, didn''t immediately take action, but merely furrowed his brows slightly, taking the Storage Ring with the Evil Wood that Sect Master Zhao had given him. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He scattered them all towards the far reaches above.


    The moment thousands of Evil Wood appeared...


    He could even feel the breathing of those members of the Evil Clan below halting for a moment, followed by an extremely terrifying roar of excitement bursting forth. Almost instantly, everyone virtually dropped their target of Chen Qiu, all soaring in the air towards those thousands of Evil Wood!


    Like mice seeing cheese.


    Instantly losing their minds.


    And even hundreds of members of the Evil Clan in the air had already started fighting fiercely, their cleavers mercilessly smashing on the heads of their kin, with a lot of brain matter mixed with blood scattered in mid-air.


    All members of the Evil Clan''s eyes were blood-red at this moment, having completely lost their rationality, their eyes solely fixed on the Evil Wood scattered in mid-air.


    ...


    "..."


    Chen Qiu, knitted brows looking downward, was completely certain of his thought; his right hand waved again, sending thousands of silk-like Spiritual Energy out, gathering back all those Evil Wood nearby midair into the small world.


    He then made no move.


    But he and the group of scholars turned into Liu Guang and disappeared from the place.


    The members of the Evil Clan below, seeing the sudden disappearance of the Evil Wood, all glared in the direction where the scholar had fled, faces fierce and angry as they roared. But with their speed, it was absolutely impossible to catch up with the scholar.


    But as if they were certain of something.


    The emotions of these members of the Evil Clan surged even higher, they raised the cleavers in their hands, faces fierce and eagerly excited as they charged toward Fei Zhou!


    ...


    Returning to the edge of the Boundless Icefield.


    Chen Qiu once again observed the battlefield closely. The war had already been raging for quite some time, but not too many Fei Zhou Cultivators had fallen. It''s not that the Fei Zhou Cultivators were too strong, but those members of the Evil Clan... simply had no heart in the fight.


    Those members of the Evil Clan seemed to have only one goal, which was to bypass these tough Fei Zhou Cultivator bones and penetrate into the interior of Fei Zhou.


    So as to seize a large number of Evil Wood.

 Chapter 113 Damn it..._2

    Yes, the Evil Wood.From various indications, it could basically be confirmed that the Evil Wood, which may not be found everywhere in the State of Fei but is certainly not considered of much value, seemed like an extremely rare heavenly material and earthly treasure in the eyes of those from the Evil Clan.


    "Brother Qiu."


    Standing to the side, Fat Long''s complexion was complex as he hesitated and then said, "Did you feel that the hundred zhang light circle just now..."


    "Hmm."


    Chen Qiu nodded slightly, indicating that he understood what Fat Long meant. It seemed that the Evil Clan had specifically come for the Evil Wood, and that white light circle was a Teleportation Array set up by the Evil Clan, capable of crossing vast distances.


    The Evil Clan member who had first snatched the Evil Wood ran towards the light circle with the wood in arms, seemingly ready to head home.


    Like a mouse that had stolen a peach, scurrying back to its nest.


    Of course.


    In the end, he failed to make it home, the last thing he saw in his life being dozens of Thunder Dragons.


    This feeling was somewhat like... like that of their Da Xia Country, which was imprisoned in the center by the Four Forbidden Lands, appearing like a treasure land protected within a Formation, while those from the Evil Clan were like those who had broken into the treasure land to snatch away the treasures.


    It gave him that kind of feeling.


    His Divine Sense swept over the small world again, where the Evil Wood was piled up like a small mountain. He really hadn''t expected this insignificant thing in the State of Fei to possibly be a priceless treasure?


    Was it just that they had not found the way to use it, only knowing to burn it for warmth?


    If this thing really was a treasure, then who would seek justice for the Evil Wood burned in the past? Wouldn''t that be a terrible waste?


    ...


    He knew that the other conditions and thresholds for the tenth-grade Golden Core were extremely rare, so how could the final two required heavenly materials and earthly treasures be mere common items? Since the Evil Wood wasn''t a common item, then that even rarer fruit called the "Eight Desolate Fruit," which they dubbed useless, must certainly be a significant heavenly material and earthly treasure.


    It was just that they failed to recognize its value.


    It was a pity that the Eight Desolate Fruit Fat Long had asked "World Pavilion" to purchase hadn''t arrived yet; otherwise, he could have taken it out now to test the reactions of these Evil Clan members.


    Subsequently, Chen Qiu turned his gaze towards the not too distant Boundless Icefield, where nine members of the Evil Clan carrying the heavy pressure of the Golden Core Peak stood in mid-air. For this invasion by the Evil Clan, just the Boundless Icefield alone astonishingly had nine members of the Golden Core Peak leading the team.


    If in the other three places¡ªthe Endless Desert, the Boundless Sea, and the Boundless Snow Mountain¡ªthere were also nine Golden Core Peaks leading...


    That would make a total of thirty-six Golden Core Peak members of the Evil Clan.


    Under the rules of Heavenly Dao, those nine Golden Core Peaks standing in mid-air couldn''t even move, they could only stand there in the sky, unable to take any action and silently watching the battle.


    "Damn it..."


    Chen Qiu always felt as if he was beginning to vaguely understand what the limitation in Da Xia Country was about. These Golden Core Peaks of the Evil Clan were different from those in Da Xia. The Golden Core Peaks in Da Xia were at the end of their lifespans, aged and frail, even reluctant to consume Spiritual Energy for fear of shortening their remaining life with each action taken.


    But these Golden Core Peaks from the Evil Clan didn''t seem to show any signs of old age and clearly had long lives ahead of them.


    Their combat strength was much stronger than that of Da Xia''s Golden Core Peaks.


    Since the Evil Clan had thirty-six Golden Core Peaks in their prime, it was likely that they also had members with Nascent Soul in their race, but they had not sent a Nascent Soul to lead because they probably knew... Da Xia Country did not allow the presence of Nascent Souls.


    Therefore, they sent these thirty-six, who within Da Xia Country, belonged to the absolute ceiling of battle strength.


    But who would have thought...


    Before they even landed and took action, Heavenly Dao had directly applied a "patch." An Imperial Decree from Heavenly Dao forbade anyone with Golden Core Cultivation and above to take action, catching these thirty-six Golden Core Peaks of the Evil Clan completely off guard and forcing them to stand in place as a penalty.


    It is said that Heavenly Dao is impersonal and lacks self-awareness.


    But...


    The "patch" was applied so timely it didn''t seem like it was without consciousness.


    Or perhaps it was a hidden rule?


    ...


    "..."


    Chen Qiu shook his head without speaking and slowly took a step forward, ready to make a move. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The situation was already clear at this point; there was no need to keep observing. What needed to be done now was to eliminate all these members of the Evil Clan and then, after the invasion by the Evil Clan was over, to avidly purchase all the Evil Wood and Eight Desolate Fruits within the territory of the State of Fei.


    If the cage of Da Xia were to be broken in the future...


    These two heavenly materials and earthly treasures would become his greatest accumulated wealth. As for whether the cage of Da Xia could be broken, that was not for him to decide. He suddenly felt he understood the State Preceptor of Da Xia a little better; no one wanted to stay in a prison forever.


    But he also felt that this thing seemed to be more like protection than a cage. Without these prisons, let alone anything else, a single Nascent Soul could have decimated Xia Country.


    Chen Qiu stood still and took a deep breath, then flew upon his sword into the sky. The moment he flew into the air, countless Evil Clan members below bombarded him in unison.


    All kinds of attacks hailed down on him.


    That''s why everyone fought on the ground; it''s not that they couldn''t fly, but flying in the air made one too conspicuous and easy to become a target.


    Chen Qiu glanced at the sky-filling attacks and immediately retreated to the small world. Three breaths later, he reappeared at a distance. Now it was his turn. Along with the Heavenly Dao Foundation spinning rapidly above his Dantian!


    The flood of Spiritual Energy within him surged swiftly!


    In the next moment¡ª


    Thousands of Thunder Dragons appeared out of nowhere around him, striking straight towards the core area of the Evil Clan Cultivators below!

 Chapter 113

    Meanwhile, nearly ten thousand green demon fires fell from the sky like stars, enveloping the Evil Clan cultivators below. Other than Ning Taiping and his Guardian''s two Golden Core resentful spirits, the rest of the resentful spirits collected during this time were all sent by him into the demon fire.Fueled by resentful spirits, those green demon fires burned even more fiercely, emitting an extremely unsettling aura. Once they landed on someone, they were impossible to extinguish, leaving no option but to let the demon fire spread and burn over one''s body.


    Full firepower.


    It was but a moment, and the Spiritual Energy within his body was depleted. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    No matter how abundant the Spiritual Energy, it couldn''t withstand such use.


    Under this attack, the Evil Clan cultivators below suffered countless deaths and injuries.


    Even with his Spiritual Energy depleted, Chen Qiu had no intention of retreating into his small world to recover. There were no Golden Cores here, or rather, Golden Cores were not allowed to intervene, so he was completely free to teleport at will in mid-air without any reservations.


    He had no need to worry about teleporting into an attack that he could not withstand.


    "Fat Long cultivators, all fall back!"


    Hovering mid-air with depleted Spiritual Energy, Chen Qiu glanced at the nearby Fat Long cultivators fighting fiercely with Evil Clan cultivators. After letting out a loud shout with Spiritual Energy surging in his throat, he then channeled Spiritual Energy into his armguards, and in an instant, hundreds of needle-like spikes pierced into his body.


    The next moment!


    He began to teleport irregularly and frequently in mid-air, and the Spiritual Energy within his body almost instantly recovered to about thirty percent.


    Rather than waiting for his Spiritual Energy to fully recover before making his move, he immediately unleashed nearly a thousand Thunder Dragons and over a thousand green demon fires again. As soon as he recovered a bit of Spiritual Energy, he used it.


    And the Evil Clan members who died by his hand turned into resentful spirits and materialized behind him, immediately thrown by him into the demon fire, which made the fires burn even more intensely and with greater power.


    So...


    A scene like this appeared above the battlefield.


    Chen Qiu, who turned to Liu Guang and teleported incessantly across the sky, could not be captured by the naked eye; meanwhile, the sky-filled Thunder Dragons and green demon fires fell like stars, blanketing the field below.


    For a moment, the Evil Clan suffered innumerable casualties. Many gritted their teeth and flew up, attempting to cut down Chen Qiu. However, they could not locate him amidst countless shouts from Human Clan Cultivators that they couldn''t understand. Those from the Evil Clan finally reacted and began launching indiscriminate attacks overhead without aiming.


    However, by that time, only a small fraction of Evil Clan cultivators remained.


    The indiscriminate spell attacks they organized posed no substantial threat to Chen Qiu. Even the few spells that hit him couldn''t break his Protective Spirit Qi.


    After all, Chen Qiu''s Cultivation was at the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment.


    Even without relying on entries.


    Just with Cultivation alone, he was enough to overwhelm most people below.


    ...


    "Like mowing the lawn,"


    Fat Long, who had already stood far away, watched the scene unfold with immense shock. This was the first time he witnessed Brother Qiu''s full firepower. The Thunder Dragons and green demon fires seemed endless.


    Before the last wave of Thunder Dragons had even landed, a new wave was already in position.


    At a glance,


    Countless Thunder Dragons mixed with purple and blue lightning arcs swarmed the entire sky, the dominance they brought far surpassing the early Golden Core stage.


    The few remaining Evil Clan members on the ground began to flee in all directions. It wasn''t that no one wanted to ascend and escape, but those who did died even faster. Regardless of how they fled, they couldn''t escape the range of Chen Qiu''s attacks.


    It was evident that Brother Qiu didn''t even lock onto them with Divine Sense; he merely glanced roughly at where the Evil Clan was, and then thousands of Thunder Dragons rained down. There was no need for precision, and the ground blasted by the Thunder Dragons left no chance for an Evil Clan member to survive.


    Chen Qiu''s Cultivation was at the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment, and the power of the Thunder Summoning Technique he exerted with his full strength, enhanced by entries like "Spiritual Energy Intimidating" and "Dedication," along with the Spirit Control Techniques learned from Magic Practitioner heritage,


    The power of this Thunder Summoning Technique, without exaggeration, was already the pinnacle of what one with Foundation Establishment Cultivation could unleash!


    A mere single Thunder Summoning Technique caused cultivators of the same rank to keep a respectful distance.


    With thousands of these techniques raining down in a mix of both real and illusion, no one could withstand them.


    The Evil Clan could only watch in despair as innumerable Thunder Dragons rained down from the sky with overwhelming force.


    ...


    "It''s indeed a bit exaggerated,"


    The scholar standing next to Fat Long slightly twitched the corners of his mouth. To say it was a bit exaggerated was an understatement. His own Cultivation had reached the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment, possessing a Heavenly Dao Foundation and pink entries, and he was also extremely gifted in Sword Dao.


    At that time, he was already invincible among his peers.


    As a ninth layer Foundation Establishment Cultivator, no one could best him. He even killed an enemy right after their breakthrough to the Golden Core stage!


    It was a battle across a Great Realm, and even a newly advanced Golden Core is still a Golden Core. That he could kill a Golden Core as a ninth layer Foundation Establishment Cultivator was something he could boast about for a long time, and it was with that Golden Core that he successfully stepped into the Golden Core Stage as a second-grade Golden Core.


    But...


    Viewing the scene unfolding before him, he realized that there''s no such thing as absolute invincibility; it''s just that you haven''t encountered someone truly invincible at your level.


    At this moment, Brother Qiu was also at the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment, yet if he had encountered Brother Qiu back then, Brother Qiu could have handled hundreds of him without any problem.


    "..."


    The scholar stood in silence with a complicated expression. The blow to his pride was a bit too much. Despite being an absolutely invincible existence among his peers, even a being like him could be so thoroughly crushed by Brother Qiu''s power at the same level of Cultivation, which he found difficult to accept.

 Chapter 114

    "Why..."At this moment, atop a mountain peak behind the Caotian Sect, the Sect Master of the Caotian Sect sat on Zhao Yishi''s shoulder, gazing vacantly at the name Chen Qiu, who led with a cliff-like advantage on the "Heavenly Dao Evil Killing Ranking" list, and muttered to himself.


    "Why isn''t such a Heavenly Pride one of us from the Caotian Sect."


    "How did he end up at the Chao Tian Sect, which is almost our equal?"


    He had just rushed back from Fei State, preparing to stage a play for Zhao Yishi, when the Heavenly Dao Decree announcing the Evil Clan''s invasion arrived.


    Although he did not know by what means Chen Qiu had slaughtered so many members of the Evil Clan.


    Given the terrifying gap he had created, he must certainly be like a demon incarnate; he felt a twinge of regret for bringing Zhao Yishi back to Fei State. If Zhao Yishi had witnessed this scene, it would surely have ignited the longing in his heart.


    And thus spurred a strong desire to fight.


    -


    "Heavenly Dao Evil Killing Ranking"


    "Rank One": Chen Qiu, Number of Kills: 140,319.


    "Rank Two": Yan Yuanzhen, Number of Kills: 392.


    "Rank Three": Gong Bochu, Number of Kills: 341.


    "Rank Four": ...


    -


    To what extent was the cliff-like difference exaggerated? There were 1,000 people on the list, and the combined kill count of the 999 people from the second to the last rank did not match up to Chen Qiu''s kill count alone.


    And everyone else''s kill count had stopped rising.


    Only Chen Qiu''s count was still climbing rapidly.


    "..."


    Standing within the mountain at the rear, Zhao Yishi too looked at Chen Qiu''s frightening kill count on the "Heavenly Dao Evil Killing Ranking" and felt increasingly that his decision to yield when he descended into the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm with Chen Qiu had been the right one.


    This person was a true unparalleled Heavenly Pride.


    As the Caotian Sect Master looked at Zhao Yishi, whose expression didn''t waver too much, he could not help but feel a sense of disappointment and said, "Don''t you feel even a bit of jealousy or envy?"


    "Shouldn''t a person have some negative emotions?"


    "Your peer who entered the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm with you has now become a legendary Heavenly Pride and even obtained the Magic Practitioner inheritance, don''t you feel the slightest bit of envy?"


    "No."


    Zhao Yishi shook his head. Due to the excessive movement, he almost sent the Sect Master flying off his shoulder and said with a deep voice, "There must be those who act as the splendid flower, but there must also be those who serve as the green leaves."


    "Those who should be the splendid flower should contentedly be the best splendid flower they can be."


    "Those who should be the green leaves should contentedly be the best green leaves they can be."


    "If one is clearly a green leaf but insists on trying to be the splendid flower, then real suffering ensues."


    "I think my life is quite good as it is.


    "If I must say there''s something I want, it would be a woman."


    "..."


    After a lengthy silence, the Caotian Sect Master spoke softly, "Go fuck yourself."


    "What?" sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I said, go! fuck! yourself!"


    "You''re expelled from the sect!"


    "Get the hell out of here!"


    ...


    "..."


    Meanwhile, in the once empty Earth Cave, a thick scent of blood wafted through the air.


    The Nascent Soul of the Evil Clan, standing aloft, looked down silently at the white circle below, which was now ringed with piles of minced meat as high as small hills.


    There wasn''t a single intact body, only minced meat. Explore stories on empire


    Until now, they had only brought out a single piece of Evil Wood, and no second piece had emerged.


    The ferocious Evil Clan Warriors who were so fearsome on normal days were now trembling like leaves far away, adamantly refusing to step into the white circle again. The expensive Teleportation Array they had built resembled the entrance to the underworld.


    Enter one, one dies.


    Enter ten, ten die.


    Clearly, someone was blocking the exit of the Teleportation Array. Where had those Golden Core Peak Evil Clan Warriors gone that he had sent through? Could they all really be dead? Although he was puzzled that the Golden Core Peak Evil Clan Warriors didn''t return during the retreat from the other three locations.


    He was so blinded by the lust for Evil Wood that he paid no attention to it.


    Until now...


    Suddenly, a flash of horror crossed the eyes of the Nascent Soul... could it be... that a Nascent Soul had been born there?


    Otherwise, why was not a single one of his thirty-six Golden Core Peak Evil Clan Warriors in sight?


    ...


    "Hmm? No more opponents?"


    Fat Long, holding a blood-dripping sword, stood at the outer edge of the white circle, sticking his head out and licking his lips with a sense of unfulfilled craving.


    After the Evil Clan invasion concluded, those on the leaderboard would receive different rewards according to their ranking.


    By this point, the advantage was entirely theirs.


    Therefore, Brother Qiu let them finish off the severely wounded members of the Evil Clan to ensure they''d also make it onto the ranking. He was currently in third place, with the scholar in second¡ªdamn that guy, killing slightly faster than him.


    As for the scholar''s younger brother, he didn''t make it onto the ranking.


    The scholar''s younger brother didn''t lift a finger.


    Chen Qiu, hovering in mid-air, with ten thousand Thunder Dragons swirling around him, also looked at the white circle below with some confusion. That was it¡ªno one left. He hadn''t had such a satisfying kill in a long time. The sensation of mowing them down was truly exhilarating.


    It''s just a shame...


    There were too few of them.


    And at that moment¡ª


    The white vortex at his feet suddenly began to dim, and simultaneously, the nine Golden Core Peak Nascent Souls from the Evil Clan at the edge of the Boundless Icefield, as if summoned, turned into nine streaks of light and disappeared into the white vortex in an instant.


    Simultaneously,


    Twenty-seven streaks of light also shot from afar, instantly entering the white vortex and vanishing. Subsequently, the white vortex slowly closed, but just as it was about to shut,


    a large amount of Evil Clan corpses and minced flesh were tossed out like trash.


    Thus, after the white circle disappeared, only the mountains of minced limbs and flesh remained piled upon the Boundless Icefield, as the howling cold wind swept through and the once flowing blood quickly froze together.

 Chapter 115

    "..."After snickering, the Qu Family Supreme Elder once again lapsed into silence, his heart swelling with a wave of sadness.


    He was a transmigrator.


    No sooner had he transmigrated than he found himself at the Golden Core Peak of Cultivation, which was already the ceiling in Da Xia; basically, no one could beat him. But... he had just over a year to live.


    That was if he didn''t engage in combat.


    If he fought and even got a bit injured, he''d be dead in a month or two.


    There was only one way to save himself, which was to attain the Nascent Soul.


    Sometimes he really envied Qu Qi, the young lord of the Qu Family. Qu Qi was also a transmigrator but was far better off, the sole male of his generation in the Qu family. Piled with massive amounts of the family''s resources, they desperately fostered him into an extraordinary Magic Practitioner.


    Nearly invincible among his peers.


    Not to mention, those five Heavenly Dao Beauties with their enhancing effects on Magic Practitioners alone were an inheritance others didn''t have. Out of one hundred Heavenly Dao Beauties in total, only five could bolster a Magic Practitioner, and as fate would have it, all five became Qu Qi''s wives.


    Practically everyone in the Capital was convinced that Qu Qi was destined to be Da Xia''s foremost Magic Practitioner in the future.


    But then...


    The meteoric rise of Chen Qiu from Fufeng City cast a strange cast in the gazes everyone directed at Qu Qi.


    The Qu family had invested so much in you, yet a Loose Cultivator from Fufeng City was the first to clear the heritage of Magic Practitioners, such unusual gazes nearly made the young lord of the Qu family''s eyes burst with rage. His years of pampered luxury rendered him utterly incapable of enduring such mockery.


    He repeatedly smashed the family''s crockery and other objects, snarling in a vicious rage, swearing he would challenge Chen Qiu to a duel and mercilessly kill him, to let the world know who was truly the number one Magic Practitioner in Da Xia.


    Well, that''s admirable.


    You, an early stage Golden Core Magic Practitioner, seeking to duel someone at the ninth level of the Foundation Establishment Stage¡ªif you win, you won''t fear being ridiculed by the world.


    "Sigh." sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lying on the bed, the Qu Family Supreme Elder looked at his right arm, which had shriveled and sagged skin covered in age spots. Although reluctant, he was helpless; he too wanted to strive... but he simply had no opportunity to do so.


    He didn''t even dare leave his home and flaunt his Cultivation.


    Fearing that the slightest injury might kill him on the spot, that''s a truly torturous way to live.


    And in Da Xia, there were many like him. Essentially, they were the most powerful trump cards of various sects and clans, all at the Golden Core Peak of Cultivation but perpetually unable to break through to Nascent Soul, they could only watch as their lifespans diminished step by step.


    Aside from waiting to die, there was no other way.


    ...


    Kai Mountain City, within a deserted temple three miles out.


    Chen Qiu was sitting cross-legged, circulating his mental method to absorb the power from the Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills. Last night, at the stroke of midnight, he had acquired a total of 511 lower-grade Foundation Establishment Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills and 10 mid-grade ones.


    There was no change, basically. Until last night at midnight, there hadn''t been any change in his Fame Ranking.


    However, after midnight, when the Heavenly Dao Decree arrived, his fame began soaring again, and he was the only one on the entire Fame Ranking increasing his fame through the Heavenly Dao Decree.


    The others all built their reputations through word of mouth, but his was directly bestowed by the heavens.


    At that moment, he had climbed to the 29th rank, but that was about as far as he would go. The people ahead of him were all ancient demons; it was rather difficult to surpass them in terms of fame.


    After fully absorbing the power of the 511 lower-grade Foundation Establishment Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills and two mid-grade ones, his Cultivation finally reached¡ª


    -


    ''Cultivation'': Foundation Establishment Stage Nine Layers (100.00%).


    -


    This meant he had officially reached the Great Perfection peak of the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    He had reached the limit of Foundation Establishment Cultivation.


    Next, he would have to form his Core.


    After a successful Core Formation, one could advance to become a Golden Core Master. Many at the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment spent their entire lives stuck there; some fought too much in their youth and accumulated too many hidden injuries in their Tao Foundation, making it extremely difficult to breakthrough.


    Some couldn''t gather enough of the forty-nine mid-grade Spirit Stones needed for the breakthrough.


    Others, prouder of their talents, refused to enter the Golden Core Realm with merely a First Grade Golden Core, insisting on obtaining a Golden Core to affirm a Second Grade Golden Core. As a result, they wasted too much time, and by the time they found a Golden Core, they were already old and weak. With their Foundation Establishment lifespan at its limit and their internal Spiritual Energy waning, they could no longer break through to the Golden Core.


    The grades of Golden Cores range from First to Tenth.


    However, the Tao Foundation does not have such grades.


    The Tao Foundation is distinguished in only two ways: one is the Heavenly Dao Foundation, and the other is all the rest.


    And within the rest, there are two types.


    One is a special Tao Foundation. For instance, the ''upper-grade Earth Fire Pill'' which could be obtained by passing the third challenge in the ''Chao Tian Sect''s Heavenly Dao Secret Realm'', is said to have been a pill that existed a long time ago. When consumed during Foundation Establishment, it forms a ''Earth Fire Dao Foundation,'' which is extremely suitable for fire-type Magic Practitioners.


    The other type is the ordinary Tao Foundation that most possess.


    There are others like the Earth Fire Dao Foundation, such as the metal-chopping Tao Foundation beneficial for Sword Cultivators. The advantage of this kind of Tao Foundation is that if you are a Magic Practitioner or a Sword Cultivator, it will be quite compatible, but the downside is that you are completely locked into that path, unable to switch to another Cultivation practice or engage in Dual or Triple Cultivation.


    Once you achieve the Golden Core, it is graded between First and Tenth, with the Tenth Grade referred to as the Heavenly Dao Golden Core that no one has ever attained.


    ...


    By now, Chen Qiu had finished his Cultivation and glanced at the Shopkeeper, his forehead covered in fine sweat. He did not bother him further, knowing that the Storage Ring from the Evil Clan was subject to restrictions that Da Xia had never seen, and it might indeed be challenging to break them.


    He could not be of much help, except for promising a generous reward, he could only silently cheer him on.

 Chapter 115 The Heavenly Pride Order. _3

    Fat Long looked at the sun above his head with some confusion, "Brother Qiu, have you noticed that along our journey, whether it''s the North Continent or Southern State, all the temples we''ve seen are abandoned?""Hmm."


    Chen Qiu nodded lazily, "Maybe people have realized that praying to these clay statues is quite useless."


    He was currently carrying two Golden Core resentful spirits on his back, but his Cultivation had reached the peak of the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment, so these two resentful spirits couldn''t pose much of a threat to him. As his Cultivation increased, so did his capacity to bear more resentful energy.


    He felt a bit uncomfortable when he didn''t have any resentful spirits on him before, but now he felt much better.


    "That might be possible, it''s just that something feels a bit off."


    Fat Long twisted his body to lie down more comfortably, muttering, "Back in our place, praying to these clay statues was also useless, but there were still crowds who prayed. Since there were so many temples, it means that many people must have worshiped there in the past, not to the point where now not a single person does it."


    "Hmph..."


    Chen Qiu uttered some lazy sounds unconsciously, casually responding to Fat Long''s query. The sun''s warmth on his body made him feel quite comfortable; he didn''t want to think about anything and just wanted to relax his mind for a moment, enjoying the brief comfort.


    The scholar was currently strolling around the temple, firstly to get accustomed to walking, and secondly because he had sat enough over the past few years and was excited to have his legs working again.


    Meanwhile, the scholar''s burly brother with sideburns was squatting in a corner, intently watching ants move their nest.


    Everyone had something to do.


    It all seemed quite harmonious.


    Only the Shopkeeper inside the temple, whose forehead was covered with sweat, didn''t dare to make the slightest mistake and was cautiously trying to break the seal.


    ...


    At that moment, within the Poison Sect, hundreds of miles away.


    The Taoist Sect and others who had come to investigate had already left.


    The Master of Poison Sect stared emotionlessly at the replayed scene in the air, watching those young men brazenly chopping off all the Dragon Vein Stones within the Forbidden Land of his Poison Sect, without even sparing the newly formed ones, uncontrollable fury surged in his eyes.


    His teeth were tightly clenched as he spat out each word, his eyes nearly bursting with rage.


    "Chen Qiu!"


    "I swear I''ll hunt you to the ends of the earth!!!"


    He recognized the young man leading the group in the scene; he was the recently famous Chen Qiu, who had taken the Magic Practitioner''s inheritance and single-handedly annihilated tens of thousands from the Evil Clan!


    You sure know how to pick your timing, huh?


    Before heading to Southern State to snatch the Magic Practitioner''s inheritance, you actually took the time to ransack my Forbidden Land?


    Then he looked at the ''Trace-Following Stone'' in his hand, created by the Taoist Sect from the residual energy of Chen Qiu and the others, projecting his Divine Sense into it and looking toward Chen Qiu''s position, only a few hundred miles away from him, a glint of surprise flashed in his eyes.


    "Very good, very good, I can''t believe you dare to return to the North Continent!"


    "Since that''s the case, come sit inside my Soul Banner!"


    Having said that, his body turned into a streak of Liu Guang and shot off into the distance.


    No matter how much fame that Chen Qiu had recently gained, he was still just a Foundation Establishment Cultivator at the end of the day, and for a Golden Core fourth-level mighty being like himself, crushing a Foundation Establishment was no more difficult than flipping his hand, right?


    ...


    And at that moment, Chen Qiu and the others were lying on the temple roof sunbathing, waiting for the Shopkeeper to break into the Storage Ring and then head to Yun City to look for Liu Zide. They planned to bring him back to Fei State to make large purchases of Evil Wood and the Eight Desolate Fruit.


    "Hmm."


    The languid Chen Qiu took out a Jade Scroll from his bosom, the extra "three choices" entry opportunity he had obtained from the Heavenly Dao Roulette which he hadn''t used yet. After playing with it for a while, he crushed it. Continue reading at empire


    Suddenly¡ª


    A panel shrouded in mist appeared above his Dantian.


    -


    1:


    "Entry name": Love Without Regret.


    "Entry level": green.


    "Entry effect": For every same race, same gender individual that truly falls in love with you, you will receive a hundred Spirit Stones.


    2:


    "Entry name": Life and Death Thin Line.


    "Entry level": white.


    "Entry effect": You cannot be killed in one blow by anyone, not even by a Mahayana Realm powerhouse, but you will be severely injured by any attack you suffer.


    3:


    "Entry name": Talismanic Cultivation Posture.


    "Entry level": white.


    "Entry effect": The speed at which you draw talismans will be faster.


    -


    "Hmm?"


    Chen Qiu''s brow furrowed slightly as he looked at the three entries, the first entry obviously wasn''t worth mentioning, even if it was tens of thousands of Spirit Stones, he wasn''t very interested, he has no prejudice against same-sex relationships, though he respects but does not understand...


    Well, to be honest.


    He neither respects nor understands.


    The second entry would only have side effects for him, leaving him with only the third choice, though not very useful, it could still serve as materials for Core Formation.


    Just as he was about to choose¡ª


    "Die!!!"


    A fierce roar grew from distant to near and sounded in his ears. A force carrying immense poisonous energy and revealing the formidable Spiritual Energy of a mid-stage Golden Core Cultivator was rapidly closing in on him! S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The great intent to kill almost solidified.


    In that very moment!


    The sensation of being locked on by a mid-stage Golden Core Divine Sense made Chen Qiu, who lay on the temple roof, suddenly feel a chill in his limbs as if plummeting into a deep abyss. He could faintly feel the Array Patterns of the "Nine Heavens Divine Sense Array" in his Sea of Consciousness starting to light up as if they sensed the imminent Divine Sense Attack.


    ''Divine Sense Attack''.


    This concept flashed through Chen Qiu''s mind in an instant. A mid-stage Golden Core Cultivator''s unannounced strike, launching a full-strength Divine Sense Attack on him, even if his Sea of Consciousness housed the "Nine Heavens Divine Sense Array," but since he had not entered the Golden Core Stage, the array could only exert a weak effect.

 Chapter 115 Heavenly Pride Order. _4

    If this Divine Sense Attack were to truly strike into his Sea of Consciousness, it could almost instantaneously snatch away his life.This was an overwhelming assault from a Golden Core Master against a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    No matter how many tricks a Foundation Establishment Cultivator had, a Divine Sense Attack could completely crush them. He wanted to escape into the small world but was tightly locked by the Golden Core Divine Sense. This prevented his Divine Sense from making any contact with the Storage Ring inside his body, rendering him unable to establish a connection with the Sect Leader''s Chair or enter the small world.


    Experience more tales on empire


    It was almost certainly a mortal situation.


    At this critical moment, Chen Qiu, lying on the temple roof, muttered, "That Memory Stone really does bring good luck..."


    The next moment¡ª


    The Divine Sense Attack vanished in an instant from tens of miles away and suddenly pierced into his Sea of Consciousness like a dragon diving into a swamp, nearly instantly shredding his Sea of Consciousness to pieces, but just as it was about to completely destroy his Sea of Consciousness.


    The phrase "life and death hanging by a thread" carved on Chen Qiu''s Tao Foundation suddenly began to emit bursts of bright light.


    An indescribable power caused the Divine Sense Attack to gradually weaken and then disappear within the Sea of Consciousness.


    "Boom!"


    Chen Qiu, although still lying motionless in the same spot on the temple roof, basking in the sun, now started bleeding from all seven orifices, a sign that his Sea of Consciousness had been completely destroyed.


    This Divine Sense Attack was focused solely on Chen Qiu; Fat Long and the scholar below the temple, among others, were completely unharmed.


    "Brother Qiu!"


    Fat Long, lying next to him, looked anxiously at Chen Qiu, whose body was bleeding from the seven orifices, and held him in his arms, shouting urgently to the scholar who had already flown to the roof and the fast approaching Golden Core Great Power, "Scholar, run!"


    "Run? Where to run!"


    The voice of the Master of Poison Sect, which had been at the horizon just moments before, had now landed on the temple roof. With a powerful surge of Spiritual Energy, he swung his hand and sent the scholar, who had just shot out a Qingfeng from his sleeve, flying to the side.


    Only then did he look toward Chen Qiu, who lay in Fat Long''s arms bleeding from the orifices, eyes tightly shut, evidently half-dead.


    He did not deliver another blow immediately.


    Instead, he threw his head back and laughed heartily, feeling extremely satisfied inside.


    "Chen Qiu, oh Chen Qiu."


    "You should never have provoked my Poison Sect."


    "You could have become a generation''s Heavenly Pride, alas, alas, because you provoked my Poison Sect today, you shall fall here, even if you are a Heavenly Pride, the chasm between Foundation Establishment and Golden Core is simply insurmountable!"


    "Even if I were standing in front of you completely defenseless, without Protective Spirit Qi, just by the strength of my physical body, you also..."


    His words were suddenly cut off.


    "Gulp."


    The Master of Poison Sect, standing on the temple roof, suddenly froze in place, eyes filled with disbelief as he looked toward Chen Qiu and the others, continuously spitting out mouthfuls of blood, while overhead, unknown to him, limitless thunderclouds had silently gathered.


    A bout of thunder comparable to Heavenly Punishment struck down from the clouds, hitting the Master of Poison Sect right on the head in the middle of his boasting.


    The dying Master of Poison Sect, raising his hand with eyes full of resentment and unwillingness, looked toward Fat Long and others, intending to use a Divine Sense Attack to take them down with him. However, the Thunder Summoning Technique unleashed by a peak Golden Core Cultivation gave him no chance.


    The next instant¡ª


    The body of the Master of Poison Sect was blown to pieces, turning into dust that the wind blew away, disappearing from the world.


    "Whoosh!"


    A Golden Core burst forth from the powder and aimed to shoot into the distance, but the preparative scholar''s fingers trembled lightly, and the three-foot green blade that had been slapped away shot out with even greater speed, catching up to the Golden Core, skewering it on its tip, and bringing it back.


    "Phew..."


    At this moment, Chen Qiu, who was in Fat Long''s arms, slowly opened his eyes, somewhat struggling to push Fat Long away. He sat atop the temple''s roof, swept a glance at the bloody mist in the sky, pulled out a handkerchief from his bosom to wipe the fresh blood from the corner of his mouth, and turned his head towards the scholar and others, his voice hoarse.


    "Villains often die from talking too much, that''s a lesson from the past. Nonsense should be spouted after killing, not before."


    "Damn, ambushing."


    He had always been the one ambushing Golden Cores; this was the first time a Golden Core had ambushed him, especially a fourth-layer Golden Core Great Power ambushing him with full force.


    For a Golden Core against a Foundation Establishment, it was a total crush, especially when it was a full-force ambush. The Divine Sense Attack of the fourth-layer Golden Core penetrated his Sea of Consciousness in an instant, nearly destroying all his Divine Sense. If it weren''t for his last-moment choice of the entry "Life or Death,"


    he would probably have died on the spot.


    This time, he could only say he was lucky.


    If it wasn''t for him crushing the "three choices" entry at this time, and coincidentally getting "Life or Death," which saved his life, it would be hard to say how things would''ve turned out.


    Chen Qiu struggled to stand up and stretch his limbs. His body wasn''t injured externally but felt as if someone had stuffed a meat grinder inside his head, causing an almost explosive headache.


    The pain was so severe that he even experienced some blurring of vision.


    Spiritual Energy formed filaments that emerged from his body, rolled up the only remaining Storage Ring of the Master of Poison Sect from the bloody mist in mid-air, and through the broken hole in the temple''s roof, looked down towards the Shopkeeper pretending to be dead in the temple''s corner. He sent down the Storage Ring with Spiritual Energy, his voice hoarse.


    "Shopkeeper, there''s another Storage Ring here; trouble you to take care of it. Hard work."


    While the Master of Poison Sect was grandly pontificating, he had secretly triggered the "Life or Death" entry. The Thunder Summoning Technique released by the Peak Golden Core Cultivation in a full-force blow killed the Master of Poison Sect on the spot, completely disintegrating his robe and Storage Ring, leaving only one Storage Ring intact.


    Then he sat back down on the roof squarely.


    His eyebrows twisted in pain as he continuously massaged his temples. Although the "Life or Death" entry had saved his life, his Sea of Consciousness felt almost completely destroyed, the pain piercing deep into his brain.


    It was both itchy and painful.


    He even felt like taking his sword, digging out his brains, and stomping them on the ground fiercely.


    "Scholar."


    Chen Qiu frowned and turned his head to look at the scholar, "How do you treat damage to the Sea of Consciousness?"


    "Take medicine."


    The scholar''s voice was urgent as he replied, "Golden Core low-grade pill, ''Replenishing God Pill,'' this kind of pill is specifically for repairing damage to Divine Sense. This kind of pill is generally not available in markets or auctions, but has to be directly sought from Alchemy sects."


    "The nearest sect that can concoct this pill is called ''Star Battle Sect,'' located at the farthest north of Xuzhou, past Fufeng City and Yun City, and just by the border of the Endless Desert."


    "Hmm."


    Chen Qiu nodded, feeling the bone-deep pain deep in his brain, and patted his head tiredly, "Will this thing leave any hidden injuries?"


    "No."


    The scholar shook his head, "As long as all the damage to Divine Sense is completely repaired, it won''t leave any hidden injuries. However, during this time, Divine Sense shouldn''t leave the body, but since Brother Qiu, you are now a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, it''s essentially like not being affected at all." sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "But it will be painful."


    "A pain that ordinary people can hardly bear."

 Chapter 116

    "That''s not a problem."Chen Qiu sat on the temple roof and shook his head. As long as there wouldn''t be any lingering internal injuries, it was already good that he was alive after being attacked with full force by a Golden Core fourth layer great power. This pain was inconsequential.


    He was just worried that if his Sea of Consciousness was damaged, it would lead to latent injuries that might prevent him from forming a tenth-grade Golden Core.


    Then he would really feel like killing someone.


    Now, this was completely acceptable. Fortunately, he hadn''t chosen that "Unbearable Pain" entry which would have increased his sense of pain; otherwise, he might well have been in so much agony that he could have died from it.


    He was also unwilling to linger, as it was a priority to quickly proceed to the "Star Battle Sect" to seek medicine.


    After a pause, he looked down at the temple below, towards the shopkeeper who still hadn''t recovered from the shock, and said hoarsely, "Shopkeeper, how about you stay somewhere else for a while, and I''ll let you out after some time?"


    Then, with a wave of his hand, he sucked the shopkeeper into the small world, and the shopkeeper did not resist.


    ...


    Chao Tian Sect, within a clean disciple dormitory.


    The shopkeeper appeared abruptly in this dormitory, still terrified. Before he could take a look around, he heard a familiar voice.


    "Shopkeeper, you''ll have to endure staying in this room for a while."


    "After I''ve broken into the storage ring, I''ll let you out."


    "I appreciate your efforts, shopkeeper. You''ll get double the compensation this time."


    ...


    Just as Chen Qiu motioned for the scholar to prepare to head to the "Star Battle Sect," he was taken aback by the Golden Core Pill of the Poison Sect Master that the scholar had passed to him. The headache and dizziness that had plagued him suddenly eased, and he couldn''t help but shake his head and chuckle.


    "A second-grade Golden Core?"


    "Yes." The scholar couldn''t help but laugh too, "Brother Qiu, you can consider this a blessing in disguise. Second-grade Golden Cores are hard to come by; it''s not often that one delivers itself to your doorstep."


    "Indeed."


    Chen Qiu nodded, took out a wooden box from his chest ¨C he had many of those wooden boxes, each one was the box bestowed by the Heavenly Dao that contained the Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills. He placed the second-grade Golden Core inside the wooden box and placed it in the small world''s storage room.


    Now he had three second-grade Golden Cores.


    Just six more to go.


    The progress towards nine second-grade Golden Cores was already one-third complete; considering this, Chen Qiu felt that being struck this time didn''t seem like such a bad deal after all.


    Then, he glanced over the scholar''s Flying Sword, noticing several cracks on it, he frowned and said, "I remember that this Flying Sword is your Lifebound Spirit Treasure, right?"


    "Yes."


    The scholar nodded and then shook his head helplessly, "It''s been damaged a bit. The Lifebound Spirit Treasure is closely linked to me; I''ve also been injured a bit, but it''s not severe, and it''s still usable. As long as it hasn''t completely shattered, there''s always a way to repair it in the future."


    "So, are we setting off now, Brother Qiu?"


    "Let''s go."


    ...


    When passing through Fufeng City, they placed the scholar''s younger brother in Fufeng City.


    The trio of Chen Qiu was on their way to seek pills at the "Star Battle Sect." In case of any emergencies, they could retreat quickly to Fufeng City using the Bloodline Entry between the scholar and his younger brother.


    At the entrance of the Star Battle Sect''s mountain gate.


    "It shouldn''t be too much trouble." Continue reading at empire


    The scholar said in a low voice, "This Star Battle Sect has always had a good reputation, never once resorting to harming those who come to seek pills. The Pill Sect usually maintains neutrality, treating Evil Cultivation, Demon Cultivation, and righteous cultivators all the same."


    "Hmm."


    Chen Qiu nodded and looked at the mountain gate in front of him.


    The Star Battle Sect was located atop a tall peak, with the sect''s location at the summit of the mountain and the mountain gate built halfway up the slope. Two ten-zhang high stone pillars with strange patterns stood erect halfway up the slope, not enclosed at the top; this place was the mountain gate.


    Anyone stepping onto Xing Dou''s boundary from other places was considered to have hostile intentions.


    At this moment, there were two Mountain Guarding Disciples at the gate sizing them up.


    "Are you here to seek pills? Do you have any elder''s recommendation in the form of a Spiritual Tablet?"


    One of the Mountain Guarding Disciples with a square face looked at Chen Qiu and his group and asked sternly.


    "No."


    Chen Qiu shook his head softly and said, "No, we''ve heard that the Star Battle Sect''s skill in pill refinement is unparalleled in the Northern State and have specifically come to seek pills." sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He then waved his hand, and Fat Long, by his side, discreetly took out two storage bags each containing ten Spirit Stones from his chest and slipped them into the Mountain Guarding Disciples'' arms without leaving a trace.


    This place was already on the border with the Endless Desert.


    Standing on the mountainside, one could see the endless desert in the distance, without an oasis, without springs, without hills, only the boundless expanse of the Endless Desert.


    Even though it was the middle of winter.


    Yet, for some reason, he could even feel the heatwave coming from the Endless Desert; it was a stark contrast to the Boundless Icefield, forming a complete opposite extreme.


    ...


    "Cough."


    The two gate-keeping disciples casually accepted the storage bags handed by Fat Long. One of them coughed lightly in his fist then said in a low voice, "Have you fellow daoists been deceived? Foundation Establishment pills can be bought in the market below, generally only Golden Core pills require you to come up the mountain to seek them."


    "The pill we seek is the Golden Core pill ''Replenishing God Pill''."


    "Replenishing God Pill?"


    The gate-keeping disciple looked strangely at Chen Qiu and his group; what Foundation Establishment Cultivator would seek a Replenishing God Pill? It was a pill to repair Divine Sense damage, and Foundation Establishment Cultivators had no chance of Divine Sense damage. Only in a fight with a Golden Core Great Power could Divine Sense be harmed, and if a Foundation Establishment Cultivator suffered a Divine Sense Attack, they would''ve likely perished immediately.


    But after some thought, they guessed that it must be an errand on behalf of some Golden Core Master behind them.


    Without delay, they treated the matter seriously and said, "Please follow me."


    Then, they flew towards the mountain''s summit on their Flying Swords, with Chen Qiu and his companions following closely behind on their own Swords.

 Chapter 117

    He had already completed the Magic Practitioner inheritance, and the Forbidden Sea was no longer accessible. He was unsure where to find Old Man Cao and decided to try his luck in the Array Repairer inheritance next and see if he could meet Old Man Cao there."..."


    Chen Qiu retracted his gaze from the Eight-petal Fire Lotus above the Chao Tian Sect, replenished his Spiritual Energy above the back mountain, and then led the scholar and others back to the Underground Fire Sea, prepared to use the scholar''s Bloodline Entry to return to the scholar''s brother.


    The space within the small world was isolated from Da Xia.


    It was not possible to teleport directly from the small world to the scholar''s brother.


    However¡ª


    As soon as they appeared over the Underground Fire Sea, they saw a gigantic eyeball almost directly in front of them, staring intently at them.


    "Swoosh."


    Chen Qiu almost instantaneously moved dozens of yards away into the deeper parts of the Fire Sea, squinting towards the huge demon beast in the sea of fire nearby.


    It was a tiger.


    A tiger that was dozens of yards in size, completely enveloped in flames, angrily looked towards them as if on the verge of attacking,


    being incredibly gigantic¡ªit was just one eyeball that was much larger than they were, appeared to possess intelligence, though it wasn''t very high.


    "Roar!"


    The crimson giant tiger wrapped in flames stood on the flames and roared loudly, its bellow echoing throughout the Underground Fire Sea. It then charged towards Chen Qiu and the others.


    "Let''s go."


    Chen Qiu didn''t want to linger and fight; instead, he lightly tapped the scholar on the shoulder.


    The next moment¡ª


    Chen Qiu and his companions disappeared on the spot.


    The giant tiger that had pounced on empty air had a brief flash of confusion in its massive pupils, followed by an irritable swatting of the surrounding flowing flames with its paws, sending waves of heat bursting around like shockwaves.


    Back beside the scholar''s brother in Fufeng City, Chen Qiu and his companions, without much delay, continued their journey toward the Xing Dou Sect.


    ...


    Meanwhile¡ª


    The Xing Dou Sect Master, who had been standing by the Fire Well with little hope, looked at the now calming Earth Fire inside and vibrated with an excited quiver in his voice.


    "We''ve done it, we''ve truly done it!!!"


    The Earth Fire had calmed down once again.


    This meant that Xing Dou Sect did not need to relocate.


    Unexpectedly, Chen Qiu had resolved what even their ancestor couldn''t.


    The Great Elder and others couldn''t contain their excitement either; the significance of the Earth Fire to Xing Dou Sect was... critical!


    Right then!


    Chen Qiu appeared at the doorstep, led by a door-keeping disciple, and with a smile asked the Xing Dou Sect Master, "Is the problem resolved now?"


    "Resolved, resolved!"


    The Xing Dou Sect Master, a bit undignified in his excitement, excitedly grinned at Chen Qiu and said, "From now on, Xing Dou Sect will be your closest ally, Daoist Chen. You''re welcome to come to us anytime for anything Pill-related; if we can manage it, it will all be free!"


    "Come this way, please; I will personally refine a Replenishing God Pill for you, Daoist Chen!"


    Although he didn''t know why Chen Qiu appeared outside, at the moment he couldn''t care less; he was eager to share the great news with his long-deceased ancestor.


    The only worry of his ancestor''s life had been for Xing Dou Sect; knowing this news would surely make him too happy to shut his mouth even below in the underworld.


    ...


    Enjoy new adventures from empire


    It was already night.


    Chen Qiu sat in the guest room, leisurely sipping the spiritual tea brought by the Great Elder, tasting quite nice. Like the spiritual wine, the tea carried a mild Spiritual Energy which spread coolly through his organs. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the somewhat hot climate of the Endless Desert, it was just perfect.


    It was now past midnight.


    His nightly quota of Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills had also been credited: 499 low-grade Foundation Establishment Cultivation Pills and 15 mid-grade Foundation Establishment Cultivation Pills¡ªhis reward for moving up in the Fame Rankings.


    By now, he noticed that the Fame Ranking had disappeared.


    Seemingly, its time had expired; it was always a temporary leaderboard before a Heavenly Dao version update, but it disappeared just when he no longer needed the Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills.


    Quite good.


    Right then¡ª


    The visibly exhausted Xing Dou Sect Master strode into the tea room and handed a jade box to Chen Qiu with a serious expression, advising, "I have minimized the medical power to ensure that even at the peak of Foundation Establishment, you can consume it."


    "Due to the reduced potency, one pill''s medical power might be insufficient."


    "Here are three pills."


    "First, swallow one pill and absorb all its efficacy, then move on to the next. This will ensure that you can completely withstand the power of the Replenishing God Pill."


    "Okay."


    Chen Qiu smiled and nodded slightly.


    The Xing Dou Sect Master, grateful, gestured for Chen Qiu to sit down, and the two of them sat and chatted.


    After chatting for about half an hour, Chen Qiu stood up to leave.


    He then left the Xing Dou Sect and headed towards Yun City.


    ...


    Yun City.


    A small city near the Endless Desert, not one of Da Xia''s 365 major cities, Chen Qiu and his companions spent the night at an inn in this city.


    Fat Long and the others had already returned to their respective rooms to sleep.


    Only Chen Qiu remained seated cross-legged on the bed, looking at the now empty jade box in front of him, his expression quite pensive.


    Truly, fortune and disaster rely on each other; who can know their extremes?


    He had almost lost his life under the full-power attack of the Master of Poison Sect, but luckily, he was selecting an entry at that time and chose the "Between Life and Death" entry in the last moment. The entry saved his life but severely damaged his Sea of Consciousness.

 Chapter 117 Green Fishing Rod._4

    Chen Qiu walked up to the door marked "first round" and tried pushing it open. As he stepped into the room, he was met with a blinding bright light that filled the space, making it almost impossible to keep his eyes open.But it only lasted a moment.


    When he opened his eyes again.


    He found himself back on the deck, but now it was deserted except for him. Not far in front of him stood three Fishman Monsters, each armed with a Fish Spear, eyeing him with a sinister gaze.


    There was also a panel wrapped in mist floating mid-air.


    "First round, defeat three Foundation Establishment level six Fishman Monsters within a hundred breaths."


    Continue your saga on empire


    Following that¡ª


    The three Fishman Monsters, each holding a Fish Spear, roared and charged at him.


    "This is interesting."


    Chen Qiu watched the scene unfold with interest, casually released a hundred Thunder Dragons, and the three Foundation Establishment level six Fishman Monsters immediately turned into wisps of green smoke and vanished from the deck. The deck was instantly filled with a large amount of mist, and by the time the mist had cleared, he was back at the doorway of the first-round room.


    The rough fishing rod in his hand had now turned into a smooth, green fishing rod without any burrs.


    -


    "Green fishing rod."


    "Can catch green fish at the highest, to upgrade to the yellow level, catch ''two green fish'' and pass through the second challenge inside the ship''s deck."


    -


    At that moment¡ª


    Fat Long also appeared beside him. Seeing Chen Qiu, he quickly came over, excitedly reported, "My first-round opponents were three Qi Refinement level seven Fishman Monsters, easily handled."


    "Qi Refinement level seven?"


    Chen Qiu nodded thoughtfully. The Cultivation of the Fishman Monsters in this round was not the same for everyone; instead, it was tailored based on the individual''s Cultivation. This way, even those with higher Cultivation had no particular advantage here.


    This was a relatively fair Secret Realm.


    No matter the level of Cultivation, everyone competed fairly from the same starting point here.


    Even Qi Refinement cultivators could gain something.


    This Secret Realm was limited to those with Foundation Establishment peak Cultivation and below, and many Qi Refinement cultivators also entered.


    Foundation Establishment was overwhelmingly superior to Qi Refinement, and it was no surprise that Fat Long had easily resolved his challenge.


    At that time, the scholar also came out having smoothly passed the first round, but the scholar''s brother shook his head, indicating that he hadn''t passed. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ...


    Chen Qiu, holding his green fishing rod, returned to the deck and settled back at the edge of the wooden boat to start fishing again. Many around him now held smooth green fishing rods.


    Only a minority still held white fishing rods.


    The first round wasn''t very difficult, except for a few cultivators who were really not good at fighting; most could pass it easily. Of course, even if one failed the first round, there was no mortal danger, only that they must continue to use a white fishing rod.


    Although the white fishing rod was the lowest grade,


    One big white fish was equivalent to a Spirit Stone. The Secret Realm lasted three hours, so catching enough fish could still be quite profitable.


    He lifted his green fishing rod and cast it again; perhaps with the experience of his previous successful catch, he was much more confident in his throw this time.


    He had thought about flying in the sky, but since this Secret Realm was a no-fly zone and because cultivators couldn''t attack each other, he couldn''t even utilize his own Spiritual Energy on the deck, which completely stalled his plan to blast the fish.


    Otherwise, the thought of thousands of Thunder Dragons bombing down didn''t bear thinking about; the fish would be annihilated.


    This wasn''t faster than fishing anyway.


    Lost in thought, the fishing line trembled violently again.


    "Hey,"


    Chen Qiu laughed as he lifted the rod high, pulling a large, plump green fish onto the deck. The hook rate was still quite high, and the moment this plump green fish landed on the deck,


    A flash of white light transformed it into three Spirit Stones.


    He never imagined that one day, he, Chen Qiu, would also become a master fisherman.

 Chapter 118 Worthy of being the Adventure Secret Realm, He Likes It.

    His fishing hook had no bait at all, and he had no fishing technique. Being a complete newbie, he had cast twice and both times he had caught something. Naturally, he wouldn''t think his fishing talent was particularly good.The Secret Realm lasted only three hours.


    Not too long.


    Chen Qiu didn''t delay too much, casting his line again. This time it took slightly longer, about forty seconds or so, before he finally caught another green fish, which once again transformed into three Spirit Stones.


    Then, he stuffed the fishing rod into his Storage Ring and immediately strode toward the deck cabin below.


    Having met the requirement of catching two green fish, he could level up his fishing rod again by passing the second challenge.


    ...


    After he entered the second challenge room below deck,


    he returned to the empty deck.


    "The second challenge, defeat four Foundation Establishment eighth-level Fishman Monsters within a hundred seconds."


    Not far from the deck,


    four Fishman Monsters, emanating the aura of the Foundation Establishment eighth level, were holding Fish Spears. In the instant the mist transformed into clouds and disappeared, they roared in unison and charged at him!


    "Boom...!"


    After casually releasing a hundred Thunder Dragons again, these Fishman Monsters had only taken a few steps before turning into green smoke and dissipating in mid-air.


    "Magic Practitioners are just this strong."


    Chen Qiu looked at the Fishman Monsters, weak to the point of collapsing at a single blow, and chuckled. He relished the sense that no one could withstand his casual strike, feeling that, as a Magic Practitioner, this is how it should be!


    Soon¡ª


    Chen Qiu, who had walked out from below the deck cabin, now held a fishing rod that had turned into the waxy Yellow fishing rod.


    -


    "Yellow fishing rod."


    "Can catch up to Yellow fish, upgrade to blue level by catching ''three Yellow fish'' and passing the third challenge inside the cabin below deck."


    -


    "Cast the rod!" S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chen Qiu stood on the edge of the deck and confidently cast his line. Within ten seconds, the fishing line trembled violently again. His eyes sparkled as he swiftly reeled in his catch, hauling up a large White fish.


    "..."


    He looked at the White fish on the ground that had transformed into a Spirit Stone, his brow slightly furrowed.


    But he didn''t overthink it and prepared to cast again since the highest he could catch were Yellow fish. Not every catch could be a White fish, right?


    Just then¡ª


    "Wow!"


    Shouts of astonishment came from a nearby crowd, where a dozen people surrounded a young man with a face flushed from excitement. Before the young man on the deck, there was a fish changing colors between grey, green, and seven-colored.


    This peculiar fish was hovering in a cloud-mist panel above, displaying images of three fish.


    "Which fish did you catch?"


    "Grey fish, green fish, seven-colored fish."


    "Please make a selection within ten seconds."


    The surrounding Cultivators crowded around the young man, offering their opinions fervently. After a deep thought and a serious expression, the young man chose the "grey fish" option.


    This choice clearly tested his greed, demonstrating that as long as he remained earnest without arrogance or humility, he was bound to receive the best reward.


    After the man made his choice,


    the fish with its ever-changing glow slowly turned into a Grey fish, then alongside the disappearance of the Grey fish, a coin appeared on the deck.


    The moment he saw that coin, the young man, who had just been neither servile nor arrogant, suddenly stiffened, then collapsed on the deck and began to scream hysterically, appearing nothing like a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    The Cultivators who had been vociferously offering advice around him now dispersed with satisfied expressions, clearly finding this outcome very satisfying to most.


    It''s painful not having an adventure of your own.


    But watching someone else earn an adventure is even more painful.


    ...


    "That panel looks so familiar..."


    Fat Long tilted his head towards the man lying on the ground amid an emotional breakdown: "At first, I also thought the grey one was the correct answer. Now, it seems like the seven-colored fish should be the right answer?"


    "Impossible."


    Chen Qiu cast his line again and looked towards the horizon: "There''s no way the seven-colored fish would be given away that easily. Even if you chose the seven-colored fish, it probably would have turned into a grey fish. I think the correct answer might be the green fish, choosing it might actually win you a green fish."


    "Is that so?"


    Fat Long pondered: "That makes sense."


    Discover stories with empire


    "Fish on!"


    With the fishing line trembling fiercely, Chen Qiu finally caught a Yellow fish for the first time. As the Yellow fish was hauled onto the deck, it transformed into ten Spirit Stones in a flash of white light.


    "More Spirit Stones?"


    Chen Qiu''s eyebrows twitched; he had thought something special might happen, but it turned out everything he caught was just Spirit Stones. That way, his gain from this Secret Realm would be minimal. Even if he upgraded his fishing rod to the highest level and fished for the full three hours, he''d gather just a few thousand Spirit Stones at most.


    Though not a small amount, it was much less than he had expected.


    Without further thought, Chen Qiu continued fishing. Even the tiniest bite had to be chewed since it was being fed straight to his mouth, and a few thousand Spirit Stones were not a small sum for him.


    ...


    An hour later,


    three Yellow fish had been hooked, all transforming into thirty Spirit Stones.


    Chen Qiu immediately got up and strode towards the cabin below the deck.

 Chapter 118 Truly an Adventure Secret Realm, He Likes It. _2

    Once more, he arrived at the deserted deck."Third level, defeat five Foundation Establishment stage nine Fishman Monsters within a hundred breaths."


    "Hmm..."


    A flicker of surprise crossed Chen Qiu''s eyes as he looked at the five Foundation Establishment stage nine Fishman Monsters before him. Was it merely the third level, yet he already faced five opponents of the same Cultivation level?


    This level could stymie ninety-nine percent of participants.


    Stay tuned for updates on empire


    It also meant that ninety-nine percent of the people possess only a yellow fishing rod at best, with hardly any chance of upgrading to a blue one.


    Generally speaking,


    even for the geniuses from cities or sects, there was no way someone of the same Cultivation level could handle five opponents simultaneously¡ªit was too strenuous unless they had multiple advantages like Spiritual Treasures and spells.


    Chen Qiu shook his head, not dwelling on it further; he cast hundreds of Thunder Dragons with a flick of his hand, and then as the mist filled the deck, he once again walked out from the cabin to the deck.


    Now, the fishing rod in his hand had been upgraded to blue.


    Its blue was like the vast sea, and holding it, you could even see specks within the rod, twinkling like stars in the sky, its quality evidently many times superior to the yellow fishing rods.


    "What a pity."


    Chen Qiu felt regret as he weighed the fishing rod in his hands, lamenting that this item couldn''t be taken out of the Secret Realm. Otherwise, it would make a fine object to fiddle with, feeling much more comfortable to the touch than the Jade Feather Fan he had initially bought at the Ask Heaven Market.


    He scanned his surroundings.


    At this moment, around sixty percent of the people on the deck were using green fishing rods, ten percent were using white fishing rods, and the rest had yellow fishing rods.


    As for the blue fishing rods, only he had one.


    However, when he had first entered the third level, he saw a few people seated in meditation with Spirit Stones at the entrance, possibly having failed one or two attempts already, but not giving up and preparing to try again after restoring their Spiritual Energy.


    Maybe they would succeed next time.


    Chen Qiu glanced around and decided not to linger. He gripped the blue fishing rod in his hand and confidently strode to the deck, then swung the rod powerfully, casting the hook to the farthest distance.


    -


    "Blue fishing rod."


    "Can fish up blue fish at the highest, and to upgrade to the purple level, one needs to catch ''four blue fish'' and pass the fourth level inside the deck''s cabin."


    -


    Fat Long now possessed a yellow fishing rod, already reaching its limit. With Fat Long''s combat ability, he currently wasn''t qualified to have a blue fishing rod, while the scholar had a green fishing rod, which he likely wouldn''t have been able to possess if he hadn''t swapped for the Sword Bone.


    His available Spiritual Energy was minimal, hardly possessing any offensive capabilities. The green fishing rod was already his limit.


    This time, the blue fish seemed extraordinarily gentle. Chen Qiu had only waited a few breaths before catching a large fish completely blue and pulling it onto the deck.


    "Splash, splash!"


    After a few flops on the deck, the blue fish transformed into a hundred Spirit Stones.


    "A hundred Spirit Stones?"


    A flicker of surprise crossed Chen Qiu''s eyes. Yellow fish could only turn into ten Spirit Stones each, yet this blue fish, just one quality higher, could transform into a hundred Spirit Stones, which was ten times more.


