《Reborn as Xu Xuan, Plundering Perks & Flooding the Mountain Ling》 Chapter 1 - I Didnt Want to Become a Monk, So I Went to Mount Longhu to Find a Master! Chapter 1: I Didn¡¯t Want to Become a Monk, So I Went to Mount Longhu to Find a Master! ¡°Madam, how far is Mount Longhu from here?¡± ¡°Not too far, probably just two or three hundred miles!¡± The young man in the blue robes at the table nodded slightly, his thoughts drifting away. Xu Xuan was originally an ordinary game developer on Blue Star. One moment, he was working overtime on a game, and in the next, his vision went black. When he opened his eyes again, he had arrived in this world. At first, he thought he had travelled back to the feudal Song Dynasty. He was already fantasising about plagiarising poems, copying novels, making glass, producing soap, and planting sweet potatoes¡ªusing his modern knowledge to marry a princess and reach the pinnacle of life. But then, Xu Xuan accidentally learned the names of his sister and brother-in-law: Xu Jiaorong and Li Gongfu! At that moment, he felt like his entire world had collapsed! He lived in Qiantang where his parents died and was entirely dependent on his elder sister. His brother-in-law, Li Gongfu, works as a county constable. He had just arrived in this world and was already an unknown figure among the common folk. The moment he realised his identity, Xu Xuan briefly fantasised about the beauty of Lady Bai Suzhen. But that fantasy was quickly shattered by the terrifying thought of all the demons and, most importantly, Fahai! After three days and nights of contemplation, Xu Xuan reached a conclusion¡ªsomething that went against his ancestors¡¯ will. To prevent himself from being forced into monkhood by Fahai in the future, he decided to act first. He would become a Daoist instead! Why Mount Longhu, you ask? Mount Longhu was famous and prestigious with numerous disciples. Most importantly¡ªthe current Celestial Master Xu Jing was incredibly powerful! Mount Longhu¡¯s Celestial Masters had always followed strict rules, adhering to the feudal hierarchy of passing the position to the eldest legitimate heir. But this particular Celestial Master Xu Jing was an exception¡ªhe had gained his position purely through merit! It was said that he inherited the title at the age of nine. At twelve, the Emperor himself sent an envoy to invite him to exorcise a plague on Mount Longhu. When the Grand Commandant Hong mistakenly entered the Sealed Demon Hall, unleashing the Heavenly Spirits and Earthly Fiends, the Celestial Master rode a crane to Bianliang City, travelling eight hundred miles in a single day! A year later, the Emperor requested his assistance again to subdue the Dragon of Calamity in Jiezhou Salt Lake. At thirteen, the Celestial Master summoned Emperor Guan Sheng from the celestial realm to slay the demon over a thousand miles away! If it were in his past life, Xu Xuan would have thought this was just an exaggerated legend. But now¡­ joining Mount Longhu might be his best chance for survival! As for whether Daoists could marry and have children, it was the least of his concerns. Xu Xuan pondered as he took a sip from his water pouch. Not far away, behind the counter, a woman in a red veil and green robes watched him intently. The innkeeper adjusted her dress, pulling it down slightly, then walked over with a steaming hot plate of meat buns and placed it in front of Xu Xuan. ¡°Sir, here are the large meat buns you ordered!¡± As she leaned forward, her chest was momentarily exposed, and she even gave Xu Xuan two extra secret recipe buns¡ªfor free! If it were anyone else, they would have already succumbed to the temptation¡ªunknowingly eating the drugged food, only to wake up the next day as dumpling filling for the next batch of buns. But Xu Xuan didn¡¯t react at all. His expression froze, and his eyes went blank as if his soul had just left his body. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Xu Xuan carefully listened to the system¡¯s introduction, more focused than ever in his life. Once the explanation was over, he immediately opened the system panel. [Host: Xu Xuan] [Race: Human] [Realm: Mortal] [Divine Attributes: Twentieth-Life of Virtuous Man (Gold), Slightly Talented (White)] Benevolent Man of 20 lifetimes (Gold): Accumulated virtue over twenty lifetimes, brings continuous blessings and fortune. Encountering difficulties brings auspiciousness. Slightly Talented (White): You have some talent, but not much. [Currently, you have one opportunity to generate a trait, would you like to use it?] Great fortune comes with great joy! A brilliant smile appeared on Xu Xuan¡¯s face as he picked up the meat bun, preparing to take a big bite. But just as he glanced up, he shuddered. Above the seductive woman¡¯s head, a few lines of text appeared: [Name: Sun Erniang ? Mother Yaksha] [Race: Human] [Realm: Third Stage of the Body Refining] [Attributes: Earthly Strong Star (not activated), Enchantment (White), Poisoned Food Crafting (White)] Xu Xuan¡¯s brain went numb. He glanced back at the bun in his hand¡ªand just in time, he saw curled-up hair sticking out from the folds of the dough. His hand trembled, almost throwing the bun away. His stomach churned, and he felt utterly nauseated. ¡°Sir, why aren¡¯t you eating? Could it be that my buns don¡¯t suit your taste?¡± Sun Erniang leaned in closer, hoping to give him a memorable experience before his death. Xu Xuan gulped and forced himself to put on a dazed, infatuated expression. ¡°No, no, it¡¯s just that¡­¡± His words stumbled, but his mind worked faster than lightning¡ªif he didn¡¯t act fast, he¡¯d be turned into a meat bun himself! ¡°System, generate an attribute!¡± [Generating attribute¡­] [Twentieth-Life of Virtuous Man trait effect activated: ¡°Fortune Amidst Danger¡±] [Congratulations! You have acquired: ¡°Strong (White)¡±] [Strong (White): Your physique is stronger and more powerful than that of an ordinary person] A trace of joy flashed in Xu Xuan¡¯s eyes. Fortunately, the interference of this golden attribute had taken effect. Otherwise, if he had randomly drawn some useless ability, his little life would have been over right here. The next second, a surge of warmth suddenly erupted within his body. Xu Xuan could clearly feel the changes beneath his robes¡ªmuscles bulging and expanding, bones growing at an unnatural rate. He felt an immense surge of strength coursing through him. At this moment, he estimated he could at least take on two or three of his former self. But his opponent was, after all, a so-called ¡°Body Refining Stage Three¡± cultivator, so Xu Xuan dared not let his guard down in the slightest. ¡°Boss, how much are these buns in total?¡± While feigning polite conversation with Sun Erniang, he discreetly reached into his satchel, pretending to take out money for payment. Sun Erniang didn¡¯t care in the slightest and casually quoted a price. After all, in a short while, this young man and his money would be hers! ¡°Altogether, it¡¯s eight tales!¡± ¡°Boss, you better take care of that¡ª¡± Chapter 2 - Strong Enough to Carry a Cauldron! Its Just a Bit of Hardship! Chapter 2: Strong Enough to Carry a Cauldron! It¡¯s Just a Bit of Hardship! ¡°Make sure to keep it well!¡± Xu Xuan painfully forced these words through his teeth while a flash of cold light shot out from his bundle. By the time Sun Erniang reacted, a short blade, barely over a foot long, was already lodged in her chest. ¡°You, you¡­!¡± Xu Xuan tried hard to appear calm. With a forceful twist of the blade, he kicked her. Sun Erniang¡¯s plump body flew