    There were still over two hours until the end of the Secret Realm.


    Even if he didn''t upgrade his fishing rod any further and just sat here fishing for two hours with this blue rod, he felt that by the time the Secret Realm ended, he could take away several thousand Spirit Stones¡ªa considerable fortune indeed.


    This scene was noticed by many people around. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "A blue fish is worth a hundred Spirit Stones?"


    "Damn!"


    In an instant, several cultivators who had tried the third level once but had barely failed without hesitation rushed to the cabin below the deck to try again. Although battling five Fishmen Monsters of the same Cultivation level was challenging, they were core disciples of their various sects.


    They were so close to making it through and originally didn''t want to waste time trying, thinking even blue fish wouldn''t be much more valuable than yellow ones. But now, seeing there was a tenfold difference, none were willing to fish for yellow fish anymore.


    Catching one blue fish was worth as much as catching ten yellow fish.


    ...


    After catching several green and yellow fish midway, Chen Qiu finally managed to catch four blue fish within the span of two cups of tea, ready to upgrade the fishing rod quality once he passed the fourth level.


    He strode towards the cabin under the deck and stepped into the fourth level.


    On the deserted deck,


    ten Foundation Establishment stage nine Fishman Monsters holding fish spears stood there.


    "Ten?"


    Chen Qiu''s eyes narrowed slightly; the difficulty was not trivial. He wasted no time as he didn''t want to finally have his fishing rod upgraded to the highest quality and then run out of time to fish.


    The rule was to kill within a hundred breaths.


    If a renowned sect''s Heavenly Pride could manage to fight ten opponents of the same Cultivation using guerrilla tactics, then this hundred-breath limit essentially blocked that strategy completely.


    He casually released hundreds of Thunder Dragons, and these Fishman Monsters once again turned into wisps of green smoke.


    For him, unless they were Golden Core, whether it was five, ten, or even a hundred had no significance; his Thunder Summoning Technique now was not something that opponents at the Foundation Establishment level could withstand, having completely surpassed those limits.


    His domination over Foundation Establishment level opponents, barring Divine Sense Attacks, was virtually no different in dimension from a Golden Core dominating a Foundation Establishment opponent.


    As he walked onto the deck again.

 Chapter 118 Worthy of the Adventure Secret Realm, He Likes It._3

    The fishing rod in hand had transformed into a bewitchingly purple color that was quite captivating, and it had shortened considerably, looking less like a fishing rod and more like a long stick, having lost a bit of its elasticity and gained a bit of stiffness.-


    "Purple fishing rod."


    "Capable of catching purple fish at the highest level, upgrading to Red Level requires catching ''five purple fish'' and passing the Fifth Level inside the lower deck of the cabin."


    -


    "Continue!"


    A purple fish was worth one Mid-grade Spirit Stone.


    One Mid-grade Spirit Stone was worth nearly 600 lower-grade Spirit Stones, and Mid-grade Spirit Stones were exactly what Chen Qiu was in dire need of at the moment¡ªhe had less than thirty, and he would need a total of forty-nine Mid-Grade Spirit Stones to lay out a Spirit Gathering Array for his Golden Core breakthrough.


    The moment a purple fish transformed into a Mid-grade Spirit Stone...


    Chen Qiu''s eyes reddened with excitement, and he was even somewhat reluctant to continue upgrading his fishing rod. He wanted to keep using the purple rod until the end of the Secret Realm. Based on his current pace, he was sure he could gather the forty-nine Mid-grade Spirit Stones before the Secret Realm closed.


    He might even be able to gather 108 Mid-grade Spirit Stones and lay out an even higher quality Spirit Gathering Array.


    However, it wasn''t just Chen Qiu whose eyes had turned red¡ªeveryone around him felt a surge of envy upon seeing that Mid-grade Spirit Stone. Almost ninety percent of Foundation Establishment Cultivators would never have the chance to own a Mid-grade Spirit Stone in their lifetime.


    And in this Secret Realm, catching one purple fish would reward them with a Mid-grade Spirit Stone.


    They too desired a Purple fishing rod.


    But that Fourth Level...it simply wasn''t meant for humans to pass.


    At that moment on the deck, there were only two people holding Blue fishing rods. Both were considered Heavenly Prides of their respective sects, capable of defeating five opponents of equal Cultivation, nearly invincible at their level. Even so...


    After exchanging glances, both could see dissatisfaction and helplessness in each other''s eyes.


    Despite their reluctance to admit it, the Blue fishing rod truly represented their limit. Defeating ten opponents of equal Cultivation within a hundred breaths was an utterly fantastical idea for them!


    Passing the Fourth Level required not merely being Invincible on an equal level, but absolute domination within that level.


    ...


    After catching five purple fish and obtaining five Mid-grade Spirit Stones, which brought Chen Qiu''s total number of Mid-grade Spirit Stones in his Storage Ring to thirty-one, he did not hesitate to turn around and head below deck once again.


    Now, there were only two hours left until the closure of the Secret Realm. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mid-grade Spirit Stones were indeed very tempting to him.


    But he was even more curious about what kind of treasures higher level fishing rods could catch. For instance... a Red fishing rod.


    Many on the deck looked towards Chen Qiu as he left, their expressions complex and silent. Chen Qiu had now removed his mask, so they had naturally recognized him as the recently famed Chen Qiu.


    The one who single-handedly slaughtered tens of thousands of Foundation Establishment Evil Clan members on the Boundless Icefield, recognized as a peerless Heavenly Pride Magic Practitioner of Da Xia.


    Before this, no one had ever showcased such overwhelming dominance within their level.


    Being able to fight three at the same level was almost unbeatable, and handling five was genuinely invincible. They had never seen anyone capable of fighting tens of thousands like Chen Qiu. They figured they likely never would again, outside of him.


    It was no surprise for them that Chen Qiu managed to pass the Fourth Level. Ten opponents were probably nothing more than an appetizer for him.


    ...


    Inside the Fifth Level.


    On the empty deck...


    Fifty ninth-layer Foundation Establishment Fishmen Monsters surrounded Chen Qiu in the center¡ªthat was the challenge of the Fifth Level, to defeat fifty Fishman Monsters at his same level of Cultivation within a hundred breaths.


    It was near an impossible task.


    However...


    After several thousand Thunder Dragons roared past, the Fishman Monsters realized what true dominance at the same level was, right before they turned into green smoke and vanished.


    ...


    With anticipation flickering between his brows, Chen Qiu, holding the Red fishing rod, strode up onto the deck, ignoring the envious and jealous glances cast by those around him. He walked confidently to the edge of the deck and cast the rod out powerfully into the depths of the sea.


    -


    "Red fishing rod."


    "Capable of catching Red fish at the highest level, upgrading to Golden Level requires catching ''six red fish'' and passing the Sixth Level located in the cabin below deck."


    -


    Cast the rod!


    Reel in!


    A hundred breaths later, a big Red fish, shimmering like crystal wine, was pulled onto the deck. It flopped around for a bit before transforming into an entry jade slip.


    "Entry Jade Scroll": Crush to randomly obtain one White entry.


    "Heh!"


    Chen Qiu couldn''t help but grin, for this was a genuine treasure. Whether it was for using ten entries as Refining Pill ingredients during Core Formation or for holding onto a Self-Destruction Term as a last-resort move, it was all good stuff.


    Even though it was a White entry,


    That was exactly what he wanted; he wouldn''t want to use better entries as Refining Pill ingredients.


    This time, he couldn''t resist, and after catching six more Red fish, he went on to catch four more Red fish, pulling up a total of ten entry jade slips into his Storage Ring. Only then did he hurriedly head deeper into the cabin.


    There was only an hour and a half left until the end of the Secret Realm, and he had to make the most of the remaining time.


    Those ten random White entries would become his greatest gains from this Secret Realm adventure, instantly easing his worries about not having enough entries for Refining Pills. Enjoy exclusive adventures from empire


    On the deck, the others watched the transformation of the big Red fish into an entry jade slip with expressionless faces. They remained silent, and if it weren''t for Chen Qiu, they would have been quite thrilled. An adventure secret realm with no danger but ample reward was their favorite kind of Secret Realm.

 Chapter 118 Worthy of the Adventure Secret Realm, He Likes It._4

    But with Chen Qiu, there was a basis for comparison. Once there was a comparison, looking at the entry jade slip and Mid-grade Spirit Stones in Chen Qiu''s hand, then at the low-grade Spirit Stones in their own hands, their hearts couldn''t help but feel unsatisfied....


    The Sixth Level.


    One hundred Foundation Establishment ninth layer Fishman Monsters surrounded Chen Qiu in the middle. The number was doubled compared to the last time, and the requirement was still to kill within a hundred breaths, which meant needing to defeat a Fishman Monster in each breath.


    The difficulty could almost be said to be at its maximum.


    However, at the instant the fog panel of the sixth level dissipated, thousands of Thunder Dragons surged out, and everything once again turned to ashes.


    Discover hidden stories at empire


    It only took a few breaths'' time.


    Having just stepped off the deck, Chen Qiu was now striding back onto the deck with a splendid golden fishing rod in hand, a smile on his lips and a hint of regret as he made his way toward the edge of the deck.


    He felt regret because after the golden fishing rod had once again improved in quality to the Pink Level, there was only a Seventh Level below deck, with no Eighth Level. This meant if he could upgrade the fishing rod to the Pink Level, there wouldn''t be a level to allow him to elevate the rod to the Seven-colored Level.


    And thus no chance to catch a seven-colored fish.


    Just now, after seeing that lucky one who caught a Grey fish, with the selection panel in front of them showing a seven-colored fish, he thought there might be a Seven-colored fishing rod. He had been quite looking forward to what rewards the seven-colored fish might bring, but it now seemed the seven-colored fish probably didn''t exist.


    -


    "Golden fishing rod."


    "It can catch fish up to the Golden Level. To upgrade to the Pink Level, one must catch ''seven Golden fish'' and pass the seventh challenge below deck."


    -


    Cast the rod!


    After continuously catching two Green big fish and one Purple big fish, he finally caught the first Golden fish! S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That fish transformed into an Eight Desolate Fruit and lay flat on the ground.


    Almost immediately, before anyone had the chance to see, Chen Qiu had stuffed the Eight Desolate Fruit into the Jade Box inside his Storage Ring. He had not expected the Golden fish to transform into an Eight Desolate Fruit.


    Lucky that no one saw.


    If word got out that the Golden fish transformed into an Eight Desolate Fruit, even a fool would realize that in this Secret Realm, the Eight Desolate Fruit ranked higher than the entry jade slips and Mid-grade Spirit Stones.


    The previously unsought Eight Desolate Fruits of Southern State would surely provoke a frenzy of purchasing.


    Although he didn''t know what use this item had, if the Secret Realm considered it to be more valuable than entry jade slips, one should surely buy first and ask questions later, gathering them up just in case they turned out to be useful later on¡ªincurring riches. Those large families and Major Sects wouldn''t mind spending thousands of Spirit Stones to buy some trinkets valued by the Heavenly Dao.


    Golden fish were harder to catch.


    Taking nearly half an hour, he had caught many kinds of fish, and finally managed to catch seven Golden big fish.


    At that moment, in the Jade Box inside his Storage Ring, seven Eight Desolate Fruits lay quietly.


    Just as the Jade Scroll described, shaped like an octagon, like enlarged star anise or carambola.


    There was one hour left before the closure of the Secret Realm.


    With no time to delay further, Chen Qiu stored the fishing rod in his Storage Ring and strode toward the last challenge inside the cabin, namely the Seventh Level.


    ...


    "The Seventh Level, defeat two Golden Core first layer Fishman Monsters within a hundred breaths."


    "..."


    Chen Qiu''s eyes narrowed slightly as he stood on the deserted deck, looking toward the two Fishman Monsters not far away, carrying the terrifying Golden Core Cultivation, feeling somewhat apprehensive.


    This was the last level, the Seventh Level.


    He was unsure whether the Golden Core Fishman Monsters would use a Divine Sense Attack; if they did, it would be difficult for him to withstand it.


    In such situations, the best strategy was to strike first.


    Almost immediately, he crushed two random white entry jade slips he had just fished, without even looking closely at the content of the entries, and at the moment the fog panel disappeared, he detonated the Self-Destruction Terms instantly.


    Two Golden Core Peak cultivators unleashed the Thunder Summoning Technique with all their might, smiting the two Fishman Monsters like Heavenly Punishment the moment the cloud panel vanished.


    The two Fishman Monsters didn''t even have the chance to react before they were reduced to ashes on the spot.


    "Phew..."


    Chen Qiu let out a long breath, feeling relieved. Whether those two Golden Core Fishman Monsters hadn''t had the chance to launch a Divine Sense Attack, or simply didn''t possess such an Attack Method, either way, the last challenge had been surmounted.


    Though it cost him two white entry jade slips that he had just fished up.


    He hoped the rewards from the pink fishing rod wouldn''t disappoint him.


    With a glint of hope in his eyes, he looked toward the dissipating green smoke of the fallen Golden Core Fishman Monsters, hoping to see a Golden Core drop, but there was none¡ªonly waves of green smoke as the mist wrapped around the deck once again.


    He found himself back at the entrance of the Seventh Level room, about to walk up to the deck, when he suddenly froze. His body turned stiffly towards an additional room that had appeared next to the seventh.


    The Eighth Level.


    The entrance to the room was a Seven-colored vortex, and he instinctively looked down at the pink fishing rod in his hand.


    -


    "Pink fishing rod."


    "Can fish up to Pink Level fish species, to upgrade to Seven-colored Level must catch ''eight Pink Level fish species'', and pass through the eighth hidden Seven-colored challenge beneath the deck cabin."


    -


    "Heh."


    Chen Qiu looked at the Seven-colored vortex of the eighth room and couldn''t help but smile, then without any hesitation, he quickly made his way onto the deck, eager to catch eight Pink Level fish and then see what kind of good items the Seven-colored fishing rod could reel in.


    Crossing into a Foundation Establishment Adventure Secret Realm, he didn''t expect the rewards to be so good.


    As expected of an Adventure Secret Realm, he liked it.


    ...


    Cast the rod!


    Finally, after half an hour, he fished up his first Pink Level fish.


    The extremely tender big fish fell on the deck and transformed into a pink Pill.


    "Hmm..."


    Chen Qiu pinched the pink Pill in his hand, observing it. To be honest, he had no idea what the Pill was for, which was what he hated most about such situations¡ªgetting something good without having any clue about its purpose.


    He didn''t even know if it was a poison pill.


    "This..."


    Meanwhile, the scholar who had been quietly fishing with a green fishing rod beside him suddenly had his eyes spark with a dazzling light and spoke with a trembling voice due to overwhelming excitement, "Brother Qiu, I recognize this Pill. Its whole body is pink, with the character for poison inscribed on its surface."


    "It''s a Heavenly Dao Detoxification Pill, capable of neutralizing all poisons."


    "After I was poisoned, I had collected a lot of information about this kind of Pill, but I heard that it was a product from several versions of the Heavenly Dao ago, and it had long since vanished. I never expected to encounter it here today."


    "Oh?"


    Chen Qiu was somewhat surprised too, able to neutralize all toxins? That domineering?


    Then he quickly realized, "Can it purge the poison within you?"


    "Absolutely!!!"


    "Pretty good."


    Chen Qiu smiled, pulling out a Jade Box from his Storage Ring and stuffing the Pill inside. He then threw the Jade Box to the scholar, "Once we''re out, find a spot to detoxify. After your Tao Foundation recovers and you seize the Sword Cultivator inheritance, I''ll be counting on you for my third Nascent Soul body."


    "Good luck."


    His Nascent Soul body was only missing one piece now, and with the scholar, there seemed to be a prospect for obtaining the third. The scholar perfectly met the requirement of maintaining their initial intent through the rise and fall for the Sword Cultivator inheritance.

 Chapter 119

    The scholar gaining the inheritance of the Sword Cultivator was essentially a sure thing.With the small tricks taught by Old Man Cao, combined with the scholar''s dramatic ups and downs over the past few years, which perfectly matched the requirements of the Sword Cultivator''s inheritance, it was basically a done deal.


    Having obtained three Nascent Soul bodies, that task was practically completed.


    All ten entries for Refining Pill were also ready. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Both the Eight Desolate Fruit and the Evil Wood were in hand.


    He also possessed the Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment, the Seven-colored term, and a strand of Heavenly Dao Destiny.


    Now all that was missing were six mid-grade Golden Cores, and this rigorous condition would be completely fulfilled. For this rank ten Golden Core, he really went through a lot of trouble, and he was finally about to reap the fruits of his labor.


    Although Mid-grade Golden Cores were not easy to find, obtaining six within a year shouldn''t be a big issue.


    ... Find your next read on empire


    Chen Qiu didn''t think further but focused entirely on casting his line again, needing to catch a total of eight pink fish to qualify for the eighth-level secret Seven-colored stage¡ªso far, he had only caught one.


    Seven more to go.


    At this moment, not far away, another lucky individual managed to catch a fish that constantly changed colors among grey, green, and seven-colored. This time, the lucky one learned from the previous unfortunate soul''s experience.


    With a determined expression, he chose the seven-colored.


    And so...


    The fish, shifting among the three colors, finally turned grey again and transformed into a single coin.


    The initially gloomy and regretful unfortunate soul, who was regretting not choosing the seven-colored fish initially, paused slightly after witnessing this scene and then suddenly displayed a heartfelt smile, looking genuinely happy.


    Suddenly, he felt much better, though he didn''t know why.


    The once slightly damaged Tao Foundation felt as if it had been instantly repaired. Truly a divine doctor.


    ...


    "Finally, eight of them!"


    After catching many fish of random colors, Chen Qiu finally caught the eighth pink fish. By now, his Storage Ring quietly contained seven "Heavenly Dao Detoxification Pills."


    He didn''t need these now, but they would play a decisive role if he ever needed them in the future.


    After catching the eighth pink fish, he didn''t stay a moment longer. He immediately stored the pink fishing rod into his Storage Ring and ran towards the cabin interior, heading straight for the secret eighth level!


    Time was running short.


    Now, less than half an hour was left before the Secret Realm closed.


    It was his first time feeling that time in the Secret Realm was so short and wishing it could last a bit longer.


    -


    ''Secret Stage: Eighth Level, defeat five Golden Core third-layer Fishman Monsters within a hundred breaths.''


    -


    "Boom!!"


    The moment the cloud mist of the stage panel dispersed, Chen Qiu instantly detonated five white entry card slips he had just caught, releasing a Thunder Summoning Technique. Detonation of the entry card with a full force strike from a Golden Core Peak released only one Thunder Summoning Technique¡ªnot like thousands he could release simultaneously.


    If he had used a card to release the Nine Poison Nether Soul Technique with a full force blow at Golden Core Peak, he would only need one entry to defeat all five Golden Core third-layer Fishman Monsters, as the Nine Poison Nether Soul Technique was an area attack.


    But the advantage of Thunder Summoning Technique was its near-instantaneous execution.


    Unlike the Nine Poison Nether Soul Technique, which needed green Demon Fire to rise in the air before drifting towards the enemy, he wasn''t sure whether the five Fishman Monsters would use Divine Sense Attacks. Naturally, an instantaneous attack seemed more reliable to him, even though it would consume a few more white entries.


    But it didn''t matter anyway.


    Later, when using the pink and golden fishing rods, he caught several more red fish transformed into white entry jade slips, enough for use.


    In this type of battle,


    The one who acts first would win.


    And he was clearly faster.


    The five Golden Core third-layer Fishman Monsters turned into wisps of green smoke in the blink of an eye and disappeared into the ether, accompanied by clouds once again enveloping the empty deck, and he reappeared inside the cabin.


    The eighth room had disappeared after he passed it.


    It seems this Secret Realm only allows one person to possess a Seven-colored fishing rod. Anyway, this rule hardly made any difference, as virtually no one in the Secret Realm even possessed a Purple fishing rod. He noticed only two people had Blue fishing rods, and most of the others had either green or Yellow fishing rods.


    There wasn''t even anyone with a Purple fishing rod, capable of catching Mid-grade Spirit Stones.


    Not to mention possessing a Red fishing rod that could catch white entry jade slips.


    ...


    Standing in the cabin, Chen Qiu looked down at the Seven-colored fishing rod in his hand, its color identical to the Seven-colored term within his Tao Foundation. The rod, composed of seven intertwining colors, felt warm like jade in his hands.


    It was entirely translucent, and had shortened again, now roughly the length of a long sword, hardly resembling a fishing rod anymore.


    -


    ''Seven-colored fishing rod.''


    ''Capable of catching the highest level of Seven-colored fish, upgrade limit reached, can be taken out of the Secret Realm.''


    -


    The Seven-colored fishing rod had reached its limit, and its quality could no longer be upgraded. However, there was an additional line on the panel now: can be taken out of the Secret Realm.


    This made Chen Qiu''s eyes flash with joy.


    He quite liked the rod in his hand; it didn''t look ordinary and even if it served no other purpose, it would make an excellent collectible.


    Moreover, only a Seven-colored fishing rod could be taken out of the Secret Realm.


    He wouldn''t believe for a moment that this Seven-colored rod was utterly useless.


    ...


    Less than half an hour remained of the Secret Realm''s duration. Now was not the time to study these matters. Chen Qiu had already walked briskly toward the edge of the deck, the Seven-colored fishing rod in his hand too conspicuous on the empty deck.

 Chapter 120

    Discover hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire"The scholar said you can''t take the Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pill, which confirms you have a special cultivation method."


    "And if I remember correctly..."


    "Nonsense, that entry precisely involves enhancing one''s Cultivation through lies and deception!"


    "That''s not it either."


    Fat Long slapped his head, feeling like it was about to explode, and furrowed his brows, "But you haven''t even spoken, how could you deceive others, and clearly your Cultivation hasn''t reached the Golden Core, whereas the State Preceptor''s Cultivation must have."


    The scholar remained silent.


    Fat Long had already overturned his own logic many times.


    After that, Fat Long paid no more attention to the scholar''s brother and also silently sat beside the campfire, beginning to ponder seriously. He always felt like his reasoning was correct, even if the State Preceptor wasn''t the scholar''s brother.


    But...


    The State Preceptor''s target might really have been the scholar from the beginning, and Ji Taiping was just a whetstone.


    Otherwise, if the State Preceptor''s target were Ji Taiping, why would Ji Taiping''s realm be so unstable? The State Preceptor definitely wouldn''t want a top Sword Cultivator with an unstable realm.


    Proving this point was simple.


    If one day Ji Renjian suddenly learned the truth and shifted his admiration to the scholar, letting the scholar leverage the effect of the Heavenly Dao Beauty to break through a realm in his understanding of Sword Intent.


    Then it could be confirmed, the scholar was indeed the top Sword Cultivator of Da Xia, pushed forward by the State Preceptor.


    Over these years, the State Preceptor must have been using various methods, giving psychological suggestions to Ji Renjian, telling him the one you truly love is not Ji Taiping, but the one who saved you, you just thought it was Ji Taiping, so you fell in love with him."


    "Damn it..."


    Fat Long, sitting beside the campfire, murmured in shock, "I think I might really have guessed how the State Preceptor did it..."


    "Damn, how could I have guessed it? Could I actually be the State Preceptor?"


    "Did I also seal my own memory and Cultivation?"


    ...


    In the Capital, on "Qingfeng," Ji Renjian, alone, sat atop a mountain rock, his eyelids half-closed, listening to Ji Taiping''s curses from the Sound Transmission Ring in his hand.


    "I know you ran out to have fun last time, because I escorted you all the way, and you were moved."


    "But can you not bring it up all the time?"


    "I really hate you bringing this up all the time!"


    Ji Taiping''s voice in the Sound Transmission Ring carried a strong anger, leaving Ji Renjian at a loss on how to respond. His brother was still dealing with the war turmoil in the Hundred Countries, unable to come back soon, only able to contact through a Sound Transmission Ring.


    After a long while,


    Ji Renjian finally said softly,


    "The State Preceptor prophesied that when I grew up, there would be a crisis, and in that crisis, someone would secretly protect me all along, and that person is my true love."


    "I just want to tell you, the State Preceptor said you''re my true love, and I will always, always love you."


    After a long silence on the other end, Ji Taiping''s hoarse voice came again: "I''m sorry, I shouldn''t have lost my temper at you, it''s mainly because things are hard to handle here. I will also love you always. Once things are settled here, I''ll bring some specialties back for you, don''t overthink."


    "Wait for me in peace on Qingfeng, I''ll come back soon."


    After the Sound Transmission Ring cutoff.


    Ji Renjian sat alone on the rock peak of Qingfeng, no longer speaking, only fiddling with her skirt hem, her expression somewhat lost and distant as she gazed at the ants moving house at the rock bottom.


    Lost in thought.


    ...


    In the Capital City Zhang Family.


    The Zhang Family Patriarch sat with a grim expression in the patriarch''s chair. A few days back, he had communicated with the palace, asking his support within to see if they could somehow get Ji Taiping transferred out of the capital.


    To stop Ji Taiping from troubling Bai Yi. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Leaving it to them to resolve.


    They aimed to capture Bai Yi and force out the secrets for a breakthrough to Nascent Soul.


    Honestly, he had only tentatively spoken with his palace support at the time, not expecting the support to be extremely reliable this time, directly arranging to send Ji Taiping to the Hundred Countries, not only far away but also unable to return soon.


    With heaven and earth as its allies, it was their best chance to strike at the scholar.


    But...


    A few days ago, a sudden decree from the palace reached the Zhang Family, stating that the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard would soon commence, with the top talents from the nineteen provinces of Da Xia, including those from the Hundred Countries, gathering in the capital. They tasked the Zhang Family with the responsibility of safeguarding the capital''s security.


    No one from their family was allowed to leave the capital, not even a half step.


    Otherwise, it would be dealt with as treason.


    The palace seldom used such a stern tone in its messages; when it did, it meant the order left no room for refusal, and one must comply or be seen as defiance.


    Thus, the Zhang Family was forced to stay within the capital these days, only able to watch the scholar make his bold moves everywhere, yet unable to do anything about it.


    "Well then..."


    After a long while, the countenance of the Zhang Family Patriarch gradually returned to composure, a trace of coldness flashing in his eyes.


    The palace was the strongest intelligence agency in Da Xia. Recently, through his palace support, he had learned a lot about Bai Yi and Chen Qiu. Chen Qiu was a Loose Cultivator who had suddenly risen, previously just a woodcutter in Fufeng City.


    Lately, he had taken over a Magic Practitioner''s inheritance and annihilated tens of thousands from the Evil Clan, completely owning the spotlight.


    And Bai Yi claimed to be the Second Elder of the Chao Tian Sect, the one who claimed to be the Great Elder of the Chao Tian Sect being Fat Long, who had fled from the Flower Offering Sect as a fugitive.


    Chen Qiu held a peak Foundation Establishment Cultivation, having seized the Magic Practitioner''s inheritance, and might just arrive in the capital to join the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard. Since Chen Qiu would be there, Bai Yi would definitely come along, and then...

 Chapter 121

    "..."Chen Qiu, with a slightly pale face, sat cross-legged on a rock, introspecting the Golden Core that was slowly revolving above his Dantian, much like the Heavenly Dao Foundation, spinning automatically every moment.


    Whenever the Spiritual Energy inside his Dantian was not full, it replenished Spiritual Energy; once it was full, it enhanced his Cultivation.


    At this moment, on his Dantian,


    numerous entries were engraved, along with twelve strands of Cloud Pattern, and... an Eight-petal Fire Lotus.


    This did not look like an ordinary Golden Core, but rather an intricately carved work of art; he could clearly feel that the intensity of his Golden Core was somewhat outrageous. He didn''t even need to step into the sixth layer of the Golden Core realm to be able to release his Golden Core from his body for an attack.


    "Shoo!" S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With a single thought,


    the Golden Core within his Dantian instantly disappeared and appeared outside his body, transformed into a beam of Liu Guang that smashed towards the distant Deserted Forest, its speed even surpassing the scholar''s Flying Sword. The Golden Core burrowed straight into the ground.


    There wasn''t an explosion or commotion like the scholar''s Qinglian Sword Formation, almost no disturbance at all, nor was there any noise; he could just feel that with an effortless strike, without even exerting much force, the Golden Core had already penetrated hundreds of feet deep into the ground.


    A very powerful single-target attack.


    Were it to hit a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, it would shatter their Protective Spirit Qi and pierce their body in the blink of an eye, of course... normally a Golden Core cultivator would not use a Golden Core to attack a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    Even this effortless strike had enough power to nearly instantly kill an early-stage Golden Core cultivator.


    Recalling the Golden Core, looking at it floating before him, marked with twelve strands of Cloud Pattern, Chen Qiu''s expression was extremely complex. To be honest, he had not expected his Golden Core to reach the twelfth Grade.


    Old Man Cao was at the Nascent Soul stage and a Guardian of the Array Repairer lineage. In his speech, he clearly knew many things that Chen Qiu did not, yet he only told him that Golden Cores peaked at the tenth grade, and even that tended to be the stuff of legends.


    Almost no one had ever reached that goal.


    So what was the situation with this... twelfth grade?


    "Is there even such a thing as a twelfth-grade Golden Core?"


    Brother Qiu, sitting to the side with a dazed expression, looked at the Golden Core that was slowly revolving in mid-air and murmured, "This Golden Core is really beautiful, feels like it''s much more attractive than other Golden Cores."


    Indeed. Stay tuned with My Virtual Library Empire


    Though he was reluctant to use the word "beautiful" to describe a Golden Core, Brother Qiu''s Golden Core truly was beautiful, its overall golden luster shining brightly. The Cloud Patterns and entries engraved on it, including the Eight-petal Fire Lotus, made the Golden Core resemble a fragile piece of art.


    "I don''t know either..."


    The scholar shook his head in bewilderment: "In my original understanding, the highest grade of a Golden Core is the fourth grade. In the entire Da Xia Country, only one person''s Golden Core grade reached fourth, and that is His Majesty himself."


    "The fifth grade is the stuff of legends."


    "It was only after meeting Brother Qiu that I learned Golden Cores could reach the tenth grade. I thought that was the absolute pinnacle, but now this twelfth-grade emergence is even more baffling..."


    "Between Golden Cores of each different grade, the higher one is absolutely overwhelming."


    "Among equal levels of Cultivation, if two Golden Core Great Powers were to collide their Golden Cores, a second-grade Golden Core could definitely smash a first-grade. Golden Core attacks and Divine Sense Attacks are the two most powerful attack methods that distinguish a Golden Core Great Power from a Foundation Establishment Cultivator."


    "However, Divine Sense Attacks can be used against opponents of the same level or even when fighting above one''s level, but Golden Core attacks are absolutely not used when fighting above one''s level. Once the Golden Core is damaged, at the very least, it will require consuming a vast amount of precious materials to repair, and at worst, it could even result in immediate death."


    "On the same level of Cultivation, a second-grade Golden Core would definitely shatter a first-grade Golden Core."


    "If skipping a small realm, for example, a first-grade Golden Core at the second layer of the Golden Core could match a second-grade at the first layer, leading to mutual injury."


    "But a first-grade at the third layer of the Golden Core could smash a second-grade at the first layer."


    "As the Cultivation Realm advances, the strength of the Golden Core, Divine Sense, speed, and so on, all improve."


    The scholar paused for a moment, his throat moving as he swallowed saliva before continuing, "With Brother Qiu''s twelfth-grade Golden Core, even if Brother Qiu is at the first layer of Golden Core, shattering a Golden Core at the peak Great Perfection level would be no problem at all!"


    "Of course... this is only in theory!"


    "Because below the sixth layer of the Golden Core stage, Golden Cores are often as fragile as tofu, completely unable to withstand battle outside the body."


    "Only once reaching above the sixth layer of Golden Core does the Golden Core become a crucial attack method for a Golden Core Great Power, one of the biggest reasons being because it doesn''t dissipate in the air due to the opponent dodging swiftly after being locked on by Divine Sense like a Spell would."


    "The Golden Core can continuously lock onto the enemy, maintaining maximal speed and strength."


    "Moreover, the speed of the Golden Core is faster than many Spells, making it perfect for sneak attacks."


    "As long as Brother Qiu fortifies your Sea of Consciousness, and adds the twelfth-grade Golden Core on top of that, even Golden Core Peak cultivators would not have a good way to handle you, only relying on their Cultivation Strength to oppress you."


    "But... in terms of Cultivation Strength, indeed, those at Golden Core Peak Great Perfection have higher Spiritual Energy intensity than Brother Qiu at the first layer of Golden Core, but when it comes to endurance, those Golden Core Peak cultivators are no match for Brother Qiu."


    "Really? That powerful?" Fat Long said, somewhat confused, "A twelfth-grade Golden Core could face a Golden Core Peak without fear? Surpassing nine grades?"


    "Are you joking?"


    The scholar rolled his eyes at Fat Long, irritated: "This is a twelfth-grade Golden Core we''re talking about. I even suspect that even if we look back tens of thousands of years, no one has ever formed a twelfth-grade Golden Core."

 Chapter 122

    "I hope you can understand, it''s not that the Sect is heartless, but when the Sect invests so many resources in cultivating you, it''s definitely in the hope that you will repay the Sect in the future. However, you... have been avoiding battle too much.""The elders see no hope in you."


    "They feel that instead of investing in you, it would be better to allocate the resources to others who, although less talented than you, are more willing to fight their way up."


    "Hmm."


    Zhao Yishi shook his head, his eyes showing no sadness: "It''s okay, as long as I have enough to eat."


    "Sigh."


    The Sect Master of Caotian Sect let out a long sigh and shook his head helplessly: "Perhaps you are really not suited for the path of cultivation, but even so, you will always be my direct disciple. I will push you to the Golden Core stage with all my strength. At least when you step into the Golden Core stage and someone attacks the Sect, you will step out to protect it, right?"


    Zhao Yishi was someone he had picked up.


    There was a secret he hadn''t told anyone: the first time he saw Zhao Yishi, Zhao''s stature was nearly twelve meters tall, far surpassing that of an ordinary person. At that time, Zhao Yishi looked like a middle-aged man, but for some reason, his thinking seemed very simple.


    At that time, Zhao Yishi already had the "Heaven-reaching Giant" Pink Entry, but according to him, he had never killed a demon beast, and he was this tall after reaching adulthood.


    He completely sealed off this information.


    Only he knew about it.


    That''s why he had always, against the pressure of the Sect elders, tilted a vast amount of resources towards Zhao Yishi, because he always felt that there might be something in Zhao''s body that was extremely suitable for Body Cultivation, such as bloodline.


    Otherwise, how could a normal person be nearly twelve meters tall?


    But so much time had passed, and no miracles had occurred in Zhao Yishi. He was also starting to falter under the pressure exerted by the Sect elders. Perhaps it was really just... a common natural variant.


    ...


    "Why, why!!!"


    At this moment, within the Qu Family Courtyard in the Capital.


    The young master of the Qu Family, Qu Qi, was currently smashing one porcelain piece after another with a ferocious expression, hysterically asking his father: "Why can Chen Qiu, a mere Loose Cultivator, have a Fifth-grade Golden Core?"


    "And I can only have a Third-grade Golden Core?"


    "Didn''t you say that aside from the emperor, a Third-grade Golden Core was already the strongest?!!"


    "Shut up!"


    The Qu Family Master, with a cold and gloomy face, slapped him across the face. The raging Qu Qi was immediately sent flying and hit a corner, covering his reddened cheek with resentment in his eyes as he glared bitterly at the Qu Family Master.


    Ignoring Qu Qi, the master took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the complex emotions in his heart. To tell the truth, Chen Qiu''s sudden breakthrough to Fifth-grade Golden Core had disrupted many of his plans.


    He had never thought someone could forge a Fifth-grade Golden Core.


    He had once contemplated forging a Fourth-grade Golden Core for Qu Qi and had spent a vast amount of Spirit Stones to learn a secret from within the palace.


    -


    "Fourth-grade Golden Core": Using the body of a Nascent Soul as fusion materials, one can forge a Fourth-grade Golden Core.


    -


    To forge a Fourth-grade Golden Core, one needs the body of a Nascent Soul.


    He almost instantly abandoned the plan of forging a Fourth-grade Golden Core for Qu Qi. Where in Da Xia could one find a Nascent Soul, let alone a Nascent Soul body? Oh, it''s not like there aren''t any, everyone knows that each of the Four Forbidden Lands contains a Nascent Soul.


    But who dares to go? Or who can defeat a Nascent Soul?


    Although he was not clear how the emperor got his Fourth-grade Golden Core and from where he obtained the Nascent Soul body, he was absolutely certain about one thing: there was practically no chance of forging a Fourth-grade Golden Core. The Third-grade Golden Core for Qu Qi was already the limit.


    Even he himself was only a Second-grade Golden Core.


    When he stepped into the Golden Core stage, the Qu Family had not fully prospered yet, and they didn''t have the ability to allow him to forge a Third-grade Golden Core.


    The conditions for a Fourth-grade Golden Core were so strict.


    He could hardly imagine how stringent the conditions for a Fifth-grade Golden Core must be, let alone how Chen Qiu managed to attain the Fifth-grade Heavenly Dao Golden Core. He was already uncertain about what to do, and seeing Qu Qi''s behavior made him even more irritable.


    A Golden Core was already a mighty being!


    How could a Golden Core like Qu Qi be so, encountering troubles and then wailing and lashing out, constantly smashing things¡ªa complete lack of dignity!


    Had his way of educating all these years been completely wrong?


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the guest room in the back courtyard of the Qu Family.


    Qu Family''s Supreme Elder was lying on the bed, leisurely picking up a green grape and putting it in his mouth, listening to the smashing noises coming from next door with delight. He was happy; the heavenly sign just now had extended his life by half a year. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Do not underestimate this half-year.


    This meant that, along with his original remaining lifespan, he could now live for another year and a half.


    Perhaps he could wait for someone to break the Nascent Soul barrier, and he could then attain Nascent Soul with them, significantly extending his remaining life and officially starting his brand new life.


    Enjoy new adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    Sometimes he felt his luck was not as good as Qu Qi''s.


    Both were transmigrators.


    He didn''t have Qu Qi''s luck, he didn''t have as much remaining life as Qu Qi, he didn''t enjoy as many resources within the family as Qu Qi did.


    But sometimes.


    He felt that his luck was much better than Qu Qi''s, at least... he didn''t have to do anything, just lay in bed every day and patiently wait, without the qualification to strive.


    Either wait to die or wait to attain Nascent Soul.


    Just these two paths.


    No need for him to make a choice; life suddenly became a lot easier.


    ...


    "..."


    At this time, Chen Qiu was peacefully cultivating inside Fat City Inn, while the scholar was also cultivating in the next room. Chen Qiu still had some Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills left in his Storage Ring, which he didn''t need anymore; he gave them all to the scholar.

 Chapter 123

    ```"Is this the Capital?"


    Chen Qiu stood still, wearing a mask that shielded against Divine Sense detection, glanced at the long queue entering not far away, and then looked towards the bustling scene inside the Capital through the wide-open city gates.


    "The gates of the Capital are open day and night."


    The scholar beside him explained, "As the Capital of Da Xia, it naturally has its own pride¡ªnever closing its gates even at night, without any worry of enemy attacks. In reality, an attack is practically impossible."


    "Unless a Nascent Soul decides to attack, but if a Nascent Soul does come, whether the gates are open or not wouldn''t make much of a difference."


    "In the Capital, even at night, it''s like a scene of peace and prosperity. It''s just that on normal days, there aren''t this many people. Because tomorrow the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard competition is about to begin, tonight the Capital has attracted quite a crowd."


    "After all, this is also a rare grand spectacle."


    "Mhm."


    Chen Qiu nodded his head, not letting his Divine Sense spread out to avoid alerting some Golden Cores in the Capital. The reason he was wearing a mask that shielded against Divine Sense was to keep a low profile for now.


    He then performed introspection, looking at the Shopkeeper who lay sleeping in the disciple dormitory in Kai Mountain City.


    Before coming to the Capital.


    He had made a detour to Kai Mountain City in the Northern State, and temporarily placed the Shopkeeper, who was extremely skilled at breaking the restrictions of Storage Rings, into his small world. After all, in the upcoming Heavenly Pride Secret Realm, he was bound to snatch all kinds of treasures to contribute to his Heavenly Dao Spiritual Treasure.


    He had long been prepared.


    To snatch all the treasures of every Heavenly Pride in the Secret Realm, and then create a Heavenly Dao Spiritual Treasure. In case he encountered any who were unwilling to hand them over voluntarily, the Shopkeeper would be needed to break their seals.


    Snatching was definitely on the agenda.


    After all, only the top three have the qualification to create a Heavenly Dao Spiritual Treasure. But you need your own treasures to craft a Spiritual Treasure of varying Grades based on what you possess.


    He was, essentially, empty-handed.


    No one had prepared these resources for him.


    Aside from his fighting prowess, he had nothing else.


    But no matter.


    With power, the foundations of others became his own.


    When leaving Fatty State.


    He released Liu Zide and his master to help him buy Evil Wood and Eight Desolate Fruit in Fatty State, including the group of more than two hundred people who provided him with many Foundation Establishment Cultivation Pills, whom he also left in Fatty State.


    Liu Zide claimed these men were trained by him, used to working efficiently, and it would be convenient for them to run errands.


    So, he kept them there.


    Initially, he wanted to leave some Spirit Stones for Liu Zide and the others to use for purchasing, but... after his breakthrough to Golden Core, he didn''t have a single low-grade Spirit Stone left. He could only verbally promise to let Liu Zide''s master front the money, and make up for it with Spirit Stones the next time he came to fetch the goods.


    He had intended to explain.


    Your journey continues with My Virtual Library Empire


    But to his surprise, Liu Zide''s master agreed extremely quickly, without any hesitation, and assured him with a slap on his chest, promising to take care of the matter to the best of his ability.


    He didn''t say anything more.


    If only everyone were this easy to communicate with.


    ...


    "Let''s enter the city."


    Chen Qiu glanced at the long queue entering not far away but didn''t join it. Instead, he walked straight toward the city gate. As a Golden Core, he had special privileges in any city; even if you''re the Emperor, you wouldn''t expect a Golden Core to queue up like ordinary people.


    Are you crazy?


    Not directly using Teleportation into your city is already showing respect for your City Protection Array.


    At the entrance of every city, there is an exclusive entry for Golden Core Masters.


    The Capital is no exception.


    After Chen Qiu released his Golden Core pressure, the city gate guards cordially invited them to enter through a side gate without even charging an entrance fee. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    All the way without incident.


    No insignificant challenges arose¡ªin the face of the genuine pressure of a Golden Core, no one was foolish enough to come forward and ridicule.


    While entering the city.


    Chen Qiu indeed saw a mural carved above the city gate wall, exactly as the scholar described¡ªa blurry Immortal holding Mugwort and sprinkling water.


    ...


    "This city gate is the Great North Gate of the Capital."


    "And this main road after entering is called Xuanwu Road."


    The scholar continued, "This main road is the widest and straightest in the Capital. There are four of such roads in total, each named accordingly based on their direction¡ª''Xuanwu Road,'' ''White Tiger Road,'' ''Azure Dragon Road,'' ''Vermilion Bird Road.''


    "And at the crossroads where these four main roads meet, you''ll find the Imperial Palace."


    "At the very center of the Imperial Palace sits the Imperial Chair."


    "That''s where the Emperor of Da Xia sits during the morning court."


    It was nearly midnight by now.


    Still, Xuanwu Road was bustling with people. The vendors were shouting loudly as if they never tired, groups of giggling women in long dresses passed by, holding their mouths as they talked, and Sect Disciples in sect robes with swords at their waists moved in crowds.


    For those Sect Disciples.


    Most of their days were spent cultivating in their sects, and they rarely come to such bustling places. Now, they stared unblinkingly, clearly fascinated.


    From time to time, squads of soldiers clad in armor, with expressions as cold as ice, patrolled past.


    ...


    "How about it, before the Heavenly Pride competition tomorrow, shall we listen to some music tonight?"


    The scholar turned and smiled at Chen Qiu and the others, "The brothels of the Capital gather the finest ladies from Da Xia and the Hundred Countries, each with their own unique talents."


    "..."


    Chen Qiu looked at the scholar strangely, "Didn''t you say you are a Sword Cultivator and refrain from mundane entanglements?"


    "Brother Qiu led me into the world of mortals last time, and only then did I realize I had been too stubborn before."


    ```

 Chapter 124

    Looking at the column of light cast down from midair and surrounded by the applause of the elders from various sects seated nearby, a hint of surprise flashed through Chen Qiu''s eyes as he sat still.He had not expected there to be a segment for introducing the contestants, nor had he thought he would be the first one to be introduced.


    Nonetheless, he stood up, a gentle smile appearing on his face as he nodded slightly to those around him before sitting back down.


    ...


    Not far away, a sect elder with an emotional expression turned to Chen Qiu: "Truly a Talent of Magic Practitioner unparalleled today, normally when the younger generation makes such a big splash, having a Fifth-grade Heavenly Dao Golden Core and being a Heavenly Dao Saint, one would expect their tail to be wagging up to the heavens."


    "But there must be some pride, right?"


    "After all, it really is an astonishing achievement, and indeed there has been no one like him before and likely no one to come after him."


    "But look at that Chen Qiu, his face not showing the slightest hint of complacency, as if everything about the Heavenly Dao Golden Core were just ordinary affairs. With such a temperament on the Immortal Road, he will surely go far, don''t you think, Sect Master?"


    The elder turned his head to look at the middle-aged woman beside him, who was his Sect Master. Though not a young girl, she had a unique charm that young girls did not possess.


    "Hmm..."


    The middle-aged woman, looking somewhat dreamy, murmured as she gazed at Chen Qiu''s gentle smile: "Do you feel... there''s a special aura about Chen Qiu?"


    "Like... like... like a freshly baked pastry."


    "Smells tempting, makes you want to take a bite?"


    After a long silence, the sect elder turned his head again and looked at the now seated Chen Qiu before shaking his head: "Not at all."


    ...


    "Pretending."


    Not far away, Young Master Qu, Qu Qi, watched the gentle smile on Chen Qiu''s face and could not help sneering: "When he slaughtered the Evil Clan, I didn''t see any gentle smiles; he took the lives of tens of thousands, now here he is pretending to be gentle." sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "And a Heavenly Dao Saint, too."


    "If even this can be considered a Saint, the Heavenly Dao really is blind..."


    The voice abruptly stopped, Qu Qi shrank his head and then murmured quietly, looking up: "Heavenly Dao has been deceived."


    ...


    "Is that the Chen Qiu who formed a Fifth-grade Golden Core?"


    In the front row of seats, among the members of the Royal Family, a young girl in a gorgeous long dress turned interestedly toward Chen Qiu: "It has been a long time since I saw father; has His Majesty shown any attitude towards this Fifth-grade Golden Core?"


    "No."


    An older youth next to her shook his head silently: "His Majesty manages countless affairs, and scarcely attends morning court anymore, hardly having the time to concern himself with this prodigy, even though that Fifth-grade Golden Core has made quite a stir."


    "But a Fifth-grade Golden Core ultimately merely indicates that your potential is quite impressive, not that your strength is strong."


    "No matter how you look at it, it''s just a basic Golden Core level."


    "However, making it into the top three shouldn''t be too difficult; as for being the first, that''ll definitely still be Brother Xiao Qiu."


    In recent years, the State Preceptor has been out of public view, and the Emperor has rarely appeared, spending most of his time alone in the deep palace, not allowing anyone to enter, only occasionally coming out for a stroll. Most of the morning courts these years have been presided over by His Crown Prince Highness on behalf of his father.


    Fortunately, the abilities of His Crown Prince Highness are also not bad, and no troubles have arisen. Your journey continues with My Virtual Library Empire


    Amidst this group, a boy with a slightly immature face quietly sat in his seat, his head lowered watching ants running back and forth on the ground. After a while, he suddenly lifted his foot and crushed one of them, then, without saying anything, he continued to watch intently.


    The group of ants, completely indifferent to the death of their companion, continued busying themselves.


    This time, he lifted his foot and crushed all of the ants.


    No more ants were bustling about.


    He is deemed the most powerful among this group, possessing a Second-layer Golden Core Cultivation at only 19 years old. A 19-year-old with a Golden Core is an extremely terrifying entity across the entirety of Da Xia and is the Seventh Prince of Da Xia.


    ...


    Meanwhile, the man standing in the center of the plaza continued to introduce with a resonating and measured voice.


    "The second formidable contestant¡ª"


    "Da Xia''s Seventh Prince, attained Golden Core at 17, a Third-grade Golden Core, once slaughtered thousands of demons single-handedly..."


    "Xia Jiqiu!"


    The statement concluded.


    The youth sitting in the front row seemed as if he hadn''t heard at all, remaining immobile in his seat and not even lifting his head as though the announcement was concerning someone else.


    The man in the center of the plaza also didn''t mind, just continuing.


    "The third formidable contestant¡ª"


    "Young Master Qu of the Qu Family, the husband to five Heavenly Dao Beauties, stepped into the Golden Core within just three years, formerly the strongest Talent of Magic Practitioner in Da Xia..."


    "Qu Qi!"


    "..."


    Qu Qi, who had initially prepared a smile and was about to stand up and greet everyone, blackened in complexion upon hearing the phrase ''formerly the strongest Talent of Magic Practitioner in Da Xia,'' causing many to look at him with strange expressions.


    Feeling everyone''s peculiar stares and having an already fragile ego, he felt as if a fire of namelessness was burning inside him. After standing up, he expressionlessly stared at the man in the center of the plaza and pronounced each word deliberately.


    "Explain...


    "What do you mean by ''formerly the strongest Talent of Magic Practitioner in Da Xia''?"


    Seeing this, the Qu Family Master sitting beside him turned pale with fright, hastily grabbed Qu Qi''s sleeve trying to get him to sit back down. The man in the center of the plaza represented Da Xia, and their Qu family lacked the strength to confront the Da Xia Imperial Family.


    Getting angry usually was one thing.


    Showing disrespect to Da Xia at this moment was asking for retribution later.


    While preparing to introduce the next prodigy, the middle-aged man standing in the center of the plaza, neither humble nor arrogant, looked at Qu Qi and smiled: "Yesterday''s Young Master Qu will always be the former strongest Talent of Magic Practitioner in Da Xia, because the newest Talent of Magic Practitioner in Da Xia will always be today''s Young Master Qu, not yesterday''s."

 Chapter 125 At least give me a chance to make a move!

    The sound of his voice fell.Everyone present clapped, no joking matter as Da Xia hadn''t seen a decisive battle between two sects emerge with full effort for a long time, especially those at the Golden Core Peak stage, who generally played a deterring role.


    They hadn''t made a move.


    All were a group of old men whose lives were nearly depleted, where each action consumed their remaining life span.


    Even the six elderly cultivators at Golden Core Peak, who were sitting in the middle of the square to maintain order, couldn''t help but be moved by the words, and one of them, with an expression neither sad nor happy, looked towards the Sect Master of the Warhammer Sect.


    "No fighting outside the Capital."


    "I understand the rules."


    The Sect Master of the Warhammer Sect smiled and nodded, "I will wait for them to leave the Capital before making my move."


    Seeing that the Warhammer Sect was not joking, several members of the hidden Liu Family sitting in the spectator section became restless, exchanging glances before hesitantly picking up their Sound Transmission Rings to send back the information from there.


    ...


    Just then¡ª


    The second arena battle began.


    This time, Chen Qiu''s opponent was still one at Foundation Establishment Great Perfection, bearing some injuries, appearing to have had a hard-won victory in the previous fight.


    The countdown ended in an instant.


    Before Chen Qiu could make a move,


    this man at Foundation Establishment Great Perfection violently drew his long sword and stabbed it into his own abdomen, stirring it fiercely a few times, then with a pained expression, rolled over to the edge of the arena, and after a few breaths, raised his head with pleading eyes looking at Chen Qiu, his voice trembling from the severe pain.


    "Senior, could you... send me off?"


    "How have I not yet entered a near-death state, I haven''t been expelled, it''s killing me.."


    "I admit defeat..."


    "Uhm..."


    Chen Qiu looked at the man who had mangled his own abdomen in the corner of the platform with a peculiar expression, understanding what the man was trying to do¡ª to enter a near-death state so he could be transmitted out of the Heavenly Pride Secret Realm.


    But... it seemed like the man had undershot.


    With the state he was in now, even the weakest Thunder Summoning Technique Chen Qiu could hurl at him would directly disintegrate him.


    "I''ve got it."


    Suddenly, he thought of a good method¡ª pulling out a long sword from his robe, he walked over to the man, crouched down gently, and said, "Relax, it will be over quickly."


    Then he picked up the long sword and continued stabbing the man constantly in the abdomen.


    Using no Spiritual Energy, no Spells,


    just purely physical attacks¡ªthis way, there should be no issues. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    To be extra cautious, he specifically controlled his strength, making each stab very gentle; finally, on the thirteenth stab, the man, with a trace of resentment in his eyes, was expelled from the Heavenly Pride Secret Realm.


    The second match on the other platforms also ended quickly.


    Thus¡ª


    Only 54 people were left standing in the platforms of the Heavenly Pride Secret Realm.


    Soon, the third arena battle started.


    "Whew..."


    Chen Qiu''s eyes gradually narrowed as he looked at his opponent and exhaled lightly, finally facing a formidable opponent. Standing across from him was a Golden Core Heavenly Pride!


    It was a Demon Cultivator.


    Golden Core first stage, a genius among Demon Cultivators, rumored to have cleared up to the third level in the Demon Cultivation heritage, narrowly missing the fourth round a few years ago and had slaughtered many demon beasts to create the Soul Banner.


    The Soul Banner contained over ten thousand strong Demon Beast Resentful Spirits, with a main formation spirit being a second-stage Golden Core Demon Beast Resentful Spirit, with the majority of other spirits being at the Foundation Establishment or Qi Refinement stages complementing it.


    Under full exertion,


    dark clouds would cover the city, with a Night Parade of Hundred Demons, extremely powerful.


    This was the only Demon Cultivator participating in this competition, where typically Demon Cultivators and Evil Cultivators weren''t allowed due to their status as public enemies in Da Xia, but this Demon Cultivator was rumored to be a non-murderous type, even creating the Soul Banner using weaker demon beast spirits.


    Belonging to a kind-hearted Demon Cultivator.


    Though everyone in Da Xia was encouraged to kill Demon and Evil Cultivators, that was because most of them gained power through slaughtering mortals; non-murderous Demon Cultivators, though not well-regarded, were not universally condemned.


    This was his first face-to-face battle with a Golden Core since he had reached that stage himself!


    Extremely meaningful.


    At the moment the countdown ended, the Golden Core Demon Cultivator Heavenly Pride opposite him swung the Soul Banner with a cold expression, instantly enveloping the platform in dark clouds, as a massive horde of demon beast ghosts surged out from the Soul Banner towards Chen Qiu!


    This strike!


    Ordinary Golden Core cultivators simply couldn''t cope with it.


    To know that one of those resentful spirits in the horde was a second-stage Golden Core spirit; with just this Soul Banner, this Demon Cultivator Heavenly Pride could completely challenge an opponent with a second-stage Golden Core Cultivation!


    Just...


    Unluckily,


    "..."


    Chen Qiu, with a complicated expression, gazed at the countless demon beast ghosts surging towards him, which carried an intense aura of bloodthirstiness, looking quite sinister; but each time these resentful spirits approached him, they would inexplicably scream and dissipate into a wisp of green smoke.


    Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire


    Heavenly Dao Saint.


    Able to obliterate all evil spirits and demons.


    Though unsure if this included Golden Core Peak or Nascent Soul resentful spirits,


    it seemed quite straightforward to extinguish a second-stage Golden Core spirit.


    In just a few breaths'' time,


    the demon race Heavenly Pride, still vigorously waving the Soul Banner, realized no more demon beast spirits were emerging from it.


    "Huh?"


    The man, who continued to energetically wave the Soul Banner, emitting intense Demonic Qi, suddenly noticed that the dark clouds above the platform had cleared and that the platform was now completely empty of any demon beast spirits, leaving him puzzled as he turned towards Chen Qiu, inadvertently asking, "Where are my resentful spirits?"

 Chapter 125

    But soon, the man stored the banner into his Storage Ring, and Demonic Qi began to surge violently around him as he icily stared at Chen Qiu."Well, these little tricks have made you laugh."


    "Next, brace yourself for my second form!"


    "So far, not many people..."


    His words cut off abruptly.


    Chen Qiu launched a Divine Sense Attack, "Heart-piercing Stab," striking the Demon Cultivation Talent who had just been speaking about activating his second form. Immediately, his eyes shut, his body stiffened, and he fell heavily backward onto the ground.


    Then he entered a near-death state and was expelled from the Secret Realm. Enjoy new adventures from My Virtual Library Empire


    "Hmm..."


    Chen Qiu, with one hand supporting his chin, stood deep in thought. The banner''s power had been decent, comparable to his green entry "Resentful Spirit Summoning," yet the resentful spirits in the banner fought more flexibly, even carrying overwhelming Demonic Qi that could induce illusions.


    With this tactic, Yun City would certainly not be able to withstand it.


    Destroying Yun City would be a simple task.


    This was indeed one of the more formidable champions at the first layer of Golden Core, although he didn''t know what this so-called second form was, nor why a Demon Cultivator would have a second form, but that form would surely be stronger.


    But... it seemed still no match for a single blow.


    The defense of his opponent''s Sea of Consciousness was nearly nonexistent. A single Heart-piercing Stab crashed through, effectively ignoring the Protective Spirit Qi. Without any defense in the Sea of Consciousness, it couldn''t withstand it at all.


    After waiting patiently for a few sticks of incense.


    The third arena battle finally ended.


    ...


    The fourth arena battle began!


    Now only 27 people remained on the platform, one lucky individual at the peak of Foundation Establishment had been given a bye, leaving 26 to face their opponents in the fourth round.


    In this round¡ª


    Chen Qiu''s opponent was, a young girl from the Hidden Family Liu Family''s Golden Core.


    Dressed in a black form-fitting bodysuit that showed off her figure, she was holding a dagger dripping with blood. Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she stared at him, her smile chilling to those around her as her voice mixed threats and provocation.


    "Did you ever think of today when you killed my sister?"


    "My sister just wasn''t good at cultivating."


    "Have you ever heard the saying, ''Magic Practitioners shatter on touch against the Shadow Family''?"


    "Within ten paces, no one''s dagger is quicker than mine."


    "Hmm..."


    Chen Qiu absentmindedly hummed a syllable, his gaze fixed on the girl before him, obviously skilled in assassination and stealth. He tilted his head, pondering for a long while before nodding. "It seems you may have some misconceptions about Magic Practitioners because of some lesser-known ones in Da Xia Country."


    "Never mind."


    "You''ll see in a moment." S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ...


    Meanwhile¡ª


    At the seating area outside the Heavenly Realm Square.


    The Sect Master of Warhammer Sect watched Chen Qiu face the Liu Family''s Genius, his expression unreadable, a hint of regret flashing in his eyes. Although he didn''t want to admit it, this Liu Family Genius was very skilled in close-range assassination.


    This person had a technique for creating clones.


    He could instantly create dozens of clones, then it seemed he could swap places with any of them at will, making it impossible to predict where his dagger would strike from. Real and illusion intertwined, impossible to defend against.


    Moreover, that dagger was clearly a treasure, inflicting heavy damage on Protective Spirit Qi every time it struck.


    Her Spirit Armor not only greatly reduced damage from spells but also ignored Divine Sense targeting.


    In essence, a natural buster of Magic Practitioners.


    Magic Practitioners rely on two tactics: Divine Sense to target enemies with spells and Protective Spirit Qi to block attacks, then using Divine Sense to counterattack. Yet, both were perfectly countered by the Liu Family''s Genius.


    Detection of the Liu Family''s Genius was impossible, and with his ability to swap places with any of his clones and techniques like melting into shadows, spells could never hit the Liu Family''s Genius.


    Even though he wanted this Liu Family Genius to die,


    he had to admit¡ª


    This time, Chen Qiu might lose, not because Chen Qiu wasn''t strong, but because he had just met the opponent who could best counter him.


    "Such a pity."


    He shook his head feeling somewhat regretful; if it weren''t for this particular Liu Family Genius, Chen Qiu could have gone further and possibly become an exceptional Genius in the end.


    ...


    The Liu Family Members sitting in the seats watched this scene excitedly, their lips involuntarily curving upwards.


    The Liu Family was famous for killing Magic Practitioners.


    In the Liu Family''s eyes, dealing with Magic Practitioners, even those of higher stages, was easy; four of their passed down Heavenly Dao Terms specifically targeted Magic Practitioners.


    The Sect Master of Caotian Sect looked towards the image broadcast above the square of the Heavenly Realm. He felt somewhat uncertain inside, although he knew Chen Qiu was strong and held a Fifth-grade Golden Core.


    But Fifth-grade Golden Cores were merely a symbol of potential.


    They could enhance strength, but only so much.


    And that Liu Family girl was at the second layer of Golden Core, which already constituted a crushing superiority. This situation, combined with her natural suppression of Magic Practitioners, made the outcome of the duel uncertain.


    For a moment¡ª


    Most of the spectators shifted their gaze from the other arenas, focusing on the match between Chen Qiu and the Liu Family Genius, clearly curious about how this recently risen Magic Practitioner Genius would handle someone who completely overpowered him and was famous for killing Magic Practitioners.


    Who would win and who would lose!


    Would the reputation of the Shadow Family prevail, or would Chen Qiu continue his legendary Genius streak.

 Chapter 126

    At this moment, within the Heavenly Pride Secret Realm.The dark clouds gradually dispersed, the storm abated, and a massive pit replaced the existence of all arenas.


    This might have been the most intense battle ever witnessed in the history of the Heavenly Pride Secret Realm.


    And at this moment, in front of Chen Qiu¡ª


    Those countless heavenly and earthly treasures were slowly melting under the power of the world and then continuously fusing together.


    Seeing this.


    Chen Qiu didn''t hesitate and immediately threw in a wisp of Heavenly Dao Destiny. The moment this wisp of Heavenly Dao Destiny was thrown in, a golden light suddenly appeared on all the earthly and heavenly treasures before they started to slowly merge once more.


    He noticed.


    The main body of this Heavenly Dao Spiritual Treasure forming was astonishingly his Seven-colored fishing rod.


    And without even asking him what Spiritual Treasure he needed, this Heavenly Dao Spiritual Treasure began to forge itself.


    ...


    At this time¡ª


    On the plaza outside of the Heavenly Pride Secret Realm, it was as silent as if there were no people present; even breathing couldn''t be heard. Everyone was expressionless, staring at the now gradually quieting Heavenly Pride Secret Realm.


    Some sect masters, who had originally come with the intention of giving pointers to the geniuses, no longer had smiles or satisfaction on their faces.


    Because they had shockingly realized.


    That if the Ten Thousand Thunder Dragons were to strike them, with their Golden Core fourth layer Cultivation, they would be unable to withstand it.


    If they really had to resist forcefully, there would only be one outcome: death!


    "Phew!"


    After a long while, a sect master among the crowd exhaled, breaking the silence, and people''s faces began to reveal shock and disbelief as they discussed with each other.


    "That was just too exaggerated...


    Right now, the Warhammer Sect Master remained frozen in place, muttering in shock. Originally, when he saw Chen Qiu facing the Liu Family''s Genius, he felt somewhat sorry for Chen Qiu, as the latter''s opponent had just the right means to counter Magic Practitioners.


    It was simply bad luck, no fault in the fight. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But the moment the battle began, Chen Qiu immediately turned his understanding of Magic Practitioners upside down.


    Can''t lock on with Divine Sense? Then don''t lock on.


    Your dagger can cause significant damage to Protective Spirit Qi? Get close first, then talk.


    Your dagger is the fastest within thirty feet? The Thunder Summoning Technique laughed.


    Those thousands of Thunder Dragons directly blasted Liu Family''s Genius and that arena into smithereens, making him redefine both Magic Practitioners and Chen Qiu. By then, he was almost sure that Chen Qiu would definitely win the title of the ultimate Heavenly Pride.


    But...


    The following tens of thousands of Thunder Dragons.


    Carrying an extremely terrifying pressure, they turned the entire Heavenly Pride Secret Realm into a giant pit, which completely dumbfounded him. He watched as Qu Qi, confident as he was, threw out many Protective Talismans and activated Protective Body Techniques when the Thunder Dragons struck.


    He protected himself to the teeth.


    However, in the face of absolute strength, defense is the most helpless tactic.


    Qu Qi melted in the blink of an eye, even his Golden Core was instantly dissolved.


    From the initial worry... til now... discovering he might not even be a match for Chen Qiu; and he had a Golden Core fourth layer Cultivation, while Chen Qiu was merely at the first layer. You''ve just stepped into Golden Core, and you have the ability to fight across four small realms?


    Wasn''t it said that Fifth-grade Heavenly Dao Realm only improves potential and doesn''t help much with combat power?


    "Damn it..."


    The Warhammer Sect Master subconsciously took a deep breath, still a bit dazed, he whispered to his Sound Transmission Ring: "Tell the Supreme Elder to continue his retreat. The Liu Family''s Genius... he died in the Secret Realm, no need to start a war with the Liu Family for now."


    ...


    "..."


    Meanwhile, the Caotian Sect Master also stood in shock, his face filled with disbelief. He had seen the footage of Chen Qiu killing tens of thousands of the Evil Clan in the Endless Wilderness alone, but back then, the Thunder Dragons weren''t as large and couldn''t mobilize the power of heaven and earth!


    Spells capable of invoking the power of heaven and earth are typically within the means of those with Golden Core Peak Great Perfection Cultivation!


    Back then, the Thunder Dragons weren''t nearly as terrifying.


    He had only just stepped into Golden Core, so why did his combat power undergo such an earth-shattering change? He too had once been at Golden Core, so how could he not know that normally stepping into Golden Core would indeed increase one''s strength significantly, but it doesn''t increase that goddamn much!


    Not to mention¡ª


    If he were to take on those tens of thousands of Thunder Dragons head-on, he would not survive.


    It''s that simple.


    ...


    In the crowd, the sect masters of the major sects and family heads of major families all looked towards Chen Qiu standing high in the Heavenly Pride Secret Realm, their faces filled with shock, finding it difficult to imagine how such a terrifying heavenly might could burst forth from the body of this young man who appeared somewhat slender and handsome.


    Is this still a Magic Practitioner?


    Are Magic Practitioners like this?


    However, since Chen Qiu''s combat was in full public view, many caught on to his weakness.


    A sect elder shook his head, stating solemnly: "This Chen Qiu''s methods are indeed terrifying, but he also has a weakness, which is his Divine Sense. Didn''t you notice that he hasn''t used Divine Sense locking from beginning to end?"


    "This indicates his poor control over Divine Sense locking. After all, he has just entered Golden Core. If one is fast enough, it might be possible to evade."


    "That''s not it..." The head of a family standing beside the speaking sect elder looked incredulously at him, pointing to Chen Qiu in the Secret Realm, shocked: "Fellow Daoist, are you joking?"


    "Do those tens of thousands of Thunder Dragons need Divine Sense locking?"


    "Where can you run to?"


    "Did you see any of those Heavenly Prides escape?"


    "Ordinary people definitely can''t run away." The sect elder said earnestly: "But if your Cultivation is at the Golden Core third layer or higher, and you are proficient in movement techniques, you could indeed flee instantly, then return after the Thunder Dragons have dispersed."

 Chapter 127 Wide Range Automatic Locking Head.

    It''s called the Seven-Colored Wooden Umbrella.But it is more appropriately called the Seven-Colored Jade Umbrella, with its main structure being the seven-colored fishing rod, painted in seven colors, as smooth as jade. Holding it feels just right¡ªnot too slippery, with a slight roughness that gives it a tangible quality when gripped in hand.


    No need to drip blood.


    Chen Qiu, sitting cross-legged on his bed, gently exhaled his Golden Core, his eyes tightly shut as he circulated his mental method. All he needed to do was to bring the Golden Core close to the Seven-Colored Jade Umbrella, and then after about six hours or so, it would be fully refined.


    By then, this Seven-Colored Jade Umbrella would become his lifebound magical artifact.


    However, just as he had begun to circulate his mental method, he suddenly felt a tremor in his heart. He saw that the Seven-Colored Jade Umbrella had already transformed into a miniature version hovering over his Dantian, evidently already fully refined.


    "..."


    Chen Qiu remained silent and did not speak.


    The speed was much faster than he had imagined, and he discovered another hidden effect of the twelve-grade Golden Core¡ªit could instantly refine a Spirit Treasure. After all... a twelve-grade Golden Core was top grade, and no Spirit Treasure dared to act up.


    With a thought,


    The Seven-Colored Jade Umbrella appeared outside his body in a blink of an eye, flying continuously inside the room at his command.


    After successfully refining it, he felt a mysterious and profound connection between his spirit and this lifebound Spirit Treasure. Naturally, the power of the Spirit Treasure would significantly increase after becoming a lifebound one, and its use became more seamless. However, the downside was that if the lifebound Spirit Treasure was damaged, he would also suffer accordingly.


    After closing his eyes and feeling the specific effects of the Seven-Colored Jade Umbrella,


    He opened his eyes, a flicker of astonishment passing through them.


    This Spirit Treasure...


    Was stronger than he had imagined.


    Spirit Treasure grades are divided into¡ª


    Foundation Establishment High Grade... Foundation Establishment Top Grade... Golden Core High Grade... Golden Core Top Grade, etc.


    The higher the grade of the Spirit Treasure, the stronger its power. At the same time, only the corresponding Cultivation can unleash its full power. If one with insufficient Cultivation forcefully activates a very high-grade Spirit Treasure, at best they would seriously injure themselves, and at worst, they would be drained of all Spiritual Energy and even their Dantian would be absorbed, turning them into a dried corpse.


    This Heavenly Dao Spiritual Treasure of his was a growing Spirit Treasure; its grade would continuously rise as its nurture grade increased.


    This Seven-Colored Jade Umbrella was of Golden Core Low Grade, the same grade as his Cultivation. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But...


    There are grades even within the same level, such as different Golden Core Low Grade Spirit Treasures having varying strengths, depending on which Cultivation could fully exert the Spirit Treasure''s power.


    And Spirit Treasure grades are divided into three kinds.


    Human Level, Earth Level, Heavenly Level.


    Currently, all artifact cultivators in Da Xia Country can only create Human Level Spirit Treasures due to a break in the transmission of knowledge, hence nobody discusses this matter, and it''s assumed all Spirit Treasures are of Human Level.


    And all past Heavenly Dao Spiritual Treasures were of Earth Level.


    This is also why Heavenly Dao Spiritual Treasures are highly sought after, and this Seven-Colored Jade Umbrella in his hand, under the auspices of his entry and a strand of Heavenly Dao Destiny, had reached the Heavenly Level.


    Golden Core Low Grade, Top Heavenly Level Spirit Treasure.


    This grade was already the strongest among all Golden Core Low Grade Spirit Treasures.


    There were many precious natural resources involved in this, attributable to his exceptional, yet uncommon material¡ª the seven-colored fishing rod. It also involved the entry and a strand of Heavenly Dao Destiny.


    Under all these factors, barring any accidents, this Seven-Colored Jade Umbrella could be used indefinitely.


    An unlimited growth grade.


    No matter how high his Cultivation, it could always be of use, although breaking through a major grade, such as from Golden Core Top Grade to Nascent Soul Low Grade, would require replenishing with some precious natural treasures for promotion.


    And the effects of this Seven-Colored Jade Umbrella were even more astonishing.


    The effects are simple, just three.


    -


    When you wield this Spirit Treasure, the power of the spells released will be enhanced, and the consumption of Spiritual Energy will be reduced by fifty percent.


    When the canopy is spread open, it can transform into a defensive Spirit Treasure, capable of blocking a full-force attack from a fourth-level Golden Core Cultivation and below.


    When the canopy is open, Divine Sense will automatically lock onto all beings within its range that you consider to be enemies.


    -


    As the grade of this Spirit Treasure rises, these three effects will also improve.


    Reflecting on these three effects, Chen Qiu gradually fell silent, not because they weren''t strong, but because they seemed almost too powerful.


    The first effect needs no further discussion.


    There''s nothing much to say.


    Nearly all magical practitioner''s Spirit Treasures contain this effect; it''s a universal effect. For a magical practitioner''s Spirit Treasury, this effect is the most essential and the most important, although other magical practitioners'' Spirit Treasures don''t offer nearly as ridiculous an enhancement as his does.


    A fifty percent reduction in the consumption of Spiritual Energy theoretically equates to a direct doubling of combat power¡ªyou can cast twice as many spells.


    Originally, under his full fire, using various entries such as "Ten Layers of Spellcasting," he could emit over four thousand Thunder Dragons.


    Discover stories with My Virtual Library Empire


    Now, it would be eight thousand.


    Moreover, it also enhanced his spell''s power, making the Thunder Summoning Technique he now wielded with the Seven-Colored Jade Umbrella even more powerful and intense. And not just for the Thunder Summoning Technique¡ªbut for spells like the "Nine Poison Nether Soul Technique," which he didn''t use often, would also have increased power.


    The second effect integrates offense and defense. Defensive Spirit Treasures are extremely important for magical practitioners. Everyone knows that among the same level of Cultivation, the defense of magical practitioners is the weakest, after all, a person can only possess so many resources. If you spend most of your resources enhancing your offensive capabilities, naturally, there won''t be much left to boost your defense.


    Unless one directly ignores their offensive capabilities and exchanges all their resources for defensive Spirit Treasures and defensive spells, but if so, what''s the point of choosing to be a magical practitioner? One might as well choose Body Cultivation.


    Unless, like Qu Qi, you have an abundance of resources and can afford to buy many Protective Spiritual Treasures and Protective Talismans, naturally integrating offense and defense.

 Chapter 127 Wide Range Automatic Locking Head. _2

    But even so...none can withstand as well as Body Cultivators. Body Cultivators forge their own bodies like Spiritual Treasures, with their flesh being a growable Spiritual Treasure. They don''t rely on Protective Spirit Qi. Instead, they let Spiritual Energy seep into every part of their bodies directly through shattered meridians, which makes them extremely resilient.


    And this is currently his only Protective Spiritual Treasure.


    "Hmm..."


    Although he hasn''t encountered a situation that requires self-defense, having one is always better than none.


    The third effect, bluntly put, is a wide-range, unlimited, automatic targeting ability.


    Normally speaking, a freshly advanced Golden Core Divine Sense can lock onto only one target.


    With more proficient control over Divine Sense, one can gradually increase this to three, five, or even dozens of targets. Locking onto hundreds simultaneously tends to be more difficult, since one has to split their Divine Sense into hundreds of strands to target different people.


    If one is a Golden Core with an extremely high control of Divine Sense, they might be able to achieve this during stationary training. But in the throes of fierce battle, it''s almost impossible.


    And the enemies aren''t fools either.


    Through the use of techniques like escape arts or stealth spells, as long as one moves quickly enough or can evade Divine Sense targeting, it''s difficult for your Divine Sense to lock onto them.


    With his ability...


    within the range of his Divine Sense, every being he identifies as an enemy can be automatically targeted. His Divine Sense range isn''t that of a typical first-layer Golden Core, which is about twenty miles in radius.


    It''s one hundred and thirty miles.


    This means that as soon as enemies appear within his Divine Sense range, all of them will be automatically targeted, and being targeted by a Magic Practitioner''s Divine Sense often means that in the next moment, multiple spells will come hurtling at incredible speed.


    Of course, Divine Sense Attacks are not feasible, as they cause wear to the Sea of Consciousness. After several uses, they require a slow recovery. The recovery of the Sea of Consciousness can''t be hastened with external forces and must happen naturally. This is a last resort move, not to be squandered carelessly.


    Excessive use of the Sea of Consciousness can be dangerous to a person''s mental state and life.


    Divine Sense Attacks can''t launch dozens or hundreds simultaneously, but targeting with Divine Sense is different. This has minimal wear on the Sea of Consciousness, especially since he also possesses the "Mutual Growth" entry, which enhances his Sea of Consciousness capacity.


    He can target more individuals simultaneously, though he hasn''t tested it and isn''t clear on the exact number he can lock onto.


    He certainly didn''t dare experiment now in the Capital...


    If hundreds or even thousands were targeted by Divine Sense simultaneously, it was no joke. Such intense fluctuations of Divine Sense would activate the Capital''s grand formation, and in the next moment, multiple Golden Core Peaks would descend above his inn.


    After refining his Lifebound Spirit Treasure, Chen Qiu was quite satisfied with it. Instead of cultivating further, he decided to sleep that night.


    Even though his Golden Core meant he didn''t need to sleep to maintain his energy...


    sleeping was still more comfortable.


    After so many tiring days, it was also time to rest.


    Having refined it into his Lifebound Spirit Treasure, he also learned its official name.


    "Seven-Colored Heavenly Mechanism Umbrella."


    ...


    Meanwhile, in Da Xia''s Capital, within the Imperial Palace...


    In a study guarded by several Golden Cores and concealed in darkness, a cloaked man with an indistinct face calmly looked at thirty-six brocade bags spread out on his desk.


    At this moment, twenty-four of the brocade bags had been opened.


    Twelve remained unopened.


    Each bag had a note stuck on its exterior.


    On the note stuck to the thirteenth bag, it read:


    Discover more content at My Virtual Library Empire


    "To be opened when the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard is down to one."


    "..."


    The man in the study stared at this note for a long while before he reached out with his slender, fair hand to pick up the brocade bag. He sent his Divine Sense into the bag. This bag was set with an extremely special restriction. If not opened with the Secret Technique, forcefully breaking it open would only cause the brocade bag to combust and prevent Divine Sense from penetrating.


    There was only one person capable of setting such a restriction.


    And that person had vanished along with the State Preceptor''s seclusion, not to be seen since.


    After probing the brocade bag with his Divine Sense and dispelling it according to the Secret Technique, a piece of paper floated out.


    In the study...


    Only a single oil lamp burned, the light dim. Under the starry sky, the Imperial Palace seemed exceedingly quiet. The man sitting at the desk appeared somewhat dreamy as he recalled the note''s contents, his fingers absentmindedly rubbing the paper as he murmured.


    "State Preceptor... State Preceptor..." S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Is he the one you chose?"


    He then fell silent once more and after a long pause gently shook a copper bell on the desk, saying softly to someone outside, "Inform the Flower Offering Sect that they may begin."


    "Allow Ji Taiping to return to the Capital in thirty days."


    No sound came from outside the study, and the man at the desk did not speak further, only glancing toward a placed Illusion Stone on the table. When used, this stone could wipe all memories and grant one the chance to live again.


    No powerful being could guarantee that starting from scratch, they would reach the same heights as before.


    Only one person, having discarded all memories with the Illusion Stone, lived thirty-six lifetimes. In twenty-seven of them, he attained extraordinary heights, and only in nine did he fail.


    In those nine lives, he died amidst the rise, never dying of old age.


    This man was the State Preceptor.


    Having secluded himself for cultivation years ago, he had not emerged since.


    After some time, the man at the desk, slightly exhausted, slowly closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair.

 Chapter 127 Wide Range Automatic Locking Head._3

    On the desk,The first brocade bag that was opened also had a note attached to the outside.


    "Deliver to the Capital City Zhang Family, stating that the number one sword cultivator Bai Yi of Da Xia possesses the method to achieve the Nascent Soul, causing his cultivation to fall and leaving him wandering in Fufeng City''s Wentian Fang Market. Pay close attention at all times and do not allow him to join any clans, sects, and powers. Whoever contacts him too much, kill."


    ...


    "It has begun."


    The face of the Flower Offering Sect Master flushed red, standing excitedly and trembling at the high altitude above the Flower Offering Sect, and looking down at the cave dwelling below the Heavenly Girl, he said with trembling voice, "Someone of great importance from the palace has sent a letter!!"


    "The opportunity for the Flower Offering Sect has finally arrived!!!"


    "..."


    The Flower Offering Sect Grand Elder stood beside, his expression complex and without saying much, always felt that there was something not quite right about this situation. There''s a price for everything in the world, and different matters correspond to different prices.


    The revival of the Flower Offering Sect corresponds to the loss of a Heavenly Girl.


    The two are clearly not equivalent.


    Under such unequal circumstances,


    There are only two possibilities, one is that the former is false, and the other is that the latter is not just a Heavenly Girl. Whichever possibility it is, he felt it was not a good thing.


    But after all, he is just the Grand Elder and within the Flower Offering Sect, the Flower Offering Sect Master holds absolute authority; he cannot interfere.


    Nonetheless, he couldn''t suppress the worry in his heart and spoke out to remind, "Sect Master, the Supreme Elder of our Flower Offering Sect passed away a few years ago. Although we have hidden this news from the outside, you know well that our Flower Offering Sect currently does not have a Golden Core Peak Great Perfection cultivation powerhouse to oversee it."


    "The strongest is you, Sect Master, with a Golden Core fourth-layer cultivation."


    "If this news spreads, in case any accident happens, the Flower Offering Sect does not have the capacity to combat the risks."


    The Flower Offering Sect Master shook his head, his expression turning cold as he said solemnly, "A while ago, we followed Fatten State''s example and invested a large number of Spirit Stones, creating a large quantity of Memory Stones in two states, aiming to climb the Fame Ranking to obtain a large number of Foundation Establishment Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills."


    "However, just as we invested a big amount of Spirit Stones and barely reaped the benefits for a few days, the Fame Ranking was closed."


    "Causing our sect to suffer a great loss of Spirit Stones."


    "The influential figure within the palace has promised us that after the matter is done, he will give us fifty thousand low-grade Spirit Stones. This sum could inject a massive new life into the Flower Offering Sect. Don''t be too timid to act, fearing wolves ahead and tigers behind."


    "Nothing can be accomplished that way."


    "Do as the influential figure in the palace has directed."


    After a moment of silence, the Flower Offering Sect Grand Elder still nodded and replied, "Understood."


    ...


    The next day¡ª


    Inside the Capital, Chen Qiu woke up in the inn, went out the door, and saw Fat Long and a few others waiting for him at the entrance with smiles on their faces.


    "Let''s go."


    Helplessly glancing over them, Chen Qiu took the lead and walked down the inn''s corridor, as if no matter how early he woke up, he could never be up earlier than Fat Long and the others. He was starting to suspect they started waiting for him even before dawn.


    Today there was nothing to do.


    But just as they had barely stepped into the inn''s lobby, they heard the customers at a few nearby tables who were having breakfast whispering to each other.


    "Did you hear? The news that Flower Offering Sect''s Supreme Elder has long since passed away has leaked out, and the strongest they now have is the current Sect Master with a fourth-layer Golden Core cultivation. Without the Supreme Elder, the Sect Ranking is bound to fall significantly."


    "Indeed. Whether or not a sect has a Golden Core Peak Great Perfection cultivator fundamentally differentiates one sect from another."


    "However, I''ve heard that the Heavenly Girl, not knowing what grave mistake she made, is to be publicly executed today."


    "Who knows, in any case, that Heavenly Girl is not a good person, always trying to seduce various Heavenly Prides. Her frivolous conduct is genuinely nauseating."


    "..."


    Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire


    Chen Qiu, while about to leave the inn, upon hearing the news discussed by the surrounding customers, paused slightly and frowned. Then, he took big steps and left the inn, casually strolling down the alley with Fat Long and the others without much care.


    After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea,


    Chen Qiu suddenly laughed, turned his head and looked at Fat Long: "Why are you silent? I thought you''d be the first to speak up."


    He knew that Fat Long had once suffered great humiliation in the Flower Offering Sect, and his greatest wish in life was to one day annihilate the Flower Offering Sect.


    Now that the Flower Offering Sect Supreme Elder had passed away and the strongest they had was just a Sect Master with a fourth-layer Golden Core cultivation, with his own strength, he was totally capable of annihilating the Flower Offering Sect. This was the best opportunity; he thought Fat Long would not be able to hold back from speaking up soon, but unexpectedly Fat Long did not show the slightest intention to speak. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ahem..."


    Fat Long, feeling somewhat embarrassed after his thoughts were exposed, whispered, "Well... Brother Qiu, the main thing is, after all, the Flower Offering Sect Master does have a fourth-layer Golden Core cultivation, and there''s also the Mountain Protection Array. Even though you are very strong, Brother Qiu, you might still get injured."


    "Although I really want to destroy the Flower Offering Sect,"


    "To wipe out those evil demons that absorb mortal life force once and for all, but..."


    "I don''t want Brother Qiu to get hurt even more."


    "We are developing well now. As long as we keep progressing step by step, there will come a day when we can annihilate the Flower Offering Sect without getting hurt at all. There is no need to take risks at this time."


    "Hmm."


    The scholar nodded earnestly and said, "Brother Qiu, Fat Long is right. Golden Core fourth-layer and Golden Core first or second layer are not on the same level. One is in the middle stage of Golden Core and the other is in the early stage of Golden Core. There''s a world of difference."


    Chen Qiu chuckled lightly, said nothing, and used his Heavenly Mechanism Umbrella as a walking stick, tapping it on the ground and continued walking down the cobblestone path: "Let''s go, a mere fourth-layer Golden Core, it''s not a problem."

 Chapter 127 Wide Range Automatic Locking Head._4

    ...Since Chen Qiu was determined, the few others did not speak to stop him.


    After leaving the Capital, the scholar summoned Qingfeng and shot towards the direction of the Flower Offering Sect. Within a dozen breaths, they had already landed at the gate of the Flower Offering Sect.


    There were two Kai Mountain Disciples of the Flower Offering Sect guarding the gate, clutching the Sound Transmission Talisman in their hands and looking coldly at Chen Qiu''s group, who had appeared out of thin air. In a hoarse voice, they demanded, "Who goes there, state your name."


    Chen Qiu did not speak.


    He simply surveyed the surroundings.


    The Flower Offering Sect was located within the massive range of mountains, Jing Province, where a vast expanse of endless mountains could be found, many of which were rich in Spiritual Energy. That''s why many sects had set up their bases here.


    The Flower Offering Sect was on one of the peaks within this mountain range.


    In the midst of winter, most of the mountain was covered with bare branches, giving it a somewhat desolate look. Come next spring, these bare branches would sprout green leaves anew, a cycle repeating year after year.


    Although the Flower Offering Sect had announced that today''s execution of the Heavenly Girl was open for the public to watch, no one had gone up the mountain. What kind of sect the Flower Offering Sect was, everyone knew - not Evil Cultivation or Demon Cultivation, but it was much worse in comparison.


    Going up was simple, but it was uncertain whether one could come down.


    Anyone with a sensible mind wouldn''t want to get involved in this troublesome matter.


    Just at that moment¡ª


    The pupils of the two Mountain Guarding Disciples at the gate started to show a hint of coldness, and they spoke again with an icy voice, "I''ll ask one more time, state your name, or else..."


    Their voices suddenly stopped. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Two Divine Sense Attacks swept through them.


    The two Mountain Guarding Disciples immediately stiffened and crashed heavily onto the ground behind them, sleeping very soundly without moving an inch.


    "Let''s go."


    Chen Qiu, with a calm expression, opened the Heavenly Mechanism Umbrella and strode into the Mountain Gate, walking along the path towards the mountain top. Almost at the instant he opened the umbrella, dense black clouds swiftly enveloped the entire Flower Offering Sect.


    The light quickly dimmed.


    The storm howled and roared toward them.


    The originally calm and sunny Flower Offering Sect was suddenly shrouded in the storm. Such changes in the heavens and earth naturally completely startled the Flower Offering Sect.


    And his Divine Sense also instantly spread out, locking down everyone within the Flower Offering Sect. For the Foundation Establishment Disciples, being locked by the Divine Sense of a Golden Core cultivator basically meant that they were already hovering on the edge of death.


    ...


    Dozens of breaths later.


    Chen Qiu, holding the Heavenly Mechanism Umbrella, led Fat Long and the others up the stone steps through the storm, their robes flapping loudly in the wind. Today, he had switched to a black robe, having grown a bit tired of always wearing green.


    By the time he walked up the stone steps to the Sect Hall at the summit.


    In the black clouds overhead, tens of thousands of Thunder Dragons, carrying an incredibly terrifying pressure, churned with deafening roars of thunder.


    The awe of heaven and earth was terrifying indeed.


    Meanwhile, the Green Stone Square in front of the Sect Hall of the Flower Offering Sect was packed with people. Disciples, elders, and the Sect Master of the Flower Offering Sect all stood at the Sect Hall, their expressions on guard against the powerful intruders.


    And on the central stone column of the Sect Hall.


    The roaming Heavenly Girl of the Flower Offering Sect, covered in bloody whip marks and bound by iron chains to the stone column, was at her last breath. But when her blurry eyes saw Fat Long behind Chen Qiu, she couldn''t help but cry with joy, using all her energy to speak with an excited and trembling voice.


    "Little Fatty... you really came!"


    "I finally waited for you..."


    "You''ve really become a big shot and are here to slaughter the Flower Offering Sect, but you can''t beat the Sect Master. You need to escape quickly!"


    "It''s too late if you don''t leave now!!"


    At that moment, the Sect Master of the Flower Offering Sect, his body surging with majestic Spiritual Energy and his fourth-layer Golden Core cultivation not hidden at all, stood expressionless in the storm as his robes flapped fiercely, but his eyes were intently fixed on Chen Qiu as he spoke each word coldly.


    "Da Xia''s unrivaled Heavenly Pride, Chen Qiu."


    "You come alone to my Flower Offering Sect and initiate Divine Sense Lockdown. Are you declaring war on the Flower Offering Sect?"


    "I don''t recall us having any grievances."


    If it were not for Chen Qiu''s Divine Sense Lockdown making him apprehensive, he would have attacked without hesitation. There was no need for idle talk. The Flower Offering Sect had over two thousand people including the Disciples and Servant Disciples, and all sorts of supplies.


    Yet all these more than two thousand people were locked down by Chen Qiu''s Divine Sense.


    He had never seen a Magic Practitioner who could lock onto so many people with their Divine Sense at the same time.


    It was simply inconceivable.


    ...


    "Uh-huh."


    Chen Qiu, holding the Heavenly Mechanism Umbrella and walking up the steps to the Sect Hall, stood on the Green Stone Square. Facing the storm, he looked at the Flower Offering Sect''s disciples and elders, who were prepared for battle not far away, and the Flower Offering Sect Master at the forefront. After a long pause, he chuckled lightly.


    "There''s naturally no grudge between us."


    "But there''s a bit of a grudge between you and this brother of mine."


    "I''m someone who not only likes to avenge myself, but also likes to help my brothers seek vengeance."


    "What''s more, I''m a bit displeased with the way you use mortals as supplements to improve your cultivation."


    ...


    The Flower Offering Sect Master at the very front stared coldly at Chen Qiu''s eyes. Chen Qiu''s Heavenly Mechanism Umbrella was held very low; he couldn''t see Chen Qiu''s eyes and nose, only his smile, which made it difficult for him to discern Chen Qiu''s true intentions for this visit.


    Was it to show off his power before discussing a matter, or was it to get ready for a direct confrontation.


    Although Chen Qiu was only at the first level of the Golden Core Stage, it had to be said that the tens of thousands of Thunder Dragons did give him some trouble.


    If possible, better not to start a battle.


    "Mortals?"


    Even though he was unclear about Chen Qiu''s intentions, now that Chen Qiu had spoken, he had to continue the conversation. The Flower Offering Sect Master, looking straight at Chen Qiu, enunciated each word: "Every year, fewer than a hundred thousand mortals die at the hands of the Flower Offering Sect."


    "But do you know how many mortals die in an earthquake?"


    "How many die in a flood?"


    "Who causes the floods and earthquakes?"


    "It''s Heavenly Dao!"


    "Heavenly Dao slaughters mortals, could it be that you also disapprove of Heavenly Dao''s actions?"


    "Do you want to kill Heavenly Dao too?!"


    "You''re wrong."


    Chen Qiu held the Jade Umbrella, standing in the storm, and looking squarely at the Flower Offering Sect Master with a light chuckle: "I''m not here to debate the Dao with you. When it comes to Dao I disapprove of, destruction is a more efficient solution than persuasion."


    With that said!


    Thunderous noises, deafening again, began to boom repeatedly!


    Stay updated through My Virtual Library Empire


    The tens of thousands of Thunder Dragons in the black clouds immediately descended upon the countless Flower Offering Sect disciples below who were locked by the Divine Sense Attack, leaving them with nowhere to escape. Initially, in the indiscriminate bombing, there might have been a slim chance for lucky survivors, but now, no fish would slip through the net.


    "How dare you!"


    Seeing that Chen Qiu had no intention of negotiating and attacked immediately, the Flower Offering Sect Master couldn''t help but let out an angry howl, his face contorted in rage. Following his yell, the disciples of the Flower Offering Sect hurriedly pulled out the human supplements from behind to shield themselves.


    "There are thousands of mortals here. Stop immediately, or else..."


    Before he could finish.


    "Boom boom!!!"


    The countless Thunder Dragons almost instantly blasted the Flower Offering Sect''s Mountain Protection Array to smithereens, then, carrying an extremely terrifying pressure, slammed hard onto the top of the Flower Offering Sect''s mountain, accompanied by numerous explosions.


    Apart from the Flower Offering Sect Master and the Great Elder, everyone else turned to ash.


    The Flower Offering Sect Master managed to protect himself and the other elder, also at the Golden Core Stage, with a precious treasure. But now, they were also full of injuries, with unstoppable blood dripping from their fingertips onto the ground, standing in place with disordered breaths and a twisted expression, looking at Chen Qiu and roaring in anger.


    "You said you disapproved of our slaughter of mortals, didn''t you?"


    "What are you doing!!!"


    "Me?"


    Chen Qiu, as if taking a leisurely walk in the garden, faced the storm and slowly walked towards the depths of the Green Stone Square, smiling: "I''m helping them. They''ve been used as supplements by you for so long; they''re barely alive. Even if they survived, they wouldn''t live long."


    "I believe."


    "For them, I''m sure they would rather not drag out their miserable existence and instead would prefer to take you, a group of evil demons, down with them."

 Chapter 128

    "Dammit!!!"The severely injured Flower Offering Sect Master stood tottering on the spot. Just now, thousands of Thunder Dragons had struck him, nearly costing him half his life, and the defense treasure he had been relying on had also turned to ash.


    He had seen Chen Qiu in the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard.


    He knew that with such a tactic, Chen Qiu could use it a second time in a short period.


    He definitely wouldn''t be able to withstand a second blow. Now was his only chance to strike back.


    "You''ve destroyed my sect''s foundation, you deserve to die a thousand times!!!"


    Blood dripped from the fingertips of the Flower Offering Sect Master as his chaotic breathing rapidly settled. With a ferocious expression, he plunged his right hand forcefully into his left chest and, with bloodthirsty eyes staring straight at Chen Qiu, he roared, "Heavenly Demon Destruction!"


    The majestic Spiritual Energy began to surge out from the body of the Flower Offering Sect Master, and the terrifying pressure of his fourth-level Golden Core mercilessly bore down on the hearts of everyone present.


    As his words fell,


    a Bone Chain, forged from countless skulls, suddenly appeared in the hands of the Flower Offering Sect Master, while behind him in the high sky, a skeletal phantom tens of meters tall materialized, its body carrying a rich aura of death, holding a Bone Chain as well.


    However, this was just the beginning. As the Flower Offering Sect Master exerted himself, skeletal armor began to gradually emerge on the body of the giant skeletal phantom behind him.


    Just then¡ª


    The emergence of the skeletal armor on the skeletal phantom abruptly ceased.


    At that moment, the body of the Flower Offering Sect Master also stiffened in place, blood streaming from his orifices as he stared with unwilling eyes at Chen Qiu, who was walking towards him through the storm. Just now, a Divine Sense Attack had directly shattered the defenses of his Sea of Consciousness in an instant, completely destroying his Sea of Consciousness! Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    How... how is this possible?


    Inside his Sea of Consciousness, he had placed a Spiritual Treasure specifically designed to defend against Divine Sense Attacks, capable of withstanding the attacks of a fifth-level Golden Core!


    The Divine Sense Attack that had just penetrated his Sea of Consciousness was even more powerful and violent than a fifth-level Golden Core''s. Chen Qiu was only at the first level of Golden Core cultivation!


    ...


    Meanwhile,


    Chen Qiu, holding the Heavenly Mechanism Umbrella in the storm, with his robes billowing, slowly walked up to the Flower Offering Sect Master who stood stiffened in place, bleeding from the seven orifices. He then looked up at the collapsing giant skeletal phantom behind him and said with a light chuckle, Enjoy exclusive adventures from My Virtual Library Empire


    "That''s quite a long windup for a big move."


    He then reached out with his right hand and gave a gentle push to the stiffened Flower Offering Sect Master.


    The Sect Master''s body immediately fell backward, hitting the rain-soaked ground hard, splashing up waves of water. The massive skeletal phantom behind him also completely disintegrated, and a sect leader thus perished.


    His death was straightforward and silent.


    Immediately after, a Golden Core burst out from his body and shot towards the sky, but the scholar''s long-anticipated three-foot green blade, held up his sleeve, chased after it with greater speed, impaled it on the blade, and placed it into the Jade Box prepared in his embrace, then handed it over to Chen Qiu.


    The entire process was smooth and practiced.


    Chen Qiu casually took the Jade Box and threw it into the storage of his small world, then turned his head to look at the Sect Grand Elder of the Flower Offering Sect, disregarding his incoherent pleas for mercy due to fear. With a wave of his sleeve, a surge of Spiritual Energy burst forth, smashing the already severely injured and defenseless Sect Grand Elder to the ground, shattering his body into pieces.


    Turning into minced meat.


    But this time...


    The Golden Core of the Sect Grand Elder did not attempt to escape far. Perhaps knowing it couldn''t, the Golden Core, carrying a wild and uncontrollable aura, hurled itself directly at Chen Qiu and the others.


    It seemed prepared to stop fleeing and was ready to detonate itself. Hoping to tear a piece of flesh from Chen Qiu and the others before dying.


    But the scholar was quicker.


    Before the Golden Core could self-destruct, a green blade instantly appeared in front of it, pierced it through, and then placed it in the Jade Box to hand to Chen Qiu once more.


    A Golden Core that is about to self-destruct will lose its force once pierced, rendering it unable to explode.


    This Golden Core was already fast, but the scholar, no longer suppressed by the poison, handled the sword even faster.


    ...


    It took less than the time of a single cup of tea.


    The once bustling Flower Offering Sect had been completely reduced to ruins, with countless collapsed buildings washed by the rain, giving off a stench of blood.


    At this moment¡ª


    The Heavenly Girl, bound in iron chains to a stone pillar, looked at Fat Long with an excited expression and trembling voice, "Little Fatty... you actually slaughtered the Flower Offering Sect... I wasn''t wrong about you!"


    "I thought you would scorn me."


    "I didn''t expect you would really come to rescue me."


    Chen Qiu looked at the drenched Heavenly Girl, bound to the pillar with her clothes soaked through, revealing her body. He averted his gaze and turned to look at Fat Long without speaking, waiting for his decision.


    When the Heavenly Thunder had struck earlier, he had deliberately avoided the Heavenly Girl''s position, allowing her to survive the barrage of tens of thousands of Thunder Dragons.


    The Heavenly Girl had known Fat Long longer than him.


    When they had first set foot in the Flower Offering Sect, from what the Heavenly Girl had said, it seemed the two might have had an affair. He wasn''t in a position to comment on that, and it was up to Fat Long to make his own choice. Whatever decision Fat Long made, he would support him.


    ...


    "What are you talking about?"


    Fat Long, who was just shocked by Brother Qiu''s methods and stood behind Chen Qiu, heard the voice and shifted his gaze from the corpse of the Flower Offering Sect Master on the ground, turning his frowning face towards the pitiable Heavenly Girl amidst the stormy weather.

 Chapter 129 Cultivating an Unmatched Magic Practitioner!

    Was it because of the 2,000 Spirit Stones he had given?Or was it because Old Man Cao had eaten his roast chicken?


    An entity at the Nascent Soul level wouldn''t truly be attracted by these things. Everyone acts for a reason. Even going to defecate is because you feel the urge, not because you squat by the roadside without any urge to defecate.


    So what was the reason for Old Man Cao''s actions?


    It was naturally...


    To cultivate a peerless Magic Practitioner!


    A peerless Sword Cultivator might not be able to break the shackles, but what if a peerless Magic Practitioner was added?


    If he wasn''t mistaken, then Old Man Cao was the State Preceptor of Da Xia.


    Chen Qiu stood silently in his original spot, not speaking. Regardless of whether the truth was really as he suspected, he could be certain of one thing: There must be something about him that Old Man Cao was unaware of, such as his Seven-colored term. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then he gazed at the distant sea and said softly, "Didn''t you say you had met the State Preceptor? Tell me more about him."


    "Um..."


    The scholar furrowed his brow, thought for a moment, and then recalled, "The State Preceptor is a very young man, but he has existed for a very long time, as though he has never aged. His skin is very delicate, but his pupils are murky, lacking the clarity of a young person."


    "He looks like an old man, and his methods are also very mature, showing none of the air of a young person."


    "There''s also a White entry that''s complete nonsense. The more people he deceives, the faster his Cultivation grows."


    "Huh."


    Chen Qiu chuckled softly without replying. Everything matched up perfectly.


    Murky pupils were inevitable. That body was probably just one that Old Man Cao used to walk the outside world. With Old Man Cao''s age and wisdom, no matter how much he disguised himself, he could not disguise his eyes.


    Liking to deceive matched up too.


    When he was in Wendian Market,


    he had a chance encounter called "Heaven''s Treasury," which contained many deeply discounted treasures. At that time, an Evil Cultivator suddenly appeared intending to snatch their treasures, and he ended up being blasted to death by a Self-Destruction Term Chen Qiu used.


    After returning to Wendian Market, he learned from the captain of the guard at that time that an old diviner had told the Evil Cultivator that heading west that day would bring good fortune, and the west was the direction he was in.


    The Evil Cultivator died at his hand.


    Old Man Cao deceived an Evil Cultivator and liked to deceive.


    Furthermore, when someone had asked Old Man Cao for divination, Old Man Cao told him to kowtow three times towards the east every morning. This, too, was a deception, and if there were any method that easily deceived people, it was definitely prophesying and divining for others.


    Everything matched. It all matched.


    Experience more on My Virtual Library Empire


    "Let''s go, let''s head back."


    Chen Qiu smiled, turned around, and walked back towards the city carrying his walking cane. He was not in conflict with the State Preceptor. Since Old Man Cao wanted to create opportunities to cultivate him into a peerless Magic Practitioner, he didn''t mind.


    After all, Old Man Cao''s intention was merely to break the shackles of Da Xia.


    And it didn''t conflict with his own.


    When his Cultivation reached the peak of the Golden Core Great Perfection, he wasn''t willing to just watch his own lifespan run out, he also wanted to achieve the Nascent Soul through his own efforts.


    As long as he got enough benefits, he didn''t mind being a pawn.


    However...


    If Old Man Cao thought he could completely control him,


    Then he was gravely mistaken.


    The scholar and Fat Long exchanged glances, seeing the confusion in each other''s eyes. Why was Brother Qiu still smiling so happily after guessing that he might just be a pawn? Still, they shook their heads and quickly followed Chen Qiu back into the city.


    By now, the city gate was filled with many Sect Disciples, all of whom looked at Chen Qiu with a mix of respect and awe.


    No more jealousy.


    Jealousy only exists when someone is slightly better than you.


    When someone could effortlessly crush you to death, any normal person would certainly not harbor the negative emotion of jealousy.


    ...


    Soon night fell, and midnight arrived.


    The daily blessing from the "Heavenly Pride Leaderboard" had already been deposited. A Jade Box magically appeared again in the Storage Ring. Sitting cross-legged on the inn''s bed, Chen Qiu looked at the pills inside the Jade Box and a trace of surprise flitted across his eyes.


    The pills in the Jade Box looked extremely familiar.


    They looked almost identical to the Foundation Establishment Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills, only the fluctuation of Spiritual Energy was stronger, and the pills themselves looked more lustrous.


    They were¡ª


    Golden Core Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills, and not just one, but ten.


    "Pretty good."


    Chen Qiu laughed, realizing that the biggest gain from this Heavenly Pride Leaderboard might not only be the Heavenly Dao Spiritual Treasure but also these Golden Core Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills. After reaching the Golden Core stage, there had been virtually no way to rapidly advance his Cultivation progress.


    Killing demon beasts was basically useless now, and consuming pills no longer improved Cultivation.


    He had been preparing to slowly spend time.


    Then the Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pill appeared.


    The blessing from the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard was daily, meaning that every night at midnight, he could collect ten Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills. Coupled with methods like the Spirit Gathering Array, this could significantly accelerate his cultivation progress.


    He didn''t know how much Cultivation Progress this single Golden Core Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pill could enhance.


    "Huh..."


    Chen Qiu exhaled lightly, a hint of anticipation in his eyes as he swallowed the Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pill, sat cross-legged on the bed, closed his eyes tightly, and started to operate his mental method to rapidly absorb the medicinal power of the pill.


    ...


    An hour later.


    The Chen Qiu sitting on the bed exhaled a long breath, feeling the immense Spiritual Energy in his Dantian and inspecting his bodily Dantian through introspection.


    -


    ''Cultivation'': Golden Core Stage first layer (5.1%).


    -


    Then, he couldn''t help but chuckle softly.

 Chapter 129 Cultivating an Unmatched Magic Practitioner!_2

    Although absorbing the Golden Core Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills took more time, requiring half an hour to absorb a single one, the progress made was quite substantial, a single Golden Core Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pill could enhance the cultivation progress by 5%.And he still had 9 pills left.


    In other words, as long as he absorbed all 9 remaining Golden Core Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills tonight, his cultivation progress would reach 50.1%.


    One must know that a few days ago, when he circulated his mental method to absorb nature''s spiritual energy, it had taken nearly two days to increase by just 0.1%, but now, in just half an hour, his cultivation progress had risen by 5%.


    His original plan was to spend one to two years to advance his cultivation to the second level of the Golden Core stage.


    Now, it seemed it would only take two days.


    By the day after tomorrow, his cultivation would have advanced to the second level of the Golden Core stage.


    And that day after tomorrow was precisely the day of the Sea Clan''s invasion.


    "Just in time,"


    Chen Qiu turned his head to look at the Seven-Colored Heavenly Mechanism Umbrella placed beside the bed and murmured.


    It was a good opportunity to kill a large number of demon beasts that had gathered over the Boundless Sea to the east of Da Xia, which would expand his Dantian a bit, allowing him to accommodate more Spiritual Energy, and under the "Spiritual Energy Intimidating" entry effect, the power of his spells would also be greater.


    Everything was just right.


    Perfect.


    After saying this,


    He did not dwell on it any longer, but picked up another Golden Core Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pill to swallow, sat cross-legged on the bed, and began to absorb its medicinal energy by circulating his mental method.


    While the Golden Core Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills were excellent, the time it took to absorb one pill was indeed not short; it took half an hour to absorb a single pill, making it five hours in total for ten pills.


    After absorbing the ten pills, it would be almost dawn.


    Another night of intensive training began anew.


    His strength was still too weak; facing a sixth level Golden Core, he would need to resort to a Self-Destruction Term. As long as his cultivation rose rapidly enough, even facing a sixth level Golden Core would become manageable, and besides, the "Self-Destruction Term" could not unleash the full force of a strike from a Nascent Soul under the restrictions of Heavenly Dao.


    The maximum was a full-force strike from a half-step Nascent Soul.


    While Chen Qiu was diligently cultivating,


    The scholar in the next room was swallowing the last few Foundation Establishment Cultivation Pills and continued his practice.


    ...


    Inside a small world,


    In the disciple dormitory,


    A middle-aged man, with forehead covered in fine sweat, was fully focused on cracking the three Storage Rings infused with the aura of the Golden Core, which Chen Qiu had entrusted to him before nightfall.


    He had followed Chen Qiu out of Kai Mountain City and was now staying in this small world, peacefully cracking Storage Rings for Chen Qiu.


    He had not expected Chen Qiu to possess such a Spiritual Treasure of heaven and earth as the small world.


    But that was of no consequence now.


    He only liked one thing in his life, solving puzzles and cracking seals. He didn''t care much about anything else. Since Chen Qiu had agreed to provide him with an endless supply of Storage Rings to crack to his heart''s desire, he didn''t mind whether he was in the small world or Kai Mountain City.


    ...


    Meanwhile¡ª


    In the Boundless Icefield, within the City Lord Mansion of Fei City, a plump man was sitting on the City Lord Chair with a dazed expression, saying: "Has the palace not yet ordered me to return to the capital?"


    Thirty years ago,


    Lord National Master had sent him here, saying that in the future a disaster would befall the Boundless Icefield, and he was to guard this place. Read new adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    As expected,


    The Evil Clan did indeed descend, and even though he did not play much of a role, he believed the Lord National Master valued his character rather than his strength. If someone petty and narrow-minded had been tasked with guarding Fei City, perhaps they would have ended up killed by Chen Qiu.


    In that case, when the Evil Clan invaded, there would have been no one to stand up.


    But... sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Now that the Evil Clan''s affair was over, why had there been no message from the palace? Logically speaking, his mission was accomplished, and he should be able to return to the palace.


    "My lord."


    At that moment¡ª


    The elder standing behind him quietly expressed his doubt, "I''ve heard that Lord National Master has been in seclusion these past few years and hasn''t been seen around. Could it be that he''s forgotten about you, my lord?"


    "Impossible,"


    The man shook his head: "You haven''t met Lord National Master, you don''t understand. He is the kind who considers every matter meticulously. Since he sent me to guard Fei City, it''s impossible that he''s forgotten about me."


    "Everything has a reason."


    "You only go to defecate when you feel the need, you wouldn''t just squat by the roadside and relieve yourself without reason."


    "If the palace hasn''t signaled for me to return, it means Fei City still needs me. Perhaps in the near future, Fei City will face a disaster that only I can resolve."


    "..."


    After a long silence, the elder standing behind the man spoke in a low voice, "My lord, why do you always use the crude act of defecating as an example..."


    "Crude?"


    The City Lord turned around, puzzled, and glanced at the elder: "Haven''t you ever defecated?"


    "Moreover, those words didn''t originate from me; they were spoken by Lord National Master himself. Are you implying that Lord National Master is less refined than you?"


    "I wouldn''t dare,"


    The elder quickly looked down, a flicker of fear in his eyes: "I didn''t mean that at all, my lord."


    "Hmph,"


    The middle-aged man snorted coldly before settling back into the City Lord Chair in a comfortable position and murmured: "Since the National Master hasn''t ordered me back, it clearly means I''m still needed here."


    "The National Master once told me personally,"


    "I am the most crucial part of his plan."


    "Not everyone has this honor. I must not act hastily and disrupt the National Master''s plans."


    ...


    At the same time, within the Hundred Countries,


    Ji Taiping was sitting with a dark expression at a table, looking at the two countries that were preparing to negotiate peace again, having been sent by the palace to resolve the chaos in the Hundred Countries. But these two countries had failed in their negotiations time and again, returning to battle right after each round of talks.

 Chapter 129 Cultivating an Unmatched Magic Practitioner!_3

    This was already the fourth negotiation during this period.He was eager to return home, wanting to quickly return to Jing Province''s Qingfeng to be by Ji Renjian''s side. Recently, there had been significant changes in Da Xia, even Bai Yi had once again resurrected and resumed his activities.


    He was very afraid that if Ji Renjian disobeyed and went out, finding out that it was not Ji Taiping but Bai Yi who had protected her through the crisis, what would happen.


    Would Ji Renjian abandon her and turn to Bai Yi''s embrace?


    He couldn''t accept this situation!


    At this moment, his state of Human Sword Unity was not very stable; once the effects of Ji Renjian''s Heavenly Dao Beauty transferred to another person, his yet to be solidified state would instantly collapse.


    He could not tolerate this situation happening.


    He could only keep in contact with his subordinates in Qingfeng, and only after learning that Ji Renjian had never left Qingfeng and that no external news had reached her ears did he slightly relax.


    But even so, he still wanted to return to Qingfeng quickly. Only by staying by Ji Renjian''s side would he feel secure.


    If it were not for the palace forbidding him from taking action.


    He would rather have wiped out both countries directly; at that moment, the intense killing intent emanating from him was as tangible as reality, like Heavenly Punishment hanging over everyone''s heads, at his terrifying Cultivation at the fourth level of the Golden Core.


    He was the "National Guardian Sword Master"!


    This was an honor, representing power, indicating that he could utilize a wisp of Da Xia''s Qi Fortune, but it also meant that he had to obey Da Xia''s commands and could not defy them; otherwise, Da Xia could reclaim that wisp of Qi Fortune at any moment.


    But he had no regrets!


    If it weren''t for that wisp of Da Xia''s Qi Fortune, he wouldn''t have been able to cultivate to the fourth level of the Golden Core so quickly. Bai Yi, priding himself on his lofty ideals, refused to accept the palace''s orders, ultimately could not escape death ¡ª although he faked his death and escaped, his Cultivation had completely collapsed, presenting no threat to him at all.


    ...


    "Huff!"


    Day had broken.


    In a coastal "Xiao Yu City" of "Hai Province," Chen Qiu exhaled a breath of foul air as he sat cross-legged on the inn''s bed, turning his head to look out of the window at the brightly lit sky and the sun rising from the sea level.


    Listening to the cries of seabird-like creatures circling above the sea.


    And feeling the chill sea breeze brushing against his face.


    He looked at the panel above the Dantian within his body, then his lips curled upward, and he chuckled without saying a word.


    -


    "Cultivation": Golden Core Stage level one (50.1%). sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    -


    After a night of strenuous cultivation.


    His Cultivation Progress had reached 50.1%. With today being the second day before the Sea Clan''s invasion, the invasion would occur the day after tomorrow, but it was unknown whether it would be in the morning, noon, or evening.


    Once past midnight tonight, he would receive another ten Golden Core Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills.


    In this way, by tomorrow morning, which was this time, he would be able to step into the second level of the Golden Core.


    By then, his combat power would gain another boost. Discover exclusive tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    He could also choose another term.


    Perhaps, if he had the chance in this lifetime to witness Nascent Soul and continue cultivating, then he might not only have "Step by Step" as his term, but in terms of helping him on his Cultivation Path, Step by Step was the most useful.


    Although he was unclear about the effects of the other Seven-colored terms.


    He believed that no other Seven-colored term could replace the position of "Step by Step" when awaking the term for the first time during the Qi Refinement Realm.


    "Lucky indeed."


    Chen Qiu got out of bed and put on a black robe, standing in front of the mirror to adjust his attire: "Just the right time, the smallest probability randomly brought me the term that helps me the most. This kind of luck isn''t something everyone can have."


    Just then¡ª


    A sensation came from the small world; his Divine Sense probed into it, revealing that the Storage Rings he obtained last night from the Flower Offering Sect Master had their restrictions broken.


    After sensing what was inside the Storage Rings, he couldn''t help but laugh out loud again.


    This fortune indeed wasn''t singular.


    As he stepped out the door, just as expected, Fat Long Scholar was already there early, wearing a smile.


    "Good morning, Brother Qiu."


    "Morning?"


    Chen Qiu glanced at Fat Long and laughed, "It''s almost noon; just a bit more and it''ll be time for dinner."


    Then he turned his head towards the scholar: "How''s your recent cultivation progress?"


    "Hmm..."


    The scholar shook his head helplessly: "It''s a bit slow. Although it''s re-cultivation, the progress in Cultivation isn''t much faster. Brother Qiu, I have already absorbed all the Foundation Establishment Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills you gave me."


    "I am still at the fourth level of Foundation Establishment. The realm hasn''t elevated, but the Cultivation Progress did increase quite a bit last night after taking the Foundation Establishment Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pill."


    "Here."


    Chen Qiu casually took out a Storage Ring from his pocket and threw it over: "You''re quite lucky. The restrictions on the Storage Ring of the Flower Offering Sect Master were broken last night. It contains quite a few Foundation Establishment Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills. I roughly glanced, almost 2000 of them."


    "That''s enough for you to cultivate to the seventh or eighth level of Foundation Establishment."


    "This..."


    Having seen the Storage Ring and probed with his Divine Sense, the scholar then looked at Chen Qiu with a face full of gratitude: "Brother Qiu... you have granted me too many favors, I don''t know how to express it, but rest assured Brother Qiu, whenever you say east, I will never go west!"


    "..."


    Fat Long expressionlessly patted the scholar''s shoulder: "Next time you want to bootlick, talk to me first; I''ll help you organize your language. Your flattery is too stiff."


    "Stiff?"


    "Stiff, don''t believe me? Ask Brother Qiu. By the way, Brother Qiu, where did the Flower Offering Sect Master get so many Foundation Establishment Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills?"

 Chapter 129 Cultivating an Unmatched Magic Practitioner!_4

    Chen Qiu smiled as he walked down the corridor of the inn, leaning on his cane. "The Flower Offering Sect Master has quite a few Memory Stones in his Storage Ring," he laughed. "He replicated the grand ceremony we had in Fat State in other states.""However, their luck was rather poor," he continued.


    "It seems they hadn''t been at it for long before the Fame Ranking was shut down, but they put in quite a few Spirit Stones and still managed to get these 2,000-plus Foundation Establishment Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills, which should be enough for our scholar. Along with the two Golden Cores in my Storage Ring, I think it might even be enough to charge straight to the peak of the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment," Chen Qiu mused.


    "When that happens, our team will have another Golden Core Great Power," he added.


    "As for you, Fat Long, you''ll need to step it up too," Chen Qiu said.


    "Me?" Fat Long responded, nodding somewhat bitterly. His Heavenly Destiny Dual Cultivation entry allowed his Dual Cultivation progress to increase by nine times, a very impressive entry. But... he had been too busy recently, and failed to find any suitable demon beasts.


    "Wait a moment¡ª"


    Suddenly, a spark of inspiration flashed through his mind: "Isn''t there a lot of demon beasts with the Sea Clan invasion?"


    "..." sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chen Qiu, who was leading the way, suddenly stopped, stood silently for a moment, then turned around to look at Fat Long and calmly said, "Tomorrow I''ll keep an eye out for you, for some Sea Clan demon beasts that we can barely manage."


    "After they are severely injured, I''ll leave them to you," he promised.


    ...


    Xiao Yu Town,


    A small coastal county town that many mortals had fled from, yet many still remained to run their shops, as Xiao Yu Town was now frequented by more Foundation Establishment Cultivators than usual, who were far more generous with their money than mortals.


    Despite some danger, they were making much more money these days than before.


    Chen Qiu and his companions, including Fat Long, had some seafood porridge and wandered around for a bit before returning to the inn. Xiao Yu Town was simply too small¡ªso small, in fact, that it didn''t even have a brothel, only a Red House.


    The Red House was rather crude and simple, and they were unwilling to visit such a place. They had wanted to listen to music in a refined setting, a sort of petit bourgeois indulgence, but going to the Red House would have been too explicit in purpose and lacking in quality.


    The Sea Clan would invade the day after tomorrow.


    With nothing else to do today, after wandering the streets for a while, Chen Qiu and his companions didn''t linger long before returning to the inn to cultivate earnestly in preparation for the Sea Clan''s invasion.


    It was one invasion after another¡ªwith the Sea Clan, the Evil Clan, and the Demon Race all encroaching.


    Da Xia was indeed busy.


    Three directions¡ªeast, south, and west¡ªwere all under attack, and who knew if next time the Boundless Snow Mountain to the west would be invaded by Snow Monsters as well?


    He felt he was nearly able to discern a pattern.


    ...


    After cultivating for the entire day, Chen Qiu''s control over his Divine Sense became much smoother, and he also solidified the Cultivation Progress he had achieved the previous night, elevating his control over the vigorous Spiritual Energy within his body to a new level.


    And so, after midnight,


    A Jade Box containing ten Golden Core Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills appeared on schedule in the Storage Ring.


    Chen Qiu wasted no time, sitting cross-legged on the bed, taking one Golden Core Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pill, activating his mental method to envelop the pill''s potency with Spiritual Energy, and distributing it to every corner of his meridians.


    Finally¡ª


    At dawn, during the hour of Si,


    Chen Qiu, who was still seated cross-legged on the bed, opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of stale air. He first looked out the window at the unchanged seascape, feeling the cold winter sea breeze that was damp and sticky.


    This cold was different from that of the Boundless Icefield; there, the cold was dry, intensely penetrating to the bone.


    And now, his Cultivation Progress had finally reached¡ª


    -


    "Cultivation": Golden Core Stage Level 2 (0.1%).


    -


    "Finally, the second level of the Golden Core," Chen Qiu said, inspecting the Cultivation Progress panel above his Dantian. He got up to stretch his limbs, and standing before the mirror, he smiled while straightening his robe. Only then did he prepare to select his Cultivation breakthrough entry.


    He was quite satisfied with the speed of his Cultivation improvement.


    He had asked the scholar if the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard champions of the past received anything like the Golden Core Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills in their daily blessings. The scholar had said no; his daily Heavenly Dao Blessing as the champion back then had been a Spirit Stone reward.


    The Golden Core Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pill had not been seen for many years.


    It was only available this time because this Heavenly Pride Leaderboard was special, effectively condensing what used to be daily blessings for 100 people down to a single person receiving the Heavenly Dao Blessing each day. It was natural for the rewards of such a blessing to be increased under these circumstances.


    Quite logical.

 Chapter 130 Storm.

    Xiao Yu City, inside the inn.Chen Qiu stood in front of the bronze mirror, looking at the familiar panel enveloped by clouds and mist floating above his Dantian.


    -


    "Cultivation has greatly increased, officially stepping into the second layer of the Golden Core Stage."


    "Please choose one of the three random entries below within ten breaths."


    1:


    "Entry Name": Storm.


    "Entry Level": Blue.


    "Entry Effect": When you are on the sea surface or in the rain, the power of your Water Immortal Magic will greatly increase. When you are in an environment of a storm with dense clouds and flashing lightning, the power of your Thunder Based Immortal Techniques will greatly increase.


    2:


    "Entry Name": Start from scratch.


    "Entry Level": Yellow.


    "Entry Effect": You will lose all memories, entries, cultivation, etc., and be reborn at the time and place you were born, starting from scratch, and your lifespan, bone age, etc., will all restart, and all wounds and hidden injuries on your body will be healed.


    3:


    "Entry Name": Escape Technique. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Entry Level": White.


    "Entry Effect": When your physical body dies, the speed of your Golden Core escaping the body will greatly increase.


    -


    These three entries were the ones randomly available to him upon his cultivation enhancement to the second layer of the Golden Core Stage.


    There was no room for choice.


    Chen Qiu raised an eyebrow and immediately chose the first entry. This entry was actually quite restrictive as it depended on specific environmental conditions like being on the surface of water or during stormy weather to enhance certain spells'' power.


    One could say it was an entry that could only be utilized under special circumstances.


    But to him,


    it was essentially a long-term activated passive entry.


    His "Thunder Summoning Technique", if fully unleashed, could easily manipulate the forces of nature, instantly turning any place into a scene of striking lightning and stormy weather, meaning that his Thunder Summoning Technique would always receive a boost when fully unleashed.


    The more he considered it, the more he appreciated the benefits of the Thunder Summoning Technique, which wasn''t even specifically a Magic Practitioner''s spell.


    It featured instant activation without any delay.


    Like the Flower Offering Sect Master, to be honest, the oppressive presence of the several dozen feet tall skeletal phantom behind him was quite significant; its terrifying pressure made one''s breathing uneasy, but its biggest drawback was that it took too long to activate.


    Thus, leading to the Flower Offering Sect Master''s big move not being executed before he was killed.


    No one is foolish enough to stand there waiting for you to finish your big move before they attack you. And the originally ordinary Thunder Summoning Technique, enhanced by countless of his methods, had already far surpassed the full-strength blow of a typical cultivator of his level.


    It was a combination of a major move and instantaneous execution.


    He felt he could use this spell for a long time.


    As for the second entry, it was even more useless to him. He now had what one might call a perfect set of entries, the dream of all Magic Practitioners. Why would he bother to start from scratch for no reason? The third entry did tempt him somewhat.


    It would also count as a life-saving measure.


    If one day he truly faced an unstoppable foe, at least he could escape by having his Golden Core flee.


    But even though he was tempted, it was of no use. He currently lacked a Heavenly Dao High-Quality Retrospection Charm and thus could not choose between the discarded three entries from the selections at the Golden Core Stage. He had asked the scholar, who mentioned that the Heavenly Dao High-Quality Retrospection Charm was rather rare and occasionally appeared in auctions at extremely high prices.


    So he did not inquire further.


    This matter was also largely dependent on fate. When the time was right, it would be available; if not, then it wouldn''t.


    ...


    After adjusting his attire, Chen Qiu walked out of the door, planning to take Fat Long and others for a stroll in the streets. They had no specific aim, just leisurely wandering. The Sea Clan wouldn''t invade until the day after tomorrow, so there was still a day or two.


    Besides cultivating, it was important to balance work and rest.


    Occasionally enjoying the scenery was also beneficial for mental and physical health.


    The only attack spells he was currently practicing were the Thunder Summoning Technique and the Nine Poison Nether Soul Technique. The former was a basic spell in the Cultivation World that many people knew; the latter, strictly speaking, was a variant spell suitable for poison cultivators.


    Though he claimed to be a Magic Practitioner,


    he hadn''t learned a single typical Magic Practitioner''s spell, which was quite ironic.


    ...


    After strolling around Xiao Yu City for a while, Chen Qiu led Fat Long and the others back to the inn to cultivate.


    To cultivate vigorously.


    Finally, at the midnight hour, ten Golden Core Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills were delivered.


    Consume!


    With Chen Qiu''s hard work, finally by dawn, after sitting cross-legged on the bed and letting out a long breath of turbid air, he looked towards the Cultivation Progress floating above his Dantian satisfied.


    -


    "Cultivation": Golden Core Stage second layer (40.2%).


    -


    Cultivation progress had almost increased by half, and in another day or two, he would be able to advance to the third layer of the Golden Core Stage.


    Why was he so strong?


    While others were wasting time gossiping, he was cultivating hard; while others were enjoying music in brothels, he was cultivating hard; while others were comparing their Spiritual Treasures, he was cultivating hard.


    It was precisely because of this perseverance that his strength could steadily advance step by step.


    After reaching the second layer of the Golden Core Stage,


    a Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pill could now only increase his Cultivation Progress by 4%, which was slightly less than during the first layer. As his cultivation increased, the effectiveness of the Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pill also diminished.


    But even so, he was already satisfied.


    This pace had far surpassed all Golden Core cultivators in Da Xia; he should be the fastest cultivator, without any competitors. After all, not many people could consume Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills like candy as he did.


    And while he swallowed the Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills these two days, he was also operating his mental method, allowing his cultivation progress to advance by an additional 0.1%.

 Chapter 130 Storm._2

    ...Today, there''s nothing to report.


    Chen Qiu and the others went out for a stroll again, had some food, and then returned to the inn to continue their cultivation, ready for the Sea Clan invasion that was expected the next day.


    Nobody foolish enough came up to provoke them.


    Chen Qiu was not wearing a mask, and his face had already been spread throughout Da Xia via Memory Stones. Even though many had not seen Chen Qiu''s Memory Stone recently due to his seclusion for cultivation, the murmurs from those who glanced his way made it clear they knew who he was.


    In such circumstances, anyone daring to provoke must either be out of their mind or harboring a sinister plot.


    Midnight came swiftly, and the Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pill reward arrived once again.


    By dawn, his Cultivation had reached¡ª


    -


    "Cultivation": Golden Core Stage second level (80.2%).


    -


    Dawn broke.


    Chen Qiu sat in the inn, tilting his head to look out the window. Today, the sea was not as calm as usual. A thick blanket of dark clouds covered the entire sea, including the coastal areas, leaving no end in sight to the clouds.


    The light dimmed significantly, and the mental pressure from the vast expanse of dark clouds was immense, giving an almost suffocating feeling.


    Winds mixed with a foul stench roared incessantly from the depths of the sea.


    Layer upon layer of waves continuously crashed against the coastal rocks, sending up sprays of water and making thunderous noises. What seemed like ordinary waves without any strength, squeezed upon the rock walls, could produce a sound akin to thunder.


    The waves grew ever larger. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The wind too grew ever stronger.


    Though it had yet not started to rain, the atmosphere already resembled that of an imminent storm.


    By that time, there were no common people left in the town. Even the greedier and bolder ones had fled overnight; while they were daring, they were not fearless ¨C there was a substantial difference between the two.


    Not a single Sea Demon was seen, but everyone was aware that the Sea Demons were about to make their appearance.


    ...


    Numerous cultivators stood on a seaside cliff, their expressions grave as they watched the towering waves below, tightly gripping their swords.


    Chen Qiu also stood with his Heavenly Mechanism Umbrella on a deserted part of the cliff, calmly gazing out to sea without speaking, unaware of what he was thinking. Fat Long and a few others stood quietly behind him.


    The coastline was not short.


    Nearly ten thousand miles.


    One-third of Da Xia Country''s eastern territory was coastal,


    No one knew from where the Sea Clan would invade, so most cultivators headed to locations closest to their sects and patiently waited for the Sea Clan to come ashore.


    "BOOM!!!"


    The waves grew larger and larger. The gigantic waves struck the cliffs, making them tremble slightly. Following the fierce winds, the sea level suddenly rose sharply.


    The waves became higher.


    Until a nearly thirty-foot wave surged from the sky and smashed down on all the cultivators standing on the cliffs!


    Only then were the cultivators forced to leave the cliffs and circle in the air with their swords. However, the waves continued to rise, even towering as if to flood the coastal cities, causing many to frown slightly, indicating they would have to fight in the air.


    But the spiritual energy of those at the Foundation Establishment Stage was not sufficient for them to fight in the air for too long.


    "BOOM!"


    Following a thunderclap, a dazzling lightning bolt flashed across the sky, instantly illuminating the dim world. The intense light caused many to look around and perceive the surroundings as even darker after the lightning faded.


    This bolt of lightning seemed to have flipped a switch.


    Countless bolts of lightning began to race across the sky, illuminating the whole world as if it were daytime amid the thunder and lightning.


    The scene lasted only for a few moments before it suddenly ceased, plunging the environment under a blanket of dense clouds back into extreme darkness, lasting about four or five breaths.


    A lightning bolt flashed across the sky once more.


    All cultivators flying in the air momentarily held their breaths, only to see that, when the previous wave receded, an immense number of Sea Demons had already landed below, densely covering the entire coastline.


    At a glance, there was no end in sight.


    They had no idea where these Sea Demons had come from, only catching a glimpse in the afterlight of the lightning. When the next wave surged, these Sea Clan creatures disappeared from their original positions and once more emerged a few yards farther inland.


    Read chapters at My Virtual Library Empire


    "KILL!!!"


    Not sure which Foundation Establishment Cultivator suddenly roared, accompanied by a beam of sword light shooting downward, blowing the horn for the beginning of the battle.


    Countless spells and circling flying swords all crashed down below.


    Amid flashes of lightning and peals of thunder,


    Blood sprayed everywhere.


    ...


    "..."


    Chen Qiu said nothing, just thoroughly unleashed his Divine Sense. After reaching the second level of Golden Core, his range of Divine Sense had reached one hundred forty miles.


    Within the scope of his Divine Sense, these Sea Demons had spread out a battle line of more than ten miles, densely packed from the sea to the shore.


    Among those Sea Demons,


    There were ''Wolf Crabs'' with enormous bodies and fierce light flickering in their pupils as they charged at the Foundation Establishment cultivators in the air on the waves.


    There were also ''Green Poison Octopuses'' with numerous tentacles, dripping continuously with fluid, spraying green liquid towards the air.


    And there were ''Sea Demon Turtles,'' several yards tall with massive shells on their backs, whose defense was so strong that they remained undamaged by flying sword attacks.


    Numerous Sea Demons covered ten miles, rapidly advancing inland with the push of the waves.


    Those Sea Demons with the ability to fly were already battling the cultivators in the air, those without flying abilities countered with their long-range attack methods, and those without any means of attack continued to advance further inland with the waves.

 Chapter 130 Storm._3

    The present situation appeared extremely disadvantageous for the cultivators above.Foundation Establishment Cultivators lacked the ability to engage in prolonged aerial battles. During such times, if their Spiritual Energy were to be exhausted and they fell, being swarmed by countless Sea Demons would make survival difficult; thus, almost all Foundation Establishment Cultivators were extremely cautious when they acted.


    Fearful of depleting their internal Spiritual Energy.


    Just then ¡ª


    "I''ll go."


    A tremendously powerful Golden Core Cultivation aura instantly enveloped all the Sea Demons below, a middle-aged man with the prowess of the first layer of Golden Core, broadcasting a powerful pressure and with an icy expression, readied himself to throw a punch.


    The next moment!


    This middle-aged man''s body suddenly stiffened in midair, and as he looked up at Chen Qiu, standing on the cliff already one-third submerged by the sea, right as he prepared to make a move, Chen Qiu''s Divine Sense firmly locked onto him! S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His heart somewhat shaken, it was apparent that just a few days ago during the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard, Chen Qiu had only been at the first layer of Golden Core. How had he now reached the second layer?


    He had witnessed Chen Qiu''s abilities.


    If Chen Qiu wanted to kill him, even with just the first layer of Golden Core Cultivation, he could easily annihilate him, let alone with the second layer. But he was unclear whether he had offended Chen Qiu in any way. Why, on the brink of this great battle, would Chen Qiu suddenly lock his Divine Sense onto him?


    Being locked on by a Magic Practitioner''s Divine Sense was not a good thing.


    Immediately following.


    He then saw Chen Qiu stride through the air beside him, first glancing at him then turning to look at his companion who had also arrived with the same first layer of Golden Core Cultivation, shaking his head, he said, "Don''t act yet."


    ...


    Chen Qiu stood in the high sky, not waiting for these two Golden Cores to speak, he tilted his head towards the distant coastline and softly said, "Da Xia''s coastline stretches nearly ten thousand miles. The Sea Clan won''t possibly be launching from just this location. We can''t be that lucky to catch them just here."


    "I''m more inclined to believe the Sea Clan is landing from hundreds of directions simultaneously."


    "Then, based on the casualties among the Sea Demons, they determine the directions where our defenses are the weakest, and then they gather large numbers of Sea Demons at what they consider the weakest point to launch a full-scale attack." Find your next read at My Virtual Library Empire


    "My suggestion is that you gentlemen don''t act for now. Take this group of Foundation Establishment Cultivators and retreat gradually, allowing these Sea Demons to think that our position is the weakest. Then, when the Sea Demons prepare their main force to attack us, we''ll strike in one fell swoop and annihilate them."


    "What do you two think?"


    "..."


    The two middle-aged men with the first layer of Golden Core looked at each other, recognizing the reluctance in each other''s eyes. They really wanted to say that only an equal strength could discuss terms; for Chen Qiu, this was more of a command. Did they even have a choice but to comply?


    However... Chen Qiu''s suggestion indeed had merit.


    "It''s a good plan, but..."


    One of these middle-aged men hesitated for a long while before looking down at the densely packed Sea Demons and said tentatively, "So far, there hasn''t been a single Golden Core Sea Demon ashore, but there are definitely Golden Cores among the Sea Demons. If they really launch a full-scale attack towards us."


    "What if there are many Golden Core Sea Demons? Can we hold them off?"


    "We can hold them off."


    Chen Qiu said softly with a smile.


    "Then there''s no problem."


    Seeing Chen Qiu''s confidence, the two middle-aged men felt reassured. After all, the impression Chen Qiu left in the Heavenly Pride Secret Realm was too profound. With his tactics, as long as the Sea Demons didn''t have an extremely strong Golden Core, there should be no problem.


    "Alright."


    Chen Qiu nodded lightly, "Then please, two fellow Daoists, lead these Foundation Establishment Cultivators to retreat and try to kill fewer Sea Demons."


    He then led the scholar and others towards the distance, shooting away.


    ...


    The two middle-aged men watched Chen Qiu disappear into the horizon, exchanged glances once more, and then a loud voice rang out to all the Foundation Establishment Cultivators: "Everyone, retreat."


    For Foundation Establishment Cultivators, Golden Core cultivators naturally held a hierarchical superiority.


    Even if they weren''t from the same sect or family and even if they hadn''t known each other in the past, once a Golden Core cultivator gave an order, Foundation Establishment Cultivators generally obeyed, purely out of reverence for the stronger and fear of death.


    ...


    Meanwhile, with the scholar''s help, Chen Qiu was already swiftly exploring along the sea surface.


    Just as he had guessed.


    On a nearly thousand-mile stretch of coastline, there were precisely five Sea Clan landings, about every 200 miles there was a batch of Sea Clan landing, and these Sea Clan chose only to land at places with cities, not even glancing at uninhabited areas.


    Each time they passed a battlefield.


    Chen Qiu casually unleashed almost a thousand Thunder Summoning Techniques, and under the natural storm conditions, his Thunder Summoning Technique under the newly acquired entry "Storm" gained significantly increased power.


    Every casual strike basically cleared a large swath of Sea Demons on the battlefield.


    Afterward, he did not linger long.


    Nor did he care about the complex looks the cultivators on the battlefield gave him as he again shot off into the distance.


    His plan was simple.


    He was still prepared to kill a large number of demon beasts to enhance his Dantian Spiritual Energy capacity. With ten thousand miles of coastline, he could not possibly run back and forth; the scholar''s Spiritual Energy did not support doing so, and without the scholar, his own speed of escape also did not support it.


    By means, control where the Sea Demons launched a full assault, and then catch them all in one net was a plan more suitable for him.


    ...


    And so it was.

 Chapter 130 Storm._4

    Having spent nearly two hours, Chen Qiu, under the influence of the scholar''s Flying Sword, had almost run through the entire coastline. Each time they passed a battlefield, nearly a thousand Thunder Dragons would strike down, often instantly clearing the area.At this moment, he had returned to "Xiao Yu City".


    The flood had already submerged Xiao Yu City, and a large, dense number of Sea Demons were stepping over the waves, advancing deeper into the mainland beyond Xiao Yu City.


    In the front line of the Sea Demon charge, led by three Golden Core cultivators, a large number of Foundation Establishment cultivators were retreating step by step, primarily defending and not attacking, while in other battlefields, the Sea Demons had only charged four or five miles into the mainland.


    Here, however, the Sea Demons had already charged nearly twenty miles inland.


    Chen Qiu scanned the Sea Demons below, noticing that their numbers were significantly higher than those on other battlefields and that more Sea Demons were continuously emerging from the waves, but the timing still wasn''t right; he had not yet seen the main force of the Sea Demons.


    At that moment¡ª


    The three Golden Core cultivators also saw Chen Qiu and immediately shot towards him.


    The middle-aged man with his upper body bare and empty-handed, who was initially locked by Chen Qiu''s Divine Sense, spoke with a barely concealed excitement, "Senior, is the timing right now? There are already quite a few more Sea Demons gathered below than before."


    "I have instructed the youngsters below to control their strength, to retreat and defend as much as possible without killing the Sea Demons."


    Shortly after, the middle-aged man pointed to a bald man dressed in a Magic Robe who had arrived next to him and introduced, "Senior, this fellow practitioner came to reinforce us after you left. He also has the cultivation of the first level of Golden Core, and like you, he is a Magic Practitioner."


    "I told him about your plan, and he thinks it''s very good, so he joined us."


    "Hmm."


    Chen Qiu looked at the bald man in the Magic Robe, nodded slightly in greeting, and realized that the robe was indeed a Spiritual Treasure. The intense fluctuations of Spiritual Energy on its surface flowed far surpass what the robe that he had bought for two Spirit Stones at the Ask Heaven market could offer.


    It seemed he needed to get himself a Magic Robe too.


    Then he looked down at the densely packed mass of demon beasts below and shook his head, "Let''s wait a bit longer; the numbers are still too few. I''ve run through all the battlefields and from what I''ve observed, the true main attack force of the Sea Demons needs to be at least ten times this number."


    "Let''s wait a bit."


    "Alright."


    The three Golden Core cultivators naturally had no objections, but the bald man in the Magic Robe looked at Chen Qiu with a somewhat fanatic and admiring gaze, as only a fellow Magic Practitioner would know how strong Chen Qiu really was!


    Even Chen Qiu himself did not know.


    He had now become a god in the hearts of all Magic Practitioners in Da Xia; this was what they envisioned a true Magic Practitioner to be!


    Anything less was mere slander!


    ...


    Chen Qiu did not continue to hover over the Sea Demons but retreated to a cliff behind, overlooking the densely packed Sea Demons rushing onto the land, pondering silently. This invasion by the Sea Clan was a tremendous opportunity for him.


    Even greater than the invasion by the Evil Clan.


    The Evil Clan was not considered demon beasts, whereas the Sea Clan were genuine, full-blooded Sea Demons.


    Killing one demon beast, his Dantian would expand by one millimeter, thus accommodating more Spiritual Energy.


    His original Dantian was twenty-one thousand millimeters.


    It was by leveraging this vast amount of Spiritual Energy, far exceeding his peers, that he had created many miracles.


    And after spending two hours and passing many battlefields, his Dantian had expanded to sixty thousand millimeters.


    The Dantian is a small world within the body; there''s no need to worry about it becoming so large that it overflows.


    This meant that, in just these two hours, the capacity for Spiritual Energy inside his body had tripled.


    Previously,


    At his full burst, he could unleash nearly ten thousand Thunder Dragons in a blend of illusion and reality. Now, at full burst, he could unleash nearly thirty thousand Thunder Dragons!


    In an instant, his combat power had massively increased.


    However, in prolonged combat, there actually wasn''t much change, after all, originally when the Spiritual Energy in his body was exhausted, activating the armguard only needed ten breaths to fully recover the Spiritual Energy. Now that he had more Spiritual Energy capacity, it took fully thirty breaths to slowly recover after activating the armguard.


    ...


    Perhaps the Sea Clan''s speed in assembling a large force at the seabed was much slower than the scholar''s speed.


    They had waited for an hour.


    Just when they wondered if this might already be the Sea Demon''s main force, tens of thousands of small-bodied seagulls carrying demon energy suddenly covered the sky and flew in their direction.


    Immediately after, countless Sea Demons riding the waves surged out from the seabed. It only took a few breaths, and the number of Sea Demons visibly doubled, explosively increasing.


    "They''ve finally arrived."


    Leaning on the Heavenly Mechanism Umbrella, standing on the edge of the cliff, Chen Qiu looked towards the scene in the distance and chuckled lightly; he had finally waited for them. Once this batch of Sea Demons were wiped out, he was somewhat afraid to imagine just how vast his Spiritual Energy capacity would become. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There''s no place in Da Xia Country like this, with such a dense population of demon beasts.


    "Everyone, step back and give enough space for the Sea Clan to come ashore."


    Divine Sense transmitted into the minds of those three Golden Core cultivators, who immediately led the Foundation Establishment cultivators to rapidly retreat, leaving the battlefield to Chen Qiu.


    About thirty minutes passed.


    Many Sea Demons had already come ashore, rushing toward the inland. The dense mass of Sea Demons was endless at a glance, including those flying in the sky, those in the sea, and those amphibious on land.


    Countless seagulls carrying demon energy crashed towards Chen Qiu, none of which got near him before exploding on their own.


    By now, the number of Sea Demons, compared to when they first came ashore, had increased by more than tenfold and continued to grow, as countless more surged from the seabed.


    "Could there really be that many Sea Demons in the sea?"


    Standing on the cliff and overlooking the Sea Demons below, he murmured, "I always thought that the place with the most demon beasts in Da Xia Country would be the Endless Desert, but it turns out there are even more in the Boundless Sea."


    "This might still only be the vanguard."


    The scholar frowned slightly, looking down at those demon beasts: "So far, I haven''t seen a single Golden Core Sea Demon, and most are of Qi Refining level, only a small part are of Foundation Establishment."


    "Besides their numbers and fearlessness, I don''t see anything particularly dangerous about them."


    Perhaps the scholar''s words were heard.


    Find exclusive stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    The scholar had just spoken.


    Then, from the sea surface, three upright, humanoid Golden Core Sea Demons emerged, each naked, holding Spiritual Treasures suitably forged for demon beasts from Deep Sea Mysterious Iron with crude techniques.


    With icy expressions and pupils radiating a murderous intent, the overwhelming Golden Core Cultivation oppressed every cultivator''s heart, their demon energy nearly solidified.


    With each step,


    many Sea Demons were trampled to death under the feet of these three Golden Core Sea Demons.


    Pure Golden Core level Cultivation.


    "..."


    Watching this scene, Chen Qiu''s brow slightly furrowed, a trace of dissatisfaction flashed in his eyes¡ªthose were his prey, and you just crushed them like that?


    This was also his first encounter with Golden Core Sea Demons.


    On other battlefields, not a single Golden Core Sea Demon was seen, and their entrance fundamentally suggested that the Sea Clan had chosen this location as their main attack direction.


    The initial plan was successful.

 Chapter 131

    When the three Golden Core Sea Demons stepped onto the mainland, accompanied by one of the Sea Demons with a fierce face raising his weapon and roaring, all Sea Demons suddenly launched even more ferocious attacks.The overwhelming demon energy almost suffocated people.


    At that moment¡ª


    The number of Sea Demons emerging from the sea gradually decreased.


    "About time."


    Chen Qiu, who had been leaning on the Heavenly Mechanism Umbrella in his hand, opened it and raised it above his head, looking down at the densely packed Sea Demons below. Then, as a tremendous amount of Spiritual Energy surged out, another thick layer of clouds formed in the already cloud-filled sky.


    This layer of clouds plunged the whole world into complete darkness.


    The sea turned black, rendering the naked eye almost useless, and one could only use Divine Sense to perceive things.


    The whole world fell into extreme darkness, like the Boundless Icefield.


    At the same time, nearly thirty thousand Thunder Dragons, their bodies coursing with purple-blue electric arcs, roared furiously in the thundering sky, churning within the dark clouds.


    ...


    "Here they come, they''re here!!"


    The bald Golden Core cultivator standing at the rear, excitedly pointing at the tens of thousands of Thunder Dragons in the clouds and tremblingly exclaimed in excitement, "The senior is using that move, this move, this is how Magic Practitioners should be!"


    "This is true Magic Practitioner!"


    ...


    "Go."


    Chen Qiu, standing proudly at the edge of the cliff and overlooking the countless Sea Demons below, spoke softly, followed by a storm that descended, with torrents of rain carrying the moist air crashing down on the Sea Demons like a waterfall.


    His Divine Sense spread out without sparing any effort.


    It locked onto three thousand demon beasts.


    Chen Qiu also tested the maximum number of individuals his Divine Sense could lock onto automatically at one time. With his second level Golden Core Cultivation, he could automatically lock onto three thousand individuals at one time, which was the limit.


    Of course, as his Cultivation and the Sea of Consciousness expanded, this number would also increase.


    However, he was just conducting an experiment; at this moment, he didn''t need to use Divine Sense to lock on since the Sea Demons below were too densely packed. A direct, indiscriminate bombardment was sufficient, and Divine Sense locking was superfluous. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Boom, boom, boom!!!"


    As the nearly thirty thousand Thunder Dragons all struck the Sea Demons on the ground from the clouds, each Thunder Dragon was dozens of zhang wide and hundreds of zhang long, each one like a Heavenly Punishment descending from the sky.


    Thirty thousand Heavenly Punishments, simultaneously striking the Sea Demons on the ground.


    The people at the rear witnessed the most shocking scene of their lives, bar none!


    When these thirty thousand Thunder Dragons carrying purple-blue electric arcs heavily crashed into the midst of the Sea Demons and exploded nearly at the same time, the deafening explosion rendered everyone present momentarily deaf, hearing nothing.


    They could only see the dazzling bright light, piercing through the clouds above and once again enveloping the entire world.


    And the only thing visible was this scene.


    Countless pieces of Sea Demon flesh were blown into mid-air, then fell back to the ground like a bloody rainstorm, washed away by the seawater, disappearing without a trace.


    Just this one strike.


    The mainland below had already turned into a huge deep pit, with seawater continuously pouring in, gradually forming a lake.


    The three Golden Core Sea Demons didn''t even get a chance to strike, and together with the Foundation Establishment and Qi Refinement Sea Demons below, turned into ashes under such dense Heavenly Punishment.


    Golden Core Sea Demons and Qi Refinement Sea Demons made no difference.


    They were all cannon fodder.


    In a sense, this could also be seen as equality for all.


    ...


    The numerous cultivators who had retreated from the battlefield were all frozen in place, shocked, their eyes filled with disbelief. They had seen Golden Core Great Powers in action before, but had never seen any Golden Core Great Power whose action could bring such a terrifying oppressive force.


    Even though they were just observers.


    Their legs couldn''t help but tremble, the vision of the Heavenly Punishments akin to a natural disaster, was it really something humanly possible?


    Though many had seen images of Chen Qiu taking action in the Heavenly Pride Secret Realm through the Memory Stone, that time did not have the oppressive feeling of this time, and this time they were experiencing it in person.


    Discover hidden stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    They could not only see such a shocking scene but also feel the extremely terrifying oppressive force, accompanied by the stench of blood in the sea breeze, and the raging storm under the dark clouds.


    It couldn''t get more real.


    After the Heavenly Pride Secret Realm, many had thought the Seventh Prince was too cowardly, not daring to make a move and leaving the realm, but only after personally experiencing this scene did they begin to understand the reaction of the Seventh Prince when he looked up and saw the Ten Thousand Thunder Dragons on that day.


    Even a moment''s hesitation might have left no chance to leave the Secret Realm but to die miserably inside.


    At the same time¡ª


    Many sharp-minded cultivators had already taken out their Memory Stones to record this shocking scene, perhaps even Chen Qiu didn''t know that many people in the Da Xia Country were currently making money off him.


    If Chen Qiu accidentally died,


    Countless people would be very upset.


    The families whose main business was manufacturing Memory Stones had orders they could hardly keep up with.


    Many cultivators were recording firsthand footage, selling it at a high price to those merchants who then massively replicated the first-hand Memory Stones and sold them.


    And the storytellers, as long as they mentioned Chen Qiu, tea houses were definitely packed, and everyone listened with great interest.


    Mainly, Chen Qiu''s rise against all odds fit the common imagination perfectly.


    An ordinary Loose Cultivator suddenly rose to prominence, then uncontrollably, in just a few dozen days, transformed from a woodcutter to Da Xia''s unparalleled Talent of Magic Practitioner, forging a fifth-grade Heavenly Dao Top Grade Golden Core, receiving the name bestowed by Heavenly Dao Saint, and with an absolutely overwhelming invincible posture, topped the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard!

 Chapter 132 Heavenly Pride Order.

    But, it didn''t matter!He wasn''t afraid of strong opponents, nor was he afraid that his fighting spirit wouldn''t be stimulated!


    Now he felt full of fighting spirit, which was great. He enjoyed this feeling. He felt his blood boiling, and he was already eagerly anticipating his next encounter with Chen Qiu!


    The Seventh Prince, seated cross-legged on dry leaves, radiated intense fighting spirit as he continued to watch the scene projected in the air by the Memory Stone.


    The Sea Clan began a major offensive.


    Nearly thirty thousand Thunder Dragons, carrying an extremely terrifying aura, smashed down on the Sea Demons below, turning them all to ash with that single strike.


    "..."


    The fighting spirit of the Seventh Prince suddenly diminished a lot, his mouth slowly gaping open involuntarily, a trace of disbelief flashing in his eyes. How had so little time passed, yet the scale and intensity of Chen Qiu''s Thunder Summoning Technique had increased by a level?


    Just a few days ago, he could release a few thousand at most at one time, and it would take time to gather tens of thousands of Thunder Dragons, yet those thirty thousand Thunder Dragons appeared instantaneously just now.


    That strike,


    had surpassed the destructive power caused by a second-layer Golden Core cultivator.


    If the word ''invincible'' were to be used for Chen Qiu, it would seem almost like an insult to him.


    But soon!


    The previously somewhat downcast Seventh Prince''s spirits lifted again, his body once again overflowing with thick fighting spirit. It was just a mob of foundation-establishing, qi refining Sea Demons, he could kill all of them as well, just that it would take him a bit longer than Chen Qiu!


    Of course, Chen Qiu''s strengthening speed was quicker than he had imagined, so he would need to adjust his plans. However, that wasn''t a big problem; he believed he could soon think of a way to counter this move again.


    The Seventh Prince, having regained his fighting spirit, continued to watch confidently. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And then he saw¡ª


    Nine Golden Core Sea Demons, among which two were horrifying fourth-layer Golden Core, and three were third-layer, on the sea surface there was even a fifth-layer Golden Core Sea Demon!


    Almost in the blink of an eye!


    These nine Golden Core Sea Demons simultaneously shot towards Chen Qiu, and three more, unknown when they had hidden themselves, appeared behind Chen Qiu launching a fierce attack towards his back!


    Twelve Golden Core Sea Demons were ambushing him, and below was a fifth-layer Golden Core Sea Demon ready to strike at any moment.


    This was almost a certain death situation.


    He and Chen Qiu switched places, it would be a certain death situation for him too, let alone him, even if a fifth-layer Golden Core cultivator were placed there, it would be hard to survive.


    "Very good."


    The eyes of the Seventh Prince slightly narrowed; finally, he would have the chance to witness Chen Qiu''s long-distance escape technique. He had collected all of Chen Qiu''s information, but had almost never seen Chen Qiu use any long-distance escape techniques, only knowing about a short-distance teleportation movement technique used in battle.


    Long-distance escape was his specialty,


    Chen Qiu definitely couldn''t match him in this aspect.


    Right after...


    He then saw, amidst the howling storm, Chen Qiu standing high in the sky holding the Heavenly Mechanism Umbrella, didn''t even glance properly at those Golden Core Sea Demons stabbing towards him, but looked distantly towards the coastline as if lost in thought, a corner of his mouth lifted in a warm smile that could attract countless young girls'' hearts.


    Soon after,


    hundreds of thousands of Thunder Dragons carrying a suffocating oppression smashed down from the dark clouds, it was the most shocking scene he had ever seen in his life.


    From start to finish,


    Chen Qiu''s figure standing in the air didn''t even shift an inch, only his robe fluttered wildly in the storm.


    An unbending figure, fluttering robes,


    A distracted and lazy expression, savage-faced Sea Demons,


    The intense dynamic contrast, bringing the artistic quality of this painting to its peak.


    The Seventh Prince didn''t even realize that he had forgotten to breathe, his eyes red as he stared intently at the scene projected in the air by the Memory Stone, until the next moment, hundreds of thousands of Thunder Dragons arrived as expected.


    The whole world seemed to pause for a moment.


    The towering sea waves carrying countless pieces of Sea Demon flesh slowly receded, leaving behind a massive inland sea.


    The battle ended,


    and so did the Memory Stone''s projection.


    The Seventh Prince, sitting on the ground, began to breathe hastily, the fighting spirit on his body suddenly dissipating rapidly, there was no way to fight. If after their last encounter he still felt a sliver of chance to win, this time there was none at all!


    Explore hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    He always felt life was boring, no peer could keep up with his growth rate.


    But now...


    For the first time, he experienced the helplessness felt by those he had crushed, Chen Qiu''s growth rate he would never be able to catch up with in this lifetime. Perhaps their last battle in the Heavenly Pride Secret Realm was the only time their strengths were nearly equal in this lifetime.


    For the rest of his life,


    when facing Chen Qiu, he no longer had any right to draw his sword, only to look up.


    Utter dejection and helplessness enveloped him, he didn''t even care about the Sword that fell by the side, his whole person despondently walked toward the direction of the Capital.


    "Seventh Prince."


    Seeing this, the Maid behind picked up the Sword and hurriedly followed, whispering softly, "Aren''t you practicing the sword today?"


    "No, not today, not ever again."


    The Seventh Prince walked despondently toward the Capital, his eyes filled with a blank look toward the future, unsure of what he should do next. Was there any point in practicing the sword anymore?


    Whether he was a second-layer, or a fourth-layer Golden Core, or even a fifth-layer,


    in Chen Qiu''s hands, they were all equally mere existences that could be snuffed out at will.


    Clearly... Chen Qiu was just on the same level of cultivation as him. Why was his strength so much greater?

 Chapter 132 Heavenly Pride Order. _2

    His entire first half of life,he suffered from not having a peer of Heavenly Pride who could keep up with his cultivation speed, leaving him without an adversary he could acknowledge as an opponent.


    After finally meeting Chen Qiu, he thought he had found that rival, someone who could become the lifelong enemy he was looking for.


    They could even become both enemies and friends, as the storytellers say, often sparring, growing together, and eventually joining hands to reach the pinnacle. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But today, he realized that in Chen Qiu''s eyes, this so-called Heavenly Pride was no different from any passerby.


    This disparity shattered his cultivation heart almost instantaneously.


    ...


    At this moment at the Caotian Sect premises, the Caotian Sect Master sat on the Sect Leader''s Chair, gazing into the Memory Stone at this scene, his expression absently sinking into thought.


    Chen Qiu''s growth exceeded his imagination.


    Too fast.


    Almost changing every day.


    His strength was greatly increasing daily, and if occasionally such a dramatic increase in strength was due to fortune, but Chen Qiu''s was growing significantly every day, could it be you, Chen Qiu have fortune every day?


    Da Xia had its shackles.


    Unable to achieve Nascent Soul.


    This news was basically an open secret to all but mortals.


    Suddenly, he felt that if only one person in Da Xia could break these shackles and achieve Nascent Soul, it might just be Chen Qiu.


    ...


    Meanwhile¡ª


    Chen Qiu and his group had already arrived at another city in "Hai Province," named "Flying Fish City," one of the three hundred and sixty-five major cities of Da Xia, and were immediately blocked at the city gates.


    He had forgotten to wear his mask.


    It led to a throng of Human Cultivators running over, none daring to come closer and offend him, instead hiding in the distance and continuously aiming their Memory Stones at him.


    "..."


    Fat Long''s mouth twitched slightly, "Why do I have this strange feeling."


    The scholar, on the other hand, swept a look of envy around him, assuming that since Bai Yi, the once first Sword Cultivator of Da Xia, was not dead and had returned to Jianghu, surely there would be word of him among the folk, and the storytellers would definitely mention him.


    But after secretly visiting several tea houses, he found that all the storytellers were uniformly talking about Chen Qiu, with not one mentioning him.


    Wasn''t he once Da Xia''s first Sword Cultivator?


    Is his presence that insignificant?


    Before Chen Qiu could react, he suddenly sensed that a powerful Cultivator with Golden Core Level Four Cultivation was quickly approaching from inside the city. In an instant, the person stopped in front of him with a face full of smiles, looking somewhat embarrassed as he rubbed his hands towards Chen Qiu.


    "Daoist Chen, I am the current City Lord of Flying Fish City. It''s an honor for Flying Fish City to have you here."


    "My daughter is very fond of you..."


    "Could you possibly grace us with your calligraphy?"


    It is said that one does not slap a smiling face, so naturally Chen Qiu saw no reason to refuse. Rolling up his sleeve, he took the brush and paper handed over by the Flying Fish City Lord and chuckled, "What should I write?"


    "Just ''The Strongest City Lord'' will do."


    "...Your daughter is the City Lord?"


    "No, that''s not the case."


    The Flying Fish City Lord somewhat awkwardly cleared his throat, "My daughter has high expectations for me and wants to use this to motivate me. It would be even better if you could leave a trace of your aura on the calligraphy as an authentication."


    "Alright then."


    Chen Qiu didn''t refuse, and promptly wrote down the four big characters for ''The Strongest City Lord'' with fluid strokes of his brush and then left a trace of his aura on it before smilingly returning it to the Flying Fish City Lord.


    "Thank you so much, I truly appreciate it."


    The Flying Fish City Lord, with eyes full of gratitude and excitement, walked ahead, "Come, Daoist Chen, let me personally show you the way. I know which inn is the best in Flying Fish City."


    ...


    He led Chen Qiu and the others to an inn within Flying Fish City.


    It was only after he excitedly turned into a beam of light and shot towards the City Lord Mansion, quickly returning to his study, that he carefully had the calligraphy framed and hung up in his study.


    Then, leaning back in his chair, he looked at those four big characters ''The Strongest City Lord'' on the wall and couldn''t help but laugh with satisfaction.


    So handsome!


    When his old friends visit his study in a few days, they would probably die of envy.


    Chen Qiu was currently the hottest figure in Da Xia, not only a Talent of Magic Practitioner but also just one step away from being the number one Magic Practitioner of Da Xia. Before this, he had never heard of Chen Qiu giving anyone his calligraphy.


    He was the first.


    And the only one.


    Such an honor was simply too grand.


    Just as the Flying Fish City Lord was looking at those four big characters ''The Strongest City Lord'' on the wall, imagining the envious expressions of his old friends, and laughing so hard that he couldn''t close his mouth, while sitting in his chair.


    His smile suddenly froze on his face.


    And slowly faded away.


    Any hint of lightheartedness vanished instantly as he suddenly stood up, hands pressing down on the desk; a trace of alarm flashed in his eyes, incredulously staring at the four characters on the wall.


    A slight movement in his throat.


    Carefully, he pulled out a brocade bag from his Storage Ring and extracted a slightly yellowed slip of paper, looking down at the calligraphy on the slip and then up at the calligraphy on the wall.


    Your journey continues with My Virtual Library Empire


    Lowering his gaze, then raising it.


    Raising it, then lowering it.


    After rapidly comparing them several times, the Flying Fish City Lord finally collapsed weakly into his chair, his eyes filled with shock as an unbelievable possibility emerged in his mind. Moments later, he leaped up and rushed to the wall, swiftly taking down the framed characters.


    He placed them carefully and preciously into the deepest part of the Storage Ring.


    In the empty study,


    the trembling voice of the Flying Fish City Lord, shaken by disbelief, could be heard.


    "Damn it..."


    "This is not something to joke about..."

 Chapter 132 Heavenly Pride Order. _3

    ...At that time, inside Flying Fish City.


    Chen Qiu and his companions had already left the inn with masks on and found a quite decent brothel, securing a private room to continue enjoying music.


    After such hard work on usual days, they finally got a chance to relax, so why not enjoy some music?


    However, this time they did not seek the company of any ladies.


    They just sat in the private room, enjoying some snacks and sipping on wine, listening to the melodious singing of the girls from the upstairs, feeling quite content.


    Chen Qiu sat on a soft sofa made from fox fur, picking up a peanut and putting it in his mouth, savoring the fragrance that lingered between his teeth, turned his head towards Fat Long and smiled, "I''ve kept that witch in your small world."


    "With her Golden Core Fifth Layer Cultivation, she should be enough for your use."


    He had thrown a lot of things into his storage.


    Among them was a device that could restrain both Golden Core Divine Sense and Cultivation. It was a large Spiritual Treasure, requiring chains to suspend someone in a spread-eagled pose in midair, ensuring that a Golden Core cultivator restrained on this Spiritual Treasure could not attack others with their Cultivation or Divine Sense.


    If he remembered correctly.


    This thing seemed to also have been found in the Storage Ring of a Golden Core Artifact Refiner.


    "Brother Qiu."


    With a serious expression, Fat Long stood up and looked at Chen Qiu, proclaiming slowly and clearly, "I''m really grateful, truly, in the future..."


    "Alright, alright."


    Chen Qiu waved his hand somewhat impatiently, "Just sit down. You''re still teaching the scholar, and you''re not that much better yourself."


    After pausing for a while,


    he squinted and whispered softly, "I want to take a look at the depths of the Boundless Sea. I always feel like there should be something similar to the Eight-petal Fire Lotus under the sea, just like the one in the Underground Fire Sea under the Endless Desert."


    The scholar shook his head, "Brother Qiu, that''s too risky. There are Nascent Souls in the deep parts of the Boundless Sea, and you might not come back if you go."


    "Hmm."


    After sitting on the sofa in silence for a while, Chen Qiu nodded in agreement with the advice, feeling that it indeed seemed too risky, but he still felt there must be something there, even if he didn''t know what it was, but it certainly had to be something good.


    ...


    After relaxing for a moment in the brothel, they returned to the inn to resume their cultivation.


    Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Chen Qiu operated his mental method to consolidate his Golden Core Second Layer Cultivation Realm. His current progress had reached the second layer of the Golden Core Stage (80.2%).


    Just wait until today''s hour arrives.


    Stay connected through My Virtual Library Empire


    Ten Heavenly Dao Golden Core Cultivation Pills would be accounted for, and after absorbing these ten pills, he could break through to the Golden Core Third Layer.


    Soon¡ª


    The hour arrived.


    Chen Qiu, fully prepared, immediately swallowed one Heavenly Dao Golden Core Cultivation Pill, closed his eyes tightly, and began to cultivate seriously.


    What he didn''t notice though,


    was the Heavenly Pride Order he had casually thrown into his small world. It was now emitting faint milky white light, flickering very slowly.


    This Heavenly Pride Order was picked up by Chen Qiu during the day of the Evil Clan invasion, from a member of the clan who had passed on their legacy.


    The material was extraordinary, but neither Divine Sense nor Spiritual Energy penetrated it, so he discarded it in the warehouse of his small world.


    ...


    Five hours later.


    Outside the window, it was already quite bright, the sun was in the mid-sky, and the cries of countless traders were extremely lively, giving off a strong market vibe.


    Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Chen Qiu opened his eyes once again, exhaled a breath of stale air, and chuckled lightly.


    His Cultivation had broken through once again.


    -


    ¡¸Cultivation¡¹: Golden Core Stage Third Layer (15.2%).


    -


    After reaching the Third Layer of the Golden Core Stage, one Heavenly Dao Golden Core Cultivation Pill could now only improve his progress by 3%. At this rate, breaking through to the Fourth Layer of the Golden Core would still require several more days. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hmm, that''s a bit long."


    Chen Qiu chuckled as he got up to straighten his robe, stretched lazily, leaped off the bed, picked up the teacup on the table ready to start a new day.


    Who says advancing in the Golden Core Stage is as slow as imprisonment, and each small realm breakthrough is as difficult as reaching the heavens?


    He felt it was okay.


    From the initial breakthrough to the current Golden Core Third Layer, it had only taken a few days with the help of the Heavenly Dao Golden Core.


    Even though his speed of advancing through Cultivation Realms was so fast, there wasn''t even a hint of disorder in his aura, just needing to consolidate his Cultivation Realm during the day would completely stabilize it.


    But just then¡ª


    The Heavenly Pride Order in his small world suddenly burst into dazzling light, and just as he leaped off the bed, Chen Qiu instantly turned into a flash of light and disappeared from the spot, his teacup also straightforwardly falling to the ground, shattering into several pieces, leaving no trace of him.


    Outside the door, Fat Long and the others, sensing the noise, instantly pushed the door and entered, seeing the shattered teacup and the tea spilled all over the floor, their faces changed dramatically as they trembled.


    "Where is Brother Qiu?"


    ...


    An hour later.


    The scholar stood in Chen Qiu''s room, recreating the scene of Brother Qiu''s disappearance, furrowing his brows and saying, "At this time, Brother Qiu should have just absorbed the effects of the Cultivation Pills, then he got up and picked up the teacup, only to suddenly encounter a mishap, and the teacup fell to the ground."


    "We didn''t detect any fluctuations in Spiritual Energy."


    "It''s unlikely he was kidnapped."


    "And with Brother Qiu''s strength, even a Golden Core Peak Great Perfection cultivator wouldn''t be able to abduct him without a trace, so the most likely scenario is... Brother Qiu was suddenly forced into a Secret Realm."


    Fat Long agreed with the scholar''s reasoning, but still expressed some concern, "Have you ever heard of a Secret Realm that can pull someone in so abruptly?"

 Chapter 132 Heavenly Pride Order._4

    "No."The scholar shook his head firmly, "But there are too many things I haven''t seen, and I''ve never seen anyone grow from a Loose Cultivator to a Golden Core Great Power within a few dozen days."


    "Just because you haven''t seen something doesn''t mean it doesn''t exist."


    "We''ll just wait in the guest room for the next few days; no matter what Secret Realm it is, I believe with Brother Qiu''s strength, he can return safely." Stay tuned for updates on My Virtual Library Empire


    ...


    Meanwhile, Chen Qiu was standing in the very center of Green Stone Square, his brow furrowed as he surveyed his surroundings. The square was about the size of a Chao Tian Sect peak, deserted, with moss-covered green stones on the ground giving it an ancient feel.


    Countless clouds enveloped the surroundings and the space above the square.


    Neither sight nor Divine Sense could penetrate the mist.


    Just moments ago¡ª


    He had just leapt from his bed when a flash of white light appeared before his eyes, and suddenly he found himself here, and the "Heavenly Pride Order" he had picked up from that member of the Evil Clan was also flying out of his small world, hovering beside him.


    It gently swayed up and down, emitting a faint milky white glow.


    At this point, he clearly understood that it was the "Heavenly Pride Order" that had brought him here, but he had no clue where ''here'' was.


    In front of him was only a panel enveloped in mist.


    "Name."


    "..."


    Chen Qiu withdrew his gaze from his surroundings, having found nothing noteworthy on the Green Stone Square, and looked at the panel veiled in mist in front of him. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke softly.


    "Chen Qiu."


    This place was likely a Secret Realm, and the only way to return seemed to be to clear this realm, though he had no idea how difficult this Secret Realm would be.


    He had successfully advanced to the third layer of the Golden Core that very morning.


    He hadn''t yet made his entry choice after leveling up.


    He didn''t plan to choose now.


    This way, if he encountered any tricky crisis later, he could gamble on there being an entry that could exactly solve the crisis. The reason he had managed to save his life from the hands of the Master of Poison Sect was precisely because he was selecting an entry at the time.


    After he had announced his name,


    The mist-covered panel in front of him began to change slowly.


    "Heavenly Pride name: Chen Qiu." sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Affiliation name and position."


    "Sect Master of Chao Tian Sect."


    "Heavenly Dao response detected, registering Chao Tian Sect Sect Master Chen Qiu, bearer of the Heavenly Pride Order, for the ''Heavenly Pride Path'' that opens in one year."


    "This Secret Realm is a preliminary selection for the opening of the Heavenly Pride Path."


    "All Heavenly Prides with the Heavenly Pride Order will enter this Secret Realm at the same time and will not be able to contact the outside world."


    "Only those who clear this Secret Realm will be qualified to participate in the Heavenly Pride Path one year later, and the rankings of this Secret Realm will evaluate the competing Heavenly Prides on a comprehensive level, divided from low to high: Man, Earth, Heaven."


    "..."


    Chen Qiu looked at the panel shrouded in mist before him, roughly understanding the situation. He had picked up something called the Heavenly Pride Order from that member of the Evil Cultivation, and it had been thrown into the warehouse of his small world.


    This Heavenly Pride Order didn''t seem like something Da Xia Country could possess.


    At least, he had never heard of the Heavenly Pride Order in Da Xia Country.


    Heavenly Pride Path...


    He was even less familiar with it.


    About thirty minutes had passed when a rumbling noise suddenly came from beneath the center of the square, and he also felt his body restrained by the power of heaven and earth, unable to move.


    Then, a crack emerged at the center of the square, and an inclined staircase extended rapidly from the ground towards the sky.


    Soon, the end of the stairs pierced through the mist and disappeared before him, still extending at a very fast pace.


    After the time it takes to brew a cup of tea,


    The extension of the steps finally ceased.


    And again, a mist-covered panel materialized before him.


    "First round, Sky-reaching Stairs."


    "In this round, all competing Heavenly Prides cannot use external objects or their own Spiritual Energy but must rely on physical strength and willpower to reach the top of the Sky-reaching Stairs within thirty minutes."


    "Those who fail will be eliminated and cast out of the Secret Realm."


    Afterward,


    The power of heaven and earth that restrained him dissipated, and he was free to move again, but he was still unable to summon his internal Spiritual Energy.

 Chapter 133 Chao Tian Sect Master Chen Qiu, Taking a Single Breath of Time.

    Heavenly Pride''s Initial Trial in the Secret Realm.The first round, unable to use one''s own Spiritual Energy or any external objects?


    Chen Qiu didn''t get up right away but stood at the beginning of the stairs leading to the misty clouds, looking up at the Sky-reaching Stairs.


    The stairs were tall and wide.


    With each step, one had to lift their leg as high as possible. Some petite female Heavenly Prides who came here would probably have to use their hands and feet to climb up.


    Chen Qiu surveyed his surroundings without lingering for too long and stepped onto the stairs, walking forward. After crossing seventy or eighty steps, he arrived at the junction of the stairs and the surrounding mist wall of the square.


    The square was enveloped in countless clouds and mist.


    The Sky-reaching Stairs extended through the clouds and continued upwards into the sky.


    Stepping into the mist-covered Sky-reaching Stairs, about ten breaths later, he finally emerged from the clouds, and everything before him suddenly became clear.


    As if he were in the sky.


    In the vast clear sky, a Sky-reaching Stairs stretched endlessly upwards into the high skies, and even with Divine Sense, Chen Qiu could not see the end at the limit of his Divine Sense''s range.


    Below, surrounding the stairs, was a sea of fire with no visible end.


    Without thinking, he knew that, without the ability to use Spiritual Energy, falling in would certainly mean death or crippling injury.


    This then is the first round, the Sky-reaching Stairs.


    "..."


    Chen Qiu stood silently on the spot without continuing to climb, his expression unreadable. If even the extreme reach of his Divine Sense couldn''t see the end of the stairs, it meant no one could climb the entire way in thirty minutes.


    His spell "Shrinking Earth into Inches" and entry "Slippery."


    Both were short-distance Teleportation methods that did not consume Spiritual Energy; he had planned to use these two skills to reach the end within the allotted time, but it seemed now that plan had to be scrapped.


    First, the end was too far away. His Divine Sense couldn''t perceive it at all.


    Second, the sea of fire below clearly belonged to a type of map restriction. Randomly ending up inside the sea of fire would mean certain death or injury.


    He didn''t know how to use physical strength alone to pass the first round within thirty minutes.


    Chen Qiu looked around frowning and pondering.


    He knew that the Heavenly Prides participating in this "Heavenly Pride''s Initial Trial" Secret Realm should not be solely from Da Xia Country, but also Heavenly Prides from worlds he had never stepped foot in outside Da Xia Country, like that Heavenly Pride from the Evil Clan. The strength of those outside Heavenly Prides, unbound as they were, could be stronger than those from Da Xia.


    This possibility was quite high.


    But even if your strength is immense, at least it should be within a certain range of comprehension, right?


    Without relying on external objects or one''s own Spiritual Energy, he did not know what method he could use to traverse the Sky-reaching Stairs, spanning at least a hundred miles, within thirty minutes. It was an impossible task.


    If...


    If he were the one who set up this Secret Realm, if he put himself in the perspective of the Heavenly Dao,


    He had created a realm that was nearly impossible for anyone to complete. So excluding the possibility that he didn''t want anyone to succeed at all, there was only one last reason left: there was a different way to complete the round.


    "First round."


    "In this round, all competing Heavenly Prides cannot use external objects or their own Spiritual Energy but must rely on physical strength and willpower to reach the summit of the staircase within thirty minutes."


    "Those who fail will be eliminated and removed from the Secret Realm."


    He recalled the first-round panel he had seen and stood at the edge of the staircase, looking down at the sea of fire below. Perhaps... the real end of this Sky-reaching Stairs was inside the sea of fire below?


    To jump into the sea of fire was the way to clear the round?


    "..."


    After standing in thought for a moment, Chen Qiu suddenly turned around and walked into the mist behind him, then made his way back along the same stairs he came by until he returned to the Green Stone Square.


    Standing once again in the center.


    That is, the place where he was originally brought into this realm.


    Standing in the very center of the Green Stone Square, looking at the Sky-reaching Stairs in front of him, he turned and walked decisively into the mist behind him, without any hesitation.


    One breath, two breaths.


    After ten breaths had passed. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The clouds dispersed and his vision cleared, revealing a new Green Stone Square, not the same one as his, and at the very center of the square stood a stone stele.


    "Second round."


    At the same time¡ª


    A panel appeared before him, wrapped in clouds and mist.


    Continue reading on My Virtual Library Empire


    "Congratulations on successfully completing the round, please wait patiently for the second round to begin."


    This place still only had him, with no sign of others. However, engraved on the stone stele was a leaderboard that displayed the names of the Heavenly Prides with the fastest completion times for the first round, and he found his own name listed as number one.


    -


    "First Round Fastest Completion Leaderboard."


    "Rank One": Sect Master Chen Qiu of the Chao Tian Sect, time consumed forty-eight breaths.


    "Rank Two":...


    -


    So far, the leaderboard only showed him, meaning that only he had passed the first round; all other competing Heavenly Prides were still struggling with it.


    And at that moment,


    Dozens of screens appeared in the air, showing parts of the ongoing trials of some Heavenly Prides.


    In the screens, the features of many Heavenly Prides as they tackled the challenge were blurred, twisted by the power of heaven and earth, hiding their actual faces. It was evident that on the dozens of Sky-reaching Stairs, every Heavenly Pride was using their means to complete the challenge.


    That Sky-reaching Stairs, which Divine Sense couldn''t see to the end of, was actually an illusion. Only a small part of the Sky-reaching Stairs truly existed; the rest were just illusions. The real end of the Sky-reaching Stairs was actually reachable by an average Golden Core cultivator using their physical state, easily within thirty minutes.


    And he witnessed¡ª

 Chapter 133 Chen Qiu, Sect Master of Chao Tian Sect, Took a Moment. _2

    Many Heavenly Prides climbed for half the day, their Divine Sense still unable to detect the end of the Sky-reaching Stairs, so they clenched their teeth and jumped into the sea of fire below, then turned into a beam of white light and were eliminated from the Secret Realm.He could understand the thoughts of these Heavenly Prides. After all, judging by the unreachable end of the Sky-reaching Stairs, there was definitely not enough time left to climb to the end. The Secret Realm wouldn''t create an impossible level, so the real end was very likely the sea of fire below.


    But...


    Actually, the sea of fire below was just a trap, and upon jumping into the sea of fire, there was only one outcome: elimination.


    As time passed,


    Your next chapter awaits on My Virtual Library Empire


    Many Heavenly Prides chose to jump into the sea of fire, and some Heavenly Prides even chose to jump into the sea of fire when they were close to reaching the true end of the Sky-reaching Stairs.


    This round truly targeted those Heavenly Prides who possessed Divine Sense and whose range of Divine Sense was broad.


    When you sense that the end is still far from you, you would naturally give up and start thinking that the sea of fire might be the real end.


    Contrarily, those Heavenly Prides either didn''t use their Divine Sense at all, or pretended not to see anything with their Divine Sense, and continued climbing, seemingly engaging in an endless ascent of the Sky-reaching Stairs.


    But just before time was about to run out, they inadvertently stepped on a stair that teleported these Heavenly Prides to the second round at Green Stone Square, informing them they had passed the round.


    ...


    "..."


    Chen Qiu looked at the images of those Heavenly Prides, his mouth slowly opening in a daze, frozen in place. He had thought he had found the most correct way to pass the round, but now it seemed...


    His way of passing the round was completely different from what the Secret Realm had anticipated?


    In fact, it looked like he had exploited a glitch in the map.


    This first round truly tested the physical strength and perseverance of the Heavenly Prides.


    When you can''t see hope, will you still take firm steps forward? This precisely symbolizes the path of cultivation, where you cannot see the end clearly, and without a greatly perseverant heart, you cannot reach the final destination.


    Those Golden Core Heavenly Prides, whose range of Divine Sense was so limited, although they felt it was difficult, still moved forward step by step.


    Just as time was about to run out, and they still couldn''t see the end of the Sky-reaching Stairs within their range of Divine Sense, they ultimately fell into despair and plunged into the sea.


    But he was different.


    Standing at the starting point, his Divine Sense reached out for more than a hundred miles; he knew right away that this was not a path a person could finish walking, and without any hesitation, he turned back on the spot.


    Thus¡ª


    The leaderboard showed this scene.


    -


    "First Round: Fastest Passage Leaderboard."


    "Rank One": Chen Qiu, Sect Master of Chao Tian Sect, time taken: forty-eight breaths.


    "Rank Two": Li Shiyi, True Disciple of Tao Sword Sect, time taken: six hundred seventy breaths.


    "..." sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Rank Six": Zhang Mo, Saint Heir of Citian Sect, time taken: seven hundred twelve breaths.


    "..."


    "Rank Ninety-Nine": Li Kui, Inner Sect Disciple of Fu Kui Sect, time taken: eight hundred thirty-six breaths.


    -


    Thirty minutes is approximately equivalent to three cups of tea, or about nine hundred breaths.


    Chen Qiu did not know how many people participated in the first round, but the total number of Heavenly Prides who passed it was only 1298.


    And on the leaderboard,


    His forty-eight breaths were extremely conspicuous.


    That ''Rank Two'' Li Shiyi took six hundred seventy breaths; he really stood out by several magnitudes, indeed somewhat conspicuous.


    But just then¡ª


    A panel wrapped in clouds and fog once again emerged before him.


    "Li Shiyi, True Disciple of Tao Sword Sect, possesses a Heavenly Pride Order of the highest grade, and has one chance to initiate a revote."


    "Heavenly Pride Li Shiyi chooses to use this opportunity and leaves a message: ''Fellow Daoists, let''s have a rematch, there was a problem with this first round. That Sect Master Chen Qiu of Chao Tian Sect, never heard of it, surely there''s something wrong with the first round of the Secret Realm, I kindly urge fellow Daoists to vote for a rematch.''


    "Please, fellow Heavenly Prides, vote on whether to recontest the first round, a majority vote will conclude an agreement to rematch."


    "..."


    Chen Qiu looked at the floating cloud panel in front of him with a slightly bizarre expression. There were ranks among Heavenly Pride Orders? Why did his have no features while Li Shiyi''s superior Heavenly Pride Order allowed him a chance for a rematch?


    Actually, he thought that being second was quite good too.


    Is it necessary to demand a rematch just because it''s not the first rank?


    However, through that message, he also gathered some information: Da Xia Country was indeed a place of confinement, and the land imprisoning Da Xia Country was called Xuantian Continent.


    He wasn''t given a chance to choose.


    The votes agreeing passed the majority, suggesting that many people wanted a rematch, but only those who passed the first round could participate in this rematch. Those who were eliminated earlier in the Secret Realm had no chance to join this rematch.


    ...


    A flash of white light.


    Chen Qiu found himself standing again on the familiar moss-covered Green Stone Square, once again restrained by the forces of heaven and earth, and the panel for the first round emerged beside him again.


    You like rematches, huh?


    His eyes gradually narrowed, and a sudden smile appeared on his lips, planning to take a gamble and try it out.


    In the instant the force of heaven and earth dissipated!


    With almost no hesitation, he activated ''Shrink Earth into Inches,'' his body continuously teleporting through the air above the Green Stone Square until he pierced into the clouds and vanished from his original spot, then appeared above the second round''s Green Stone Square and slowly descended to the ground.


    -


    "First Round: Fastest Passage Leaderboard."


    "Rank One": Chen Qiu, Sect Master of Chao Tian Sect, time taken: one breath.


    "..."


    -


    "Why bother."


    Chen Qiu stood in front of the stele with a reflective expression, looking at the rankings appearing above and muttered: "That''ll kill you."

 Chapter 133 Chao Tian Sect Sect Master Chen Qiu, Takes a Moment. _3

    This time, he could be sure that he hadn''t exploited any map bug; instead, this method of passing the level indeed belonged to the hidden passage of the first round because the direction he had entered the clouds this time was completely different from last time, yet he still landed in the second round.This meant that.


    Whenever you were in the first round, regardless of which direction you passed through the clouds, as long as you didn''t leave the clouds via the Sky-reaching Stairs, you could arrive at the second round.


    He patiently waited for quite a while.


    Soon, other people''s names began to appear on the leaderboard.


    While that Tao Sword Sect True Disciple, Li Shiyi, was still ranked second, his speed had improved quite a bit. His time for the second replay had been reduced to six hundred and thirty breaths, forty breaths faster, a very decent improvement.


    ...


    "..." sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    On the Green Stone Square of the second round, Tao Sword Sect True Disciple Li Shiyi stood in front of the stone stele with an extremely ugly expression, staring intently at the name Chen Qiu on the summit leaderboard.


    He had pushed his speed to the limit, and it had taken him all of six hundred and thirty breaths to reach the end.


    Faster than many practitioners of Body Cultivation.


    He simply couldn''t understand how this unheard-of Chen Qiu, without relying on his own Spiritual Energy or external objects, could have used what means to reach the end of the Sky-reaching Stairs in a single breath!


    Damn it!!!


    How could it be just one breath!


    Before his replay, it was forty-eight breaths, so how did it change to one breath after the replay? Could it be that the damned fellow had actually blown up his own body and flew over with his Golden Core?


    If there were certain entries that could hasten the Golden Core''s flight speed, or some other Spell.


    Then it would indeed be possible to do this.


    But has this damned fellow gone mad? This was only the preliminary screening for the Heaven''s Pride path, not the formal commencement of the route. Was it necessary to go to such lengths? After self-destructing the body, although the entries previously obtained would still be retained after a new body was formed, a body obtained through spirit possession would definitely not be as suitable as the original one, both potential and power would drop significantly.


    "Fine, fine..."


    Li Shiyi took a deep breath to calm his inner turmoil and murmured in a low voice, "Just a lunatic, that''s all. Passing this round by blowing up his body will not help him later on. Besides, after possessing a body, he is destined to live in obscurity."


    "There''s no reason to get angry over such a madman."


    ...


    This preliminary screening realm of Heaven''s Pride had many Green Stone Squares, with only one Heavenly Pride on each square, and they couldn''t see each other. Their challenge levels didn''t overlap with others.


    Heavenly Prides who arrived early at the next round could watch the competition.


    But even when watching, the faces of all Heavenly Prides were distorted by the power of heaven and earth, their specific features unrecognizable.


    This made Chen Qiu feel slightly less entertained.


    Otherwise, he actually would have liked to see the expression on the face of that Heavenly Pride who had just wasted a replay chance. It must have been wonderful.


    Just then¡ª


    -


    ''The second round.''


    ''This round is a test of combat ability. Heavenly Prides will face a hundred thousand puppets of the same cultivation level. Those who defeat more than ten puppets of the same cultivation level within thirty minutes will pass the round.''


    ''As a Heavenly Pride, one should face ten opponents alone.''


    ''Spending a Mid-grade Spirit Stone will instantly recover thirty percent of your Spiritual Energy.''


    ''Spending an Eight Desolate Fruit will instantly recover all your Spiritual Energy.''


    ''Spending an Evil Wood stick will allow one''s voice to echo in the ears of all Heavenly Prides.''


    -


    With the emergence of this cloud-like panel in front of him, it signified the start of the preliminary screening for the Heaven''s Pride path''s second round.


    Immediately after, Chen Qiu saw the Green Stone Square beneath his feet begin to expand as a whole.


    Experience more content on My Virtual Library Empire


    The area expanded by hundreds of times before it finally came to a halt.


    Then, a hundred thousand puppets of the same cultivation level crawled out from underground, surrounding him completely. This scene looked quite intimidating.


    This was a hundred thousand puppets of the same cultivation level. Even if only a few dozen puppets could attack you at one time, it was still extremely terrifying. The participating Heavenly Prides had to avoid countless attacks and defeat ten puppets within thirty minutes in such a daunting atmosphere to pass the round.


    And this was just the preliminary screening of the Heaven''s Pride path.


    It could be imagined that in the Heaven''s Pride path a year from now, all the participating Heavenly Prides must be exceptionally formidable individuals, with even the least capable ones able to take on ten opponents of the same cultivation level by themselves.


    However, this round added three new elements.


    You could spend Spirit Stones or heavenly materials and earthly treasures to recover Spiritual Energy or communicate with other Heavenly Prides, which was also a test of the participant''s wealth or the power of the backing forces.


    Indeed.


    Since one is a Heavenly Pride, they should fulfill the four conditions of wealth, companions, the Dharma, and location.


    Even if they were Heavenly Prides who were Loose Cultivators, they would not lack wealth under fortuitous circumstances. If they did, they would not qualify as Heavenly Prides.


    "..."


    Chen Qiu glanced at the myriad cultivation level puppets surrounding him, his expression growing more peculiar, meaning that all the ones who eventually passed this screening realm would be his opponents on the Heaven''s Pride path in the future.


    If that was the case...


    He didn''t mind adding a little something extra to the Dao hearts of these future opponents.


    Without much thought.


    The moment the restrictions of heaven and earth lifted, Spiritual Energy surged out fiercely. He didn''t even test whether passing through the clouds this time would lead directly to the third round, and along with the storm and dark clouds that suddenly emerged...


    Over two hundred thousand Thunder Dragons filled the sky above the entire square.


    "Boom!!!"


    The terrifying pressure, accompanied by countless arcs of electricity, exploded in the center of the Green Stone Square.


    When the smoke dissipated,


    he had already appeared at the third round''s Green Stone Square. On the leaderboard stele, he was still ranked first.

 Chapter 133 Chao Tian Sect Sect Master Chen Qiu, Takes a Moment. _4

    -"Speed ranking for the second round."


    "Rank one: Chao Tian Sect Sect Master Chen Qiu, took a mere moment, killed one hundred thousand puppets."


    "... "


    -


    Besides him, no one else had passed the round.


    Cultivation battle power evaluation?


    To him, it was completely meaningless.


    Forget about one hundred thousand cultivation-level puppets, even if there were a million such puppets, as long as these million weren''t Magic Practitioner Puppets capable of casting spells at the same time targeting him, they were nothing more than ants easily crushed.


    To him, the phrase "invincible at the same level" was somewhat an insult.


    He then looked towards the battle scenes of other Heavenly Prides on other floating Green Stone Squares, and turned to the thousands of Evil Woods in his Storage Ring, his lips beginning to curl into a smile.


    These thousands of Evil Woods were given to him by the Caotian Sect Sect Master, which he had intended to return before the Heavenly Pride Secret Realm began, but they didn''t want them back.


    After entering this Secret Realm, his connection with the small world was cut off.


    But the items in the Storage Ring were still usable.


    "Ahem."


    He pulled out several hundred Evil Woods and threw them onto the ground, sat cross-legged on the Green Stone Square holding an Evil Wood in his hand, looked at the continuing fierce battles of other Heavenly Prides in midair, and prepared to give a bit of encouragement.


    The next moment¡ª


    A voice reached every Heavenly Pride''s ears.


    "Chao Tian Sect Sect Master Chen Qiu used an Evil Wood: ''Haven''t you cleared it yet? I''m rushing home to eat.''


    "''How nice, I see the end of this generation of Heavenly Prides in you all.''


    "''The food is really going to get cold.''


    "''Do you want to join the Chao Tian Sect? We''re broadly recruiting disciples, come and kowtow to your master.''


    "''Why isn''t anyone talking, don''t you like to talk?''


    While Chen Qiu was enjoying encouraging this batch of Heavenly Prides, a sudden voice rang in his ear.


    "Tao Sword Sect True Disciple Li Shiyi used an Evil Wood: ''The huge price your family paid to prepare these Evil Woods for you wasn''t for you to use them to spout clever words, would your family approve of you wasting them like this? Just a joke, luckily getting first in the first round.''


    "Hey."


    Chen Qiu suddenly grinned widely, and with a wave of his hand, three hundred Evil Woods on the ground disappeared.


    "What?"


    "What?"


    Over three hundred voices echoed like noise continuously in all the Heavenly Prides'' ears, and then slowly a sentence was added.


    "Chao Tian Sect Sect Master Chen Qiu used an Evil Wood: ''Do I look like a poor fellow to you? With no offspring, ought you to go home and chop wood instead?''


    "''Didn''t you see I''m a Sect Master, do you think I go around begging like you following elders?''


    "''Say ''Daddy,'' want a candy?''


    "''Talk, why don''t you.''


    "''Gone mute again.''


    "''Look at your sword, tsk, I have a buddy named Bai Yi, I''ll have him give you some pointers someday.''


    "''And that Thousand Technique Sect guy, really, stop saying you''re a Magic Practitioner, you shame them.''


    "''And you, this so-called Saint Heir Zhang Mo, tsk tsk tsk, nevermind, I won''t say harsh words, just reflect on it yourself.''


    "''Are you really heavenly prides? Did I come to the wrong place, I remember my token isn''t worthless.''


    "''...''


    ...


    Under Chen Qiu''s tireless encouragement using five to six hundred Evil Woods, cracks finally began to appear in these Heavenly Prides'' Dao hearts.


    Originally in the second round,


    they had to focus entirely on dodging each forthcoming attack, then after dodging countless attacks, counter-attack the puppets, trying to kill as many as possible in a life-risking battle process.


    But amidst countless mocking voices in their ears.


    Especially Li Shiyi, who was under the close watch of Chen Qiu, now had a ferocious expression, with bloodshot eyes and rage burning in his heart that made him want to rush to Chen Qiu at all costs, to impale him with a thousand swords and thus alleviate the hatred in his heart!


    Thirty minutes later.


    Under the tireless encouragement of Chen Qiu, the number of Heavenly Prides who had passed the first round was originally 1298, but now only 438 remained.


    ...


    Third round at Green Stone Square.


    Li Shiyi''s emotions were nearly on the verge of collapse. He knew many of the competing Heavenly Prides and was usually considered a leader among them, but now he had been publicly mocked over two hundred times.


    He felt he was on the edge of madness.


    He swore that he had never in his life wanted to kill someone so badly!


    Especially after seeing on the stele leaderboard, the glaring name of Chen Qiu and his baffling combat record.


    Find exclusive stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    - S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "The Fastest to Clear the First Round Leaderboard."


    "First place": Chao Tian Sect Sect Master Chen Qiu, taking only a breath''s time, killed one hundred thousand puppets.


    "..."


    "Seventeenth place": Tao Sword Sect True Disciple Li Shiyi, taking thirty minutes, killed nine hundred eighty-seven puppets.


    -


    To kill one hundred thousand puppets of the same cultivation within a breath''s time.


    He truly couldn''t imagine any Heavenly Pride in Xuantian Continent capable of such a feat; it was utterly impossible.


    He would stake his life on the certainty that Chen Qiu must have used some special mechanism, otherwise it would not be possible.


    If it wasn''t for Chen Qiu affecting his mind, he would definitely not have placed merely seventeenth, but at least among the top five. He was a Sword Cultivator, naturally proficient in combat, and this second round should have been his forte.


    But under the influence of Chen Qiu.


    He, who should have shone brilliantly, ended up only in seventeenth place.


    -


    "Quite exhausting,"


    Chen Qiu looked at the names of the other Heavenly Prides on the stele leaderboard, taking a long breath, feeling a bit worried in case in the future on the Heavenly Pride path he couldn''t surpass these Heavenly Prides. That would be quite unfortunate.


    There was still one year until the opening of the Heavenly Pride path.


    In this year, these Heavenly Prides needed to become stronger, which was the initial plan. As for now... these Heavenly Prides needed to start figuring out how to mend their Dao hearts.


    With a Dao heart issue, let alone getting stronger.


    Even their strength would regress.


    From Li Shiyi''s mouth, he had once again affirmed that Evil Wood was a highly valued commodity in the outer Xuantian Continent. After returning, he would need to see the progress with Liu Zide and try to buy up all the Evil Wood in Feizhou.


    This way... once Da Xia Country''s restraints were broken and it merged with Xuantian Continent.


    This stock of Evil Wood would also become a vast fortune.


    Merely a few hundred pieces of Evil Wood, in exchange for dusting the Dao hearts of these future rivals, he felt it was still a more cost-effective trade.


    Too bad Evil Wood could only be used in the second round.


    Now it could no longer be used.


    Otherwise, he wanted to use it throughout the challenge to temper the Dao hearts of these Heavenly Prides. Sometimes, the method to improve strength isn''t just about getting stronger yourself, making your future rivals weaker is also a way to enhance strength.


    Under this strategy of others'' loss being his gain.


    This would surely accelerate his strength enhancement.


    Meanwhile, almost all the Heavenly Prides standing in Green Stone Square for the third round were sullen, harboring smoldering anger. Nearly every one of them had been specifically mocked by Chen Qiu.


    Chen Qiu knew well that targeted mocking had the greatest impact; generic mocking could often be ignored by many, but you can''t pretend not to hear it if your name is explicitly called out.


    Thus...


    Chen Qiu, with his own strength.


    Made all the Heavenly Prides standing in Green Stone Square endure the greatest humiliation of their lives. Now, what they wanted the most was not to clear the third round, but to go out and find that damned Chao Tian Sect at all costs!


    And to find that Sect Master, behead him!


    And throw his body to the dogs!

 Chapter 134 Seeking Ones Own Death.

    Just at that moment¡ª"The third trial."


    "Since ancient times, only one hundred and eight Heavenly Prides have been chosen. This trial ranks participants based on their Golden Core Grade, eliminating all those beyond the one hundred and eighth position. If the Golden Core Grade is the same, Cultivation will be used to decide who stays and who leaves."


    -


    "..."


    Chen Qiu looked at the panel before him, shrouded in mist, with a strange expression. At least the previous two trials had some room for subjectivity, where, if one''s strength was lacking, they could still use certain methods to ensure a higher ranking.


    This trial, however,


    was brutally straightforward, filtering out the top one hundred and eight based on Golden Core Grade.


    Meaning those with even slightly inferior Golden Core Grades were directly disqualified from the Heavenly Pride''s path, unable to even pass the initial filtering of the Secret Realm?


    What was this Heavenly Pride''s path? Why was its screening so strict?


    However, he wasn''t worried.


    After all... it was impossible for anyone to have a higher Golden Core Grade than him. His only concern was that if his Golden Core Grade were to be revealed, the crisis awaiting him when the Da Xia Country''s prison was eventually broken might be... just a tad greater.


    And soon, the stele displayed the rankings again.


    -


    "The third trial''s Golden Core Grade ranking list."


    "Rank one": Chao Tian Sect Sect Master Chen Qiu.


    "Rank two": Tao Sword Sect True Disciple Li Shiyi.


    "Rank three": Citian Sect Saint Heir Zhang Mo.


    -


    Chen Qiu''s worries did not come to fruition; the list simply showed the positions without specifying the exact Golden Core Grades.


    Seeing this, Chen Qiu couldn''t help but grin.


    He had never imagined he would achieve rank one three times.


    If nothing unexpected happened, that True Disciple from the Tao Sword Sect must be on the verge of breaking. It''s clear that he is strong both in terms of Golden Core Grade and personal strength, classifiable as a top-tier Heavenly Pride of this era. But such a prideful individual is likely not accustomed to setbacks.


    To have suppressed him thrice in a row. Explore new worlds at My Virtual Library Empire


    He should really spend the next year not on cultivation, but on adjusting his mentality and slowly mending his Dao heart.


    ...


    Just as Chen Qiu had expected.


    At this moment, that True Disciple from the Tao Sword Sect, Li Shiyi, stood in front of the stele at Green Stone Square, face twisted in fury as he screamed at the sky, "Inside job, inside job!!!"


    "This Chen Qiu is definitely not normal, there must be some damn inside job!!!"


    He was a true unparalleled Heavenly Pride of the Xuantian Continent!


    When the panel for the third trial first appeared, he was overjoyed that he was finally poised to achieve rank one, yet he was worried about his Golden Core Grade being exposed. His Golden Core Grade was the topmost secret of the Tao Sword Sect, completely unknown to outsiders!


    He was a Sword Cultivator of extraordinary talent, nurtured by the Tao Sword Sect''s thousands of years of heritage.


    His Golden Core was Eighth Grade.


    He was planning to astonish everyone on the path of the Heavenly Pride, thereby advancing to Nascent Soul and pursuing the path to immortality. This was his life plan.


    He was at the Golden Core Peak, always holding back his Cultivation, just to participate in the Heavenly Pride''s path, and after it ended, to advance to Nascent Soul.


    That meant Chen Qiu couldn''t possibly have the same Eighth Grade Golden Core as him, but a Ninth Grade Golden Core instead!


    Could this be possible?


    Throughout the entire Xuantian Continent, he had never seen a Ninth Grade Golden Core, only hearing vague mentions from elders that such a grade had existed long ago, but it had not appeared for thousands of years.


    Furthermore, the first two trials. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chen Qiu had completed them within a single breath''s time.


    That only reinforced his belief that there was something abnormal about Chen Qiu, that there had to be some inside job. But this was the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm; could there be foul play even here?


    No matter how furiously Li Shiyi screamed at the sky, no one paid him any attention, nor was there any response.


    ...


    "Quite interesting,"


    Chen Qiu said to himself with a light chuckle as he looked at the third trial''s ranking list.


    He was also somewhat curious about the Golden Core Grades of the other Heavenly Prides¡ª Da Xia''s highest was only Fourth-grade. Perhaps these Heavenly Prides from the Xuantian Continent would be Eighth or Ninth Grade?


    Although he knew their Golden Core Grades would be lower than his,


    he was still curious by how much.


    He hoped these people wouldn''t be too disheartened. He had been inexplicably dragged into this Heavenly Pride''s path by the "Heavenly Pride Order," so if anyone was to blame, it should be the Evil Clan''s Heavenly Pride.


    Subsequently, another panel slowly emerged in front of him, enveloped by clouds and mist.


    "The initial filtering of the Heavenly Pride''s path in the Secret Realm has concluded."


    "All the Heavenly Prides will receive their Grade. The one hundred and eight Heavenly Prides that passed the initial filtering of the Secret Realm will have their Heavenly Pride Orders bound to them personally. Should anyone lose their Heavenly Pride Order and it falls into the hands of another, that person will be unable to enter the Heavenly Pride''s path through it."


    "And should any Heavenly Pride lose their Order, they also cannot enter the Heavenly Pride''s path and are considered to have forfeited their right."


    "One year from now, the Heavenly Pride''s path will officially open, and the Grades will determine the order of entry."


    "..."


    "Chao Tian Sect Sect Master Chen Qiu, Grade: Heavenly Pride 100."


    -


    "Ranking list of the initial filtering of the Heavenly Prides."


    "Rank one": Chao Tian Sect Sect Master Chen Qiu, Heavenly Pride 100.


    "Rank two": Citian Sect Saint Heir Zhang Mo, Heavenly Pride 17.


    "..."


    "Rank six": Tao Sword Sect True Disciple Li Shiyi, Heavenly Pride 4.


    "..."


    "Rank seventy-two": Fukuizong Inner Sect Disciple Li Kui, Human Pride 87."


    -


    With a flash of white light, everyone was ejected from the Secret Realm. In this initial filtering of the Heavenly Pride''s path, there were three trials. Based on the performance of the Heavenly Prides in these trials, they were classified into Heavenly Pride, Earth Pride, and Human Pride.


    The number following the title of the Heavenly Pride.


    Indicates the differentiation of strength among those who are also Heavenly Prides, with a full score of 100, and the weakest at 1.

 Chapter 134 Seeking Ones Own Death. _2

    Originally, Li Shiyi ranked quite high in both the first and third rounds; if it hadn''t been for Chen Qiu''s influence in the second round, which disturbed his mind and led to a poor performance, he wouldn''t have ended up as Heavenly Pride 4.As for Chen Qiu...


    He nearly achieved Great Perfection in both the first and second rounds, and in the third round, with a Golden Core of the twelfth grade of the Heavenly Dao Top Grade, he also achieved Great Perfection.


    He achieved Great Perfection in all three rounds.


    Even if he had scored one point less and ended up as Heavenly Pride 99, it would have been because the Heavenly Dao was deliberately targeting him, without a single flaw to pick on.


    At the same time¡ª


    In the sect of the Tao Sword Sect, in the seclusion area for disciples, Li Shiyi, his face gloomy and body emanating a dense murderous aura, swung his sword to break the restrictions of his own cave dwelling and looked toward the waiting servant, saying word by word,


    "Go check on someone named Chen Qiu, and that damned Chao Tian Sect!"


    "I want him dead!"


    And at almost the exact same time, within many sects and clans, several Heavenly Prides, their Dao hearts damaged, left the Secret Realm with gloomy expressions, feeling an indescribable fire burning inside them.


    The more they thought about it, the angrier they became. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If they didn''t tear Chen Qiu into ten thousand pieces, they felt they could never let this matter go!


    Kill Chen Qiu!


    This almost instantly became everyone''s consensus as well as... their Heart Demon.


    To seek ascension to the Nascent Soul, one important requirement is to be free of Heart Demons, and now it seemed Chen Qiu had become a Heart Demon in their hearts; without killing him, it was difficult to ascend to the Nascent Soul!


    They had suppressed their Cultivation for so long just to partake in the Path of the Heavenly Pride, not to be forever barred from the Nascent Soul!


    ...


    "Brother Qiu!"


    Meanwhile, inside the inn in Flying Fish City, within a guest room, Fat Long and the others, seeing Chen Qiu suddenly reappearing in the room, crowded around him with worried yet happy expressions, "Brother Qiu, you''re finally back. Are you alright?"


    "I''m fine."


    Your adventure continues at My Virtual Library Empire


    Chen Qiu shook his head indifferently, a hint of emotion still in his eyes. Although he had mocked those Heavenly Prides in the Secret Realm just now to cloud their Dao hearts, he knew that any of them, if brought to Da Xia Country, would be considered peerless Heavenly Prides.


    No need to mention others.


    Through watching the battles, he saw that Li Shiyi, possessing a Golden Core at the Peak of Great Perfection, actually managed to kill more than nine hundred Golden Core Peak Cultivation puppets, showcasing an extremely terrifying capability.


    It should be noted that altogether, Da Xia Country didn''t even have that many people with a Golden Core at the Peak of Great Perfection.


    This meant that if Li Shiyi came to Da Xia Country and was given enough time, he alone could ruthlessly purge Da Xia Country and still not suffer many injuries.


    Although puppets with the same Cultivation are much weaker than humans,


    even then, these were puppets with a Golden Core at the Peak of Great Perfection, not to be underestimated.


    Of course, although he could instantly annihilate a hundred thousand similarly Cultivated puppets, he was different. In his heart, he was quite sure that Li Shiyi was truly a formidable opponent. If he did not increase his strength quickly enough, he would be utterly crushed if they met in the future.


    "..."


    Chen Qiu, head lowered in thought, did not speak. He currently possessed a Golden Core at the third level, and the Path of the Heavenly Pride was one year away. The Path of the Heavenly Pride was compulsory to attend, just like this time, unless he threw away the Heavenly Pride Order.


    If in one year his Cultivation could not advance to the Golden Core Peak of Great Perfection, then participating would mean getting beaten.


    He sighed deeply and shook his head.


    He didn''t think about it anymore.


    We''ll see when the time comes. He felt it was somewhat unlikely to advance his Cultivation to Great Perfection within a year, and he didn''t even know what the rewards for the Path of the Heavenly Pride were. If his Cultivation hadn''t reached the Golden Core Peak of Great Perfection by then, he would just throw away the Heavenly Pride Order and not go.


    If his Cultivation did reach that level, then he would go.


    The choice was still quite flexible.


    He then inspected the panel floating above the Dantian inside his body, enveloped in clouds. After breaking through to the third level of the Golden Core, he was directly pulled into this Secret Realm, and he hadn''t chosen an entry immediately just in case he encountered any challenging stages where he could gamble on a suitable entry.


    But...


    All three stages were quite simple.


    There was no major difficulty, as it was just a preliminary screening Secret Realm, so it didn''t give him a chance to gamble.


    -


    ¡¸Cultivation improved significantly, officially entering the third level of the Golden Core Stage.¡¹


    ¡¸Please choose from the three random entries below within ten breaths.¡¹


    1:


    ¡¸Entry name¡¹: Self Generation One.


    ¡¸Entry level¡¹: Yellow.


    ¡¸Entry effect¡¹: You cannot be deduced by any Divination methods.


    2:


    ¡¸Entry name¡¹: Self Generation Forty-Nine.


    ¡¸Entry level¡¹: Blue.


    ¡¸Entry effect¡¹: Each time someone tries to deduce you using Divination methods, they will always deduce erroneous and chaotic random clues.


    3:


    ¡¸Entry name¡¹: Seeking One''s Own Death.


    ¡¸Entry level¡¹: Green.


    ¡¸Entry effect¡¹: When your Golden Core self-destructs, the power of the explosion will be enhanced tenfold, and cannot be interrupted.


    -


    "..."


    Chen Qiu silently looked at the three entries that appeared randomly after his breakthrough to the third level of the Golden Core, thinking he was fortunate that the Sect Grand Elder of the Flower Offering Sect didn''t have the ''Seeking One''s Own Death'' entry, otherwise if he hadn''t escaped into the small world immediately, he probably would have been injured.


    Among the entries,


    the Blue grade is higher than the Yellow one.


    The first and second entries, both aiming to mask the fate to avoid divination, were exactly the type of entries he needed, especially since he learned that Old Man Cao, the Guardian of the Array Repairer legacy, might be the State Preceptor.


    He has since had a subtle fear of Divination,


    because nobody knows exactly what the other party can deduce.

 Chapter 134 Seeking Ones Own Death. _3

    With an entry that could conceal one''s fate from the divinations, it was perfect for effectively restraining Gua Cultivators, as long as their Cultivation wasn''t overwhelming his by too much, they wouldn''t be able to deduce his whereabouts.Without hesitating, he chose the second entry.


    "Self-propagating forty-nine."


    Let the deductions proceed slowly.


    "Let''s go."


    After that, he turned to Fat Long and the others, "Go to Fei City, find Liu Zide."


    With no pressing matters that day, it was time to check on the progress of Liu Zide and the rest.


    ...


    On the way,


    Chen Qiu had placed many things from his small world into his Storage Ring. Although the small world was larger and more convenient for organizing, many Secret Realms would sever the connection between him and the small world.


    This meant that if something he needed was in the small world, he might not be able to retrieve it in a Secret Realm.


    This could be a life-threatening issue at critical moments.


    It was safer to keep things in the Storage Ring, even though it meant wearing several rings on his fingers, which looked somewhat conspicuous, but at least it was better than losing one''s life over it at a critical moment.


    ...


    The journey was uneventful.


    When the sun had descended halfway down the mountain and dusk had set in, they had already arrived at Fei City. Through the Sound Transmission Ring, they quickly made contact with Liu Zide and managed to meet up.


    "This many?"


    A flash of surprise crossed Chen Qiu''s eyes as he looked at the several Storage Rings that Liu Zide handed over, which contained at least tens of thousands of units of Evil Wood at first glance.


    "This is actually the lesser amount,"


    Liu Zide spoke seriously and with respect, "There are quite a lot of Evil Woods in Fei State, they''re not considered valuable, mainly used for heating by some families and sects. If we were to purchase more aggressively, we could acquire even more."


    "But a widespread purchase would inflate the price of Evil Wood, and it''s likely that others would also enter the market to buy."


    "Thus, we''ve been telling stories in Fei State these past few days." Stay tuned with My Virtual Library Empire


    "The story fabricated so far is that the Young Masters of two families had a disagreement and argued. To compete in financial strength, both sides used Spirit Stones to agree on purchasing useless things, like Evil Wood,"


    "to show off their wealth."


    "Like this, although the pace of purchasing is slower, at least the price of Evil Wood remains controllable. We plan to change the story after a while, and we are also slowly purchasing Eight Desolate Fruits. We''ve already secured three,"


    "One of which Fat Long had the World Pavilion purchase on commission, and it was sent to me following your instructions after it arrived, Brother Qiu."


    "If you''re in a hurry, Brother Qiu, we could speed up the process, though the price might rise."


    "No need,"


    Chen Qiu said with a smile, accepting the Storage Ring. After throwing all twenty thousand units of Evil Wood into a mountain at the back of the small world, he then passed a Storage Ring containing 4,000 Spirit Stones to Liu Zide.


    "Take these Spirit Stones and continue purchasing at your own pace. If you exceed the amount, cover it first, and I''ll compensate you when I come next time."


    "Keep the price stable."


    "By the way, find me a group of people. I''m taking them to renovate a sect. The sect is rather large, ordinary mortals won''t cut it, find those who specialize in constructing sects."


    "Sure." S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Liu Zide nodded earnestly, "I will contact you as soon as I have any news, Brother Qiu."


    ...


    After parting with Liu Zide, Chen Qiu found a random inn in Fei City to stay for the night and prepare for his Cultivation practice.


    This time they were smart, wearing masks so they wouldn''t be surrounded like last time.


    It''s about learning from one''s mistakes.


    The same error shouldn''t happen twice.


    Soon...


    As the Hour of the Rat arrived, the Golden Core Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pill was automatically credited. Chen Qiu, who sat cross-legged on the bed, swallowed a Golden Core Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pill and circulated his mental method, beginning another night of arduous Cultivation.


    ...


    After dawn,


    Chen Qiu slowly opened his eyes and emitted a long breath of turbid air. His Cultivation Progress had now reached¡ª


    -


    "Cultivation": Golden Core Stage Level Three (45.3%).


    -


    In a few days, his Cultivation would improve again.


    However, as his Cultivation increased, the effects of the Golden Core Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pill also weakened. If there were no other opportunities, he estimated it would not be easy to reach the Great Perfection Cultivation at the Golden Core Peak before the path of the Heavenly Pride.


    After entering the Golden Core Stage,


    the experience gained from killing demon beasts was almost none, or rather, completely gone.


    Killing so many demon beasts of the Sea Clan didn''t even increase his Cultivation Progress by 0.1%, no wonder so many cultivators at the Golden Core Stage rarely ventured out and instead focused on secluded Cultivation. It''s only the Qi Refinement Realm cultivators who are most keen on killing demon beasts daily.


    Now that it was daylight,


    Chen Qiu left the guest room and saw Fat Long and the others already waiting for him in the corridor, "Let''s go, being in Fei City, naturally we should have more mutton soup."


    He then turned to the scholar next to him with slight amazement, patting him on the shoulder and smiling.


    "Not bad, your Cultivation has increased faster than mine did at your stage, already at Foundation Establishment Level Five."


    "All credit goes to you, Brother Qiu,"


    The scholar replied with a good mood, smiling, "If it wasn''t for the batch of Foundation Establishment Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills you gave me, my Cultivation wouldn''t have risen this fast."


    "Good,"


    Chen Qiu nodded, and soon, the trio appeared at a stall in Fei City.


    "Fat Long."


    After taking a sip of the mutton soup, Chen Qiu picked up a piece of dry bread and turned to Fat Long, "The witch in the small world has already woken up, aren''t you going to Cultivate?"


    "After the meal, I''ll go,"


    Fat Long nodded vigorously, "I wanted to go yesterday, but since you came to Fei City, Brother Qiu, you went straight back to the inn to Cultivate, and I didn''t find an opportunity to talk to you about it."

 Chapter 134 Seeking Ones Own Death. _4

    ```"Okay, after you finish eating, I''ll take you there. It''s been so long and you''re only at the first level of Foundation Establishment. It makes me lose face when I''m out and about," he said.


    ...


    After the meal.


    Chen Qiu and the others arrived in the suburbs of Fei City and then entered the small world outside the suburbs.


    They came before the Witch who was bound in chains to a frame.


    "Squeak, ah!!"


    As Chen Qiu and his companions approached, the Witch, whose limbs were tied to the frame, screamed hysterically with a fierce expression, unable to speak human language.


    There is a fundamental difference between the Devil Clan and demon beasts.


    Members of the Devil Clan, even those at the Foundation Establishment Stage, have awakened their Spiritual Wisdom and can speak human languages, while demon beasts, even after stepping into the Golden Core Stage and assuming human form, still cannot speak, and their Spiritual Wisdom is even less than that of a Devil Clan at the Foundation Establishment Stage, often acting more on instinct.


    "So... should I go now?" Fat Long asked, tilting his head toward Chen Qiu and the others tentatively.


    "Yeah, go ahead."


    "It''s a bit embarrassing with you guys here."


    "... Shall we turn around then?"


    "Okay."


    Hundreds of breaths later.


    The scholar looked at Fat Long, who had now advanced to the second level of Foundation Establishment, and sighed lightly, "He was born for this line of work."


    ...


    It must be said that a ninefold increase in cultivation speed is somewhat frightening.


    This is the power of "Heavenly Destiny Dual Cultivation."


    If you can meet the stringent conditions of possessing both Nine Ox Power and a certain other power, then an eighteenfold increase in cultivation speed becomes even more terrifying, and with dual cultivation, you would be eighteen times faster than others.


    How can one even compare?


    There''s no comparison.


    ...


    Chen Qiu and the others watched for a while, and after confirming that the Witch truly couldn''t release her Divine Sense and Cultivation on this Spiritual Treasure, they left the small world with peace of mind.


    They didn''t have any fondness for watching others.


    However, the Witch, after all, had a Golden Core fifth-level Cultivation, and the advantage of having high Cultivation was that it could help Fat Long''s Cultivation Progress advance faster; the downside was that if she were to break free, it would be very easy for her to slap Fat Long to death.


    After ensuring that no accidents would occur, they did not linger longer, leaving the small world, then heading towards Fei City.


    After a casual stroll around, they returned to the inn for cultivation.


    Cultivation is the main melody of life.


    ...


    By daybreak the next day, Chen Qiu''s Cultivation Progress had reached¡ª


    -


    ''Cultivation'': Golden Core Stage Third Level (75.3%).


    -


    By tomorrow morning, his Cultivation would break through to the fourth level of the Golden Core Stage. He was taking firm and steady steps toward the Great Perfection Cultivation of the Golden Core Peak. Once his Cultivation reached the Great Perfection of the Golden Core Peak,


    he would be utterly invincible within Da Xia Country, and no one could pose any threat to him.


    This morning.


    Only Chen Qiu, the scholar, and the scholar''s younger brother were sitting quietly at a roadside stall, enjoying their mutton soup without Fat Long in sight.


    "Fat Long is really impressive," the scholar said with a complex expression. "From yesterday morning until this morning, almost 12 hours, he has not stopped even once."


    Chen Qiu also sighed lightly.


    "Fat Long is indeed a very hard-working person. We have all improved our Cultivation so quickly, but he had barely progressed after reaching the first level of Foundation Establishment. Although he doesn''t say it, he must be envious in his heart."


    "Now that he finally has the chance to rapidly improve his Cultivation, of course he won''t give it up."


    "It''s understandable."


    ```


    "As the saying goes, ''Heavenly Dao Rewards Diligence,'' and those who work hard will definitely see good returns."


    Just at that moment¡ª


    "Hmm?"


    Chen Qiu suddenly frowned and looked up, only to see dozens of cultivators transforming into streaks of light, shooting towards the Boundless Icefield from different directions. He then extended his Divine Sense in the direction these people were heading, covering a wide area.


    A Golden Core cultivator probing with his Divine Sense without any restraint was sure to attract the attention of many fellow Golden Core cultivators.


    But he didn''t mind much.


    Divine Sense is meant to be used; to not use it for fear of offending others is as good as not having it at all. If you feel offended, come and say it to my face.


    In the Capital, he truly didn''t dare to use it.


    There were too many powerful beings there.


    But in Fei City, at the edge of the Da Xia Territory, he wasn''t particularly afraid of anyone.


    Very soon¡ª


    He discovered that a large number of cultivators had gathered at the edge of the Boundless Icefield. On the surface of the Icefield, a section of the thick layer of ice had melted at some point, revealing a man-made tunnel entrance.


    The tunnel was lined with steps.


    On the walls, every ten meters, there were two oil lamps burning demon oil.


    It led straight underground, to an unknown destination.


    "Let''s go."


    Chen Qiu''s eyebrows arched playfully, and without the slightest hesitation, he threw a handful of Silver Taels to the shopkeeper and then headed towards the Boundless Icefield with the scholar and a few others, as if some Secret Realm had just emerged.


    A Secret Realm suggests opportunities.


    Opportunities mean they belong to him.


    If he didn''t hurry over, it would mean his chance would be snatched away by others.


    ...


    In just over a dozen breaths.


    Accompanied by a streak of azure light shooting across the sky and piercing into the edge of the Boundless Icefield, Chen Qiu and the others instantly appeared at the position of the azure streak.


    After landing, Chen Qiu scanned his surroundings.


    By now, this area had already filled up with many Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and there was even one Golden Core cultivator.


    The Golden Core cultivator had a cold expression on his face, his Golden Core Cultivation on full display, pressuring the Foundation Establishment cultivators to stand fearfully aside at the entrance. However, with the arrival of Chen Qiu,


    That familiar face and his Golden Core third layer Cultivation brought an ingratiating smile to the face of the Golden Core cultivator, who quickly jogged over to Chen Qiu, his expression respectful and awe-filled as he said, "Brother Qiu, you''ve come too."


    This was his first in-person encounter with Chen Qiu, but he had seen him many times in the Memory Stone.


    "Hmm."


    Chen Qiu nodded lightly, glanced at the surrounding Foundation Establishment Cultivators looking towards him, then at the man in front of him with Golden Core first layer Cultivation, and then at the entrance of the tunnel exposed by the melting ice at the edge of the Boundless Icefield, saying softly,


    "You arrived early, tell me what the situation is now."


    "It''s not a Heavenly Dao Secret Realm."


    The Golden Core cultivator didn''t dare to delay and shook his head as he explained, then hesitated before adding, "It looks like... Ancient Ruins."


    "A long time ago, there was a record in unofficial histories, saying that the Boundless Icefield used to have cities and powers, but overnight, they were all frozen under a heavy layer of ice."


    "And now that the ice has melted, this tunnel has been exposed. The tunnel clearly has man-made marks, and the building remains from the Ancient Era might be below."


    "The steps in the tunnel can block Divine Sense." Enjoy new chapters from My Virtual Library Empire


    The man did not continue.


    But Chen Qiu understood the implication; this portal could very well correspond to ruins from a long time ago, meaning there could be items such as ''Earth Fire Foundation Establishment Pills'' from several Heavenly Dao eras ago.


    These are rare treasures.


    Items like ''Earth Fire Foundation Establishment Pills'' and ''Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills'' have different rarity levels in different Heavenly Dao eras, and as the Heavenly Dao era changes, these pills from the past end up becoming out of production, gradually turning into discontinued rare pills.


    In Ancient Ruins, one might find such items.


    That''s also the reason why so many cultivators had gathered here.


    The opening of Ancient Ruins always attracts a lot of people seeking adventure.


    sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 135

    "Then why didn''t you go in right away?"Fat Long, who had already come out of the small world, asked the Golden Core man.


    "This..."


    The man awkwardly said, "The ice was melting, and right after the entrance opened, someone heard the roar of the Fierce Beast inside. Also, through the fluctuation of spiritual energy, it was sensed to be around the fifth level of Golden Core."


    "I''m only at the first level of Golden Core cultivation, so naturally I dared not enter."


    ...


    "Brother Qiu."


    Standing next to Chen Qiu, the scholar, squinting at the lit oil lamp on the inner wall of the passage, whispered, "That oil lamp is indeed a very old model. When it burns, black smoke drifts out, and it smells a bit like burnt roasted rabbit."


    "That''s ''fox oil''."


    "A very common type of demon oil. Don''t even talk about burning for thousands of years; without someone regularly refilling the demon oil, it wouldn''t even last three months."


    "It doesn''t look like ancient ruins."


    "Hmm."


    Chen Qiu nodded, pondered for a moment, and still decided to go down to take a look, relying on his supreme boldness. For safety, he asked the scholar to take his brother to Fei City first, so that in case of any danger, they could rely on the scholar''s Bloodline Entry to quickly escape from this place.


    And several moments later,


    the scholar, who had left his brother in Fei City, returned to his side as a streak of light.


    "Let''s go, have a look below."


    Chen Qiu, leading with the Heavenly Mechanism Umbrella, stepped on the stairs leading to some unknown part of the underground, moving toward the deep part of the passage, with Fat Long Scholar cautiously following him.


    As the group entered,


    those present exchanged glances; the same thought surfaced in everyone''s minds. Shortly after, almost seventy to eighty percent of the people at the scene stepped into the passage, cautiously following behind Chen Qiu, even the Golden Core man followed suit.


    With Chen Qiu, this peerless Heavenly Pride leading, S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    no matter what crisis they encountered, he could handle it. Although they couldn''t partake in the meat, they might still manage to sip some soup following behind.


    Missing this opportunity,


    would be deeply regretted for a long time. After all, this could be ancient ruins, which might contain many things from epochs before the current Heavenly Dao versions.


    ...


    As they ventured deeper,


    murals gradually started appearing on both sides of the passage walls. These murals looked a bit like children''s scribbles, indecipherable, providing no information whatsoever.


    Every ten yards, two oil lamps burnt on the wall.


    Bright and dim light continuously intersected within the passage.


    The passage was narrow, barely wide enough for three grown men to walk side by side; the slope was not very steep, the steps were not high, and there was almost no dust.


    Frankly speaking, instead of an ancient ruin, it looked more like a dwelling.


    Chen Qiu stretched out his finger and touched the clay on the passage wall, which felt quite dry. He rubbed it on his fingertips, turning it into dust. Logically, the soil layer covered under the Boundless Icefield for a long period should be slightly moist, not this dry.


    Just then¡ª


    "Ah!!"


    Two piercing and painful screams suddenly came from the crowd behind.


    Two men, who had deactivated their Protective Spirit Qi for an unknown reason, were now bleeding green from all seven orifices, falling to the ground in agony and violently struggling. In a moment, their entire facial features had turned to a mush mixed with green blood.


    This scene caused many to pale and hesitate to venture further.


    Exploring ancient ruins.


    There was an unwritten rule always to keep spiritual energy protection active. You never know what kind of toxic gases had formed over thousands of years in the relic below, but the manner of death of these two men showed that the toxicity of the gas was extremely strong.


    It couldn''t possibly be naturally formed; undoubtedly, someone had tampered with it.


    These two men, feeling quite safe along the way and wanting to save some spiritual energy, had deactivated their Protective Spirit Bodies. But the moment it was turned off, the toxicity devoured their bodies, reducing them to mush.


    This scene indeed terrified many.


    Many cultivators with lower cultivation at the Foundation Establishment level gave up and retreated. The situation was clear: if you run out of spiritual energy, you die. They couldn''t sustain their spiritual energy for very long, needing to save enough for the return journey.


    Only a few cultivators with higher cultivation and greater courage continued to follow Chen Qiu deeper into the passage.


    ...


    Chen Qiu glanced back at the two dead Foundation Establishment cultivators, then redirected his gaze. He was not worried about running out of spiritual energy. With his capacity, if even he couldn''t reach the bottom,


    then no one else could.


    Even if his spiritual energy was exhausted, he could go to the small world to fully recover his spiritual energy before coming out again.


    However, as they went deeper, the end of the passage was still not in sight.


    Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire


    The steps forming the passage, made of stone that blocked Divine Sense, prevented his Divine Sense from detecting the end. This stone was a treasure; he had already secretly resolved in his heart that once they had clarified what lay below,


    he would take all these steps.


    Even if he only gained these steps, it would still have been worth the journey.


    Meanwhile, as they went deeper, the number of Foundation Establishment cultivators following him dwindled until there were none left. These cultivators understood that with their spiritual energy, going any deeper was virtually a certain death.


    Only that Golden Core man of initial level cultivation still carefully followed closely behind Chen Qiu.


    After continuing to delve deeper for half an incense stick''s duration.


    Still without seeing the bottom.

 Chapter 136 Sword Cultivator, Not Strong Enough.

    Chao Tian Sect, within the mountain.The scholar sat on a hillside, looking sideways at Chen Qiu, who was playing with a wolf cub not far away in the grass, smiling without speaking. Signing the Beast Taming Contract didn''t involve any complex steps.


    It only required setting up a simple Spirit Gathering Array.


    It didn''t even need Mid-grade Spirit Stones.


    Only a few hundred low-grade Spirit Stones were needed to establish communication with the demon beast, and for the contract to be acknowledged by the Heavenly Dao; after signing the Beast Taming Contract, the demon beast would absolutely be unable to attack its master, and its cultivation would gradually improve along with the master''s.


    The downside was that each person could only contract one demon beast, and it had to be one with a lower cultivation than oneself.


    After all, you can''t make a higher-cultivation demon beast acknowledge you as its master.


    Yet the wolf cub had a cultivation of Golden Core fifth layer, which was theoretically much higher than Brother Qiu''s, making a contract ostensibly impossible. However, exceptions exist, such as the wolf cub inexplicably respecting Chen Qiu. Under such circumstances, even a demon beast with higher cultivation could be successfully contracted.


    "Hey."


    At that moment¡ª


    Fat Long, who also sat on the hillside with a foxtail grass in his mouth, looked in the direction of the scholar and murmured, as if in a trance, "Say, when you were once Da Xia''s number one sword cultivator, didn''t you do any earth-shattering deeds?"


    "I did,"


    the scholar said softly. "I did many things that I considered earth-shattering, but most of them went unnoticed, except for a few battles in public, which many witnessed."


    "Actually, I''ve always wanted to ask you something."


    "What is it?" Fat Long asked casually.


    "That term ''Stockholm syndrome'' you mentioned last time, that''s not the name of a dog, right? It sounds like a disease."


    "Why bring this up all of a sudden?"


    ...


    The scholar remained silent for a moment before continuing, "My parents died early, but left us some things before they passed, nothing too valuable, just a little notebook with some journal entries, with the words ''Stockholm syndrome'' written on it."


    "I had almost forgotten about it until I heard it again from you."


    Fat Long suddenly fell silent and expressionless, tilting his head to look into the scholar''s eyes for a long time without speaking. That term was known only to transmigrators, but why would it appear in the journal of the scholar''s parents?


    Could it be that another transmigrator mentioned the term in public, and the scholar''s parents found it catchy and jotted it in their diary?


    "That little notebook, I burned it a long time ago when I was very young. I only remember part of the story, where my mother said she was captured by mountain bandits and taken to be the Mountain Village Lady. Initially, she was unwilling, but eventually developed feelings for my father due to Stockholm syndrome. You could tell from my mother''s writings in the text that she struggled with her emotions."


    "Later entries noted, one day, a righteous cultivator came to eradicate the mountain stronghold. My father told my mother to escape, but she said she would not run, and then there were no further entries."


    "From the context, the meaning of Stockholm syndrome appears to roughly be, starting off as being forcibly brought together, then gradually developing affection?"


    ...


    Fat Long''s mouth twitched slightly, at a loss for words, feeling that the world was more messed-up than he had imagined. If what the scholar said was true, then the scholar''s mother was also a transmigrator, who then gave birth to the scholar.


    Roughly estimating,


    the scholar could be considered a hybrid.


    He and the scholar were like half siblings. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That would explain why the scholar''s brother was speechless; after all, hybrids often have some more or less issues.


    Before Fat Long could speak,


    the scholar continued to murmur, "Later, I became Da Xia''s number one sword cultivator, though only briefly as Da Xia''s number one sword cultivator, but still, I was Da Xia''s number one sword cultivator. Over a hundred years ago, there was a truly unparalleled sword cultivator."


    "He originated from a small village in the Hundred Countries, a truly insignificant place. At that time, that sword cultivator, garbed in white, had a face as cold as a millennia-old snow mountain, emotionless, killed his way to Da Xia Country, and seized the top position on that year''s list of Heavenly Prides."


    "Many admired him at that time, considering that sword cultivator to be the strongest in the history of Da Xia."


    "How strong was he really..."


    After pondering for a long while, the scholar continued, "I never met him in person, only saw records of him in folklore; there''s hardly anything recorded about him in the official history of Da Xia, but various pieces of folklore had indeed recorded many of his real deeds."


    "All I know is that as a sword cultivator, every one of his sword strikes contained not a hint of Sword Intent, very unremarkable, but when that sword was swung, the sun and the moon would perish, and the heavens and earth would darken."


    "That sword cultivator, having cultivated up to the sixth layer of Golden Core at the time, was extremely powerful in Da Xia, even the act of crushing cultivators of Golden Core Peak Great Perfection was not beyond him."


    "Shortly after, that sword cultivator died, reportedly due to severe injuries in his youth, and after showing up on Snow Mountain in the North Continent, no further news emerged. Countless sword cultivators lamented his passing."


    "And I wanted to become like that white-clothed sword cultivator, which is why I call myself a White-clothed Sword Cultivator."


    "Mmhmm."


    Fat Long shrugged, "Brother Qiu has said, there are too many Heavenly Prides in this world; I don''t have such grand ambitions. I feel it''s good just to be alive, and as long as I keep living, one day I can become strong."

 Chapter 136

    ..."From now on, you''ll be called Little Wolf."


    Chen Qiu chuckled lightly, stroking the head of the wolf cub, who seemed to also like the name quite a bit, wagging its tail incessantly in an attempt to express its joy, although he remembered that wolves aren''t supposed to wag their tails to show happiness.


    But since Little Wolf liked it.


    He didn''t mind either.


    After establishing the Beast Taming Contract with the little wolf cub, he finally learned some basic information about this wolf.


    It was called, Lunar Night Demon Wolf. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A very familiar name.


    He performed introspection, looking inside his Dantian, and there, on an entry, he saw this name.


    -


    ''Entry Name'': Lunar Night Demon Wolf.


    ''Entry Level'': Green.


    ''Entry Effect'': When you sign a Beast Taming Contract with the first ''Lunar Night Demon Wolf'', the size of this demon beast will increase tenfold, and it will be able to absorb Moonlight Essence for cultivation.


    -


    This was an entry he obtained just before his breakthrough to the Golden Core, during his ninth layer of the Foundation Establishment stage. He hadn''t used it until now, and he didn''t even know where to find the Lunar Night Demon Wolf. Even after making some inquiries, he hadn''t found this particular demon beast in Da Xia Country.


    Originally, this entry had been earmarked by him as a reserve for a Self-Destruction Term.


    Unexpectedly.


    He picked it up deep within an Ancient Ruin.


    After establishing a Divine Sense connection with Little Wolf, he also learned some basic information about it, such as the fact that Little Wolf was still in its juvenile stage, an utterly extraordinary existence. A juvenile demon beast, naturally growing to possess the cultivation of the fifth layer of Golden Core.


    Once it reaches adulthood, its cultivation would at least break through to Nascent Soul; of course, in Da Xia, because of the constraints, it would be at the very least Golden Core Peak of Great Perfection.


    It''s no exaggeration to say.


    Any mortal who picked up this little wolf cub would instantly have the qualifications to establish their own sect, and in the future, they might even become a power figure in Da Xia.


    He had only signed a Beast Taming Contract with Little Wolf; he wasn''t a true Beast Cultivator. A true Beast Cultivator could even share cultivation with their demon beast, share injuries, and in a united state, they could utilize the power of the demon beast to its greatest extent.


    "It seems both you and I are very fortunate," he said.


    Chen Qiu squatted down, gently stroking Little Wolf''s head and chuckling.


    If Little Wolf hadn''t met him, it would have starved to death after finishing its food. Little Wolf surely had a master before, who probably purposely left Little Wolf in this Ancient Ruin with plenty of food.


    His luck was also good, encountering Little Wolf meant the ''Lunar Night Demon Wolf'' entry had a use.


    However, he didn''t plan to use this entry now. He would wait until Little Wolf matured.


    "Let''s go, come out and have a look with me."


    ...


    After three breaths.


    Chen Qiu reemerged with Little Wolf at the very bottom of this ''Chao Tian Sect'' Ancient Ruin. There was nothing on this Green Stone Square at the bottom, only in a rather hidden corner could one find a lot of wolf dung piled up.


    Little Wolf seemed to have some means, for the poisonous gas here heavily depleted his own Spiritual Energy, but Little Wolf completely ignored it.


    He carefully observed the surroundings of the Green Stone Square, walking to the walls and meticulously feeling around to see if there were any mechanisms. After all, he always felt that an Ancient Ruin couldn''t just be this little.


    And just then¡ª


    Chen Qiu''s eyes narrowed slightly.


    Right across from him.


    "The sect is set to perish today, it is now inevitable."


    "Heaven forsakes us; it is not a crime from war."


    "I am the last Sect Master of Chao Tian Sect..."


    In those few lines of text, the first two sentences were extremely familiar. If he remembered correctly, those two lines were also on the columns of Chao Tian Sect''s Sect Leader Hall. Chen Qiu raised his index finger and delicately touched those two lines.


    Just when he touched the last character "crime."


    He suddenly felt the character was somewhat soft and subconsciously pressed down on it, the character immediately indented, revealing an irregular gap.


    In the wall of text facing him, only this character could be pressed down, and it was the only one that had a gap.


    A flash of surprise crossed Chen Qiu''s eyes, followed by taking out the Chao Tian Sect Leader Token from his chest. His Sect Leader Token was a miniature version of the Sect Leader''s Chair in the main hall, and also served as the Array Talisman for all of Chao Tian Sect''s arrays.


    He held the miniature Sect Leader''s Chair in his hand, observing it closely.


    His eyes lingered on the back of the chair, which fit perfectly into the gap left by the character "crime," something he had never noticed before. He had only thought that the design of this Sect Leader''s Chair was unique.


    The situation was now clear.


    ...


    Chen Qiu took a deep breath, ready for combat and cautiously pressed the back of the Sect Leader''s Chair against the gap of the character "crime" on the wall. It fit perfectly and, once the Sect Leader''s Chair was fully inserted into the gap of "crime,"


    a milky-white Spiritual Energy quickly slid across the wall.


    A white vortex then suddenly emerged before him.


    He was all too familiar with this kind of vortex.


    Stepping into it meant either a small world or a Secret Realm lay on the other side.


    "Let''s go."


    He waved his hand, motioned for Little Wolf to jump into his arms, then placed the cub on his shoulder before striding into the white vortex before him. Whether it was a dragon''s lair or a tiger''s den, he''d only find out by taking the plunge.


    The flash of white light passed.


    He appeared in a very cramped secret chamber.


    It could barely accommodate a dozen people shoulder to shoulder, not even as large as a Chao Tian Sect disciple dormitory; there was a very narrow bed tucked in a corner of the chamber, with untidy bedding that appeared vividly lived-in.

 Chapter 137

    "Our predecessors carved out the reputation of Chao Tian Sect on the Xuantian Continent tens of thousands of years ago,"


    "And since I have inherited the position of Sect Master of Chao Tian Sect,"


    "Naturally, I cannot diminish this reputation."


    Chen Qiu paused, then turning his head to gaze into the distance, he whispered softly, "Chen Qiu, the Sect Master of Chao Tian Sect, when he passed through that Heavenly Dao Secret Realm at the time, no one told me that being the Sect Master of Chao Tian Sect involved so many matters."


    Actually.


    Many things were already beyond his decision-making ability. At the time of the preliminary screening of the Heavenly Pride in the Secret Realm, he had not known that the name of Chao Tian Sect carried such a significant reputation, nor had he any misgivings.


    Many Heavenly Prides had remembered the name Chen Qiu, Sect Master of Chao Tian Sect.


    And with the shadow that Chao Tian Sect left on the Xuantian Continent tens of thousands of years ago, although so much time had passed and many had forgotten the name, as long as one searched the historical records, one could find the familiar name of Chao Tian Sect.


    And he, as the new Sect Master,


    had managed to make countless powers on the Xuantian Continent remember the name of Chao Tian Sect again, even before setting foot on the Continent.


    ...


    Three hours later.


    Chen Qiu once again stood at the entrance of this Ancient Ruin, patting his hands with a bit of fatigue. The passage through the Ancient Ruin was extremely deep; dismantling all these steps was not an easy task.


    It took them several people a full three hours to dismantle all the stones that could block Divine Sense.


    These were good materials.


    Not to be wasted.


    At this point, the stones had already been piled into a small mountain behind the Chao Tian Sect, and if one did not count the scrolls, these stones were his only haul from the trip¡ªoh, and the Little Wolf.


    A Golden Core Fifth Layer enforcer was considered not bad.


    But compared to being an enforcer, he preferred to treat it as a pet, as it was still in its juvenile stage. Although its cultivation was not weak, it was still hard to regard it as a combative force that could fight on the battlefield.


    The dissonance was too strong.


    At this moment, many Cultivators had gathered at the entrance to the Ancient Ruins. After dismantling all the steps, Chen Qiu casually unleashed a few Thunder Summoning Techniques to seal the entrance. To enter again, one would need to first clear the entrance of the collapse.


    In fact, he wasn''t worried about someone else going down there.


    Not to mention that there was actually nothing below; the only useful scrolls were in the chamber that could only be opened with the Sect Leader Token, and he had put those scrolls into his Storage Ring.


    The poisonous gas alone down there would prevent anyone from entering.


    But...


    He still habitually blocked the entrance. It''s like knowing no one can see you when you''re not wearing underwear because your trousers block the view, but you''d still feel unnatural.


    ...


    It was nearing dusk at this time.


    After finishing all this, Chen Qiu returned to the inn in Fei City. After chatting together for a while, they all continued to cultivate separately.


    Fat Long went to the small world to cultivate with that Witch. Discover more stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    While Chen Qiu and the Scholar were cultivating in their separate rooms.


    Soon, it was the hour of the Rat.


    Ten Golden Core Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills credited his account again, and Chen Qiu, seated cross-legged on the bed, took out a Cultivation Pill and put it into his mouth in a practiced manner, activated his mental method, and calmed his spirit to absorb the medicinal properties within the Cultivation Pills.


    An entire night of diligent cultivation.


    At dawn, Chen Qiu exhaled a breath of turbid air, turned his head to the window covered in snow. It had snowed throughout the night and continued until dawn; it was the second snowfall of the winter this year.


    This heavy snow finally brought a touch of winter to this year''s season.


    He practiced introspection above his Dantian to his Cultivation panel, and his own cultivation had finally reached¡ª


    -


    ''Cultivation'': Golden Core Stage Fourth Layer (5.3%).


    -


    "Hmm?"


    Chen Qiu slightly raised his eyebrows. At the Golden Core Third Layer, one Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pill only increased his Cultivation Progress by 3%. He had thought that at the Golden Core Fourth Layer, one Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pill would only add 2% to his Cultivation Progress.


    Unexpectedly, it was still 3%.


    This was beyond his expectations.


    It means he could break through to the Golden Core Fifth Layer quicker than anticipated.


    This "Heavenly Pride Leaderboard" would last for a full year, meaning he could claim ten Golden Core Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills every day for a year. Alas, they must be claimed in batches daily.


    If only they could be credited all at once.


    He then introspected inside his Dantian where, after his breakthrough in cultivation, the familiar yet long-absent panel reappeared, shrouded in mist.


    -


    ''Your Cultivation has increased significantly, formally stepping into the Golden Core Stage Fourth Layer.''


    ''Please choose one of the three random entries below within ten breaths.''


    1:


    ''Entry Name'': Acting on behalf of Heaven


    ''Entry Level'': Blue.


    ''Entry Effect'': You can design a Heavenly Dao Secret Realm that can only be entered by those with a Golden Core cultivation level or below, at the cost of three hundred years of lifespan. There is a certain probability of success, but if it is too unfair, it will not succeed.


    2:


    ''Entry Name'': Command of the Dying Admonition


    ''Entry Level'': Blue.


    ''Entry Effect'': You can alter a person''s subconscious memory at the cost of ten years of lifespan. Depending on the complexity of the memory alteration, the cost in lifespan will increase.


    3:


    ''Entry Name'': Clean Death


    ''Entry Level'': Yellow.


    ''Entry Effect'': Upon your death, everyone will forget your name, and all traces of you, including scrolls, historical records, and Jade Scrolls that record your existence, will be automatically erased.


    - S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "..."


    Chen Qiu frowned in thought, silent; the three randomly assigned entries were of little use to him this time.

 Chapter 138

    ```


    "...Hmm."


    Fat Long looked at the resentful spirit that kept charging towards Brother Qiu endlessly only to dissipate into wisps of green smoke, and he couldn''t help but speak with emotion, "These resentful spirits seem like they don''t have any brains at all."


    "It''s a bit like moths to a flame."


    "If they had even a bit of Spiritual Wisdom, seeing their fellows die one after another like this, wouldn''t they feel fear?"


    "I think if you, Brother Qiu, stayed here for a day and a night, you could probably clear out all the resentful spirits below Fat Zhou, and after that, Fat Zhou wouldn''t be cold anymore. It would fundamentally solve the problem of the cold from the Boundless Icefield nearby." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Maybe even the Boundless Icefield would melt."


    "This world is really strange..."


    The scholar was full of shock as he looked around and murmured. Here there was only green light, all thanks to the faint green glow emitted by the bodies of the resentful spirits that illuminated the deep underground.


    The heat of the Endless Desert is due to the flowing sea of fire underground.


    The cold of the Boundless Icefield is due to the Sea of Resentful Spirits underground.


    So what causes the Boundless Sea?


    And what about the Boundless Snow Mountain?


    "Hmm."


    Chen Qiu glanced around without saying much. The Spiritual Energy in his body surged out wildly, and a large number of dark clouds appeared above the deep pit underground, while a storm roared into being, with tens of thousands of Thunder Dragons roaring thunderously, slaughtering the resentful spirits in the deep like cutting grass.


    Although his Heavenly Dao Sacred Body could exterminate all kinds of evil spirits, including resentful spirits,


    it was only effective when they got close to him, which made this method somewhat inefficient.


    The Thunder Dragons also had a good effect on exterminating evil spirits.


    And the large number of Thunder Dragons flickering with purple-blue electric arcs also lit up the underground.


    ...


    The few of them had no specific target and slaughtered the resentful spirits below as they moved forward, relentlessly for a full quarter of an hour, but the number of resentful spirits did not seem to decrease at all.


    The empty area that they had cleared out behind them was once again filled by resentful spirits that surged in from all directions.


    Endless and inexhaustible.


    Fat Long was already trembling from the cold, and his teeth were chattering, "Damn it, no wonder Fat Zhou is so cold. If you sleep on top of these things every day, it''d be weird if it wasn''t cold."


    "We must have killed hundreds of thousands of resentful spirits by now, right? But the number seems unchanged."


    "Moreover, the deep underground of Fat Zhou is almost completely hollowed out. With so much space and not even a single supporting point, hasn''t there been any sign of subsidence on the surface of Fat Zhou over the years?"


    "Does that make sense?"


    Chen Qiu simply stopped moving forward. Moving on was pointless. The clear space he had just created would soon be filled again by the resentful spirits, just as Fat Long had said.


    He had nothing else to do these days.


    He didn''t believe that the resentful spirits deep under Fat Zhou could not be completely cleared.


    ...


    An hour later.


    The number of resentful spirits around still seemed unchanged, and Chen Qiu felt as if his right arm was about to be punctured by his armguard, even though the wounds could heal instantly, the pain was still there.


    Meanwhile, the scholar and Fat Long had returned to the small world.


    The resentful energy here was too dense.


    Staying too long could lead to the resentful energy entering the body, which would not be good. When he was at the Foundation Establishment Stage, Old Man Cao had commented that he was brave just for carrying so few resentful spirits on his back, and now, the number of resentful spirits here was countless times more than back then.


    "Continue!"


    Your next journey awaits at My Virtual Library Empire


    Chen Qiu was getting kind of excited now. He wouldn''t cultivate today. He refused to believe that he couldn''t clear out all the resentful spirits beneath Fat Zhou.


    ...


    After several more hours, it was already the dead of night.


    The Golden Core Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pill had arrived, and by now, Chen Qiu''s expression was somewhat vacant. He was casting the Thunder Summoning Technique almost subconsciously.


    He used to feel exhilarated every time he cast the Thunder Summoning Technique.


    The sensation of Spiritual Energy sliding inside his body.


    Especially that Spirit Control Technique, where he would let the Spiritual Energy build up inside his body until it was on the verge of bursting before releasing it, had an extremely delightful feeling of precision control.


    And then the overwhelming storm would make him feel extremely refreshed.


    But after casting it for several hours straight, he was completely numb. He even began to think that he wouldn''t want to use the Thunder Summoning Technique ever again, as it had started to feel nauseating. Even the pain in his right arm began to fade.


    It had become numb.


    Yet... still! Even! So!


    The number of surrounding resentful spirits seemed undiminished!!!


    It was as if the resentful spirits were so numerous, they seemed to have been sprayed out by someone; otherwise, he really couldn''t imagine what Fat Zhou had gone through in the past to have such a vast number of resentful spirits underground.


    Had it been struck by divine punishment?


    ...


    Like this, three days and three nights passed!


    By now, Chen Qiu''s eyes were filled with a haze and blankness, as he numbly stood in the air. After mindlessly unleashing tens of thousands of Thunder Dragons once more, he found that his attack had hit empty space, and then a glimmer of clarity returned to his eyes.


    Looking around, he saw no resentful spirits anywhere.


    Spreading out his Divine Sense, he found no resentful spirits either.


    "Is it finally... over?"


    Chen Qiu''s state recovered slightly, he rubbed his somewhat dry eyes and released the scholar and the others from the small world, his voice tired and faint, "Scholar, go see if there is anything special."


    The Earth Fire below the Endless Desert suddenly became violent because it had an Eight-petal Fire Lotus.


    The Sea of Resentful Spirits below the Boundless Icefield also entered a violent state this winter; maybe it also had something similar to the Eight-petal Fire Lotus.


    ```

 Chapter 139 The New Year Approaches, The Year Beast Descends.

    ```


    The next day.


    When the sunlight streamed through the window and fell on Chen Qiu, he groggily awakened from the bed in the inn, having slept a truly comfortable sleep. It had been a long time since he had allowed himself to sleep so thoroughly without a care in the world.


    Plus, with the ten Golden Core Heavenly Pride Cultivation Pills that had arrived at midnight, he now had forty of them.


    After a hasty wash, the spirited Chen Qiu, accompanied by Fat Long and others, went for a hot bowl of beef soup, and then returned to the inn to embark on another day of cultivation.


    ...


    Consume!


    Cultivate!


    The Sea of Resentful Spirits underneath Fei Zhou had brought him a number of benefits, the greatest of which was accumulating a total of forty Golden Core Heavenly Pride Cultivation Pills, enough to raise his cultivation by another level.


    Five hours later, all ten Golden Core Heavenly Pride Cultivation Pills had been consumed.


    The medicinal properties gradually unleashed.


    He finally broke through the constraints of the fourth layer of the Golden Core Stage and reached the fifth layer. After breaking through to the fifth layer of the Golden Core Stage, one Golden Core Heavenly Pride Cultivation Pill could only increase his Cultivation Progress by 2%, a decrease of 1%.


    -


    ''Cultivation'': Golden Core Stage Fifth Layer (14.3%).


    -


    The familiar panel, shrouded in mist, surfaced above his Dantian once again.


    ''Significant increase in cultivation, officially stepping into the fifth layer of the Golden Core Stage.''


    ''Please make a choice from the three random entries below within ten breaths.''


    1:


    ''Entry Name'': All Techniques Combined.


    ''Entry Level'': Blue. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''Entry Effect'': You can compress all the Spells you cast at the same time into a single small sphere.


    2:


    ''Entry Name'': Umbrella World.


    ''Entry Level'': Yellow.


    ''Entry Effect'': When you open the umbrella, you will be immune to Divine Sense targeting, except from those whose cultivation is one Great Realm higher than yours.


    3:


    ''Entry Name'': Ten Thousand Golden Cores.


    ''Entry Level'': Yellow.


    ''Entry Effect'': When you perish, your Golden Core will morph into a thousand illusionary Golden Cores that shoot off in different directions.


    -


    "..."


    Chen Qiu gazed at the three entries in thought, silent. The three entries available to him this time upon his cultivation breakthrough were all quite desirable, and he wished for each of them.


    ''Ten Thousand Golden Cores'' goes without saying, a pure life-saving entry.


    At the very least, when facing a powerful enemy, it greatly increases the chances of his Golden Core escaping, offering a possibility of making a comeback.


    He also had some interest in ''All Techniques Combined.''


    An Attack Method.


    Suitable for sneak attacks or facing some overly confident enemies. A seemingly innocuous little sphere that contained the explosive power of tens of thousands of Thunder Dragons, delivering precise and direct damage.


    In the past, when he attacked a certain enemy with tens of thousands of Thunder Dragons, it was after all an area effect.


    The actual number of Thunder Dragons that hit the enemy was small, and most of the damage came from the chain explosions of Spiritual Energy caused by the multitude of bursting Thunder Dragons. But with this entry, he could ensure that all the damage was concentrated on the enemy''s face.


    As for the last entry, ''Umbrella World,'' it also suited him well, a defensive category entry that could prevent being targeted by Divine Sense. It was extremely effective against Sword Cultivators and Magic Practitioners that primarily relied on Divine Sense to lock on for their next attack.


    After pondering for a few breaths,


    At the last moment, he still chose the ''All Techniques Combined'' entry.


    Currently, he felt that ''All Techniques Combined'' was slightly more important than ''Umbrella World''. After all, with his current Golden Core Cultivation, he was virtually invincible, and he would ensure preemptive action, with no one currently able to threaten him.


    However, All Techniques Combined could significantly enhance his one-on-one capability.


    Continue¡ª


    Chen Qiu took a deep breath, briefly consolidating his cultivation before continuing without delay to consume Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills.


    Another three hours passed.


    His cultivation had now reached:


    -


    ''Cultivation'': Golden Core Stage Fifth Layer (34.4%).


    -


    As his cultivation improved, the rate at which he absorbed the medicinal effects increased, having been able to absorb the full effects in five hours before, now only three hours sufficed.


    Continuing, after another three hours had passed, he expended another ten Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills.


    -


    ''Cultivation'': Golden Core Stage Fifth Layer (54.3%).


    -


    With midnight now past, and ten Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills still unconsumed, another ten arrived in his account. Continue!


    ...


    "Whew..."


    Day had broken.


    Chen Qiu, sitting cross-legged on the bed, let out a long breath of turbid air and inspected his cultivation progress panel floating above his Dantian.


    -


    ''Cultivation'': Golden Core Stage Fifth Layer (94.3%).


    -


    With the next set of pills arriving at midnight, he would be able to break through to the sixth layer of the Golden Core Stage. According to this progress, breaking through to the Golden Core Peak and reaching Great Perfection Cultivation within a year seemed to be without any problem. And then it would be time to prepare for the journey towards Nascent Soul.


    He turned his head towards the sun outside the window, listening to the cries of traders from below.


    The snow had already melted.


    Moreover, due to the Sea of Resentful Spirits beneath Fei Zhou being cleared out, the temperature in Fei Zhou had become warmer, causing even the price of Evil Wood to drop a bit, as after all, it wasn''t needed anymore.


    Just then¡ª


    A distant and ancient voice resonated in the ears of all in Da Xia Country.


    -


    ''Heavenly Dao Decree'': The eve of the New Year celebrates new life, the new year brings distant barriers to a thousand mountains.


    There are three barriers on New Year''s eve, corresponding to three Year Beasts.


    Causing injuries to a Year Beast will earn Heavenly Dao Blessings, and according to the degree of injury inflicted, the blessings from the Heavenly Dao will vary. Your next read awaits at My Virtual Library Empire


    ```

 Chapter 139 The New Year Approaches, The Year Beast Descends._2

    Causing more than 50% damage, and delivering the final blow, will entitle one to a special Heavenly Dao Blessing.


    The first Year Beast will descend in "Pingzhou," the westernmost part of Da Xia Country, in two hours.


    -


    "Let''s go!"


    As soon as the Heavenly Dao Decree sounded, Chen Qiu did not delay and immediately took the scholar on a hurried journey towards the westernmost part of Da Xia Country, Pingzhou. Missing such a grand opportunity would be foolish.


    This was a Year Beast from the Heavenly Dao Decree; the rewards for slaying it would undoubtedly be substantial.


    "Pingzhou" is located at the westernmost part of Da Xia Country.


    It borders the Hundred Countries.


    An hour later.


    Chen Qiu and his group had already arrived in Pingzhou. Not knowing exactly where in Pingzhou the Year Beast would appear, they decided to stay on the highest mountain within the Pingzhou region. This way, no matter where it appeared, they could rush there at a moment''s notice.


    "Foundation Establishment level seven?"


    Chen Qiu looked towards the fluctuating aura around the scholar.


    "Yes,"


    The scholar smiled and nodded, "Re-cultivating with the help of Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills really speeds up the process. Fat Long has also reached the fourth level of Foundation Establishment. Everyone''s progressing quickly, but Brother Qiu, your cultivation is increasing even faster."


    "Advancing in the Golden Core stage is much slower than in the Foundation Establishment stage. Brother Qiu, you had just broken through to the Golden Core stage a few days ago, and now you are already at the fifth level of Golden Core, probably not far from the sixth level either."


    "Lucky."


    Chen Qiu chuckled, not deceiving at all; indeed, it was luck that the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard gave him 10 Heavenly Dao Golden Core Cultivation Pills every day, more than he could ever use. Read exclusive adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    ...


    Chen Qiu did not waste the remaining hour and a half. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Instead, he sat cross-legged on the ground, running his mental method to consolidate his Cultivation Realm.


    As the hour and a half was about to pass,


    "Phew!"


    Chen Qiu exhaled a long breath of turbid air, then the Spiritual Energy inside him surged out, and suddenly, thick dark clouds gathered above his head, and a storm roared in, just on time, but this time, no Thunder Dragons appeared.


    He looked down at his palm, which contained a Thunder Ball about the size of a Golden Core.


    It looked very unimpressive.


    Sweeping it with his Divine Sense, he could not feel any significant power contained within. It seemed quite ordinary, barely perceiving several miniature Thunder Dragons swirling inside the Thunder Ball.


    This was a trinket he had created using "All Techniques Combined."


    "Looks quite low-key."


    Chen Qiu chuckled lightly, then spread his Divine Sense all around in an instant. His cultivation had already reached the fifth level of Golden Core, and his Divine Sense range had long reached 170 miles; with the "Mutual Enhancement" entry, it could extend up to 230 miles.


    This range of Divine Sense was already far greater than many cultivators at the Great Perfection stage of Golden Core Peak.


    By this time, many cultivators had already arrived in Pingzhou.


    Many of them were Golden Core cultivators; after all, this was a great opportunity for them as well.


    But as they felt Chen Qiu''s Divine Sense sweeping over, not a single Golden Core cultivator showed any dissatisfaction through their Divine Sense.


    Principally speaking, it was considered provocative for a Golden Core cultivator to release their Divine Sense so recklessly; they could completely initiate a fight over it and even stand on the side of reason, but the issue was that the principle wasn''t in their hands.


    Having reason didn''t mean they could win a fight.


    However, these Golden Core cultivators didn''t leave; even if they didn''t confront Chen Qiu, it wouldn''t stop them from seizing their own opportunity. Could Chen Qiu kill the Year Beast in a flash?


    They could still sneak in some hits and get a reward, and getting the final blow would be even better.


    ...


    Chen Qiu paid no mind to what others were thinking. He just fully released his Divine Sense, waiting for the appearance of the Year Beast.


    Finally¡ª


    "Roar!!!"


    Accompanied by a roar, a beast that resembled both a tiger and a dragon suddenly roared from the cloudy sky, leaping towards the ground below, carrying and radiating an extremely terrifying aura, clearly at the first level of Golden Core!


    It appeared right within his Divine Sense range.


    The Foundation Establishment cultivators below, who had originally come to try their luck, now, without any hesitation, scattered in all directions with faces full of fear. If it had been a Foundation Establishment Year Beast, they might have tried their luck, but against a Golden Core Year Beast, they stood no chance.


    Running away was the only thing they could do!


    "Whoosh!"


    Almost in the instant that the Year Beast appeared, Chen Qiu, from a peak dozens of miles away, locked onto the Year Beast with his Divine Sense. The Thunder Ball in his palm turned into a purple-blue Liu Guang, crossing dozens of miles at an extremely fast speed, and appeared almost instantly above the Year Beast''s head!


    "Boom!!!"


    Before the Year Beast even landed, a Thunder Ball shot from the horizon directly into the body of the beast, followed by hundreds of thousands of Thunder Dragons blasting apart inside the beast!


    The massive explosion, mixed with the thunderous rumbling noise, almost made the entire world tremble.


    The powerful surge of Spiritual Energy blew many approaching Golden Core cultivators dozens of meters away.


    When the hundreds of thousands of Thunder Dragons dispersed.


    There was no trace of the Year Beast to be seen, not even a speck of flesh and blood remained; it vanished without a trace, totally clean.


    ...


    "Quite good."


    Chen Qiu, sitting cross-legged on the mountain peak, chuckled without saying much; the "All Techniques Combined" entry was quite useful, especially since it concentrated all the damage on one point, which greatly amplified the damage inflicted on a single target.


    He even thought.


    If a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator, who didn''t activate Protective Spirit Qi or use any Protective Dharma Treasures, were to let this Thunder Ball shoot into their body, they would likely not escape unscathed. Of course, this was just his inner speculation, as he had never witnessed a battle method of a Nascent Soul cultivator.

 Chapter 139 The New Year Approaches, The Year Beast Descends._3

    Every large realm in cultivation is not simply about the difference in cultivation levels and the concentration of spiritual energy.


    What differs more is the method of combat.


    For instance, at the Golden Core Stage like his, using Divine Sense to lock onto an enemy enables one to kill from several tens of miles away¡ªa method that even the strongest Foundation Establishment Cultivators could never achieve, as they are unable to extend their Divine Sense to lock onto the enemy.


    Techniques like Divine Sense attacks and locutus are unique to Golden Core Cultivators.


    As for the Nascent Soul Stage...


    Continue reading stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    He hadn''t encountered the Nascent Soul Stage, so he couldn''t even imagine what the combat techniques at that stage were like; he only knew that the Nascent Soul Stage was definitively suppressive over the Golden Core Stage.


    Above Chen Qiu''s Dantian, a panel wrapped in clouds and mist also slowly emerged.


    -


    "You dealt 100% damage to the first round Year Beast, obtaining a high-grade ''Heavenly Dao Retrospective Talisman.''"


    "You dealt the final blow to the first round Year Beast, obtaining a high-grade ''Heavenly Dao Retrospective Talisman.''"


    -


    "Two high-grade Heavenly Dao Retrospection Charms?"


    A glint of joy flashed through Chen Qiu''s eyes; these were indeed valuable treasures, perfect as he was breaking through to the fifth layer of the Golden Core, and he really wanted that "Umbrella World" entry.


    He didn''t hesitate.


    He immediately activated one of the high-grade Heavenly Dao Retrospective Talismans and chose the "Umbrella World," an entry he had previously discarded.


    This was one of his few defensive entries.


    With this entry, once he opened his umbrella, unless his cultivation was suppressed by a great realm, no one could use Divine Sense to lock onto him, significantly increasing his safety.


    Each realm could use up to two Heavenly Dao Retrospective Talismans, and the high-grade talismans were designated for the Golden Core Realm.


    He only used one.


    He saved the other one for later use.


    However, he no longer had time to check his rewards, as the second round''s Year Beast roared and leaped down from the dark clouds toward the ground once more.


    "Roar!"


    This time it was a Fierce Beast that was half-clam, half-turtle!


    It appeared to be the type that excels in defense, as it wrapped itself in its shell the moment it landed on the ground. Chen Qiu took a deep breath, instantly leapt into the air, and began teleporting continuously, absorbing spiritual energy; he had run out of spiritual energy.


    First, he had to restore his spiritual energy.


    After a hundred breaths.


    His internal spiritual energy had recovered halfway, and without waiting for a full recovery, he was about to fire another Thunder Ball when his Divine Sense spotted that there were already several cultivators lying dead in puddles of blood near the Year Beast.


    And those remaining near the Year Beast were continuously retreating, looking at each other, none daring to make a move.


    "Hm?"


    Chen Qiu''s Divine Sense swept over the scene nearby; his eyebrows slightly raised in confusion, and he no longer lingered on the mountain but shot toward the "Year Beast" with the scholar and several others, turning into streaks of light.


    ...


    In a few breaths, they landed next to the Year Beast.


    The scene scanned by the Divine Sense and what the eyes saw were completely different. Standing in front of this half-clam, half-turtle Year Beast, one could feel what shock meant, as the beast was nearly thirty meters tall!


    It was a colossal creature lying on the ground, plus its body was extremely large and heavy, belonging to the kind that just dodging its foot alone would cause the ground to throb three times, evidently possessing the cultivation of the third layer of the Golden Core!


    The cultivators lying in the puddles of blood nearby had already stopped breathing and were indeed dead.


    This half-clam, half-turtle Year Beast did not initiate attacks; it just lay on the ground, not moving at all, as if it didn''t care what you did.


    Chen Qiu''s arrival immediately attracted many eyes.


    In fact, when the sky was filled with dark clouds and the storm and tens of thousands of Thunder Dragons exploded inside the first round Year Beast, everyone knew Chen Qiu had arrived, as such attack methods were unique to him alone in Da Xia.


    They just hadn''t seen the person.


    Only now did they see him.


    For a time, many voices loudly said,


    "Senior, whatever method you use to attack this Year Beast, it will rebound the attack back at you. Those lying in the puddles of blood are cultivators who lost their lives this way."


    "Yes, yes, and even Divine Sense attacks don''t work. Just now a Golden Core senior tried a Divine Sense Attack, and now he''s still sitting cross-legged on the ground healing."


    "Senior, you have shown great kindness to me; my father''s injuries only recovered because of the divine favor you brought last time."


    ...


    Mixed voices.


    Among them were also many voices of gratitude, thanking Chen Qiu for the divine favor last time that healed many people''s Divine Sense, Tao Foundation, and physical injuries. That billion merits weren''t for nothing.


    Merits are hard to come by.


    Like when Chen Qiu slaughtered so many resentful spirits underground in Fei State, he didn''t acquire any merits. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hmm."


    Chen Qiu slightly nodded without speaking, simply casually throwing a few Thunder Summoning Techniques over. These few Thunder Summoning Techniques, upon hitting the turtle shell, rebounded back at even greater speed.


    The speed was so fast that it allowed no time for dodging.


    They all landed harshly on the surface of Chen Qiu''s Heavenly Mechanism Umbrella.


    Chen Qiu glanced at the umbrella''s surface, not a single scratch visible, a true testament to the mid-grade Heavenly Extreme Spirit Treasure of the Golden Core¡ªtruly robust. Along with his cultivation progress, this Lifebound Spirit Treasure, which had been nurtured inside his Dantian, had also advanced from lower-grade Golden Core to mid-grade Golden Core.


    A growing Spirit Treasure, its grade could also be elevated as the owner''s cultivation level rose.


    ...


    "Is that person the quite famous Chen Qiu of Da Xia recently?"

 Chapter 139 The New Year Approaches, The Year Beast Descends._4

    In the crowd.


    A few people with an exotic air about them stood together, looking in Chen Qiu''s direction with curious eyes, "They say seeing is believing, but he doesn''t seem to be particularly outstanding. It''s hard to associate him with a Fifth-grade Heavenly Dao Top Grade Golden Core and that vast expanse of auspicious clouds descending from the sky."


    "But I remember he only just broke through to Golden Core recently, didn''t he?"


    "But the fluctuations of spiritual energy on him are clearly that of a Golden Core''s fifth layer."


    "No idea."


    One of the men shook his head, taunting, "But you could try to approach him yourself. Haven''t you boasted that no man can resist your charm? Chen Qiu is Da Xia''s strongest peerless Heavenly Pride. If you can cling to him, perhaps he could help you ascend to the throne of Empress in your country."


    "Makes sense."


    The female cultivator standing by in a long dress didn''t bother hiding her gaze on Chen Qiu''s back, coquettishly twirling a strand of her hair and placing it in her mouth, "Maybe he''ll like someone with my exotic charm."


    "Go for it, I''ll stand back and support you silently."


    ...


    Chen Qiu looked at the Year Beast in front of him, which represented the second challenge. Indeed, it was a bit tricky, its shell not only extremely hard, completely protecting the Year Beast within but also capable of reflecting all damage.


    But that was only slightly tricky.


    After all, one only needed to evade its shell and attack the Year Beast inside.


    "Roarrr!!!"


    With deafening thunder, a Small Thunderball gradually appeared in Chen Qiu''s hand, containing over a hundred thousand illusive and substantial Thunder Dragons. He controlled the Small Thunderball with his Divine Sense, and immediately shot it towards the ground.


    It instantly burrowed into the ground.


    Then it shot out from beneath the half-clam, half-turtle Year Beast, with an eye-blinding purple-blue brilliance erupting and directly blasting the huge creature into the air.


    Followed by a massive explosion, a rain of blood fell toward the ground.


    Some cultivators who were still standing in place, completely shocked, got caught in the downpour unexpectedly and were drenched in the stench of blood, while Chen Qiu and others had long since left the area.


    Although it was a bit tricky, it was just like that.


    When his Divine Sense controlled the Thunder Ball to burrow from the ground and attack the inside of the Year Beast''s belly, he could clearly feel that its inner parts were extremely tough, not something ordinary people could break, just without any countermeasures like the shell had.


    -


    "You have inflicted 100% damage to the second challenge''s Year Beast and obtained one ''Heavenly Dao Escape Talisman.''"


    "You have dealt the final blow to the second challenge''s Year Beast and obtained a ''Heavenly Dao Spirit Ring.''"


    -


    "Hmm?"


    Chen Qiu looked at the two boards that appeared above his Dantian, arching his eyebrow. The "Heavenly Dao Escape Talisman" was a good item for escaping; once activated, one could instantly flee thousands of miles away.


    It can also ignore all spatial restraints, Formations, etc.


    He was actually curious whether this item could break through the restrictions of Da Xia, but after thinking it over, he decided against experimenting. He would save it for later when he went to the Xuantian Continent, as it was a good life-saving method.


    As for that ''Heavenly Dao Ring''...


    "This is a good item indeed."


    Chen Qiu''s eyes gleamed with joy as he looked at the ring in his hand, which seemed simple but contained a hint of the power of heaven and earth, part of the Heavenly Dao Spiritual Treasure that Artifact Cultivators could not create.


    The ring''s effect was also strong.


    It came with a storage space far larger than that of the finest Storage Rings.


    He would no longer need to wear so many Storage Rings on his fingers; this Heavenly Dao Ring was all he needed.


    Just one would suffice.


    Besides, the Heavenly Dao Ring could also increase the power of his Divine Sense Attacks to some extent. With the "Heart-piercing Stab" attack spell, the power of his Divine Sense Attack would be even higher.


    Furthermore, his Sea of Consciousness was already larger than that of an average person, so his Divine Sense Attack was naturally more powerful as well.


    With all these enhancements, his "Heart-piercing Stab" was bound to become a Trump card-like technique.


    The most important thing was...


    After obtaining this "Heavenly Dao Ring," a strand of information surfaced in his mind: by collecting eight different parts of the Heavenly Dao Spiritual Treasure, one can assemble the complete set of Heavenly Dao Spiritual Treasure, possessing formidable power.


    All Heavenly Dao Spiritual Treasures are growth-type Spiritual Treasures, and naturally, this Heavenly Dao Ring of his was also a growth-type Spiritual Treasure.


    Upon gathering three Heavenly Dao Spiritual Treasures,


    one would obtain the first set effect of the Heavenly Dao: "The power of the Thunder Summoning Technique will be enhanced."


    Simple and brutal.


    Chen Qiu was quite satisfied with this effect, although he wasn''t clear on why it seemed he had developed a particular connection with the Thunder Summoning Technique. He already had many entries and methods to enhance the power of the Thunder Summoning Technique.


    Perhaps...


    It was because his current strongest spell was the Thunder Summoning Technique, so all enhancements related to spells automatically targeted the Thunder Summoning Technique.


    If he had other stronger spells, would the enhancements then target those spells?


    There was some logic to that.


    ...


    Taking advantage of the time before the third Year Beast arrived, Chen Qiu first flew into the sky to fully recover his Spiritual Energy, then landed on the ground and stood with Fat Long and the others, ready to face the arrival of the third Year Beast.


    It was unknown,


    whether this third Year Beast could gift him another Heavenly Dao Spiritual Treasure.


    If so, he would have three Heavenly Dao Spiritual Treasures, and he could immediately benefit from the first set effect of the Heavenly Dao.


    "Roar!!"


    Just as Chen Qiu restored his full Spiritual Energy and didn''t have to wait too long, a Fierce Beast that was half wolf and half tiger descended from the sky onto the ground. It was three zhang tall; though not as large as the second Year Beast, it was still a colossal figure compared to ordinary demon beasts.


    It was certainly larger than Little Wolf, who was following at his feet. Stay tuned to My Virtual Library Empire


    This little thing was quite eager for battle.


    Several times it wanted to charge forward, and if he had not stopped Little Wolf, it probably would have rushed in by itself.


    Indeed, with Little Wolf''s Golden Core fifth-grade cultivation, it might indeed not fear these Year Beasts, but he had never seen Little Wolf take action and was curious to see what means this little being used to attack.


    But at this moment, he didn''t ponder further!


    As soon as the third Fierce Beast appeared, Chen Qiu''s Divine Sense locked onto it, and then the Thunder Ball in his hand transformed into a purple-blue streak of light and shot towards it. He was becoming increasingly fond of using the entry "All Techniques Combined" when battling a single target.


    Indeed, it was very handy.


    Quite good.


    As he made his move, the cultivators around him also unleashed their strongest techniques. They clearly wanted a share of the spoils, since they hadn''t traveled all this distance merely to watch a spectacle, but also to claim their share.


    Chen Qiu glanced over but paid no mind; after all, his Thunder Summoning Technique was instant, and by the time the attacks of the others arrived, his Thunder Summoning Technique had already made contact with the target. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This Year Beast was at the Golden Core sixth-grade level of cultivation.


    Their cultivation was quite fearsome.


    If not for Chen Qiu''s presence, quite a few people on the scene would have already fled, especially the Foundation Establishment Cultivators, who were bluffing with their strongest techniques against the Year Beast.


    If it was just one of them,


    given a hundred times the courage, they wouldn''t dare to attack a Year Beast with Golden Core sixth-grade cultivation while at Foundation Establishment level. There was even no need to run; slitting their own throat might actually be a quicker end.


    At least there would be no risk of being chewed up alive, and no pain to speak of.

 Chapter 140 Spell, Snowfall.

    "Boom!!!"


    Accompanied by a deafening thunderclap, Chen Qiu''s Thunder Summoning Technique shot into the Year Beast ahead of others. Except for a few Divine Sense Attacks that were slightly faster than his Thunder Summoning Technique, the other cultivators'' attacks hadn''t even reached the Year Beast yet. And the Year Beast had already burst into a shower of blood, dead on the spot!


    A single strike, an instant kill on a Golden Core Stage Six Year Beast!


    If it weren''t for the entry "All Techniques Combined," he could have killed the Golden Core Stage Six Year Beast as well¡ªbut not nearly as quickly.


    After all, tens of thousands of Thunder Dragons engulfing the Year Beast and tens of thousands of Thunder Dragons exploding inside the Year Beast''s body made a significant difference.


    -


    "You inflicted 93% damage on the third round Year Beast, earning one ''Merit Defense Order.''"


    "You dealt the final blow to the third round Year Beast, earning one ''Merit Attack Order.''"


    -


    "..."


    Chen Qiu looked at the two tokens that appeared in his "Heavenly Dao Ring," virtually identical in appearance, except for the different inscriptions¡ªone was a Merit Defense Order, and the other, a Merit Attack Order.


    Both were one-time use.


    The effects were straightforward.


    Upon activating the Merit Defense Order, it would block all attacks for the next hour, and the consumption of merit would be decided based on the power of the attacks. If the merit was depleted prematurely, the token would shatter early.


    Or after an hour, the Defense Merit Order would automatically shatter.


    The Merit Attack Order,


    was even more straightforward and brutal. Depending on the amount of merit you chose to consume, it would launch an extremely powerful strike. The power of the strike depended on the amount of merit you spent.


    After the strike was used, it would shatter again.


    And his merit...


    Chen Qiu looked increasingly odd as he gazed at the merit leaderboard, and with his staggering 9.8 billion merit, he uncontroversially stood at the top. Unless something unexpected happened, no one could dethrone him for thousands of years.


    With his nearly ten billion merit, activating a Merit Defense Order practically made him invincible for an hour; even a Nascent Soul would likely not be able to do anything to him within that time.


    And if he were to activate the Merit Attack Order with nearly ten billion merit, he felt he could probably annihilate several provinces of Da Xia with one strike, or even more... perhaps the entirety of Da Xia?


    Experience tales with My Virtual Library Empire


    "I really want to try it..."


    He sighed regretfully, knowing the token itself was one-time use, and since his merit wasn''t unlimited, he definitely couldn''t waste it like this. These two items would be his two ace cards, hidden away.


    One for absolute life-saving in a short time.


    One for a devastating attack.


    Pretty good.


    This Year Beast came just right.


    It gave him two top-grade Heavenly Dao Retrospective Talismans, which was like having two more entries, all at the Golden Core Stage. One should know that Golden Core Stage entries are generally blue and yellow.


    He had never seen blue and yellow Jade Scrolls being sold in Da Xia.


    Or perhaps such items are so rare that they simply cannot appear at an auction.


    The value of a low-grade Heavenly Dao Retrospective Talisman used during the Qi Refinement Realm and that of a top-grade Heavenly Dao Retrospective Talisman cannot even be compared, as the selectable entries are not on the same level.


    Add to that a life-preserving Heavenly Dao Escape Talisman and a Heavenly Dao Spiritual Treasure.


    And those two Merit Orders.


    Absolutely worth the journey. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Just then¡ª


    When all the cultivators thought it was over and were preparing to disperse, a lion enveloped in dense flames leaped from the dark clouds and landed heavily on the ground, its cultivation boldly at the Golden Core Stage Seven!


    There was still a hidden Year Beast!


    This Year Beast was clearly much stronger than the previous three, with more violent fluctuations of spiritual energy, its Golden Core Stage Seven cultivation impressively intimidating everyone.


    Just as Chen Qiu, who had just replenished his spiritual energy and was also preparing to retreat, saw this scene, his eyes lit up instantly, and without the slightest hesitation, he released all his spiritual energy, locked on with his Divine Sense and shot a Thunder Ball directly, hitting the lion-like Year Beast!


    "Boom!"


    Just like before.


    The fire lion Year Beast had barely touched the ground when it was struck by this nearly fatal blow; however, being a hidden Year Beast with the cultivation of Golden Core Stage Seven, it was still much stronger than the previous three beasts.


    Tens of thousands of Heavenly Thunders exploded inside its body, instantly perforating its skin and even blowing off half its head.


    But even then,


    it didn''t die immediately but fell heavily to the ground, on the verge of death.


    Seeing this scene, the surrounding people who were about to disperse instantly had their eyes turn red. If not now, then when? This was the last hit on a hidden Year Beast; the rewards would be immense.


    But almost the next moment!


    Everyone suddenly froze in place, because all present felt Chen Qiu''s Divine Sense had firmly locked them down, the implied threat was clear.


    But... there are always those who don''t believe in curses!


    Or rather, there are always those who believe in the safety of numbers.


    An obviously Exotic Realm cultivator from the Hundred Countries, his face flushed with excitement, held his Flying Sword and turned into a streak of light, rushing towards the dying hidden Year Beast!


    At the same time, he deliberately changed his voice and bellowed.


    "Fellow Daoists, charge together! There are so many of us, Chen Qiu can''t possibly kill us all, right?"


    However,


    just as this Exotic Realm cultivator from the Hundred Countries had not yet reached the dying hidden Year Beast, he noticed the hidden beast suddenly let out a wail and then fell dead on the ground.

 Chapter 140 Spell, Snowfall._2

    He stood frozen in place, instinctively glancing back at his surroundings.


    He discovered that not a single person had responded to his call to action. Only he had dashed forward. In his expectation, everyone would have charged together, mingling in the chaos without a clear tell on who landed the final blow. The matter would then be easily brushed off amidst the confusion.


    But to his surprise, those Xia Country cultivators were so timid, not one followed suit. Stay tuned to My Virtual Library Empire


    Moreover, even his fellow countrymen cultivators were nowhere to be found, vanished without a trace.


    ...


    "..."


    The Xia Country cultivators who were spectating from afar, looking toward that awkward figure standing in the middle of the clearing, couldn''t help but slightly twitch at the corners of their mouths. This other-nation cultivator typically must not have watched Chen Qiu''s shadow enough.


    If you had only watched a few more.


    At least...


    Not to say whether you would charge or not, but you certainly wouldn''t have uttered the phrase "the law does not punish the masses."


    They were almost certain that if they dared to charge forward, as many as went would die right there.


    You''re bold, you go ahead.


    As for them, they dare not charge.


    Even the cultivator from the Hundred Countries silently slipped out of the crowd and fled without looking back, darting afar like he was running for his life. They didn''t understand why their comrade suddenly became so brave, though they knew he was always quite fearless.


    But, couldn''t he give them a heads-up before being brave next time?


    ...


    The Golden Core cultivators standing within the crowd watched the sword-wielding, other-nation cultivator at the center of the plaza with expressionless faces, sighing deeply inside, and couldn''t help but lament how ignorance was truly fearless.


    Their Divine Sense attack as Golden Core cultivators, isn''t it faster than you charging with a sword at the Foundation Establishment stage?


    Guess why with such fast Divine Sense attacks they did not make a move?


    That wasn''t a treasure falling from the sky.


    That was the Yama Rope taking lives.


    Who would dare to touch it?


    If these Golden Core cultivators dare not touch it, you, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, sure charge fast. This kind of temperament is indeed well-suited for cultivation, fearless and unswerving. But it is... not suitable for longevity.


    ...


    Chen Qiu, with an indifferent expression, glanced at the male cultivator stuck in the middle of the square without lingering much. He simply held up the Heavenly Mechanism Umbrella, his gown howling in the storm as he turned to walk away.


    Fat Long also hurried to turn and leave.


    Only the scholar looked toward the male cultivator with a sighing tone, "Sword cultivator, that''s not how you play the game."


    The forefinger trembled slightly, and a green light flashed and disappeared. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    By the time he turned around to follow Chen Qiu, the male cultivator''s pupils had already begun to gradually disperse, his body limply collapsing onto the ground. After a few moments, a red line slowly appeared on his neck, and blood followed the line, eventually forming a pool.


    ...


    Back at the highest peak of Pingzhou, Chen Qiu looked up at the panel enveloped in clouds and mist above his Dantian.


    -


    "You caused 100% damage to the hidden Year Beast, obtaining the high-grade Golden Core spell ''Snowfall,'' and an Enlightenment Stone."


    "You struck the final blow on the hidden Year Beast, obtaining ''Heavenly Light Wind Boots.''"


    -


    "A new spell?"


    Chen Qiu''s eyebrows rose as he stared at the high-grade Golden Core spell "Snowfall" in front of him, sensing it with his Divine Sense without speaking. This spell was produced by Heavenly Dao, so likewise, once mastered, it would be at the Great Achievement Realm.


    Even the Enlightenment Stone was ready.


    Directly at the Great Perfection Realm.


    With his current financial resources, he could technically learn many spells, but he essentially didn''t bother buying spells produced by the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm, mainly because some seemed unnecessary. Even at the Great Perfection Realm, those spells weren''t as strong as his Thunder Summoning Technique.


    Why should he learn spells that were not as strong as the Thunder Summoning Technique?


    The biggest drawback of the Thunder Summoning Technique used to be that it was only suitable for dealing with a large number of weaker small fry; it lacked power when facing opponents with higher cultivation. But now, with the entry "All Techniques Combined," even that drawback was gone.


    There''s no longer a need for numerous spells, specializing is sufficient.


    He always felt that he could use the Thunder Summoning Technique until the day he died.


    But... he suddenly felt he might also pick up "Snowfall."


    It was a supportive spell.


    Not an attack spell.


    Its effect was simple, allowing snow to fall over an area roughly the size of a village, and the snowflakes landing on the enemy would freeze their Spiritual Energy.


    It would cause the enemy''s internal flow of Spiritual Energy to slow down.


    This would result in a decrease in spell power, casting speed, absorption of Spiritual Energy, and movement technique speed, among others.


    Additionally, as more and more snowflakes gather on them, they could even freeze in place.


    It''s a small-scale group supportive control spell.


    However...


    This is for ordinary people.


    Chen Qiu chuckled to himself, tucking the Magic Jade Scroll of "Snowfall" inside his robe, prepared to make it his third official spell. This spell was indeed a regular Magic Practitioner''s spell.


    It was a spell that many Golden Core cultivators would learn.


    In other words, it was his first genuine Magic Practitioner''s spell.


    With "Dual Casting," "Ten Layers of Spellcasting," "Illusion and Reality," and the surging Spiritual Energy inside him, if he fully unleashed this spell, he estimated that a few hundred miles around could be engulfed in snow.


    To experience the romance of winter days.


    ...


    He then looked at his other gain, the Heavenly Light Wind Boots.


    Also a Heavenly Dao Spiritual Treasure.


    The effect was quite impressive, able to enhance his movement technique to a certain extent. It allowed his "Shrink the Earth to an Inch" technique to cover greater distances, and his Teleportation speed to be faster.

 Chapter 140 Spell, Snowfall._3

    So far, he hadn''t found a satisfactory movement technique for Magic Practitioners to escape quickly.


    During the heritage transfer of Magic Practitioners above the Forbidden Sea, he saw the Magic Practitioner guardian old man with golden light under his feet and thought that movement technique was quite good. He planned to find such a spell for himself in a few days.


    Although the scholar''s speed was faster.


    But after all, it wasn''t his own, and there were many drawbacks to using it.


    Having acquired this Heavenly Dao Spiritual Treasure, he now owned three Heavenly Dao Spiritual Treasures, which also activated the first Heavenly Dao suit effect¡ª


    "The power of unleashing the Thunder Summoning Technique will be enhanced."


    Pretty good.


    The next Heavenly Dao suit effect would be revealed upon possessing five Heavenly Dao Spiritual Treasures. Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire


    That was temporarily out of the question.


    ...


    After taking inventory of all his gains, Chen Qiu didn''t return to Fei City but found an inn in a nearby city in "Pingzhou."


    An hour later. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chen Qiu looked at the snowflakes dancing on his fingertip and chuckled. This was his third spell, "Snowfall," which was not very lethal but mainly served as a control effect.


    Under the influence of the Enlightenment Stone, this spell had already reached the Great Perfection Realm.


    Just that...


    He felt that his future battle scenes might be quite lively, with the full deployment of Thunder Summoning Technique calling upon the forces of nature, followed by dark clouds and pouring rain, and finally, adding the snowfall.


    It included mixed rain and snow, along with howling winds.


    The battle process was indeed quite lively.


    He planned to find a secluded place to test the full power of this spell, especially since "Pingzhou" had too many mortals. Even though this spell hardly had any attack effect, it was still fully deployed by his Golden Core fifth layer cultivation.


    If a mortal touched that snowflake and didn''t find shelter from the snow in time,


    At the very least, they''d fall seriously ill, or in severe cases, die on the spot.


    ...


    Seated cross-legged in the inn, Chen Qiu turned his head to look out the window, where the sun was dead-center, just at midday.


    He planned to go downstairs to grab something to eat first.


    Then he would try it out on Boundless Snow Mountain.


    If there was any place to test the full power of the "Snowfall" spell, it would surely be Boundless Snow Mountain, where naturally, there were hardly any creatures, and it was perennially covered in heavy snow.


    Most suitable.


    ...


    "Shopkeeper, take the order."


    Fat Long looked over the menu, and calling over the smiling shopkeeper, said, "Skip the Wuwei Smoked Duck, Jinghu Vinegar Fish, and Dong''an Chicken. Bring everything else, all in double portions."


    "Understood?"


    "Understood, understood."


    The shopkeeper smiled obsequiously, carefully slipping the few Spirit Stones Fat Long had passed him into his pocket, this was indeed a big deal.


    However...


    Just as Chen Qiu and a few others, including Fat Long, had arrived at the best inn in this city, just seated themselves and were about to enjoy some good food as a treat,


    once again, a voice rang in the ears of everyone in Da Xia.


    -


    Imperial Decree: "A world of conflicts is approaching, ''Snow Clan invasion'' will descend in the west by Hundred Countries, at Boundless Snow Mountain."


    The heavens will shatter, and the Snow Clan will emerge.


    -


    "..."


    Fat Long, with a slightly speechless expression, listened to the voice around him and looked up at Chen Qiu, sighing, "Brother Qiu, what do you say, do we still eat? Wasn''t the Imperial Decree issued a bit too hastily today?"


    "Didn''t they just issue one this morning about the Year Beast?"


    "We haven''t even passed noon yet, and the Snow Clan is already invading."


    "Eat first."


    Chen Qiu didn''t seem to care and casually said, "Let''s eat first, then go take a look, no hurry in a moment."


    It just so happened that he was originally planning to test his new spell''s power on Boundless Snow Mountain, so it conveniently fell on his way. Moreover, he had already anticipated the ''Snow Clan invasion,'' as from all four corners


    only the west had not yet been invaded.


    It was quite normal for the west to be invaded.


    But his anticipation for this Snow Clan invasion was clearly not as high as for the Year Beast; whether it was a Demon Race invasion, Evil Clan invasion, or Sea Clan invasion, after resolving the crisis, there were no rewards.


    At most, the Imperial Decree would mention him, praise him, and hold him up as an example to the people.


    Then that was it.


    So his urgency for this Snow Clan invasion was not as great, unlike with the Year Beast, where he had come from far away in Fei City.


    ...


    Soon¡ª


    The food was served, nearly a hundred dishes.


    Each dish looked tempting and appetizing.


    "Let''s eat."


    Chen Qiu looked at the few people waiting for him to start eating and smiled as he lifted a chopstick full of fish and put it into his mouth. After cultivating for so long, he had almost forgotten the worldly flavors; the table filled with dishes cost only three Spirit Stones.


    Of course, it might be even lower.


    After all, he didn''t ask the price but just had Fat Long hand over three Spirit Stones. From the shopkeeper''s reaction, that should have been enough, perhaps even a bit more.


    He tasted a few bites of each dish.


    The flavors were really good.


    Comparable to the lamb soup in Fei City and the cold noodles in Yun City, each had its own merits and were delicious.


    Being a Golden Core cultivator, these foods were disintegrated before they even reached his stomach and were expelled as impurities from his body. Basically, he was just tasting, and even if he did eat all the food, he wouldn''t feel bloated at all.


    Golden Core cultivation, in some ways, completely transcends ordinary humans.


    Five hundred years of lifespan.


    ...


    After a satisfying meal, Chen Qiu stood up, called the scholar, and headed towards Boundless Snow Mountain. Along the way, he saw many Golden Core cultivators flying with Sword Control towards the western Snow Mountain, apparently preparing to participate in this Snow Clan invasion to see if there were any opportunities.


    But he did not see any Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    After all, the journey was too long.


    They would have to cross the Hundred Countries, and with the Spiritual Energy of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, there just wasn''t enough to sustain such a long distance. Even if one continuously consumed Qi Replenishing Pills and forced their way flying with Sword Control, by the time they reached the destination, the Snow Clan invasion would have long been over.

 Chapter 140 Spell, Snowfall._4

    All the Golden Core cultivators they had met along the way had restrained themselves; none had released their Divine Sense, clearly not eager to fight.


    And because they were all at a considerable distance from each other, their faces were not clear.


    Even though the scholar had set out later.


    He still arrived at the Boundless Snow Mountain faster than most of the Golden Core cultivators who had set out earlier; after all, the scholar''s sword was truly fast, plus his Bloodline Entry made him one of the few whose speed could compete with his. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ...


    It was only an hour''s effort.


    Explore more adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    Chen Qiu had already crossed Hundred Countries and reached the Boundless Snow Mountain. Standing at the foot of the mountain and looking up, the mountain range stretching unknown thousands of miles seemed endless, like a moat separating heaven and earth!


    The peaks reached into the clouds, and even his Divine Sense could not find the top of the mountain.


    The entire mountain range from halfway up was covered with thick, heavy snow. You could feel a chill at first glance, with the air carrying a crisp frostiness.


    At this time, it was not snowing.


    The thick snow accumulated halfway up the mountain was from thousands of years of snowfall that had never melted, built up over many years.


    "So this is the Boundless Snow Mountain."


    Chen Qiu stood at the base of the mountain, feeling the majesty of heaven and earth. He suddenly felt very insignificant. People say that man is sure to win over nature, but to what level must one cultivate to shake this mountain range that stretches for tens of thousands of miles?


    His pride in the Thunder Summoning Technique, even if fully unleashed, could blast a huge hole in this mountain range.


    But to the mountain range, it might be like an elephant being poked by a toothpick, barely an itch.


    No edge in sight, no peak in sight.


    When he stood there, for the first time, he felt an intense sense of imprisonment, a feeling that was very mild inside Da Xia. After all, Da Xia was vast, with nineteen provinces to roam, but when you truly stood under the Boundless Snow Mountain.


    The feeling of powerlessness was shockingly profound.


    However...


    "Where are the Snow Clan?"


    Chen Qiu quickly calmed his mind and scanned his surroundings with some puzzlement. He hadn''t forgotten his purpose, which wasn''t to marvel at the grandeur of the Boundless Snow Mountain. He was here to deal with the Snow Clan invasion.


    Wasn''t it said that the Snow Clan was invading?


    Yet, so far, not a single Snow Clan member was in sight.


    At this time, there were also quite a few people standing below the Boundless Snow Mountain range. Most were Foundation Establishment Cultivators and Golden Core cultivators from Hundred Countries, with only about a dozen Golden Core cultivators from Da Xia Country because the Snow Clan crisis had first struck Hundred Countries, so naturally, they were more proactive.


    But just then¡ª


    "BOOM!!"


    A deafening sound like thunder suddenly erupted above the Boundless Snow Mountain. Then, a layer of snow that hadn''t melted for thousands of years suddenly collapsed from halfway up the mountain and slid down to the base.


    "No way..."


    Fat Long''s eyes flickered with shock, his lips twitching slightly.


    Immediately after!


    One piece, two pieces, three pieces!


    Countless layers of ancient snow from the mountain top of the Boundless Snow Mountain, stretching unknown thousands of miles, slid toward the base.


    An avalanche!


    And it was an avalanche from a snow mountain stretching thousands of miles, all at the same time!


    The snow on the Boundless Snow Mountain had not melted for who knows how many years. Such a violent and exaggerated avalanche could even engulf ten or twenty or even more countries within Hundred Countries!


    Luckily, only a few thousand miles of this mountain range tens of thousands of miles long had avalanched. Unfortunately, even this few thousand miles of avalanche was enough to cause countless deaths and injuries in Hundred Countries.


    This was a natural disaster.


    It simply couldn''t be stopped by human efforts.


    "Let''s go!"


    Chen Qiu immediately prepared to turn around and leave this place, rushing towards the nearby Hundred Countries at top speed. It was certain he couldn''t escape, as those ordinary people''s speeds couldn''t match that of the devastating avalanche.


    But finding a place to hide might still allow them to dodge this calamity and wait for rescue after the avalanche had stopped.


    He couldn''t block it.


    This was a natural disaster, not something that human strength could withstand.


    If he were a Nascent Soul cultivator, he might have been able to withstand it, but he knew that as a Golden Core cultivator at the peak of Great Perfection, he definitely could not withstand this disaster; it wasn''t a crisis that a Golden Core cultivator could resolve.


    He had originally thought that the invasion of the Snow Clan was similar to that of the Sea Clan ¨C a demon beast invasion. He hadn''t expected it to actually be a natural disaster.


    But just as he was about to turn away,


    "Brother Qiu... look."


    Fat Long stood rooted to the spot, his face full of shock, pointing towards the middle of the Boundless Snow Mountain.


    The avalanche rolling down from the mountain, accompanied by a flurry of snow splashing into the air, brought a chill that everyone beneath the mountain felt. Suddenly, those snow blocks transformed into human forms.


    They turned into snowmen wielding ice swords, charging toward them.


    This wasn''t an avalanche.


    The snowflakes had formed into snowmen, a creature they couldn''t understand; they weren''t even aware that snowmen existed, usually blending in with the heavy snow and living on the Boundless Snow Mountain.


    Or was it that after the "Snow Clan invasion" started, this heavy snow had begun to morph into snowmen?


    But Chen Qiu knew one thing.


    That was, once the avalanche that seemed like the sky falling had turned all its snow into snowmen, the originally unstoppable force of nature carried by the avalanche disappeared, turning into groups of snowmen continuously rushing down from the mountain top towards them.


    If it were an avalanche, he indeed couldn''t do anything.


    But if it were snowmen... then he didn''t need to leave.


    ...


    Chen Qiu faced the countless snowmen charging down from the Snow Mountain, stopped in his tracks, and spiritual energy surged within him as he fully activated "Snowfall," a spell he had recently learned.


    In an instant.


    A massive amount of goose feather-like snow covered hundreds of miles.


    The arrival of this snow was extremely sudden, but as soon as the cultivators felt the snow freezing their inner spiritual energy, many of them realized it wasn''t real snow but the spell "Snowfall."


    Many recognized this spell¡ªit was, after all, a signature spell of Magic Practitioners.


    However... the cultivators looked towards Chen Qiu with complex expressions. They had never seen a Magic Practitioner use this spell to cover hundreds of miles.


    While airborne, Chen Qiu kept teleporting to replenish his spiritual energy while observing how the snowy figures reacted to the falling snow.


    He was just trying it out.


    To see if "Snowfall" would have any effect on these snowmen, and indeed it did, but the effect was weak; basically, it was negligible since snowmen were originally made of snow and naturally had high immunity to attacks from such spells made of heavy snow.


    However...


    The experiment was done.


    Chen Qiu glanced around at the hundreds of miles covered in goose feather snow, his expression quite satisfied as he chuckled lightly. The range of the spell was indeed vast, mainly because he had released it many times.


    A normal Cultivator couldn''t achieve such an extensive range.


    The snowflakes were also quite dense, making it quite a beautiful sight.


    It just wasn''t very suitable to use at this time.


    This spell could only last for three hundred breaths; after three hundred breaths, it would dissipate.


    After three hundred breaths, Chen Qiu''s inner spiritual energy would also be fully restored, accompanying his spiritual energy as it surged out wildly.


    Suddenly, a massive cloud appeared high in the sky, but this cloud was only as high as halfway up the mountain, much lower than the Boundless Snow Mountain.

 Chapter 141

    Accompanied by a sudden surge of dark clouds over the Boundless Snow Mountain, the fluffy snow had just scattered when a downpour followed immediately after!


    One hundred thousand Thunder Dragons roared out from the black clouds, bombarding the Snowman army on the Boundless Snow Mountain below!!!


    "Boom!!"


    Along with the massive explosion, countless snowmen were blasted into fragments, turning back into snowflakes that covered the surface of the Snow Mountain.


    Most of the Spiritual Energy fluctuations on those snowmen were at the Foundation Establishment Stage, with only a sparse few at the Golden Core Stage, and under Chen Qiu''s one hundred thousand Thunder Dragons, those at the Golden Core Stage below level five had basically no difference from those at the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    At most, Divine Sense would lock onto a Golden Core Snowman and specifically rain down a few hundred more Thunder Dragons.


    Immediately following¡ª¡ª


    The entire Boundless Snow Mountain seemed to become Chen Qiu''s personal stage, as he continuously teleported high in the sky, quickly recovering his Spiritual Energy with each move, never waiting for full recovery before using whatever he had.


    Countless Thunder Dragons relentlessly bombarded the middle section of the mountain.


    ...


    Meanwhile, the cultivators who had been preparing to act behind Chen Qiu now stood silently in place. It wasn''t that they didn''t want to help, but they felt it was unnecessary. Their spells hadn''t even hit the snowmen before they were pulverized by Chen Qiu''s Thunder Dragons.


    Those Thunder Dragons didn''t discriminate between friend and foe; anyone who stepped into their attack range became a target.


    Spare none.


    Spare none.


    And Chen Qiu''s Spiritual Energy seemed inexhaustible, endless. What Magic Practitioners lack most is Spiritual Energy. Once this limitation is removed, even if your Spells have minimal power, you can still unleash extremely potent Attack Methods.


    Especially when...


    Chen Qiu''s spell power was not just small but was many times greater than that of ordinary cultivators.


    To say nothing else, they hadn''t seen anyone''s Thunder Summoning Technique as thick as his.


    Even the Heavenly Punishment didn''t dare to strike with such ferocity. It was a bit outrageous.


    ...


    "How nice."


    Fat Long, standing at the foot of the mountain, unfurled a paper umbrella with a contemplative look on his face and exclaimed, "Fighting alongside Brother Qiu, it''s either windy or raining, and from time to time, there''s even snow."


    "Romantic."


    He was protected by Protective Spirit Qi, so naturally, the rain wouldn''t wet his clothing.


    But holding a paper umbrella in such heavy rain seemed to add more atmosphere.


    However, he quickly no longer needed the umbrella, as the next moment, a violent wind tossed his paper umbrella into the air, shredding it to pieces before sweeping the fragments away into the distance. In such a Storm, the paper umbrella stood no chance of survival.


    "Pretty good."


    ...


    Thus, Chen Qiu had no idea how long he had been killing, only that it had gotten dark.


    It was even past midnight.


    He had received tonight''s ten Golden Core Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills, and finally, when he could no longer see any demon beasts, a voice rang in his ears.


    -


    Heavenly Dao Decree: Snow Clan invasion concludes.


    Human Clan Cultivator, Sect Master of Chao Tian Sect, Heavenly Dao Saint, peerless Heavenly Pride ''Chen Qiu,'' single-handedly slaughtered hundreds of thousands of Snow Clan, protecting the masses,


    His admirable heart and strength make people respect him, and light a way for all to follow.


    - Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As the voice echoed, it signified that the Snow Clan invasion had come to an end.


    At this moment, countless cultivators at the foot of the mountain gazed towards Chen Qiu with complex emotions, their stares hard to decipher. With Chen Qiu there, they didn''t even have the courage to act. Although they had seen many recordings of Chen Qiu''s exploits,


    Only when you see it with your own eyes,


    Can you truly feel that overwhelming presence.


    After ending the Snow Clan invasion, Chen Qiu didn''t hesitate and dashed toward the base of the mountain, lifting up a few people who were standing there, and then shot toward the Boundless Snow Mountain, entering the small world halfway up.


    ...


    "Brother Qiu."


    Fat Long stood on the back mountain of Chao Tian Sect with a frown, a hint of confusion in his voice, "There are no rewards for dealing with the Snow Clan invasion this time? Isn''t that doing work for nothing?"


    "No."


    Read exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire


    Chen Qiu took a deep breath, unable to suppress a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth as he looked at the cloud-covered panel above his Dantian.


    Indeed, there were no rewards given for this Snow Clan invasion, and those Snow Clan members didn''t count as demon beasts, so there was no increase in his Dantian capacity. But... it wasn''t entirely fruitless, as killing the Snow Clan added to his Cultivation Progress.


    Before the Snow Clan invasion, his Cultivation Progress was at Golden Core Stage level five (94.3%).


    But after resolving the Snow Clan crisis, his Cultivation Progress astonishingly reached¡ª¡ª


    -


    ''Cultivation'': Golden Core Stage level six (70.0%).


    -


    Not only did it allow his Cultivation to smoothly break through to the sixth level of the Golden Core Stage, but it also brought him within a step''s reach of the seventh level. He had just received another ten Golden Core Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills. Based on this progress, in a few days, he could enter the seventh level of the Golden Core Stage.


    At that time, he would truly be a late-stage Golden Core Cultivator.


    This reward alone was already quite generous.


    But at that moment¡ª¡ª


    Another voice once again resounded in the ears of all cultivators in Da Xia and the Hundred Countries.


    -


    Heavenly Dao Decree: In recognition of the ''Four Calamities'' of the Human Clan¡ª''Demon Race Invasion,'' ''Evil Clan Invasion,'' ''Sea Clan Invasion,'' ''Snow Clan Invasion,'' Sect Master of Chao Tian Sect, Heavenly Dao Saint, unparalleled Heavenly Pride ''Chen Qiu,'' has been acknowledged as the ''Human Clan''s Guardian God'' for his efforts to turn the tides and protect the masses!


    With a person''s power, he sheltered all beings under heaven.


    Such heroic deeds are rare in this world.


    He is granted ''A Wisp of Heavenly Pride Fortune,'' and all shall take this as an example.


    -


    "Hm?"


    Chen Qiu, who was meditating in the small world, heard the voice and was briefly stunned, a trace of shock crossing his eyes. He had thought that the biggest gain from the Snow Clan invasion was the advancement in his Cultivation Progress.


    But to think, there was an even better surprise in store?

 Chapter 142

    ```


    "You... You''re domineering!"


    Chen Qiu''s words left the Golden Core cultivators, who had been ready to follow and reap the benefits, trembling with frustration.


    They couldn''t beat him.


    And they didn''t dare to curse him either.


    The other party was in a good mood at the moment, using the "Snowfall," a crowd control spell. If his mood turned sour later, tens of thousands of Thunder Summoning Techniques might come raining down, which would be a completely different problem.


    Even the "Snowfall," a control spell that hardly caused any damage, was hard to withstand for too long. Stay too long and not only would one''s Spiritual Energy be completely frozen, but their life could also be at risk.


    So¡ª


    These Golden Core cultivators, who could be considered tyrannical and used to getting their way wherever they went, exchanged glances, cursed silently in their hearts, and immediately turned into streaks of light, fleeing far away without looking back.


    They were all old predecessors with lifespans of several hundred years.


    To be so strongly challenged by a junior whose bones weren''t even thirty years old was definitely frustrating, but there was nothing they could do. In the world of cultivation, strength was king.


    It wasn''t about who lived longer.


    They could only sigh deeply in their hearts.


    The era that belonged to them had truly passed¡ªor perhaps, it had never belonged to them at all.


    ...


    "Chen Qiu has already reached the fifth level of Golden Core Cultivation."


    In the Capital, within the Caotian Sect, the Sect Master of Caotian Sect listened absentmindedly to the news from the Boundless Snow Mountain, not quite understanding why some could cultivate so quickly.


    Continue your journey with My Virtual Library Empire


    Back in the day.


    The Spiritual Energy within Caotian Sect was considered abundant. When he first stepped into the realm of Golden Core, his ambitions were high. He built a Spirit Gathering Array with a large number of Mid-grade Spirit Stones to improve his Cultivation, and he also purchased Golden Core Cultivation Pills at a high price. Even so, it took him a year and a half of painstaking cultivation to reach the second level of Golden Core.


    But Chen Qiu¡ª


    How could he progress so rapidly?


    Almost every time he heard news about Chen Qiu, the latter''s Cultivation had grown immensely, so much so that it seemed unreasonable, as if all Chen Qiu needed to do was eat and sleep and his Cultivation would naturally increase.


    He had spent a total of more than forty Mid-grade Spirit Stones at that time.


    Once he reached the second level of Golden Core, his high spirits gradually dissipated. Spending so many Mid-grade Spirit Stones did not increase his Cultivation significantly faster; it also depleted much of his own foundation. Although he still had some Mid-grade Spirit Stones left, he was no longer willing to use them to set up a Spirit Gathering Array for advancing his Cultivation.


    And so, he just settled.


    Many didn''t understand why a Golden Core cultivator would just settle. When you know that you''ll never reach the realm of Nascent Soul in this lifetime, and you''ve seen countless stronger Heavenly Prides, and spending a large number of Mid-grade Spirit Stones still leaves you with slow Cultivation progress¡ª


    You''d just settle too, thinking that''s good enough for life.


    Just like that.


    He had spent a year and a half advancing from the first to the second level of Golden Core, but it took him over fifty years to move from the second to the current fourth level of Golden Core. While part of the reason was his reluctance to use Mid-grade Spirit Stones again¡ª


    The more important reason¡ª


    Was that with each higher level of the nine levels of Golden Core, the speed of Cultivation advancement would become extremely slow.


    If he remembered correctly¡ª


    Chen Qiu should be the first person in nearly a hundred years to reach the fifth level of Golden Core Cultivation before the age of thirty.


    Perhaps, this is the significance of an unparalleled Heavenly Pride, always causing other prides and even the old predecessors to often feel ashamed. The only consolation was that he had a good relationship with Chen Qiu, who had even exchanged a few smiling words with him last time.


    This honor was truly rare.


    As far as he knew¡ª


    There weren''t many who were still alive after talking with Chen Qiu, let alone sharing laughter in conversation.


    If the Caotian Sect ever faced a calamity in the future, if he thickened his skin and sought out Chen Qiu, Chen Qiu probably wouldn''t just stand by and watch. After all, what might be a sect-destroying catastrophe for Caotian Sect would probably be a trivial matter for Chen Qiu.


    "Sigh."


    Thinking of this¡ª


    The Sect Master of Heaven Sect couldn''t help but sigh deeply with a complex expression, sending out his Divine Sense to look at Zhao Yishi not far away on the back mountain. Using his Disguise Skill to lie in the forest, pretending to be a natural hot spring, he let the female disciples of his sect swim to their heart''s content in his mouth. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Life was truly unpredictable.


    The first time he heard the name Chen Qiu was long ago, when Chen Qiu was still in Fufeng City. He learned of Chen Qiu from Zhao Yishi, being criticizing for Zhao''s former cowardice in battle.


    The first time he saw Chen Qiu''s image was during the demon invasion of Fufeng City. At that time, Chen Qiu was only at the Foundation Establishment level, standing on a Flying Sword and slaughtering Demon Clan cultivators with the Thunder Summoning Technique as if mowing down grass.


    The first time he met Chen Qiu in person was in Fei City of Fei State, by which time Chen Qiu had already started making a name for himself, having obtained the inheritance of a Magic Practitioner that no one had claimed for a thousand years. When they met, Chen Qiu was already at the eight level of Foundation Establishment.


    In front of him, Chen Qiu was rather humble, calling himself a junior. That was the first time he heard Chen Qiu refer to himself as a junior in front of him, and it would probably be the last. The next time they met, it might be him who would have to call himself the junior.


    At that time, even though Chen Qiu was only at the eight level of Foundation Establishment and saw him at the fourth level of Golden Core, there wasn''t much fear in his eyes, he was neither servile nor overbearing, as if he was confident that he could counterattack even if he were attacked.


    When he saw Chen Qiu again, Chen Qiu had already become famous, having achieved the fifth-grade Heavenly Dao Top Grade Golden Core. He had broken through to the first level of Golden Core, officially becoming one of Da Xia Country''s famed Heavenly Prides!


    ```

 Chapter 143 His name is Chen Qiu, and he time-traveled not long ago.

    Under the empowerment of 9.8 billion merit points, he found it hard to believe how fast his movement technique could be. The scholar''s sword definitely couldn''t catch up to him. He was sure he''d need a lot of defensive magical treasures to handle it; otherwise, with such speed, he was afraid he wouldn''t be able to control himself and might end up crashing to his death.


    This wasn''t an impossible occurrence.


    In fact, one could say there was a high probability of it happening.


    In the end,


    As the ten breaths were about to end, he chose the "Merit Protection" entry. Not too shabby; he was quite satisfied with it. Although this entry didn''t seem of much use now, when he broke through to a higher realm later and faced the Heavenly Tribulation, it would show its true value.


    It could be considered a long-term entry.


    After selecting the entry,


    Chen Qiu, who was standing on the mountain peak behind Chao Tian Sect, finally got up, stretched his muscles and bones, and pondered whether to go out for a stroll.


    Though Chao Tian Sect was a small world of its own with nice scenery,


    it couldn''t withstand those two peculiar flowers that released resentful energy and demonic qi every day, casting a gloomy atmosphere over Chao Tian Sect. Although it had no effect on the body, it always felt less sunny. It seemed better to go out and enjoy the sunlight.


    "Hmm,"


    After pondering for a while, Chen Qiu decided to go out for breakfast and see if "Xiangyang City" had any special morning dishes to offer, as dawn had just arrived.


    ...


    Xiangyang City, at a food stall.


    Chen Qiu and his companions sat at a stall specializing in lamb shaomai, a local delicacy found only in Xiangyang City throughout Da Xia Country. In other provinces, the shaomai was mostly made of glutinous rice.


    Only in Xiangyang City was there a tradition of eating lamb shaomai.


    "Not bad."


    Chen Qiu took out a handkerchief to wipe off the grease at the corner of his mouth. He didn''t eat much¡ªtrying just a few to savor the taste was enough. The flavor was quite distinct from Hai Province''s glutinous rice seafood shaomai, with no clear winner in terms of taste; he enjoyed both.


    After his stroll, it was time to continue cultivating.


    ...


    Stay tuned to My Virtual Library Empire


    In the blink of an eye, ten days had swiftly passed by.


    During these days, Chen Qiu, who had been sitting cross-legged on the bed in a guest room at an inn in Xiangyang City, turned his head towards the window and saw the dawn breaking in the sky, exhaling a long breath of turbid air.


    He had been rigorously cultivating day and night over the ten days.


    Whenever a Golden Core Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pill was credited to his account, he would absorb its medicinal essence to enhance his cultivation. When without the pills, he would refine his fine control over Divine Sense and Spiritual Energy.


    Finally,


    Until this morning, he had successfully broken through to the eighth level of Golden Core!


    "The speed seems to be much faster than I anticipated,"


    Chen Qiu looked at the cultivation progress panel within his Dantian, pondering. He had been worried whether he would be able to break through to Golden Core Peak Great Perfection before the opening of the Heavenly Pride Path in a year''s time.


    He didn''t want to be beaten up for having a low cultivation level when the time came.


    Unexpectedly, in less than a month, he had already reached the eighth level of Golden Core.


    With this progress, what he should be considering now was not whether he could reach Golden Core Peak Great Perfection before the opening of the Heavenly Pride Path but whether he might directly breakthrough to Nascent Soul before it began.


    That would render him unable to participate, as the Heavenly Pride Path was only open to cultivators with a Nascent Soul cultivation level or below.


    "That seems a bit unfair,"


    He shook his head. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Golden Core heavenly prides were still heavenly prides; wasn''t he still one if he became a Nascent Soul heavenly pride?


    It''s illogical.


    Not dwelling on it further, he introspected the panel shrouded in mist within himself.


    -


    "Cultivation has surged, officially stepping into the eighth level of Golden Core."


    "Please choose one of the three random entries below within ten breaths."


    1:


    "Entry name": Burning with Jealousy.


    "Entry level": Green.


    "Entry effect": The attacks you inflict on cultivators with a Taoist couple will receive a slight damage bonus.


    2:


    "Entry name": Life Spirit Conversion.


    "Entry level": Yellow.


    "Entry effect": When your Spiritual Energy is depleted, you can use your lifespan to cast spells in place of Spiritual Energy.


    3:


    "Entry name": Adding Fuel to the Fire.


    "Entry level": Yellow.


    "Entry effect": Your Ice Magic spells will receive an enhancement.


    -


    "..."


    Chen Qiu''s expression was somewhat speechless. He couldn''t believe that with his Golden Core eighth level cultivation, he could still randomly encounter a green entry, a common find for Foundation Establishment cultivators. Had he not looked at the almanac today? He felt his luck was a bit off.


    Before choosing an entry in the future, he''d better check the almanac first.


    The first two entries were of no use, so there was no need to consider them. Just pick the last entry.


    Forget it.


    Just as he was about to continue his cultivation, he suddenly heard a commotion from within the small world; it was the shopkeeper calling for him.


    Although somewhat puzzled, he still moved his thoughts and appeared within Chao Tian Sect.


    ...


    Chao Tian Sect, outside the disciple dormitory.


    Chen Qiu looked at the middle-aged shopkeeper whose face was so pale it was frightening, with horrifying red blood vessels filling his eyes, and couldn''t help but shake his head resignedly while passing over a few Healing Pills, "Shopkeeper, there was no need for such haste, take it slowly."


    "Didn''t I say it was okay if it took three to five years to open the storage ring?"


    "I''m kind of worried you might drop dead suddenly."


    This man was now his precious asset; many storage ring prohibitions couldn''t be broken by others but this man could manage.


    Where others failed to break the prohibitions, this man could; where others succeeded, this man was even faster.


    "I''ve broken through!"


    Although the middle-aged shopkeeper''s complexion was extremely pale, his eyes revealed a terrifying excitement, "I had an epiphany last night, suddenly had an epiphany, ha ha ha ha ha, Young Master, quick, take a look!"


    "Oh?"


    Chen Qiu''s eyes showed a hint of surprise. It was a task they said would take three to five years, yet after just more than a dozen days, it had been broken through?

 Chapter 143 His name is Chen Qiu, and he traveled through time not long ago._2

    This storage ring was something he picked up from Little Wolf''s mouth.


    It was also his first encounter with such a complexly sealed storage ring.


    He was really curious about what was inside at that moment.


    Enjoy exclusive content from My Virtual Library Empire


    "Let me see."


    He took over the storage ring, and his Divine Sense immediately delved inside, while the middle-aged shopkeeper, knowing his place, returned to the disciple dormitory again.


    The storage ring was essentially empty, containing only a brocade bag.


    Inside the brocade bag was just a piece of paper and a small fruit. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The brocade bag had no restrictions; he pulled out a faded piece of paper with several lines of poorly handwritten characters on it.


    "My name is Chen Qiu. If you are reading this, it means I am already dead."


    "...Okay then."


    Chen Qiu stood silently in place, feeling as if he had seen a ghost, and continued reading.


    "Nine is the ultimate number."


    "I failed nine times, the last time, I went to a temple to ask the gods if I could succeed on my tenth attempt."


    "I tossed the Holy Grail nine times, and the gods denied me nine times."


    "I destroyed all the temples in Da Xia."


    "If I believe in him, he is a deity."


    "If I do not believe in him, he is just a clay statue."


    "One last time, try one last time."


    "I left all my foundations for the last time, ordered by the Sect Master of Chao Tian Sect, in the small world, the Seven-colored entry Step by Step, the only entry Dantian Expansion, twelve-grade Golden Core, the Five Great Demon Lotus, countless merits... etc."


    "They say that nine is the ultimate number, beyond nine, there is bound to be failure."


    "I, do not believe."


    "..."


    "This time is also the last, there''s no time anymore, no chance to start from scratch again."


    "If I fail again this time, then it might... really be over."


    "Just a bit unwilling."


    "..."


    "..."


    Chen Qiu sat on the steps in front of the disciple dormitory, silently not speaking for a long time, and after a while, he looked up toward the two Demon Lotuses half-floating in the air of Chao Tian Sect, his expression calm as he gently rubbed the faded piece of paper in his hand.


    There was a lot of information recorded on this faded piece of paper, so much so that he was somewhat unable to understand it all at once.


    ...


    His name was Chen Qiu, and he had recently traveled through time.


    Today was the thirty-first day since his arrival, and after laboriously chopping wood for thirty days, he had finally saved more than two thousand coins in his pocket, allowing him to rent a small house in this unfamiliar city.


    Chopping wood was really tiring.


    Fortunately, he had learned how to chop people.


    He had just traveled through time, and at this time, there was no Da Xia, and the version of Heavenly Dao had not yet updated to the Da Xia version. It was still the era of sects, clans, and cities standing together. He had randomly obtained a White entry at the start.


    He cultivated up to the third level of Foundation Establishment and, by chance, obtained the entry "Start from Scratch" during a venture into a Heavenly Dao Secret Realm.


    This entry allowed him to lose all memories, entries, cultivation, etc., and return to the time and place of his birth, start from scratch, and even have his lifespan and bone age reset, as well as recover all injuries and hidden injuries on his body.


    In a Heavenly Dao Secret Realm.


    Surrounded by thieves and gravely injured, he activated this entry, transforming into a beam of white light and returning to the place where he first arrived in this world, which was Fufeng City.


    ...


    His name was Chen Qiu, and he had recently traveled through time.


    He had already reincarnated once; this was his second reincarnation, but he did not know that. Just like before, he picked up an axe and energetically headed to the outskirts of Fufeng City.


    He chopped wood for twenty-nine days.


    On the thirtieth day, he chopped a person.


    He had earned enough to buy a potion. This lifetime, he had randomly obtained the White entry "Bull Strength," a completely useless White entry, but he did not mind or despair.


    It was a tough climb upwards, and in this lifetime, it was his worst.


    It took him three whole years to reach the Foundation Establishment Stage, becoming an array repairer in the marketplace, making Array Plates daily, and occasionally taking Array Plates to the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm to ambush others.


    While at the seventh level of Foundation Establishment, the marketplace was destroyed by a Golden Core, and as he was about to die, he looked into the eyes of that Golden Core without much hatred, just feeling a bit unwilling; if he too were a Golden Core, who could have killed him?


    Just before dying.


    He discovered that somehow, the entry "Start from Scratch" had appeared on his Tao Foundation¡ªsomething he still didn''t know, that once chosen, this entry, regardless of how many times you reincarnate, would follow you and appear nine times, giving you nine chances to reincarnate.


    A flash of white light.


    Before the Golden Core slaughtered the entire marketplace, he once again returned to Fufeng City, and by then, it had been decades since his first life, with no one caring about a Loose Cultivator who died in a Secret Realm or an array repairer of the Foundation Establishment who died in the marketplace.


    ...


    His name was Chen Qiu, and he had recently traveled through time.


    This was his third life, but he still did not know it; he just felt that he had just traveled through time.


    With great enthusiasm, he chopped wood for twenty-nine days and on the thirtieth day, he chopped a person again.


    Once more, he had earned enough for a potion of awakening.


    This life, his Initial Entry was the White entry "Surrounded," and in this life, it took him fifty years to finally reach the Golden Core Path, only to learn that in Da Xia, it was impossible to cultivate to the Nascent Soul.


    He was unwilling.


    After reaching the second level of Golden Core, unable to advance his cultivation further, he died of old age.


    Just before death, the entry "Start from Scratch" mysteriously appeared on his Tao Foundation again, and in a trance, turn into a beam of white light and disappear, once again returning to Fufeng City.


    ...


    ...


    His name was Chen Qiu, and he had recently traveled through time.


    This was his sixth life; this lifetime, he had already discovered the truth about Da Xia Country, but even though this lifetime he was a peak Great Perfection body cultivator of Golden Core, he also knew, with his power, he could not break out of this cage.

 Chapter 143 His Name is Chen Qiu, He Time-Traveled Not Long Ago._3

    After he had advanced to the Great Perfection Cultivation at the Golden Core Peak, he found a heavenly treasure known as the "Ling Fruit," which restored all his memories from his past life, revealing his experiences from his previous lives and his own goals.


    In this life, he found the ruins of the Chao Tian Sect.


    However, he did not assume the position of Sect Master of the Chao Tian Sect, knowing that he had reached his limit in this life. He decided to leave his opportunities for the next life, and before his life ran out, the term "start from scratch" emerged again in his Golden Core.


    He left all the opportunities he encountered in this life for his seventh incarnation.


    At that time, Xia Country had just been established. He supported the Xia family to ascend to the throne, and he allowed the one seated on the throne to possess numerous Heavenly Dao Terms with no negative effects, thus ensuring the Royal Family''s foundation was solid.


    And he commanded them to safeguard Xia.


    By then, he was known as the Emperor''s Tutor.


    ...


    His name was Chen Qiu, and he had transmigrated not long ago.


    This was his eighth life.


    He reappeared in Fufeng City but was captured before he could even begin chopping wood and was sold as a slave to a small village in the Hundred Countries.


    After spending a year as a slave and a year grinding his sword skills.


    He escaped. His Initial Entry was "Sword Heart Clarity." in this life, he became the number one Sword Cultivator in the world. Cloaked in white, he killed until people dared not speak loudly; while at the sixth level of Golden Core cultivation, he challenged the Nascent Soul cultivation level puppet again.


    Defeated, he retreated heavily wounded.


    He knew that Sword Cultivators couldn''t break the Da Xia prison, Chao Tian Sect being the absolute Sword Cultivation sect, the puppets they created were also purely Sword Cultivation puppets, too adept at combating Sword Cultivators.


    Sword Cultivators could not fight beyond their level.


    Body Cultivation was also ineffective; the murderous Sword Qi of the resentful spirit Sword Cultivation puppet made it impossible for Body Cultivators to get close.


    It had to be a Magic Practitioner, one who could avoid the Sword Qi from a distance and deal substantial damage to the puppet.


    Also needed was a sufficiently powerful Sword Cultivator to decapitate the puppet, as the Nascent Soul level puppet was equipped with a Sword Array that could only be slain by a Sword Cultivator.


    In this life.


    After standing silently at the Sword Cultivation Inheritance Fifth Level in the Boundless Ice Field for a long time, he eventually chose to give up under the puzzled gaze of the Guardian.


    He was already strong enough; the Sword Cultivation inheritance increased his strength only marginally, but even with it, the Nascent Soul puppet was insurmountable. He decided to leave this inheritance for his future-selected Sword Cultivation prodigy, so that they could get stronger using it.


    In this life¡ª


    He breezed through countless Secret Realms and learned the method to form a twelfth-grade Golden Core, lost for tens of thousands of years.


    He left these things, including the numerous merits brought by the twelfth-grade Golden Core and an exceptionally suitable term for Magic Practitioners, "Dantian Expansion (Unique)," all for his ninth life.


    And at the sixth level of the Golden Core, he chose to give up, knowing he had taken the wrong path. Even if his Cultivation was raised to the peak of the Golden Core, he could still not break the prison, and time was short. He decided to leave enough time for his ninth life.


    Your next read awaits at My Virtual Library Empire


    Ninth life.


    Start from scratch.


    Only the strongest Magic Practitioner and a sufficiently strong Sword Cultivator could break the massive prison of Da Xia. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ...


    His name was Chen Qiu, and he had transmigrated not long ago.


    This was his ninth life.


    But in this life, he did not go chop wood.


    Upon waking up, he was immediately presented with copious documents left by his previous lives, and with all this information, he understood the events of his prior eight lives. In this life, his Initial Entry was "Nonsense."


    By deceiving others, he could gain Cultivation Progress. He did not receive any terms suitable for a Magic Practitioner.


    In this life, he became the State Preceptor.


    A century passed.


    He had once tried to lay down a massive heavenly array across Xia, using official paths as channels, people''s faith as the guide, and the nation''s fate as the base to exterminate those several Nascent Soul puppets, but ended in failure.


    Time was running out; there was no time to attempt it again.


    He placed all his hopes on his tenth life.


    He found the "Seven-colored Step by Step" Jade Scroll. If crushed at the moment of his death, the Initial Entry for the next life would definitely be Step by Step.


    He began to painstakingly lay the groundwork for his tenth and final life.


    He transformed the "Chao Tian Sect ruins" discovered in his sixth life into the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm using the term "Acting on behalf of Heaven" and set it near the Wen Tian market.


    Time was running out.


    He timed its opening for thirty days after his tenth life had awakened, because he knew, barring any accidents, that he had to first chop wood for 29 days; he knew this schedule was tight but there was not enough time.


    This time, he did not plan to leave extensive documents detailing the events of his previous lives as had been done in his eighth life, because he realized that it might actually disturb his mental state and lead to many mistakes.


    He believed his tenth life could break through the final barrier, seize the position of Sect Master of the Chao Tian Sect, and take over this small world.


    He again used the term "Acting on behalf of Heaven" to set up a "Kill" type Heavenly Dao Secret Realm, the Small World of Beans and Peas, in Fufeng City, 30 days after his tenth life awoke. He knew that with his personality, as long as there was a Heavenly Dao Secret Realm, he would definitely go.


    He bet that he could survive it,


    and used it as his first pot of gold.


    To ensure that his tenth life faced no unforeseen events and could smoothly embark on the path of ascension from Fufeng City rather than being captured and sold as a slave to the Hundred Countries like in his eighth life, during his life as the ninth State Preceptor, he eradicated all the human trafficking gangs.


    And he ruthlessly suppressed the Hundred Countries, especially those close to Fufeng City.


    So that the petty criminals and the Northern Desert Demon Clan would not dare approach Da Xia Xuzhou.


    Not for any other reason,


    but to ensure his tenth life could follow the path he had laid out without any problems.

 Chapter 143 His Name is Chen Qiu, He Time-Traveled Not Long Ago._4

    Almost there... Almost there...


    Only one Sword Cultivator is lacking to deal the final blow to the Puppet, and in this life, the Ninth National Master chose Bai Yi, his fervent fan and the follower who even named himself after him.


    A very talented young Sword Cultivator.


    And he also has a Bloodline Entry.


    It''s just that his foundation is a bit weak; to become the strongest Sword Cultivator, one cannot do without fortuitous encounters.


    He also arranged some fortuitous encounters for this youngster named Bai Yi.


    The Sword Cultivator inheritance that the Eighth National Master did not want is as good as his.


    But...


    To pass the Sword Cultivator inheritance, one cannot do without experiencing great rises and falls.


    He planted a hook in the heart of the Heavenly Dao''s foremost beauty Ji Renjian, causing her subconscious to believe that the man she loved was not Ji Taiping but the one who silently protected her all the way, even though Ji Renjian mistook that person for Ji Taiping.


    He influenced Bai Yi''s mind, ensuring Bai Yi would escort Ji Renjian all the way; otherwise, with that kid''s temperament, he would never have done such a thing.


    And at the last moment, he made Bai Yi realize that his will had been influenced, leading him to withdraw and leave.


    That would be enough.


    Then, he ordered the Capital City Zhang Family to hunt down Bai Yi, leaving him crippled and with drastically reduced Cultivation, before banishing him to the Ask-the-Sky Market, patiently awaiting the arrival of his tenth incarnation.


    Bai Yi''s Bloodline Entry could serve as an excellent method of expedited travel for his tenth life and also provide the final blow when shattering the Nascent Soul Puppet later on.


    As long as Bai Yi obtains the Sword Cultivator inheritance.


    And after breaking through to the Golden Core, he acquires the opportunity with Ji Renjian, which he had arranged for Bai Yi long ago, allowing Bai Yi''s power to surge. Similarly, he had already prepared for Bai Yi the whetstone in the form of Ji Taiping, to smoothly enter the Human Sword Unity realm.


    But... it''s still not enough.


    He prepared five Demon Lotuses for his tenth life, the same ones unearthed from the Chao Tian Sect heritage, but they are all just seedlings that must be placed in a specific environment to grow to maturity.


    Four are hidden in the Forbidden Land, one within the body of a woman¡ªthe Demon Clan Saintess, the true Demon Clan Saintess.


    Captured before the Chao Tian Sect voluntarily imprisoned itself thousands of years ago, she lay frozen deep behind the mountains of the Chao Tian Sect.


    He excavated her and altered all her memories.


    The body of the Demon Clan Saintess is the optimal soil for growing the "Eight-petal Demon Lotus."


    The condition is...


    The condition is that it needs to ferment slowly in an extremely desperate state of mind, but one cannot be desperate all the time. A sliver of minor redemption is required; otherwise, the Saintess and the Eight-petal Demon Lotus would self-destruct together. Once enough time has passed to ferment, when that thread of salvation is extinguished, along with the fall of the Witch, the Eight-petal Demon Lotus will be fully matured.


    Thus, he once again influenced the mind of this little girl, pushing her to become the Flower Offering Sect''s Walking Heavenly Girl.


    It''s just that he no longer had time to find someone to give that sliver of redemption to the Walking Heavenly Girl.


    He left the task to his trusted followers who remained in the palace.


    He left behind a brocade bag.


    If everything went according to plan, the Eight-petal Demon Lotus would have been ready to mature sufficiently by the end of the "Heavenly Pride Leaderboard." At that time, just destroy that thread of redemption, and the Eight-petal Demon Lotus will immediately reach full maturity!


    Still not enough... Still not enough...


    ...


    "...How interesting." S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chen Qiu looked at the fruit core in his hand, savoring the taste of the "Ling Fruit" he had just devoured. Not bad, a mix of sour and sweet. Beneath this Ling Fruit tree, he had restored all the memories of his previous lives.


    Within his once-clear pupils, a trace of world-weariness slowly emerged.


    He stood up from the small world and sat at the summit of the highest peak within Pingzhou, gazing absently at the horizon. He plucked a foxtail and put it in his mouth, slowly chewing without speaking.


    A thousand years ago, it was his first transmigration.


    Reborn through nine lives, his sole goal was to break out of this Da Xia prison to see the outside world.


    He had once, as a Loose Cultivator, knelt before a Golden Core cultivator begging for his life.


    He had also dressed in Bai Yi, holding a blue sword, killing until no one in the world dared to speak loudly.


    Even as the State Preceptor sitting in the palace, he schemed against all under heaven and laid out plans for ten lifetimes.


    All these were him, traces he left behind, still recorded in unofficial histories, sometimes even brought up by storytellers.


    After memory restoration.


    He also clearly understood that the opportunities he gained in this life were all arranged by his actions as the Ninth National Master. Now, it seemed that his plans back then had not all succeeded.


    Many plans had failed.


    For instance, the most important three opportunities were "Seven-colored entry Step by Step," "Caotian Sect small world," and "Dantian Expansion (unique)," all of which he had obtained successfully, and many subsequent opportunities were based on these three.


    But... Thunder Summoning Technique, Self-Destruction Term, Ten Layers of Spellcasting, these methods that would substantially enhance his combat power, were unexpected gains.


    There were many more surprises.


    For example, the method for achieving the Twelve-Grade Golden Core was actually left in the secret chamber of the Huang Family in Fufeng City. All he had to do was follow the plan to exterminate the Huang Family, and he could obtain it, but... At that time, he simply had no time to deal with the Huang Family.


    Instead, he obtained the methods for refining Golden Cores from the First to Tenth Grades from Old Man Cao, and by sheer luck, he still managed to refine a Twelve-Grade Golden Core.


    And for example, to form a Twelve-Grade Golden Core, one needs nine Second-Grade Golden Cores.


    He had already prepared this for himself as well.


    He specially selected the weakest Artifact Cultivators in Feizhou and supported them to become Second-Grade Golden Core Great Powers. As Artifact Cultivators, even with Second-Grade Golden Cores, their combat power would be weaker compared to Sword Cultivators, Body Cultivators, and other combat-focused Cultivators.


    Ning Taiping was one of the pawns used to instigate the unrest in Feizhou; this father and son were naturally dull-witted, and by leveraging their provocation, he spurred the Artifact Cultivator conflict, thereby allowing him to quickly gather a large number of Second-Grade Golden Cores. Explore more stories at My Virtual Library Empire

 Chapter 143 His Name is Chen Qiu, He Time-Traveled Not Long Ago._5

    As a result, Chen Qiu was able to attain the twelve-grade Golden Core before the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard began.


    It was actually quite obvious.


    This Artifact Cultivator chess piece was named Ning Taiping.


    The sword cultivator chess piece from the Capital was called Ji Taiping.


    Both of their names contained Taiping.


    But...


    Heavenly plans are no match for human ingenuity; for some unknown reason, those Artifact Cultivators with second-grade Golden Cores didn''t come looking for trouble with Chen Qiu at all, which meant that he didn''t get to acquire a large number of second-grade Golden Cores in Fei City as he had originally planned.


    Instead, he obtained a large number of second-grade Golden Cores in an "adventure secret realm" that wasn''t part of the plan at all, and he also obtained a heavenly treasure like the Seven-Colored Fishing Pole.


    His plan was to...


    Support the "Capital''s Qu Clan" by having the Qu family acquire a large number of heavenly and earthly treasures related to Magic Practitioners, and then go back to retrieve them later.


    However, the plan clearly went astray; in other words, aside from the beginning where it went as planned, everything after that went off course. Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    Take, for example, the Chao Tian Sect''s Ancient Forbidden Land beneath the Boundless Icefield¡ªits treasures had already been taken by him in his ninth life, and during that life, he adopted a little pet, which was Little Wolf.


    Because he couldn''t bear the thought of Little Wolf being buried with him...


    He left it behind, waiting for his tenth life to claim it.


    As for the fox oil in that Ancient Forbidden Land, it was "Little Wolf" who regularly added it at fixed intervals. There was nothing special about it; Little Wolf was simply afraid of the dark.


    The reason why the poisonous gases in the Ancient Forbidden Land had no effect on Little Wolf is simply because they were made up of the farts that Little Wolf had let out over the past three years. They could not dissipate and continued to accumulate in the Ancient Forbidden Land, gradually forming a poisonous fog.


    In his ninth life, he frequently punished Little Wolf for its stinky farts, which is also why Little Wolf was cowering in fear in the corner the instant it saw him.


    It looked like it knew it had done something wrong and was afraid of being beaten.


    And the secret chamber behind the wall of the Ancient Ruins was also a place where he used to retreat; he had lived there for a while in his ninth life, and during that time, Little Wolf stayed with him there.


    In theory¡ª


    The Chao Tian Sect Ancient Ruins were not supposed to be opened so soon; according to the plan, it would take another three months before it opened, at which time the full truth would be revealed to him, but the issue was that he had instructed Liu Zide to massively purchase Evil Wood in Fei City.


    Due to the lack of Evil Wood to suppress them, the resentful spirits beneath Fei City became increasingly restless.


    And the Ancient Ruins of the Chao Tian Sect were directly connected to the earth''s depths through numerous resentful spirits beneath Fei City. With the resentful spirits'' constant battering of the tunnel walls, the opening time of the Chao Tian Sect''s Ancient Ruins was advanced by three months.


    At that time, his main strategic consideration was that the world was on the brink of chaos, and with every update of the Heavenly Dao, countless secret realms and opportunities would arise. With opportunities like the Step by Step and Seven-colored term and the sole expansion of Spiritual Energy prearranged, he was poised to seize the greatest fruits among those opportunities.


    Many were accidents.


    For example, "Three Nascent Soul bodies"!


    "..."


    With these thoughts, Chen Qiu couldn''t help but twitch the corners of his mouth; he had gained his body through Magic Practitioner heritage, the Heavenly Pride of the Evil Clan through Evil Cultivation heritage, and the scholar through Sword Cultivator heritage, thus obtaining three Nascent Soul bodies.


    But in reality¡ª


    The path he had arranged for himself was not like this at all!


    The scholar''s case was fine, but the third Nascent Soul body he had arranged for himself was supposed to be from "Alchemy Cultivator heritage"!!!


    He still remembered his first time in Fei City when he encountered the second beauty of the Heavenly Dao.


    She was an extremely fat girl, carried on a palanquin and accompanied by loud gongs and drums as she paraded through the streets.


    At the time, Fat Long even joked about bringing home such a girl and cohabitating for three years, yet she remained a virgin.


    Afterwards, he didn''t have much contact with this girl.


    But in reality, buried within this girl was a story he had arranged at the time; with just a little probing, one would discover she had always loved an Alchemy Cultivator. This Alchemy Cultivator had low Cultivation and was particularly timid, and although he adored the plump girl, he never dared to reveal his affection.


    Similarly, the girl always loved that Alchemy Cultivator, and because she was self-conscious about her figure, she did not dare to express her feelings.


    Thus, she could only paraded through the streets every day with gongs and drums as a pretext, so she could secretly catch a glimpse of the man she loved.


    This Alchemy Cultivator was actually a genius of Alchemy Cultivation that he had discovered back then, and, with the boost of the second beauty of the Heavenly Dao, he could have easily overcome the Alchemy Cultivator heritage!


    That was the third Nascent Soul body he had prepared for himself.


    But...


    He never even ventured in that direction.


    Instead, through a bizarre stroke of luck, the Heavenly Pride of the Evil Clan overcame the Evil Cultivation heritage, delivering the third Nascent Soul body into his hands, along with a "Heavenly Pride Order," something completely outside of his plans. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ...


    It''s a mess, all a mess!!!


    Sitting atop the mountain, Chen Qiu couldn''t help but sigh in frustration; the plan he had so confidently constructed was half wrong, but the results turned out well.


    It was as if he had written down the wrong process for a test but ended up getting all the answers right.

 Chapter 144

    And it wasn''t just a matter of being correct.


    His progress now had far exceeded his own expectations for the tenth life.


    "However, this time it has finally succeeded," he said.


    After a while. Explore stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    Sitting atop the mountain, Chen Qiu gazed into the distance at the horizon and suddenly let out a light chuckle.


    Although there had been some errors in the process, the outcome was favorable. The world conflict was going to descend in half a year. This version of the Heavenly Dao was a major update; it was not only going to affect the Da Xia Country, which was like a prison, but also the entire Xuantian Continent.


    And this version.


    Would come with endless slaughter and countless opportunities.


    The entry "Abandoning power to rebuild" can only be used to reincarnate nine times, and he had finally succeeded on his tenth attempt. With his current strength and means, as long as he broke through to the peak of Great Perfection of Golden Core.


    And waited for the scholar to break through to the Golden Core.


    Smashing the Nascent Soul Sword Cultivation Puppet would be no problem. This would allow him to carve a small hole in the Da Xia prison, and Chen Qiu would officially set foot on the Xuantian Continent. At the same time, there were still many secret treasures within the Xuantian Continent.


    Like the Boundless Snow Mountain, which he could return to and claim once his Cultivation was higher.


    The Da Xia prison would not completely break apart; it would simply have a small hole carved out that would allow him passage. Da Xia would still not officially border the Xuantian Continent. To fully border the Xuantian Continent, it would be necessary to destroy the Four Forbidden Lands, something that could not be done with mere Nascent Soul cultivation.


    This also meant.


    Da Xia could serve as a safe house for him; if he encountered danger outside, he could still hide inside.


    After a while, Chen Qiu finally slowly stood up, patting off the dust that had settled on his clothes. Now that his memories had been restored, it was time to claim many opportunities left to him in advance and then prepare to leave the Da Xia prison.


    ...


    Inside the Capital.


    Following behind Chen Qiu, Fat Long looked around curiously and asked in confusion, "Brother Qiu, why did we suddenly come to the Capital?"


    Chen Qiu chuckled softly without speaking, simply striding forward with the Heavenly Mechanism Umbrella in hand.


    "Brother Qiu, we can''t go any further; up ahead is the Da Xia Palace," Fat Long said seriously as he looked toward the Imperial Palace Guards that had begun to surround them.


    Not far away.


    At dusk.


    The stately and solemn palace stood like a frozen historical scroll, silently recounting the dignity and majesty of royal power.


    Merely standing here and observing was enough to be overwhelmed by the imposing architecture.


    Every brick and tile bore the weight and solidity of Da Xia''s centuries of history.


    Under the cornices of the palace, finely carved dragon and phoenix patterns were distinct in the twilight, demanding a hushed respect.


    Each gate of the palace was tightly closed as if guarding the royal family''s secrets and dignity.


    The hundreds of cold-faced Imperial Guards clad in armor, weapons in hand, were slowly encircling them, clearly considering them undesirable visitors. If anything suspicious was discovered upon inspection, they would execute them on the spot without needing to report back.


    The next moment¡ª


    "Boom!!!"


    The power of Chen Qiu''s eighth level Golden Core Cultivation surged out, unhidden, as his profound Divine Sense instantly enveloped the entire Capital. Such arrogance within the Capital''s borders was practically like having the words ''rebellion'' engraved on his forehead. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Audacious!"


    Along with several furious roars, two elders at the peak of Great Perfection Cultivation with even stronger power erupted from inside the palace, crashing heavily onto the blue bricks near Chen Qiu, glaring at him and shouting, "Who is this scoundrel daring to run wild in the Capital!"


    "Badass."


    Previously clueless about what was happening, Fat Long instantly understood; he expressionlessly pulled out a Yellow Robe from within his bosom and draped it over Chen Qiu''s shoulders, saying, "Brother Qiu, it''s getting cold. Let me add a layer for you."


    "I wondered why we suddenly came to the Capital, turns out Brother Qiu intends to claim the throne," Fat Long said.


    "You should have said so earlier."


    "..."


    Meanwhile, the scholar standing behind them twitched his mouth slightly, bracing himself as he looked towards the two powerhouses at the peak of Great Perfection Cultivation, pondering whether his full force could break through their defense.


    If he had known they were coming for a fight, he would have replenished his Spiritual Energy in advance.


    ...


    Chen Qiu gave these two Great Perfection Cultivation elders a casual glance without a word. With Spiritual Energy continuously surging within him, dark clouds instantly blanketed the entire Capital, and the storm came to an abrupt halt.


    Tens of thousands of Thunder Dragons roared furiously within the thunderous clouds, carrying an immense pressure that echoed angrily through the clouds.


    Leaning on his cane, he let his clothes whip in the storm, and continued walking steadily along the cobblestone path towards the gate of the Da Xia Palace, completely ignoring the two elders at the peak of Great Perfection Cultivation.


    As he approached the palace gate.


    The doors of the palace naturally began to open slowly.


    Thereafter, he saw hundreds of palace maids and eunuchs inside, looking somewhat at a loss as they gazed upon Chen Qiu, the uninvited guest. His steps didn''t falter, and he maintained a steady pace as he walked forward.


    Only after the figure of Chen Qiu had disappeared within the palace.


    Did the two Great Perfection Cultivation elders finally breathe a sigh of relief with uneasy expressions, their foreheads unknowingly covered in sweat. Just now, Chen Qiu''s Divine Sense had locked onto both of them.


    They were unable to break free.


    Some premonition told them that if they dared to take action, they would die on the spot.


    So¡ª


    Despite being the strongest in Da Xia, they could only watch helplessly as Chen Qiu entered the Forbidden Land of the Da Xia Palace so brazenly, and they didn''t even have the courage to speak up and try to stop him.


    "He''s clearly only at the eighth level of Golden Core Cultivation; why does he give me such a strong sense of oppression?" one of the elders said with an indecisive expression as they looked at the fading figure of Chen Qiu.

 Chapter 145

    Da Xia Palace, inside the study.


    Seeing Chen Qiu deep in thought, the young man who had already taken off his cloak did not speak further. Instead, he quietly and cautiously backed out of the study, leaving the space to Chen Qiu alone, without disturbing him.


    ...


    "Xiao Liu?"


    Just as the young man stepped out of the study, Fat Long and the others who had been waiting outside couldn''t contain themselves and crowded around, especially Fat Long who, with a face full of confusion, couldn''t help but probe, "How long have you been with Brother Qiu?"


    "For a long time."


    Xiao Liu shook his head, "I know what you want to ask, but many things are not for a servant like me to answer. If Lord National Master wishes to tell you, you will naturally come to know."


    Having said that,


    Xiao Liu did not linger and withdrew, quickly disappearing from sight.


    "..."


    Fat Long looked at Xiao Liu''s departing figure with a complex expression and did not speak; since Xiao Liu had said so, he naturally would not persist in asking further, feeling only that...


    Brother Qiu seemed even more complex than he had imagined.


    If Brother Qiu was the State Preceptor.


    Did that not mean that Brother Qiu had lived for a very long time already? At least a hundred years?


    "Should I go look for Ji Renjian?" Find more chapters on My Virtual Library Empire


    At this moment, the scholar offhandedly dropped a statement.


    "Why?" Fat Long turned his head towards the scholar, puzzled.


    After a moment of silence, the scholar softly said, "When I was still the prime Sword Cultivator of Da Xia, the State Preceptor guided me all the way to escort Ji Renjian, presumably trying to match us, though I personally have no feelings for Ji Renjian."


    "But if Brother Qiu wants to betroth Ji Renjian to me, I can accept that."


    "For Brother Qiu."


    "Hmm..." After pondering for a long time, Fat Long still shook his head, "Let''s ask Brother Qiu later, see how he decides. Although Ji Renjian is indeed the first beauty under the Heavenly Dao, a peerless beauty, she is, after all¡­ already married."


    "Unless you''re into that, otherwise, I think you might feel a bit disgusted." S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "But no worries."


    "Later I''ll help you refresh yourself, it''s like returning from the whirl of the mortal world yet washed clean of vanity."


    "In ancient times there was the warm wine cutting down Hua Xiong, today there is warm pressure washing away vanity."


    "Uh..."


    Halfway through, seeing the expression on the scholar, Fat Long suddenly felt a bit awkward, "Although I know this joke isn''t very funny, you could at least react a bit, otherwise it feels quite awkward. And you don''t have to take it too seriously, based on my guess, Brother Qiu probably just wants to give you the effect of having a Heavenly Dao Beauty like Ji Renjian."


    The scholar did not speak, his expression somewhat bitter.


    Brother Qiu had shown great favor to him, and he also respected Brother Qiu, whether considering his strength or his favor, he would certainly respect Brother Qiu''s opinion. A Sword Cultivator, if he acts unrighteously and treacherously, his sword would no longer be effective at all.


    A Sword Cultivator cannot harbor doubts in his heart.


    But...


    He truly had no feelings for Ji Renjian. If Brother Qiu truly intended to force this betrothal, he really did not know what would be best.


    No wonder he suddenly felt this morning that the look in Brother Qiu''s eyes seemed familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before.


    It was similar to the expression in the State Preceptor''s eyes when he saw him years ago.


    But back then, the State Preceptor did not look like this.


    ...


    Chen Qiu sat in the study of Da Xia Palace, playing with the Illusion Stone on the corner of the desk for a while before pocketing it. This room where he had sat for many years felt familiar; he knew exactly how every mark was made.


    The sudden restoration of his past life''s memories.


    Gave him a feeling as if he was newly reborn.


    Only, the one thing he couldn''t understand was why he had no obsession with chopping wood; why was it that every time he was reborn, the first thing he had to do was chop wood? Couldn''t it be something else?


    He had chopped so much wood in Fufeng City.


    And chopped down so many people.


    Only barely managing to get to where he was today, this world was indeed tough to live in, truly difficult.


    After reflecting momentarily, Chen Qiu sighed deeply, not out of sadness, but a simple feeling that these several lifetimes had been too exhausting; he never felt tired before regaining his memories.


    But once he regained the memories,


    Knowing he had spent a thousand years trying to escape this Da Xia cage, made him feel somewhat weary; fortunately, the final outcome was positive, in the last life, he succeeded.


    Leaning on his cane, Chen Qiu slowly stood and left the study, looking towards Fat Long and the others standing at the door without speaking.


    Afterward,


    Divine Sense swiftly spread out.


    Soon, the current Emperor of Da Xia, Xia Xundao, supported by the Crown Prince and the Seventh Prince, came staggering over and immediately knelt down: "Your servant Xia Xundao, greets Lord National Master."


    "Rise."


    After a moment of silent composure, Chen Qiu softly spoke, "In a few days, I will be leaving Da Xia Country. You should know where I am headed, right?"


    "I know."


    Xia Xundao still knelt on the ground, his head bowed to the ground as he huskily said, "Xuantian Continent, Lord National Master mentioned it a long time ago."


    "Hmm."


    Chen Qiu nodded and continued, "There are a few things I need to instruct you on."


    ...


    A cup of tea later, after finishing his instructions, Chen Qiu prepared to walk past Xia Xundao towards the palace exit, but at that moment the Seventh Prince suddenly spoke up, his eyes fervently fixated on him, his voice trembling with excitement.


    "Master, may I come with you?"


    Chen Qiu stopped in his tracks and turned to look at the passionately eager Seventh Prince. He had never officially taken the Seventh Prince as a disciple, merely sharing some tales of Jian Yi and teaching him a few sword moves during his spare time, and the Seventh Prince had assumed the title of disciple himself.

 Chapter 146

    Many powerful figures with Cultivation of Golden Core Peak Great Perfection carried hope for the Xuantian Continent as they hurried toward Fei State.


    These people nearly all had one thing in common.


    They had brought all the essence they had accumulated over the years, and even emptied half of the essence of their families and sects behind them.


    They were heading to the new mountain.


    Could there be good days ahead without paying some tribute?


    There are so few chances, why should you have it and not others?


    Those who had cultivated to this level were all cunning; they did not believe that just showing their old faces would gain them any special treatment.


    ...


    At this time¡ª


    At the back mountain of Chao Tian Sect, after listening to Chen Qiu''s narrative of the entire sequence of events, Fat Long and others'' mouths slowly widened, their faces filled with shock as they stood frozen.


    It was only after a long while that Fat Long muttered, "Brother Qiu... you are too impressive."


    He could think of no adjectives anymore; his mind was completely blank.


    Chen Qiu, who stood holding the Heavenly Mechanism Umbrella atop the mountain peak, shook his head and did not elaborate much. He had omitted many things and merely narrated a bit beginning from his life as the State Preceptor, such as not telling the scholar that the Sword Cultivator whom he had always admired was also him.


    He also didn''t mention that it was he who had once ordered the Capital City Zhang Family to chase Bai Yi.


    Fat Long was also left unaware by Chen Qiu that it was he who had instructed Xiao Liu to find a proper redemption for the Travelling Heavenly Girl, choosing Fat Long who was loitering on the road, and sending her a human bone hairpin and pink reeds with a note signed with Fat Long''s name.


    Some things didn''t need to be mentioned.


    Telling them could easily affect relationships.


    Previously, in order to break through Da Xia''s confines, he often acted result-oriented. As long as the result was correct, he did not care about the process.


    Following his instructions, Fat Long and others then descended the mountain to arrange for the artisans.


    He sat alone on the mountain peak.


    Looking at the ten Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills that had just arrived, he began his cultivation for the night.


    Several hours later, he looked at the Cultivation panel above his Dantian.


    -


    ¡¸Cultivation¡¹: Golden Core Stage Eighth Layer (10.7%).


    -


    At the eighth layer of Golden Core, one Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pill could still increase 1% in the Golden Core. If the speed remained the same at the ninth layer, then in one month, he could cultivate to the Golden Core Peak Great Perfection.


    At that time, he could claim every opportunity left untouched from his previous life.


    The Demon Lotus beneath the Boundless Sea and Boundless Snow Mountain were almost ready too. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then he could leave Da Xia to head for the Xuantian Continent.


    Another few hours passed.


    After stabilizing his Cultivation Realm, he and Fat Long along with others left the small world and proceeded to Fei City. By now, dawn had broken, and Fei City was extremely lively.


    Usually¡ª


    There were no strong cultivators of Golden Core Peak Great Perfection presiding over Fei City.


    There might occasionally be one passing through.


    But today!


    The Divine Sense of dozens of Golden Core Peak Great Perfection cultivators, heavy with pressure, covered everyone in Fei City, unreservedly searching until their senses reached Chen Qiu, after which they nearly instantly withdrew their Divine Sense.


    Suddenly, dozens of Liu Guang shot toward Chen Qiu, who had just reached the city gate!


    "Chao Tian Sect Disciple, Zhao Dezhu, greets Sect Master!!"


    "The most, most loyal Disciple of Chao Tian Sect, He Tianxia, greets the most mighty and domineering Sect Master of Da Xia!"


    "The most, most, most, most, most, most, most, most, most, most, most loyal Disciple of Chao Tian Sect, the uncle-master of Zhao Dezhu, Zhao Pintian, has seen the Sect Master!"


    Loud shouts of excitement and agitation resounded, the voices arriving before the individuals themselves.


    These cultivators, who usually conserved Spiritual Energy as vitally as their lives, sparingly refraining from action, were now unstintingly burning their Spiritual Energy, hastening with the greatest speed, competing with each other as they converged toward the gate of Fei City!


    As the voices followed¡ª Stay connected via My Virtual Library Empire


    You could see a dozen or so of the fastest elders already kneeling before Chen Qiu.


    Following closely behind were some slower Golden Core Peak Great Perfection elders; further back were those with lower Cultivation but faster movement technique, and behind them were those both low in Cultivation and slow in movement technique.


    In just a matter of several moments¡ª


    Chen Qiu was faced with a densely packed crowd of people kneeling before him, numbering nearly seventy or eighty.


    Cultivators of Golden Core Peak Great Perfection, rarely seen on ordinary days, were now kneeling down here like dumplings being dropped into boiling water, each looking up at Chen Qiu with fervent expressions.


    "Tsk."


    Fat Long looked at the scene before him and suddenly scratched his head, turning to smile at the scholar: "Did Chao Tian Sect suddenly gain so many disciples? If I''m not mistaken, am I not the Great Elder?"


    "Hmm."


    The scholar slightly smiled, coughed lightly, and held one hand behind his back, trying to appear as sultry as possible: "Yes, Great Elder, I should also be the Second Elder of Chao Tian Sect."


    Then, the two exchanged glances, seeing the anticipation in each other''s eyes.


    Previously, their elder titles were purely nominal, but starting from today, these were no longer mere titles but genuine positions of authority!


    "Hmm."


    Chen Qiu nodded slightly, looking over the crowd before him, his expression calm as he softly said, "Chao Tian Sect does not accept just anyone. Step forward one by one, those selected stand to the left, the rejected go to the right."


    "As you join the sect, clearly state your Cultivation, your specialties, and why you think you can join Chao Tian Sect, giving me a reason to accept you."


    Although his voice was not loud, it clearly rang in everyone''s ears.


    Soon¡ª


    Those seventy or eighty individuals lined up in a long queue.


    The elderly man at the very front, his voice trembling with worry and excitement, said: "Sect Master Chen, this disciple has a Cultivation of Golden Core Peak Great Perfection and is a Sword Cultivator specializing in offense. Just let me join the sect, and I will be the most powerful blade in the Sect Master''s hands!"

 Chapter 147

    Chao Tian Sect, on the back mountain.


    Chen Qiu had already arranged a series of matters, including the disciple tokens, and with a small world as the foundation, and this batch of Nascent Souls as disciples of the Chao Tian Sect, he did not believe anyone could easily manipulate him.


    Not to mention other things.


    He was confident that even on the Heavenly Continent, Nascent Souls were not common.


    The reason was simple; how many Golden Core Peak Great Perfections were there when the Evil Clan invaded? That was a whole race, a genuine race. If a race had just those few Golden Core Peak Great Perfections, how many Nascent Souls could there be?


    Da Xia might not have any Nascent Souls, but there were quite a few in Da Xia stuck at the Golden Core Peak Great Perfection Cultivation. If this group went out, at least half could achieve Nascent Soul, right?


    Twenty or thirty Nascent Souls, that was enough to scare people.


    After settling these matters, he then left the secret realm with Fat Long and others. It was almost time; the Heavenly Dao Beauty who paraded daily in Fei City should be appearing soon.


    He was going to facilitate a marriage and incidentally collect the Alchemy Cultivator inheritance as well.


    Your adventure continues at My Virtual Library Empire


    ...


    Inside Fei City.


    Chen Qiu and Fat Long, along with a few others, wore cloaks and walked down the road, a mesh veil covering their faces. They now had a somewhat notorious reputation in Da Xia. If they didn''t wear their cloaks, the road in front of them would be instantly blocked by the incoming crowd.


    But just then¡ª


    "Hmm?"


    Chen Qiu suddenly raised his eyebrows and looked towards an old fortune-teller sitting in an alley, next to whom stood a flag embroidered with two lines of text.


    "Fate I dare not predict fully, for fear of heaven and earth, ghosts and gods."


    "Words I cannot speak clearly, lest it throws the world into chaos."


    He immediately walked into the alley and squatted beside the elder, saying with a light chuckle, "Old Man Cao, long time no see."


    His ties with Old Man Cao were not shallow. Before he recovered his memories, he even suspected Old Man Cao was the mastermind State Preceptor; of course, after regaining his memory, he knew he had wronged Old Man Cao.


    "You lad..."


    Sitting on the ground, Old Man Cao looked at Chen Qiu somewhat resentfully, "You have deceived everyone under heaven. Back in the day, when you were the State Preceptor, your authority was overwhelming. As long as you stayed in that position, the whole world was yours; if you said ''one,'' no one dared say ''two.''"


    "You could really let go of that overwhelming authority?"


    "Live again, start from scratch."


    "Aren''t you worried that in this life, you could die halfway through, or struggle for a lifetime and still not achieve as much as in your previous life?"


    Chen Qiu chuckled lightly, sitting cross-legged in front of Old Man Cao, and after filling half a cup of tea for both himself and Old Man Cao, said smilingly, "Can Da Xia Country''s authority even be called authority?"


    "If a lion, imprisoned in a forest, scoured the entire forest and found no rival, would it claim to be unrivaled under heaven?"


    "Most people would." Old Man Cao, smelling the fragrance in the air, looked down at the ground complexly at the cup of tea: "This tea is excellent. Once you go out, keep it well guarded, lest it catches someone''s eye. Do you really want to go out that badly?"


    "Yes." Chen Qiu nodded seriously. Not only was he aware of Da Xia being a cage but many in Da Xia knew this secret, yet he was the only one willing to break this cage, even if it took a thousand years.


    He really wanted to go out and see that world for which he had spent a thousand years striving.


    "Hmm."


    Old Man Cao was silent for a long time before he finally spoke softly: "In the future, could you find an Array Repairer talent to take over my legacy? I want to go home too, it''s been many years since I''ve been home." Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Okay."


    Chen Qiu promised. "Once I find an Array Repairer talent, I will return to Da Xia immediately and take them to the Array Repairer inheritance to find you."


    "Thank you." Old Man Cao raised his cup and drained the tea in one gulp, then sighed deeply with a complex expression shaking his head: "This is really good tea, very nice, there''s a lot I can''t say."


    "Just one thing..."


    "There''s an interesting proverb in the Heavenly Continent, never turn your back on the living."


    Having said this,


    and not waiting for Chen Qiu to respond, Old Man Cao''s flag flickered slightly, and he disappeared from his spot.


    It was a brief farewell.


    Chen Qiu did not linger in the alley. By this time, the sounds of gongs and drums came from the streets; the Heavenly Dao Beauty, as usual, had come to parade, day after day, regardless of wind or snow.


    "Let''s go."


    ...


    Fei City, on the main street.


    A girl, extremely plump, was sitting in a palanquin carried by eight strong men, a smile on her face as she waved to the pedestrians on the road, a trail of a musical troupe following with gongs and drums.


    Although she was smiling, there was a trace of loneliness in the depths of her eyes.


    Just then¡ª


    A young man wielding the Heavenly Mechanism Umbrella and dressed in a black robe approached her palanquin, blocking her path


    "You are..."


    The girl in the palanquin showed a flicker of surprise in her eyes, then quickly exclaimed excitedly, "Chen Qiu, Chen Qiu, you are Chen Qiu, the strongest Talent of Magic Practitioner of Da Xia!"


    In her excitement, her layers of fat trembled violently, which intensified to such an extent that the robust men carrying the palanquin instantly turned pale.


    "..."


    Chen Qiu looked calmly at the girl in the palanquin. She was indeed an extremely obese girl, her size exaggerated to the point that she looked to weigh at least 800 pounds.


    The entire person sitting in the palanquin appeared more like a mound of fat seated there.


    This girl was the Heavenly Dao Beauty.


    He wondered if there were Heavenly Dao Beauties on the Heavenly Continent, and what would become of Da Xia Country''s Heavenly Dao Beauty if she went to the Heavenly Continent?


    He did not delay, as time was short. It was best to seize the moment.

 Chapter 147 Chen Qius Exclusive Pet, Blockers Will Die!_2

    He immediately walked up to the sedan chair, taking the girl, the chair, and the eight strong men, and tucked them all into the small world. Then, he headed to the other end of the city and did the same with the Alchemy Cultivator who would stand by the window day after day, waiting for his beloved to pass by with drums and gongs.


    ... Continue reading on My Virtual Library Empire


    In Chao Tian Sect, upon the rear mountain.


    Chen Qiu looked at the girl on the sedan chair, and at the Alchemy Cultivator with fear evident on his face, yet still bravely standing in front of the girl with a sword, who at that moment screamed at him, "Shameless debaucher, Miss Qing is the second Heavenly Dao Beauty, protected by the Heavenly Dao. Should you harbor any improper thoughts towards her, you will be struck by Heavenly Punishment!"


    "..."


    The corner of Chen Qiu''s mouth twitched slightly. This was the first time he had been called a shameless debaucher, but he then shook his head and didn''t take offense at the Alchemy Cultivator''s accusations, saying aloud,


    "You two are dragging this out, I''ll officiate your wedding."


    "You, this Miss Qing in your mouth drums and makes such a big scene daily while patrolling the city just to glance at you. The fact that she drums is to draw you out of the house, and thus she can see you. But because she considers herself too fat, she doesn''t think she is worthy of you and keeps her love hidden deep within her heart."


    "And you, Miss Qing."


    "This Alchemy Cultivator has also been secretly admiring you, but since his cultivation is weak and you have many powerful pursuers as the second Heavenly Dao Beauty, he believes he is not worthy of you. Hence, he can only secretly watch you from a distance during your street parades."


    "The two of you have been secretly cherishing each other but have always kept your feelings hidden deep within your hearts."


    "Okay, now is the time to express your feelings for each other, stop dragging this out."


    "I..."


    The sword-holding Alchemy Cultivator, hearing Chen Qiu''s words, trembled all over, his cheeks flushing to his ears, his deepest secret thus revealed, not even daring to look back.


    Until the plump girl sitting in the sedan chair also said in a low, embarrassed voice, "Brother Yuan, won''t you even turn back to look at Xiao Qing for a moment?"


    "I..."


    The body of the Alchemy Cultivator trembled as he gathered the courage to turn around and face the plump girl sitting in the sedan. Seeing the blush on her face he had never seen before, he stammered, "You do not mind that I am just a weak Loose Cultivator Alchemy Cultivator?"


    "Not at all."


    The girl shook her head, "What I want is a Taoist couple to be with me for life, not a powerful Alchemy Cultivator. Don''t you mind that I am fat?"


    "Not at all, not at all!"


    The Alchemy Cultivator wept with joy, wiping the tears from his eyes, "I like plus-sized! I liked you before you were a Heavenly Dao Beauty. You''ve always been kind and lovely, in my heart, you are the most beautiful woman in the world!"


    "Brother Yuan!" sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Xiao Qing!"


    The two gazed at each other in excitement. Seeing this, the Alchemy Cultivator immediately ran up to the sedan, climbed up the girl''s plump body to the flesh on her chest, tiptoed, looked into Xiao Qing''s excited, crimson eyes, peeled back the flesh by her mouth with his hands, and, with a face sincere and trembling from excitement, kissed her slowly.


    A kiss, a lifetime commitment.


    ...


    Standing by, Fat Long couldn''t help but remark, "How beautiful, I don''t know why, but every time I see such a heartfelt reunion where lovers become spouses, I feel this world is beautiful."


    "Perhaps it''s because there are too many partings of life and death in this world, making one yearn to see something beautiful."


    "And..."


    "It also proves that indeed, not everyone''s preferences are the same."


    Chen Qiu made no comments but patted Fat Long on the shoulder, "I''m going out for a while. Let these two stay in Chao Tian Sect. The disciple dormitory can''t accommodate them, so build a bigger one next to it."


    "You take care of their wedding, and in a few days, bring in the Star Battle Sect Master first. Let''s improve this Alchemy Cultivator''s skills a bit before he leaves; he still needs to pass on his cultivation legacy."


    "If he succeeds, he may come with the Chao Tian Sect."


    "If he does not pass, he should stay in Da Xia."


    "Understood!" Fat Long nodded vigorously, "Brother Qiu, go on, I''ve got this."


    ...


    After leaving the small world, Chen Qiu.


    Contacted Liu Zide via the Sound Transmission Ring, determined his exact location using Divine Sense, and instantly turned into a stream of light... shooting forth slowly. Not long after, he found Liu Zide outside a village.


    "How is it going?"


    Chen Qiu landed, and as Liu Zide jogged over, asked, "How did the acquisition go?"


    "Almost ninety percent of the Evil Wood in Fat Province is here."


    Liu Zide carefully took out four Storage Rings from his chest, "Three of these Storage Rings are filled with Evil Wood, about one hundred and sixty thousand sticks. We almost cleared out entire Fat Province, and you, Brother Qiu, dealt with all the resentful spirits underneath, making it very hard for Evil Wood to grow here again."


    "The remaining ones are scattered across various sects and families who don''t lack Spirit Stones and don''t bother selling them to make a small profit. Although the climate in Fat Province is warming and these aren''t much use, they don''t really care about them."


    "Hmm."


    Chen Qiu nodded in satisfaction, accepting the Storage Rings. Along with the batch that Liu Zide previously bought for him, he now had over one hundred and eighty thousand sticks of Evil Wood, his greatest asset for traveling to the Xuantian Continent.


    Although these items were of little value in Da Xia Country, it was a different story on the Xuantian Continent.


    "Moreover," Liu Zide continued, "another Storage Ring is filled with Eight Desolate Fruit, which aren''t very useful but are quite rare, making them difficult to acquire; it took a long time to collect just thirty of them."

 Chapter 147 Chen Qius Exclusive Pet, Those Who Stand in the Way, Die!_3

    "Including the ones I gave to you last time, Brother Qiu, that makes thirty-three."


    "And also¡ª"


    "Brother Qiu, you were going to leave Da Xia Country, right? I have a bestiary here, which contains some worthless treasures from all nineteen provinces of the entire Da Xia Country. I''ve collected them and recorded them in this bestiary. When you go out, if you see anything valuable outside, you can come back to fetch it."


    "You''re thoughtful."


    Chen Qiu took the Jade Scroll containing the bestiary, looked up at Liu Zide with a smile, and said, "Figured it out?"


    "Well..."


    Liu Zide nodded somewhat sheepishly; he wasn''t a fool. Brother Qiu''s wide-scale purchasing of Evil Wood must be because its value wasn''t as it seemed. Although he had previously had his suspicions, he didn''t know what specifically made it valuable.


    Lately, he had also heard rumors about Brother Qiu preparing to leave Da Xia and head to Xuantian Continent, which made his guess nearly spot-on.


    "Would you like to come with me?"


    "Me?"


    Liu Zide paused, somewhat incredulously, "Can I go too, Brother Qiu? My cultivation is only at Foundation Establishment stage."


    "Yes."


    Chen Qiu nodded, patted Liu Zide''s shoulder with a smile, and said, "You''re pretty efficient at handling affairs. I''m at ease leaving some tasks to you. It''s up to you if you want to come along. If you''re worried about your family head, you can bring him along with us."


    "I''ll pass."


    The moment the words were uttered, the Wang Family head standing beside them scratched his head somewhat embarrassingly: "Actually, I don''t like living a complicated life. Liu Steward is a clever man; he''ll be able to reach his full potential following you, Brother Qiu."


    "I want to go back to Yun City and continue living with my family."


    "Just plain and contentedly, I think that''s a good way to live."


    "Phew..." After taking a deep breath, Liu Zide really wanted to see the outside world. If he didn''t know that Da Xia was a cage, it would be one thing, but now that he knew, it was another matter entirely.


    "Then, I''ll have to rely on Sect Master Chen to look after him in the future."


    "Of course."


    Chen Qiu smiled as he took Liu Zide into the Chao Tian Sect''s small world, waved goodbye to the Wang Family head, and left. This farewell might be a lifetime''s parting; on this path, there were always those who would disembark halfway through the journey.


    Everyone has their own choices.


    Discover more stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    He respected everyone''s choices.


    ...


    Meanwhile, within Da Xia''s Xuzhou.


    Outside Fufeng City, hundreds of brown bears formed a long, dragon-like procession on all fours, passing through Fufeng City, and headed straight south across Xuzhou towards the southern regions of Da Xia!


    Although Xuzhou was near the Endless Desert ¡ª teeming with demon beasts and members of the Devil Clan ¡ª


    it had been a long time since so many Demons boldly set foot in Xuzhou. For a moment, countless travelers preparing to enter Fufeng City curiously eyed this group of Demons.


    Yet no one made a move to kill them.


    Even the City Lord of Fufeng City simply stood on the city walls, watching these Demons disappear into the distance, without the slightest intention to act. His cultivation was at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, and the highest cultivation within this group of Devil Clan members was also at that peak, but he dared not act.


    And it wasn''t for no reason.


    It was because each of these Bear Demons had a flag fluttering in the wind tied around their necks, bearing an embroidered line of text¡ª


    "Exclusive pet of Chen Qiu. Obstruct and die!"


    In Da Xia nowadays, there was no one who hadn''t heard of Chen Qiu.


    While he had not heard about Chen Qiu having so many pets, he thought it was best not to take chances; maybe these Bear Demons truly were Chen Qiu''s pets. Anyone who got in their way would face Chen Qiu''s wrath. He did not know anyone in Da Xia who could stand against Chen Qiu now.


    It crossed his mind that the flag could be fake.


    But... if it was fake, Chen Qiu himself would take action to eliminate the bluff, and he had no intention to gamble his life on whether the flag was genuine.


    ...


    "Son."


    At the front of the procession, an elderly brown bear looked towards the south with a complex expression: "Is this the revitalization plan you came up with? Are we really going to become Chen Qiu''s pets?"


    "How about we find ourselves a more flattering name?" The young brown bear beside him panted, "Something like Spirit Beast, perhaps?"


    "As your Young Clan Leader, I must have accrued some bad karma. I just can''t see a future in you all."


    "We can''t keep trading bear urine for food forever, right? These past few days, I can hardly pee anymore; I''m already squeezing it out!"


    "The best plan is for us to seek refuge with Chao Tian Sect. As long as we join Chao Tian Sect, even if we don''t talk about cultivation resources, at least we''ll be assured food, right? Plus, we brown bears have a special skill that other Devil Clans lack: we look cute. Wouldn''t it be nice to be pets in Chao Tian Sect, to be a pleasant sight for the eyes?"


    As a transmigrator,


    his journey from initially wanting to revitalize the Brown Bear Clan, to eventually giving up, and now seeking refuge with Chao Tian Sect, has been full of countless twists and turns. He had now resigned himself to his fate.


    All that talk about revitalization was just empty words.


    The moment he learned that the Star Battle Sect Master had stepped down and sought refuge with Chao Tian Sect, that idea sprang to life in his mind. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Son, the problem is, with our speed, it''ll take at least two months to reach Fei Zhou. Will Chen Qiu still be in Fei Zhou by then?"


    "That''s why we need to hurry!"


    Just then¡ª


    A Flying Boat stopped above their heads, and a giant of immense size stood on it. He jumped down and crouched to look over them and boomed, "Are you Chen Qiu''s pets? Are you heading to Fei Zhou?"

 Chapter 148 Oh, theres also a group of brown bears.

    For the following ten days, Chen Qiu went nowhere, contently practicing in a seated position atop a mountain peak behind the Chao Tian Sect in his small world. He spent nine days enhancing his Cultivation Progress, and one day consolidating his Cultivation realm.


    On the tenth day,


    at dawn,


    Chen Qiu, who was seated cross-legged on the mountain peak, exhaled a turbid breath as he gazed into the sky at the two Demon Lotuses nearby. His closed-door training had ended. The higher his realm, the slower his progress¡ªit had taken him a full 11 days to advance from the eighth to the ninth layer of the Golden Core Stage.


    His Cultivation had risen from the former eighth layer of the Golden Core Stage (10.7%).


    Now it had reached¡ª


    -


    "Cultivation": Golden Core Stage ninth layer (1.1%).


    -


    "Finally broke through to the ninth layer of the Golden Core Stage."


    Chen Qiu''s expression was distant as he gazed towards the horizon without speaking. All he needed was another dozen days or so of closed-door training to elevate his Cultivation to the peak of the Golden Core Great Perfection, and then he could set out. Of course, he would first need to conclude his strategies with the scholar and Ji Renjian.


    The reason his speed of Cultivation at the Golden Core Stage was so astonishing was mainly thanks to the daily Heavenly Dao Blessings provided by the "Heavenly Pride Leaderboard" and the Golden Core Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills. He wondered if there were similar Nascent Soul Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills available after reaching the Nascent Soul...


    Yet soon, he shook his head.


    He hadn''t achieved the Nascent Soul yet, and thinking about such things was premature. Besides, even if Nascent Soul Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills did exist, they were sure to be hard to come by, not so easily obtained.


    He then turned his attention inward to the panel enveloped by clouds above his Dantian.


    He still had one more opportunity to use a "Heavenly Dao Retrospective Talisman" during his Golden Core Stage, an opportunity that would be completely forfeited upon reaching the Nascent Soul. That meant if the three choices of entries he was presented with did not contain anything he particularly wanted, Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    he would choose the Pink Entry "Merit Saint" that he had previously discarded.


    Kill a demon beast, receive one point of merit.


    Although he felt this entry wouldn''t have much impact on him, given his 9.8 billion points of merit, it was better than nothing. If he didn''t randomly get an entry he wanted this time, then selecting "Merit Saint" wouldn''t be too bad.


    -


    "The Cultivation has greatly improved, officially stepping into the ninth layer of the Golden Core Stage."


    "Please choose from the following three random entries within ten breaths."


    1:


    "Entry Name": The Sword Flies Like Time Passing Swiftly.


    "Entry Level": Yellow.


    "Entry Effect": The faster your Flying Sword is, the greater the damage it can deal.


    2:


    "Entry Name": Supreme Movement Technique.


    "Entry Level": Yellow.


    "Entry Effect": The more Spiritual Energy your Dantian contains, the faster you become.


    3:


    "Entry Name": Undying Loyalty.


    "Entry Level": Yellow.


    "Entry Effect": If you and your Taoist couple truly love each other, then both of you will have your spell power and movement speed doubled. However, if one dies, the other will die simultaneously. Should one of you fall in love with someone else, then all three of you will self-destruct together."


    - Continue your journey on My Virtual Library Empire


    "..."


    A glint of excitement appeared in Chen Qiu''s eyes¡ªit was exactly what he had been looking for. His most significant shortcoming had always been just one thing: his movement technique, his speed!


    Even now, at the ninth layer of the Golden Core Stage, he mostly relied on the scholar for transportation.


    But now¡ª


    With the "Supreme Movement Technique" entry, this meant that his own speed would receive a significant boost, whether it was for escaping or traveling long distances.


    Moreover, the Spiritual Energy he could contain would continue to increase without limit as he killed more demon beasts, which meant his speed could also keep increasing without limit. It was a virtuous cycle like a perpetual motion machine.


    As for the first entry, "The Sword Flies Like Time Passing Swiftly", it was quite suitable for the scholar; it would be quite good if he could choose that entry for the scholar. However, the third entry, "Undying Loyalty",


    was utterly useless to him.


    He had no need for a Taoist couple.


    The reasons most people sought a Taoist couple were few: either the couple could help each other in some way, like a Heavenly Dao Beauty, or there were no genuinely heartfelt companions, and one needed a partner to enter Secret Realms together, or they had been together from humble beginnings and had grown alongside one another.


    One rarely heard of a Golden Core or Nascent Soul cultivator out looking for a Taoist couple.


    Wouldn''t that be like planting a ticking time bomb for oneself?


    You can''t always be walking around with Protective Spirit Qi, and your Taoist couple is the person by your pillow every day. What if one day, after a quarrel, while you''re asleep or in closed-door training, your Taoist couple stands behind you with a Thunder Summoning Technique, eyes flashing with malice, ready to strike you down?


    Such a death would be truly unjust.


    Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators have seen too much deceit to find a Taoist couple that they can trust completely like ordinary people. Such cultivators would either have passed on their lineage when they were young, had a prearranged marriage, or simply imprisoned a group of female cultivators inferior to them in Cultivation¡ªyet not so low that they couldn''t handle their Spiritual Energy¡ªlacking love, just to procreate.


    Female cultivators were the same.


    The most important thing is...


    The benefits are mediocre, and the costs are not small.


    Without any hesitation, Chen Qiu shook his head and chose the "Supreme Movement Technique" entry, discarding the other two entries. Only after that did he use a mid-grade Golden Core Heavenly Dao retrospection charm to select the Pink Entry "Merit Saint."


    He now possessed two Pink Entries.


    One was "Dantian Expansion (Unique)", and the other was "Merit Saint."

 Chapter 148 Oh, theres also a group of brown bears. _2

    ``` sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, simply discussing the effect, the Merit Saint doesn''t come close to the Dantian Expansion entry; even if both are pink entries, there is a world of difference between them.


    ...


    After selecting his entry, Chen Qiu didn''t end his retreat but immediately entered another one.


    He planned to cultivate until he reached the Great Perfection of the Golden Core Peak before ending his retreat.


    This time¡ª


    Thirteen days had passed.


    When those thirteen days had passed, and daylight came.


    Chen Qiu was sitting cross-legged on top of a mountain behind the Chao Tian Sect, once again letting out a long breath of turbid air, looking at the Cultivation panel above his Dantian.


    -


    "Cultivation": Golden Core Stage Nine Layers (100.00%). Enjoy new stories from My Virtual Library Empire


    -


    It wasn''t easy, his Cultivation had finally reached the Great Perfection of the Golden Core Peak. He had a feeling that as long as he used Spiritual Energy to shatter the Golden Core above his Dantian, allowing the Nascent Soul to emerge from its shell, he would have successfully certified the Dao of Nascent Soul.


    But an invisible force of heaven and earth firmly protected that Golden Core within it.


    He didn''t see the slightest hope of shattering that Golden Core.


    In Da Xia.


    It was impossible for anyone to certify the Dao of Nascent Soul, with no exceptions, unless you could shatter the force of heaven and earth, but if you could shatter the force of heaven and earth, why consider certifying the Dao of Nascent Soul? You''d have no problem kicking Mahayana Realm around or tearing apart Transcendance Tribulation Stage with your bare hands.


    This retreat lasted a total of twenty-three days.


    It was the longest retreat he had ever been in.


    ...


    Standing on the mountain top, Chen Qiu looked down at the bustling Chao Tian Sect. He even felt as if he were in a different world compared to the past when the Chao Tian Sect was full of collapsed buildings and ruins, with hardly a few roof-tops intact, surrounded by dust everywhere.


    But now...


    Most of the buildings had been repaired. Even the Sword Pavilion, shaped like a long sword with its blade thrusting into the ground and hundreds of feet high, had been fixed. The Sword Pavilion was now the tallest construction within the Chao Tian Sect.


    Piercing through the clouds.


    Other structures such as the Sect Hall had also been restored. From high above, it all looked quite majestic and grand.


    "Not bad."


    Chen Qiu chuckled lightly, Spiritual Energy surged under his feet, and he vanished from the spot.


    In the blink of an eye¡ª


    His body appeared beside Fat Long who was discussing matters with the craftsmen. He hadn''t used any movement techniques, it was simply the speed of a Golden Core cultivator, and he had discovered after studying that the "Supreme Body Technique" entry was different from what he had imagined.


    It wasn''t a matter of increasing the speed of his movement technique.


    Rather, it was about enhancing the speed inherent to a Golden Core cultivator, and the degree of amplification was not weak.


    Although at present, some movement techniques he hadn''t fully activated were faster, the advantage was that it didn''t consume much Spiritual Energy and was suitable for long-distance travel and pursuit battles. In contrast, some movement techniques that could rapidly increase speed in a short time tended to consume vast amounts of Spiritual Energy.


    There were pros and cons.


    But for him, he felt the benefits were a bit greater.


    "How''s it going?"


    Chen Qiu didn''t ponder any further but instead looked at Fat Long, who was talking with the craftsmen, and smiled.


    "The building repairs are basically finished."


    Seeing Chen Qiu suddenly appear beside him, Fat Long quickly reported the progress, "But those Arrays, the Array Repairers we''ve brought in say they can''t fix them at all, claiming these Arrays are at least Nascent Soul Arrays, completely beyond their ability."


    "They''ve just repaired some Formations used in daily life."


    "Like the ''Clean Dust Array'' that envelops the entire sect, it ensures that there''s no dust inside and keeps it clean at all times. There''s also the ''Clear Water Array'' for the disciple dormitory and the Alchemy Hall, used for daily cleaning and drinking and the like. And then there''s the ''Earth Fire Array'' under the Alchemy Hall and Artifact Refining Hall, used for Alchemy and artifact refining, and so on... "


    "All these Formations have been repaired, but..."


    With some hesitation, Fat Long spoke in a halting manner, "The ''Clean Dust Array'' and the ''Clear Water Array'' are daily Formations that operate every day. Besides these two, we also have other regular Formations like the ''Clear Wind Array'' and so on. Since our Sect is located in a small world and there are no external enemies attacking for now, we don''t need to activate the Sect''s warning Array daily."


    "But just these everyday Formations use around 100 low-grade Spirit Stones each day."


    "That doesn''t seem very low..."


    "..."


    Chen Qiu, with one hand behind his back, remained silent without speaking.


    These days, he didn''t lack Spirit Stones in his pocket. Although his last breakthrough to Golden Core had used up all his Spirit Stones, he later seized the first place on the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard and got a sizable number of Spirit Stones, plus subsequent opportunities. Some disciples with good initiative also offered him some gifts.


    He now had¡ª


    Three hundred Mid-grade Spirit Stones, thirty thousand low-grade Spirit Stones.


    It could have been more, but he had bought nearly two hundred thousand pieces of Evil Wood. The head of the Wang Family had nearly put all his family wealth into it, and naturally, Chen Qiu wouldn''t let the man work for him for nothing.


    He had given a considerable reward, and along with daily expenses, only this much was left.


    With daily consumption at about 100 low-grade Spirit Stones, his thirty thousand low-grade Spirit Stones would only last for 300 days, meaning the Sect''s daily Array operations would cost about thirty thousand low-grade Spirit Stones a year.


    That was no small amount.


    After pondering for a moment, he suddenly asked, "Generally speaking, how does a Sect make a profit? It''s not possible they spend so much money training disciples just to operate at a loss, right?"


    "That''s..."


    Fat Long awkwardly replied, "I''m not exactly sure, my plan with the Sky-bursting Gang hadn''t even been implemented before it was nipped in the bud. But based on my few months'' observation at the Flower Offering Sect, there are a few points."


    "Through marketplaces, or owning a large number of shops in cities, and so on."


    ```

 Chapter 149

    "Damn it, damn it, damn it!!!"


    At that moment, on "Qingfeng" of Jing Province.


    Ji Taiping was in a state of emotional frenzy, continuously smashing one teacup after another. These teacups, his treasured favorites which he would often gently wipe with the softest hankies, had once been hard for him to part with.


    But today.


    He couldn''t care less about them, all he wanted was to smash those damn teacups to pieces!


    "Damn it!!!"


    Ji Taiping picked up the last teacup and threw it against the wall, shattering it, then turned toward Ji Renjian, who was curled up in the corner with eyes full of fear, and viciously yelled, "I''m asking you, have you ever truly loved me?"


    He couldn''t understand what had happened to the world. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had merely gone to suppress wars among the Hundred Countries for just over a month, but upon his return, why had everything changed, everything.


    Chen Qiu, who he could have easily killed before, had now grown into a Golden Core Eight-layer invincible Heavenly Pride who crushed all other strong warriors beneath him.


    Even the scholar, who had become useless, was now the Second Elder of Chao Tian Sect.


    He no longer had the desire to kill the scholar every day, living in constant fear, in case the scholar came with Chen Qiu seeking revenge. He was not afraid of the scholar, but Chen Qiu was someone he could not compete against.


    Ji Renjian, trembling in the corner with eyes full of fear, used a sheer veil to cover her exposed intimacies before her quivering lips couldn''t utter a word. Ji Taiping''s gaze seemed extremely strange to her, as if he had completely become a different person.


    He could not be reconciled with the man who had once silently protected her in her heart.


    Just then¡ª


    An extremely terrifying pressure suddenly enveloped the entire "Qingfeng".


    "Who!"


    Ji Taiping, already like a frightened bird, jumped up instantly as Spiritual Energy of the fourth layer Golden Core burst forth from his body. He rushed to Ji Renjian''s side in no time and placed his Qingfeng sword across Ji Renjian''s pale shoulders, his trembling hand causing a trickle of blood to seep out.


    Carrying Ji Renjian, he bolted from the secret chamber and stood at the top of Qingfeng, looking fiercely into the empty sky as he bellowed, "Who dares to intrude upon my Qingfeng, do you not know this is the cultivation ground of Ji Taiping, Da Xia''s number one Sword Cultivator!"


    "Show yourself!!"


    Immediately following.


    Chen Qiu and the scholar''s figures slowly approached from the distance, stepping through the air.


    The moment Ji Taiping saw Chen Qiu, his face contorted with rage as he roared, "Enemy invasion, I implore the ancestor to come out and fight!"


    "Sigh."


    The scholar slowly landed on the ground from the air. Dressed in the maroon robe that signified the status of an elder of Chao Tian Sect, he gently shook his head and softly spoke as he took out Qingfeng from his sleeve and held it in his hand, his expression calm as he looked at the fierce Ji Taiping.


    "With such a disturbed state of mind, it''s really unclear how you managed to cultivate to the Human Sword Unity realm." Discover exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire


    "..."


    Standing high in the sky, Chen Qiu''s mouth twitched slightly upon hearing this, and he silently stepped aside, leaving the space for a fight between the scholar and Ji Taiping.


    The scholar was only at the Golden Core first layer.


    And Ji Taiping was at the Golden Core fifth layer.


    Fighting across four minor realms was an extremely difficult task, but with their mindsets being so different, and one''s disadvantages balancing the other''s advantages, as long as the scholar could break through in this fight, he would be able to defeat Ji Taiping with relative ease.


    And at that moment¡ª


    A roar also came from the depths of Qingfeng. A high-level elder with Golden Core Peak Great Perfection Cultivation burst forth, but before he got far, he was intercepted by over thirty elders at the same level of cultivation.


    "Elder Ji of the Ji Family, what''s the hurry? Let''s have a chat over there, leaving the youngsters to talk amongst themselves."


    "Sect Master Zhao? You wish to block my path?"


    The Supreme Elder of the Ji Family looked gloomily at the group of Golden Core Peak Great Perfection Cultivators. He recognized most of them; they were Supreme Elders from various sects and clans, many of whom had had conflicts with him, and he had not expected them to arrive together.


    "Sect Master Zhao?"


    Zhao Dezhu shook his head with an indifferent expression: "I forgot to introduce myself; my name is Zhao Dezhu, a menial disciple of Chao Tian Sect, currently ordered by the sect master to block your way."


    "Chao Tian Sect?"


    The Supreme Elder of the Ji Family shook his head with an ugly expression: "I have never heard of this sect. Don''t joke with me. What kind of sect would have you, a Sect Master with Golden Core mid-stage Cultivation, serving as a menial disciple?"


    After his words fell.


    Zhao Dezhu and the other Caotian Sect Disciples exchanged glances and saw the amusement in each other''s eyes.


    "It seems Elder Ji has been secluded for too long, and you weren''t very sociable to begin with. Such a significant change has happened in Da Xia Country, yet no one bothered to send you a message?"


    "We have also had the good fortune of becoming menial disciples of Chao Tian Sect."


    "Elder Ji, the times have changed. Your only task in this era is to wait for death in peace. It''s also time to settle our past grudges. Do you remember the last time you came after me with the Qu Family Supreme Elder? You thought you had me cornered because you had more people. Shall we see who has more people now?"


    "That..."


    The Supreme Elder of the Qu Family awkwardly waved his hands and said, "Do you believe it was an act of madness at the time? That matter really has nothing to do with me."


    ...


    "I knew this day would come."


    As Ji Taiping pressed his sharp sword against Ji Renjian''s pale neck, he looked up at the thirty-plus Golden Core Peak Great Perfection experts in the sky and at the silent Chen Qiu, his eyes bloodshot and red, his face fierce as he stared at the scholar and spoke word by word.


    "I know, I know I''m doomed today!"

 Chapter 150 I! Chen Qiu! Finally out of fucking jail!

    Otherwise, just forget it.


    He understood the principle that "possession of the jade is a crime".


    During these ten days, under the care of the Star Battle Sect Master, the scholar''s injuries had healed quickly. He was able to bounce around vigorously without any remaining hidden injuries to his Golden Core.


    "Not bad,"


    Chen Qiu looked at the scholar and smiled, "Your current level in the Sword Dao is even higher than Ji Taiping''s. If you were to go outside, I guess there aren''t many Heavenly Prides who could compete with you."


    "It''s all thanks to Brother Qiu,"


    the scholar said somewhat embarrassedly as he scratched the back of his head, "If it weren''t for Brother Qiu using his presence to suppress Ji Taiping''s Golden Core and prevent his Divine Sense from leaving his body, I would have had no chance to clash Sword Intents with him. I couldn''t have withstood his fifth level Golden Core Divine Sense Attack."


    "It''s nothing,"


    Chen Qiu said with a smile as he patted the scholar on the shoulder, "Since everything''s ready, let''s set off."


    He was eager to set off right away.


    These ten days felt like years to him. Everything was ready; he was just waiting for the scholar to recover so they could depart.


    In the meantime, he hadn''t been idle, harvesting two mature Demon Lotuses from under the Boundless Snow Mountain and the Boundless Sea and placing them above the Chao Tian Sect. One flower emitted a chilling air, and the other exuded a damp, oceanic air.


    Coupled with the previous two Spiritual Flowers,


    the atmosphere in the Chao Tian Sect had become even stranger.


    There was Demonic Qi, resentful energy, cold and ocean air.


    Just looking at it was enough to tell it wasn''t a place for humans to live.


    However... it wasn''t actually very cold, instead, there was even a sense of warmth.


    He had been to the Endless Desert, extracted a bit from the Underground Fire Sea, and placed it in the "Earth Fire Array", allowing it to flow beneath the Chao Tian Sect, thus providing power support for the Alchemy Hall and Artifact Refining Hall.


    By the way, while passing through the Endless Desert, he heard a Devil Clan genius shouting for abuse, saying he only wished someone would grant him a defeat.


    Well, he had nothing better to do.


    As he passed by, he casually slapped the Devil Clan genius into the desert. He loved to help others; since someone requested a defeat, he naturally wouldn''t turn down such a small request.


    ...


    Two hours later.


    Chen Qiu once again came alone to the Boundless Snow Mountain. The icy, bone-chilling cold surged towards him. He stood high in the air, silent for a long time before he lifted his head to look at the mountaintop shrouded in clouds and fog.


    He had been here many times before.


    But he had never defeated the Nascent Soul Puppet guarding the mountaintop.


    This time, armed with the accumulation of nine lifetimes, he came to challenge again!


    All the way up. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The surrounding air grew colder. After passing through the clouds, he could see the mountain peak covered with heavy snow. The extreme cold even slowed down the flow of Spiritual Energy in his body, but as the Heavenly Dao Golden Core rotated, a wave of heat surged through, quickly vanishing the chill.


    He didn''t know how long he had been ascending.


    The surrounding air was getting colder. The majesty of this land and sky had already made it impossible for any cultivator with Golden Core Peak Great Perfection Cultivation to tread here. The surrounding Heaven and Earth Spirits were even frozen, relying solely on the Spiritual Energy stored within one''s body to continue ascending.


    Finally¡ª


    He landed on a platform hundreds of yards from the mountaintop. This was basically his limit. Going further, every yard he climbed, the pressure doubled.


    Even the strongest Golden Core could not break this limit.


    Standing on this platform, a Nascent Soul Puppet quietly stood holding a long sword on its back. Sensing the disturbance, its pupils flashed red and glanced at him, then without saying a word, its right hand waved.


    A strong and majestic rush of Spiritual Energy smashed towards him!


    Stay connected through My Virtual Library Empire


    "Bang!!!"


    Chen Qiu, holding his Heavenly Mechanism Umbrella to block the attack, was still uncontrollably knocked dozens of yards away, feeling the soreness in his body and the blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.


    Chen Qiu laughed, wiped away the blood from the corner of his mouth, and then looked at the Nascent Soul Puppet which didn''t attack again, "Long time no see, your strength has decreased a lot."


    This Nascent Soul Puppet was the one guarding this Forbidden Land!


    Anyone approaching would be struck down casually. It wouldn''t kill but only severely wound and repel. This majestic level of Spiritual Energy was not possible for the Golden Core Stage, even though his Spiritual Energy far exceeded what a Golden Core Peak Great Perfection should have.


    Compared with this Nascent Soul Puppet, he was nowhere close.


    Aside from not attacking with Divine Sense, this Nascent Soul Puppet essentially had about sixty to seventy percent of a Nascent Soul cultivator''s combat strength, and it also ignored pain, fearless of life and death.


    He had lost several times.


    But this time... it would be different.


    The next moment¡ª


    Dense dark clouds suddenly spread over hundreds of miles, covering the entire sky; a storm howled in, and within a ball with faintly visible tens of thousands of Thunder Dragons, slowly materialized in Chen Qiu''s palm.


    The Divine Sense Attack firmly locked on to the puppet.


    This blue Small Thunderball disappeared from Chen Qiu''s palm in an instant and shot towards the heart of the Nascent Soul Puppet.


    Just as it was about to hit,


    The Puppet''s fingers trembled slightly, and the long sword that had been carried on its back, entirely brown-red, suddenly shot out, blocking in front of the chest, splitting the Small Thunderball in half.


    The split Thunderball burst into a deafening explosion.


    Countless Thunder Dragons shot out, engulfing the Nascent Soul Puppet in a splash of snow mist. When the snow mist had cleared, the puppet was almost unscathed, and there was no visible damage on the platform.


    At this time,


    Chen Qiu had already replenished his Spiritual Energy fully and released the "Snowfall" to envelop the puppet. Then, seeing the Puppet turn around and look at him with its sword, without any hesitation, he immediately blinked into the small world to continue replenishing his Spiritual Energy.

 Chapter 150 I! Chen Qiu! Finally out of fucking jail!_2

    ```


    Just as he swiftly entered the small world, a Sword Qi carrying an extremely thick and terrifying Sword Intent shot towards his location!


    This single strike was enough to instantly kill four or five Sword Cultivators at the Great Perfection of the Golden Core Peak Cultivation!


    ...


    Chen Qiu knew clearly that this Puppet was a Sword Cultivation Puppet, and it would only enter its true combat state when it drew the long sword from its back; even if he were to take one hit with his strength, it would be more than he could bear.


    The strongest aspect of this Sword Cultivation Puppet was that it knew many kinds of swordsmanship, no matter what swordsmanship you used, it could always display a technique that countered yours.


    Several hundred breaths later.


    The moment Chen Qiu with full Spiritual Energy reappeared, without a moment''s hesitation, he launched another Small Thunderball, and the twelfth grade Golden Core in his Dantian also shot straight towards the Puppet''s heart area.


    This time¡ª


    The Thunderball was again blown away, but the twelfth grade Golden Core punched a small hole in the Puppet''s body.


    And countless Thunder Dragons also turned the surface of the Puppet pitch black this time.


    "..."


    The Puppet standing on the platform looked down at the small hole in its chest, then, with a single hand holding a sword, pinched out a Sword technique, and immediately the sky was filled with many Illusion and Reality Light Swords, shooting towards him.


    Chen Qiu, without any hesitation, retreated back into the small world again.


    Recover full Spiritual Energy in the small world before going back out.


    ...


    Just like this¡ª


    Chen Qiu and the Nascent Soul Puppet were fully engaged in an intense battle. He didn''t linger in the fight, his tactic was one: drain all Spiritual Energy upon encounter, after draining, return to the small world to recover Spiritual Energy, and repeat incessantly.


    An entire hour.


    By now, the Puppet was riddled with scars, half of its leg was blasted off, and it half-knelt on the platform.


    And Chen Qiu, panting heavily within the small world, wasn''t in good shape either. The Puppet had predicted his emergence from the small world; as soon as he appeared, a huge sword hundreds of feet long carrying thick Sword Intent made of Spiritual Energy smashed down towards him.


    Even though he dodged immediately.


    But the dense and violent Sword Intent, like a torrential pear blossom rain, cut through his Protective Spirit Qi in the air, leaving countless small wounds on his body. The injuries were not serious, but looked terrifying, his entire body was bloody with not a single intact piece of flesh to be seen.


    "That''s good."


    Chen Qiu smiled, and after restoring full Spiritual Energy, he flashed out of the small world to continue the fierce battle.


    Divine Sense Attacks were useless; the Puppet simply had no Sea of Consciousness.


    It could only be a clash of power.


    However, he had the small world. As long as he kept up the endurance battle, he was sure to win. It was just that the defense of the Nascent Soul Puppet was excessively strong. Despite his ''Thunder Summoning Technique'' powered up by so many entries, and released with all his might under the Golden Core Peak of Great Perfection Cultivation, it comprised tens of thousands of Thunder Bolts.


    But he barely managed to breach its defenses.


    If his Cultivation was a bit weaker, or the power of the Thunder Summoning Technique was a bit lesser, he wouldn''t have been able to breach its defenses at all.


    Not more, not less, just barely enough.


    ...


    Another half an hour passed, and the bloody Chen Qiu, with his forehead covered in dense sweat, stood on the platform, panting slightly, leaning on the Heavenly Mechanism Umbrella to keep himself from collapsing, looking down at the Puppet lying on the platform before him, which no longer emitted any fluctuations of Spiritual Energy, a small smile forming on his lips.


    "That was exhausting."


    Then, without any delay, he immediately released the scholar. As soon as the scholar appeared here, his body immediately began to exude frost, freezing him in place as his gaze gradually became vacant.


    Seeing this, Chen Qiu casually blasted out a wave of Spiritual Energy, dispersing the frost on the surface of the scholar''s body before weakly gesturing, "Do you see that red pearl inside the Puppet''s chest?


    "Pierce it with your Sword Intent."


    The Chao Tian Sect is filled with Sword Cultivator fanatics, and the Puppets they''ve created are Sword Cultivation Puppets. The seals protecting the Puppet''s core mechanism can only be breached by powerful Sword Intent.


    "Huh!" sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The scholar took a deep breath, knowing now was not the time for chatting, and immediately held his breath with a piercing look in his eyes. The Sword Intent poured into the long sword in his hand, turning into a green light liquid slowly flowing on the surface of the blade.


    He stabbed with all his might!


    "Sizzle!" Enjoy exclusive adventures from My Virtual Library Empire


    As the Sword Intent pierced in, the seal protecting the Puppet''s core mechanism began to slowly fade, though at an excruciatingly slow pace.


    Chen Qiu slightly frowned and stood aside without making a sound, patiently waiting. This was not something he could intervene in. Thirty minutes later, as the scholar''s body started to tremble, his face turned pale as if he was about to faint,


    "Clang!"


    Following a crisp sound, the seal immediately shattered, and the core mechanism of the Puppet was instantly crushed by the stab of the sword!


    At the same time¡ª


    "BOOM!"


    A deafening sound echoed through heaven and earth. Chen Qiu looked up at the sky; there were still several hundred feet to the peak, and with every foot he ascended, the pressure increased exponentially. But now, this pressure suddenly disappeared with that booming sound.


    But it only lasted for a moment before the pressure began to rebuild slowly, returning to its previous intensity in no more than ten breaths of time.


    Meanwhile, the core mechanism of the Puppet on the platform was also repairing itself slowly, even its broken body gradually self-healing.


    Clearly!


    This breach would only last for ten breaths; after ten breaths, the breach would be closed again.


    Without delay, Chen Qiu took the scholar back into the small world, his eyes filled with firmness and excitement. Spiritual Energy burst forth, and he shot towards the summit with the fastest speed he had ever mustered in his life!


    ```

 Chapter 150 I! Chen Qiu! Finally out of fucking jail!_3

    For this day!


    He had waited a thousand years!


    A thousand years... finally, he had waited it out.


    Old man! Chen Qiu! At last, he fucking got out of prison!


    ... Explore more adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    With the quickest speed in his life, Chen Qiu soared toward the peak of Snow Mountain, a place he had never set foot on before. Standing here, one could see the most beautiful scenery in the world, but at this moment, he had no mood to appreciate it.


    Upon reaching the summit of Snow Mountain!


    He saw a white vortex portal, a sight he had seen many times before, but this time, it gave Chen Qiu an extraordinary feeling.


    Chen Qiu''s eyes slightly reddened as he sped up again. When the natural forces at the summit of the mountain returned to normal, he dove into the white vortex portal and disappeared on the spot!


    The next moment! sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The natural forces in the sky above Boundless Snow Mountain returned to normal, and the Nascent Soul Puppet on the platform had also completed its self-repair, standing once again on the platform, day after day, waiting for the next challenger.


    Perhaps... he may never see a second challenger.


    Or perhaps, he might soon welcome a second one.


    ...


    Xuantian Continent, a small town nestled at the foot of a mountain range and shrouded in heavy snow.


    Inside a tavern at this time.


    There were quite a few burly men wearing animal skins, drinking heartily from the house brew and loudly discussing with each other.


    "There''s been another avalanche. I heard several hunters died."


    "Hey, stop talking about it. Don''t know what''s gotten into it lately, this ''Boundless Snow Mountain'' has avalanches every now and then. If you ask me, it''s best not to go up the mountain these days, it''s too dangerous."


    "If we didn''t need to, who would want to go up there? It''s just that ''Snow Rabbits'' can only be found during this period. Catching just one could get you twenty lower-grade Spirit Stones, enough to last a long time."


    "Hey, speaking of which, didn''t the ''Changbai Mountain Team'' pick up a man yesterday who was knocked unconscious by the avalanche? Has that man been rescued?"


    "I don''t know, but I don''t think it looks good. They say he was wearing very thin clothes; if he was exposed to the mountain with that little, his blood must''ve been frozen solid by now. And he doesn''t have Cultivation; he''s actually a mortal. Nowadays, a mortal daring to go up Boundless Snow Mountain sure has guts."


    "Poor thing. Must be a man from a poor family, can''t even afford a Potion to awaken an Initial Entry, deciding to take a gamble on the Boundless Snow Mountain."


    ...


    ...


    In a stone house in the small town.


    Lying on a bed, Chen Qiu slowly opened his eyes, his gaze somewhat dazed as he looked at the ceiling made of stones, feeling an immense soreness all over, with only about one-tenth of the Spiritual Energy left in his Dantian.


    Such little Spiritual Energy.


    This meant that if he were to be attacked, he wouldn''t have much strength to fight back.


    He didn''t know how long he had been unconscious.


    He only knew that after rushing out of that white vortex portal, a powerful and utterly irresistible force of nature slammed into him. He didn''t even have a chance to resist and fainted on the spot.


    When he woke up again, he was already here.


    He looked at the mere tenth of the remaining Spiritual Energy in his Dantian, and his mind shifted from its initial haziness to clarity. Before breaking out from the white vortex, he had exhausted his Spiritual Energy.


    His Heavenly Dao Golden Core could likely recover about a tenth of Spiritual Energy daily.


    So, it must have been about a day since then.


    Had he been unconscious for a day?


    Where was this?


    Chen Qiu endured the stabbing pain throughout his body, propped himself up, and sat on the bed. He planned to go back to his small world to fully restore his Spiritual Energy first¡ªhe felt insecure with it not full¡ªthen have the Star Battle Sect Master prepare some corresponding Healing Pills to take care of his injuries first.


    It was fortunate.


    He could feel that his Golden Core and Divine Sense were intact, suffering only some minor external injuries.


    It would heal quickly.


    Just then¡ª


    The stone door was pushed open, and a man with a full beard dressed in animal skins strode in. Seeing Chen Qiu sit up on the bed, the man set aside the water bladder he was carrying and grinned.


    "Hey, you''ve got some luck, kid. A mere mortal buried by an avalanche for who knows how long."


    "When I found you, your body was already stiff, your face all white. I thought there was little hope."


    "But damn, you pulled through."


    "You''ve got a big life, you''re sure to be lucky in the future. I got you some hot water to warm up your body. I thought about getting you some chicken soup, but my wife scolded me for not being thrifty."


    The bearded man muttered somewhat sheepishly, "So I thought about it and let it go. Kind-hearted as I am, I often do things on a whim. Chicken soup is a rare thing here; have some hot water to warm up first."


    "Mortal?"


    Chen Qiu was slightly taken aback and looked at the twelfth-grade Golden Core hovering above his Dantian. How had he become a mortal?


    He then instantly understood after scanning the man with his Divine Sense.


    This man''s Cultivation was too low, merely at the fourth level of Foundation Establishment. With Chen Qiu''s Spiritual Energy not radiating outward, the man could not sense his Cultivation, thus mistaking him for a mortal by default.


    He couldn''t even sense the fluctuations of his Divine Sense.


    Chen Qiu initially wanted to stand up and leave, saying he didn''t need help, but on second thought, he stopped. He could use this opportunity to glean some general information about the Xuantian Continent from this man.


    This information was what he lacked the most at the moment.


    He glanced around the room.


    It was clear this man was rather poor. Although Chen Qiu didn''t actually need anyone''s help¡ªafter all, he was just knocked out and would have been able to easily emerge even from dozens of feet of deep snow once he regained consciousness¡ªhe paused to gather information from the man first.

 Chapter 150 I! Chen Qiu! Finally out of fucking jail!_4

    But after all, it was kindness. When he left, he left some Spirit Stones as a way to repay the life-saving grace.


    ...


    "Thanks."


    Chen Qiu, feeling somewhat sore, took the porcelain bowl from the man, sipped some hot water to accept the kindness, and then spoke hoarsely, "That... I''ve lost my memory."


    Asking random questions out of the blue would seem too abrupt.


    Better to just say he''s lost his memory.


    He only wanted to know some basic information, such as the highest Cultivation on the Xuantian Continent, its territories, regions, and other common knowledge.


    Just when he was about to ask where this place was, he saw the bearded man sitting seriously beside him, "Have you really forgotten that your name is Xiao Long?" Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "..."


    Chen Qiu, expressionless and silent for a long while, finally nodded, "Hmm, was my original name Xiao Long?"


    "Yeah!"


    The bearded man squeezed out a pained and sad expression, "You were an orphan with no parents, who came to seek refuge with me, wanting to join our Changbai Mountain Team and become a strong hunter like me."


    "But you are just a mortal; you haven''t even drunk a Potion to awaken your Initial Entry."


    "So I rejected you."


    "Frustrated, you headed to Boundless Snow Mountain, aiming to catch a Snow Rabbit to prove yourself, and then by chance, there was an avalanche. When I found you, you had already been buried by the snow slide, and I rescued you from it."


    "Now you have proved your courage, and I allow you to join the Changbai Mountain Team and become a strong hunter like me."


    "Here''s the contract, wouldn''t you stamp your handprint first?"


    "From now on, you follow me. We''ll go hunt Snow Rabbits together in the Boundless Snow Mountain, ensuring you live the good life. When you grow up, I''ll even find you a plump wife."


    "..."


    Chen Qiu''s mouth twitched slightly, deciding to change his question. The robe he had been wearing was gone, and it was only worth 2 Spirit Stones. This man was ready to strip even that from him!


    Then he sighed deeply.


    Snapped his fingers lightly.


    In the blink of an eye, the two of them vanished from the spot.


    Soon after, a slightly plump middle-aged woman, holding a jar of chicken soup, walked into the room. Looking towards the empty bed and the still-steaming porcelain bowl, she murmured in confusion, "Where did he go?"


    "With such serious injuries, how can he still jump around?"


    "If you don''t drink it soon, this chicken soup will get cold, doesn''t it waste it?"


    Find more chapters on My Virtual Library Empire


    ...


    Snow Mountain.


    Chen Qiu, sitting on a pile of snow and exuding the aura of Golden Core Cultivation, spoke weakly yet clearly, "Next, I''ll ask a question, and you answer one, understand?"


    He had intended to pretend to have amnesia to ask questions.


    Now it seemed that feigning amnesia would only yield a mess of useless information; important details would definitely be unattainable.


    But he didn''t take this man to his small world, after all, the secrecy of that small world couldn''t be leaked. And this man had shown kindness in rescuing him, regardless of the dishonesty, he was not so heartless as to kill his own lifesaver.


    So, the simplest method was to take the man to Snow Mountain for a slow interrogation.


    He had only revealed a layer of Golden Core Cultivation, and at just this sight, the middle-aged bearded man was already kneeling in the snow, burying his head in it, shaking like chaff, his voice trembling with crying, "Immortal, spare my life, Immortal, spare my life!"


    "I''m just a hunter from this ''Fatal Town,'' living off the land with many brothers under me. We didn''t mean to offend an Immortal. This is the town nearest to Boundless Snow Mountain, and most people living here are hunters."


    "My name is..."


    Before he could even ask, the man spilled everything he knew all at once.


    Hmm.


    Still, this way was more efficient. Playing amnesiac was something only fools would do.

 Chapter 151 Heavenly Dao Decree: The Long Night is Coming!

    After asking some basic questions, Chen Qiu finally sat on the snow heap in silence, lost in thought without speaking.


    In the Xuantian Continent, there is no such concept as a country.


    There are only sects and families, etc.


    There are many cities, markets, and villages where humans gather. Cities and markets are often built by sects or families, and they must contribute a certain amount of taxes to their affiliated sect annually, in return for the sect''s protection.


    In cases where some of the older external disciples of a sect can no longer advance their cultivation, they might manage their sect''s enterprises in the markets or cities or even start their own family. Though not a direct subordinate relationship with their original sect, the connection is quite similar.


    Behind him, the small town was known as "Endlife Town."


    It wasn''t built by a sect but naturally formed due to the gathering of numerous hunters.


    The town was located before a vast rock wall that provided excellent shelter from the raging blizzards and cold winds at the base of the mountain, making it a comparatively safe region. Initially, only one hunter had built a stone hut here, but eventually, more hunters built stone huts and some older hunters began trading items like food, leather armors, and talismans.


    The snow mountain behind him was called the Boundless Snow Mountain, stretching for tens of thousands of miles with its peak shrouded in blizzards nearly half the time.


    The area they occupied was under the jurisdiction of Yuan Sect, and besides them, there were four other cities that were also properties of Yuan Sect, which were major sources of spirit stones for the sect.


    The Sect Master of Yuan Sect was the highest in cultivation in this area, and was also the highest-ranked person in this region, although he was reclusive and hardly ever seen.


    His cultivation had reached the peak of Nascent Soul.


    It was said that he hadn''t been seen for over a hundred years.


    ...


    "..."


    Chen Qiu maintained his silence. He had already gathered a general understanding. The Xuantian Continent was vast, and to such an extent that this hunter didn''t care about other regions, only focusing on what happened in their area.


    The snow mountain behind him was also called the "Boundless Snow Mountain," seemingly another side of the Boundless Snow Mountain. The hunter had clearly told him, although he had never been to the other side, he had heard it was also inhabited by a group of hunters. This indicated that Da Xia Country was not on the other side of the Boundless Snow Mountain; it might be sealed at the summit of the mountain.


    To return to Da Xia, one would need to journey to the summit of the Boundless Snow Mountain.


    The hunter had given him a collection of assorted and curious records, containing various intriguing incidents, though it was hard to distinguish true from false, and the news was outdated¡ªthe earliest events dated back twenty years.


    Still, he could get a rough understanding of this world from it.


    For example, a member of the Jiang Family''s branch used an entry "Undying Loyalty," collaborating with his wife to crazily expand their family''s territory. This member of the branch had only mid-stage Golden Core cultivation.


    Stay tuned to My Virtual Library Empire


    But the effect of the entry "Undying Loyalty" was such that if one member of the loving Taoist couple fell in love with someone else, all three individuals, including the new love interest, would self-destruct together.


    Because of this, no one dared to confront this formidable couple, for fear of being liked by them and having no means to resist and self-destructing. Wherever this couple went, people stayed well away.


    However, once love arose, it was uncontrollable.


    In the end, the member''s wife fell in love with the latest rising star of the Jiang Family''s main branch, and the conclusion was that all three self-destructed together, causing even the explosion of the Golden Core to kill many lower-cultivation disciples of the Jiang Family.


    Since then, the Jiang Family began to gradually decline, and this incident was widely spread, much to the joy and delight of many.


    The entry "Undying Loyalty" could even make one fall in love with another through a Memory Stone from afar, but a prerequisite was knowing the other''s appearance and bodytype, having at least some understanding of the person. Mere knowledge of the name wouldn''t suffice.


    "..."


    Chen Qiu''s mouth twitched slightly, but he said nothing. This strange tale was most likely true, as he had randomly acquired this entry during his last selection. Now he finally understood why, on the Road to Heavenly Pride, names could be revealed yet faces remained hidden.


    This was probably to avoid just this situation.


    And due to this, the power hitters of Xuantian Continent hardly ever showed their faces publicly. If they had to show themselves, they would distort the forces of heaven and earth in front of them to cover their faces, and they would leave no survivors when they attacked.


    To avoid dying under some inexplicable rule.


    Although "Undying Loyalty" was difficult to chance upon, it was well-known in Xuantian Continent as not merely the only entry with rule-based killing capacity, but the only one with unlimited cultivation rule-based killing ability. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If used correctly, even a beginner in Qi Refinement could slay an Immortal Emperor.


    Of course, this was theoretical, as practically it was nearly impossible to achieve since the Immortal Emperor had too many countermeasures.


    But it was precisely because of its uncontrollable and variable nature, this entry was fraught with risks and often led to self-harm.


    Beyond that, there were other bizarre anecdotes, such as¡ª


    "Evil Sect had a thousand-year legacy and slaughtered over dozens of sects, with at least millions dying at their hands, making it an undeniable Evil Sect. However, thirty years ago, the sect suddenly transformed into a righteous sect overnight."

 Chapter 151 Heavenly Dao Decree: The Long Night is Coming!_2

    ¡¸There''s a sect called the "Invincible Sect," and within it, there''s a very unique inheritance object. Once a disciple comes in contact with it, they will gain a fixed entry named "Heaven and Earth Explode Together." The effect is quite simple; when the holder dies, their Golden Core will automatically self-destruct, and the power of the explosion is increased tenfold. In the Secret Realm, disciples of the Invincible Sect are often seen as bringers of death.¡¹


    And so on and so forth.


    The level of chaos in Xuantian Continent can be said to far surpass that of Da Xia Country. In Da Xia Country, at least there is Da Xia to maintain order, with Da Xia''s laws bearing down on every sect and family clan, preventing too chaotic a situation from arising.


    However, in Xuantian Continent.


    There were no laws whatsoever.


    Poisoning, assassination, and ambushes.


    The "Seven-Li Scent-Chasing Gu" that could poison someone by knowing their appearance.


    The "Gua Cultivation" factions that could deduce anything by knowing a name.


    On this utterly chaotic continent, if the treasure in your hands does not match your Cultivation level, what awaits you isn''t recruitment but endless pursuit and assassination until the treasure''s power matches someone''s Cultivation level.


    Laws?


    There were no laws!


    The only possible law might be the Heavenly Dao. Slaughtering too many people would lead to divine condemnation, making it difficult to survive the Heavenly Tribulation, and it would also provoke pursuit from the relevant sects in the area. Other than that, there were none, no laws whatsoever.


    Cultivation was the true path.


    Strength was everything.


    "Phew!"


    Chen Qiu exhaled deeply and no longer lingered. Instead, he left fifty low-grade Spirit Stones for the hunter before him and turned to shoot toward the distance, planning to find a place to enter the small world.


    Fifty low-grade Spirit Stones were the limit he was willing to leave. With those fifty low-grade Spirit Stones, he cleared his debt of gratitude.


    To leave any more, such as a mid-grade Spirit Stone,


    might not be considered returning a favor. Should the news leak out, numerous Foundation Establishment Cultivators might come to seize the mid-grade Spirit Stone.


    ...


    "This..."


    The middle-aged hunter who had been kneeling in the snow without hearing a voice for a long time cautiously lifted his head, only to find that the young man had disappeared without a trace, leaving behind only fifty low-grade Spirit Stones.


    A flash of astonishment crossed his eyes, followed by an excited and elated expression as he quickly pocketed the fifty Spirit Stones into his Storage Ring. After looking around cautiously and confirming that no one had seen him, he rushed toward the town.


    Today, he truly had encountered an Immortal.


    ...


    Inside the small world.


    Chen Qiu, who had now fully recovered his Spiritual Energy, was sitting on the Sect Leader''s Chair in the Sect Hall. He accepted a few Healing Pills from Fat Long and, after swallowing them, looked down at the group of Chao Tian Sect disciples below and said softly,


    "Surely you all can feel that the shackles sealing your Golden Cores have disappeared, right?"


    "At present, we still do not know the method for Nascent Soul Establishment."


    "Try to restrain yourselves as much as possible to avoid any problems arising from rash advancement to Nascent Soul."


    "Understood!"


    The disciples of Chao Tian Sect standing in the Sect Hall, with flushed and excited faces, responded loudly. At this moment, they could all clearly feel that the chains on their Golden Cores had vanished, giving them a vague sense that they were on the threshold of breaking into Nascent Soul at any moment if they so wished.


    But without knowing the method of Nascent Soul Establishment, such a rash action was bound to cost them their lives. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After waiting so many years, they truly didn''t mind waiting a few more days.


    ...


    Half a cup of tea later.


    Chen Qiu, the Fat Long Scholar, and three others were walking in a world of ice and snow, with no other travelers or traces of demon beasts around. This was a deserted area.


    Meanwhile, Chen Qiu was deep in thought with a frown on his face, not speaking.


    How to obtain the method of Nascent Soul Establishment? The quickest means was naturally to get it from a sect disciple. A Golden Core Peak Cultivator who was a Sect Disciple would definitely know the method.


    But if the attack was not swift enough, it often meant facing endless pursuit.


    From the miscellaneous records he had read before,


    he knew that Nascent Soul Peak was not the strongest on Xuantian Continent. Above it were beings in the Divinity Transformation Stage, who could display the power of heaven and earth with a mere wave of their hand.


    His goal was a city thousands of miles away in a region under the jurisdiction of Yuan Sect, "Great Yuan City."


    Once he had made up his mind, he no longer delayed. Instead, he and the scholar transformed into a streak of light that sped towards "Great Yuan City." Along the way, he sensed many cultivators also on the move, but they all restrained themselves, with no contact occurring between them.


    On Xuantian Continent, any unsolicited contact with a stranger often didn''t bring any goodwill.


    Soon¡ª


    The group landed several miles away from "Great Yuan City" and gazed in the distance. There was no blizzard here.


    And because spring was approaching, the temperature was quite comfortable.


    At the city gates, many people were queued up to enter, and occasionally disciples dressed in Yuan Sect''s sect attire emerged from the gates and transformed into beams of light that shot out, heading to unknown destinations.


    After paying an entry fee of one Spirit Stone,


    they entered the city smoothly, without causing any stir.


    They found an inn.


    After settling in comfortably, Chen Qiu sat alone in the inn, sending Fat Long and the scholar out to gather information. Fat Long had a knack for information gathering, something in which he surpassed Chen Qiu. Having the Sound Transmission Ring also ensured that, should any mishap occur, he could rush to the scene immediately.


    ...


    Great Yuan City, Dragon Gate Inn.


    Chen Qiu sat alone by the window, staring out with a distracted look. He held his teacup mid-air for a long time without taking a sip. He had spent thousands of years just to leave the prison of Da Xia and take a look at Xuantian Continent.


    Yet now that he had arrived at Xuantian Continent, it felt as if there was not much difference from Da Xia Country.


    The architectural style was similar, clothing styles were largely the same, and moreover... the concentration of Spiritual Energy here was even weaker than in Da Xia! Read exclusive adventures at My Virtual Library Empire

 Chapter 151 Heavenly Dao Decree: The Long Night is Coming!_3

    Or one could say it''s about as rich in spiritual energy as Xuzhou, but it''s definitely weaker than the Southern State of Da Xia.


    However, there are no restrictions here; as long as you have the strength and enough opportunities, you can continuously improve your cultivation.


    Just at this moment¡ª


    The Fat Long Scholar and another person pushed the door open and entered. Fat Long strode forward, handing a jade scroll to Chen Qiu, then with a troubled look on his face and in a hoarse voice, he said, "Brother Qiu, things are a bit grim, we seem to have accidentally trespassed into the Demon Sect''s territory."


    "What''s more troubling is that it''s about to get dark..."


    "Demon Sect?"


    Chen Qiu slightly raised his eyebrows; the name "Yuan Sect" didn''t sound like it belonged to a Demon Sect, but after probing into the jade scroll, he realized that this "Yuan Sect" really was a Demon Sect.


    The most common phrase among the sect''s disciples was, "This item is fated to be mine."


    Looting, killing, and plundering were all things they excelled at.


    Indeed, they are not practitioners of demon cultivation.


    But what they practice is indeed the way of the demon cultivators.


    The Xuantian Continent is divided into the Upper Nine States, Middle State, and Lower Nine States, with the Middle State having the richest spiritual energy and home to the most powerful sects and factions of the Xuantian Continent. The Upper and Lower Nine States have weaker spiritual energies.


    And his current location was in one of the Lower Nine States, specifically "Quzhou."


    Then, Chen Qiu''s expression gradually turned sinister as he soon understood what Fat Long meant by it getting dark; on the Xuantian Continent, there are many special random Heavenly Dao events, as well as fixed Heavenly Dao events.


    One such fixed Heavenly Dao event is called "Before the Dawn."


    Before he came to the Xuantian Continent, a Heavenly Dao Decree had already been issued for this fixed event, which occurs once a month, rotating through the nineteen states.


    And no matter which state it lands on, it never covers the entire state but centers around a city, covering a hundred li radius.


    This time, it landed on "Quzhou, Great Yuan City"!


    -


    "Heavenly Dao Decree": The Long Night Approaches "Quzhou, Great Yuan City," once night falls, within six hours, all cultivators outside the city will be unable to use their Protective Spirit Qi, Divine Sense, Nascent Soul protection, Defensive Spiritual Treasures, and other defensive and detection methods.


    Moreover, random heavenly materials and earthly treasures of different grades will appear outside the city, guided by the light of the heavens.


    -


    It sounds a bit complicated.


    But it can roughly be understood as, a night of killing.


    After nightfall, everyone will be unable to use defensive and detection methods, competing for heavenly materials and earthly treasures outside the city under the extreme darkness of night. Moreover, during this time, even if you kill a disciple from a Major Sect, their Life Plate won''t be able to trace back to you.


    It amounts to completely shattering the already scarce order.


    Of course, if you think it''s too dangerous outside, you can hide in the city, which is safe.


    And with everyone unable to use protective methods, the gap in cultivation between individuals greatly decreases. Even if you have Nascent Soul cultivation, without using any defensive measures, being besieged by several Cultivators at the Golden Core Peak could lead to your death here.


    Those who proactively leave the city before nightfall are all desperados. The danger outside the city will increase rapidly with the onset of darkness. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After pondering for a moment, he continued to look at the information inside the jade scroll.


    Inside the jade scroll, there were also various conditions and heavenly materials and earthly treasures needed by Nascent Souls from First Grade to Tenth Grade. From what Fat Long said, the method of forming a Nascent Soul was not a secret; it was easy to purchase related information, but it was only up to Tenth Grade, with no information on grades beyond that.


    ...


    Chen Qiu''s Divine Sense probed into the jade scroll, and he quickly obtained the relevant information.


    - Experience tales with My Virtual Library Empire


    "First Grade Nascent Soul": A natural breakthrough in cultivation leads to a First Grade Nascent Soul.


    "Second Grade Nascent Soul": Using a Nascent Soul body as material for forming the soul leads to a Second Grade Nascent Soul.


    "Third Grade Nascent Soul": Using three Nascent Soul bodies and one piece of Evil Wood as material for forming the soul, and having all cultivated methods at the Great Perfection Realm, leads to a Third Grade Nascent Soul.


    "Fourth Grade Nascent Soul": Using a Divinity Transformation Body as material for forming the soul leads to a Fourth Grade Nascent Soul.


    "Fifth Grade Nascent Soul": Using a Divinity Transformation Body, a thread of Heavenly Dao Destiny, and ensuring the Tao Foundation has no hidden injuries, leads to a Fifth Grade Nascent Soul.


    "..."


    "Tenth Grade Nascent Soul": Requires a Heavenly Dao Foundation, one Seven-colored term, and a Tenth Grade Golden Core as prerequisites. Furthermore, using ten terms of any grade, three Divinity Transformation Bodies, a thread of Heavenly Pride Fortune, nine Second Grade Nascent Soul bodies, one Eight Desolate Fruit, and one piece of Evil Wood as material for forming the soul leads to a Tenth Grade Nascent Soul.


    "..."


    -


    There was not even any information on Twelfth Grade Nascent Souls.


    But at that time, he didn''t have information on Twelfth Grade Golden Cores either. After fulfilling the conditions for a Tenth Grade Golden Core, he managed to forge a Twelfth Grade Golden Core through that "Eight-petal Fire Lotus."


    By the same token.


    Once he fulfills the conditions for a Tenth Grade Nascent Soul, with those four extraordinary flowers inside his small world, he will likely be able to forge a Twelfth Grade Nascent Soul.


    However...


    "..."


    After a long silence, Chen Qiu''s lips twitched slightly as he looked up at Fat Long: "Three Divinity Transformation Bodies are needed?"


    "Right..."


    Fat Long felt it was absurd too and scratched his head softly, saying, "How about just a Third Grade Nascent Soul or a Second Grade Nascent Soul? The conditions for a Tenth Grade Nascent Soul are too preposterous."


    Three Divinity Transformation Bodies!


    Those are Divinity Transformation Stage powerhouses, a whole level higher than Nascent Soul stage cultivators!


    Actually, obtaining a Divinity Transformation Body is quite simple, just kill a Divinity Transformation Stage powerhouse, and you''ll have it. The method is not difficult, but the problem is, how the hell can someone with just a Golden Core Peak cultivation kill a Divinity Transformation being!


    That''s damn well jumping over two Great Realms!


    Aren''t these conditions a bit too harsh?

 Chapter 151 Heavenly Dao Decree: The Long Night is Coming!_4

    A moment later, Chen Qiu picked up the cloak on the table that could shield one''s Divine Sense and draped it over his head, his expression showing a hint of resignation as he walked out of the inn, "I''ll go for a stroll."


    He had started to consider giving up on the aspiration for a tenth-grade or even a twelfth-grade Nascent Soul.


    There was no other way.


    The conditions were too harsh. The requirement for a Divinity Transformation Body had effectively blocked his path. From the current perspective, a third-grade Nascent Soul seemed to be his limit, and he had no intention of waiting for the path of the Heavenly Prides.


    Having Golden Core Cultivation on the Xuantian Continent felt too insecure.


    It was better to advance to the Nascent Soul Stage as soon as possible.


    Take, for example, tonight''s "Long Night is Coming" Heavenly Dao event that he had no plans to attend. It was too dangerous. Having just arrived on the Xuantian Continent, it was better to keep a low profile and grow before anything else.


    He had the entry "All-Knowing," which might enable him to find some missed opportunities at the street stalls.


    ...


    In Great Yuan City, there were many Loose Cultivators, Yuan Sect disciples, and cultivators from other sects.


    At this moment, a large crowd was gathering in Great Yuan City. These were people from nearby areas looking to find refuge in the city. After dark, with "Long Night is Coming," it could get quite dangerous outside the city.


    And along the way,


    nearly all the cultivators were either wearing cloaks that shielded Divine Sense or masks that did the same. Even the Yuan Sect disciples were donning masks.


    Chen Qiu, in his cloak, did not look out of place. At this time, he was squatting in front of a street stall, examining every Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure for sale.


    This street was akin to a small market.


    Both sides were filled with vendors displaying their wares, including numerous weapon fragments and various medicinal herbs that seemed imbued with spirituality. As for the specifics of these items, that all depended on the vendor''s pitch.


    "Fellow Daoist, you''ve found yourself a treasure."


    At this point, the bald vendor at the stall Chen Qiu was in front of was eyeing the sword tip fragment that Chen Qiu was handling. After glancing around cautiously, he whispered,


    "Do you know of the grand battle that swept through Quzhou thousands of years ago?"


    "Right!"


    "My grandfather''s grandfather''s grandfather''s grandfather''s grandfather witnessed that battle firsthand. It was so fierce that it darkened the skies and earth, and this sword tip fragment is a piece of a shattered weapon from that time. It contains supreme Sword Intent. If you can comprehend it, you could become the number one Sword Immortal in Quzhou!"


    "How about ten Mid-grade Spirit Stones for it?"


    "Hmm."


    Chen Qiu nodded lightly, his gaze casually sweeping over every item on the stall. Whenever his sight focused on an item, a panel enveloped in mist would appear above his Dantian, detailing the item''s information.


    But this weapon fragment in his hand was appraised as... trash.


    Everything on the stall was also trash; not a single genuine item was present. Just as he was about to stand up and leave,


    he suddenly overheard a conversation nearby.


    "Are you going out of the city tonight?"


    "What, are you thinking of participating in tonight''s ''Long Night is Coming''? You''d better think it through; a few years ago, during Quzhou''s ''Long Night is Coming,'' it''s said that hundreds of Golden Core disciples died in just one night."


    "I''m still hesitant, but it''s said that tonight''s ''Long Night is Coming'' will feature a ''Divinity Transformation Body.'' My movement technique is very fast. What if I manage to grab it? I could directly cultivate a fourth-grade Nascent Soul. Once I break through to the Nascent Soul Stage later on, wouldn''t I be invincible among my peers?"


    Hearing the voices close by,


    Chen Qiu''s body tensed slightly, and his hand trembling faintly as he clutched the sword tip fragment, he turned to look at the two Loose Cultivators who were gradually walking away. Tonight''s ''Long Night is Coming'' was actually going to feature a ''Divinity Transformation Body''?


    Then... his aspiration for a tenth-grade Nascent Soul might still be worth considering.


    The first step is always the hardest. Once he obtained the first one, the rest would come naturally.


    The vendor noticed his reaction and his eyes lit up, thinking that Chen Qiu had made a judgment error. He hurriedly tried to drive the point home, "Fellow Daoist, I''m telling you, this sword tip fragment is a piece from a Divinity Transformation high-grade Spiritual Treasure. If my family hadn''t fallen on hard times, I wouldn''t sell it. Ten Mid-grade Spirit Stones is truly a fair price for you."


    About to get up, Chen Qiu glanced at the vendor and said indifferently, "How about eight Mid-grade Spirit Stones? If you''re selling, I''ll take it."


    "This..."


    The vendor''s breathing suddenly became uncontrollably rapid, but he still forcefully suppressed his excitement and pretended to be in a difficult position, "Fellow Daoist, I really can''t lower the price any further. You know what this thing is worth. If..."


    However, before the vendor could finish speaking,


    Chen Qiu stood up immediately with Fat Long and left the stall, heading toward another one.


    The befuddled vendor hastily got up, watching the retreating backs of Chen Qiu and company as he shouted urgently, "I''ll sell, I''ll sell, just as you said, eight mid-grade Spirit Stones."


    But Chen Qiu and his companions did not show any sign of stopping.


    "Seven!"


    "Three!"


    "One, just one, that should be fine, right?"


    However, no matter how desperately the vendor shouted, Chen Qiu and the others kept walking away, getting further and further, until finally realizing they would not return, the vendor stood there, slapping himself repeatedly on the face, beating his chest, and crying out in regret.


    Why had he tried to act tough?


    If he hadn''t pretended back then, perhaps the deal for eight mid-grade Spirit Stones would have been struck.


    ...


    At this moment, Chen Qiu was in quite a good mood, maybe because he had teased the vendor, or perhaps because he had learned that a Divinity Transformation Body would appear this very night. Anyway, he felt much better than when he first arrived. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When he first descended upon the Xuantian Continent, there was always a sense of oppression in his heart, and he felt somewhat constrained in his actions.


    But now he felt much more carefree.


    And just then¡ª


    He suddenly noticed that there was truly a treasure on a stall to the side.


    -


    "Treasure Name": Demon Extermination Bracelet.


    "Acquisition Source": An upper-grade Earth Level Heavenly Dao Spiritual Treasure, a gift from the Heavenly Dao.


    "Usage Effect": Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire


    1: It has been heavily contaminated with resentful energy, cannot be used, requires ten pieces of Evil Wood to remove the resentful energy, and needs to be nourished in the Dantian for ten days before it can see the light of day again.


    -


    "..."


    Chen Qiu''s expression gradually turned strange. Had he really seen a Heavenly Dao Spiritual Treasure at a stall?


    The stall was littered with fragments of various weapons, some damaged Jade Scrolls, and a bunch of miscellaneous weeds posing as medicinal herbs. There were faint strands of Spiritual Energy hovering around these fragments and weeds, a common trick used by vendors.


    By breaking a Spirit Stone, they let Spiritual Energy vaguely hover over these ordinary items, thus impersonating Spiritual Objects.


    As for whether they could be sold, it all depended on one''s own eloquence.


    And from the corner of this stall, there lay a rather rusted copper bracelet that looked extremely unremarkable, covered in dirt as if it had just been unearthed.


    He stopped in his tracks, squatting in front of the stall, and after a moment, he raised his head to look at the vendor and casually said, "I''ll take this bracelet, how much is it?"


    "A hundred low-grade Spirit Stones!"


    The stall vendor was a female cultivator who might have been doing this for the first time, as she was somewhat inexperienced. Her voice was thick with insecurity, even trembling, "Don''t underestimate this bracelet. Do you know of the battle thousands of years ago that turned the whole of Quzhou upside down?"


    "My great-great-great-grandfather was an eyewitness to that great battle, and this bracelet is from..."


    Before the female cultivator could finish speaking.


    Chen Qiu couldn''t help but laugh softly, waving his hand to signal Fat Long to pay before picking up the bracelet, standing up, and leaving. He tossed back a few casual remarks.


    "That bald vendor up front, is he your relative?"


    "You two use the same tactics."


    "When you lie, you have to look into the person''s eyes and speak with enough confidence."


    "Only if you can deceive yourself can you deceive others; if you''re not confident, how can you make others believe you?"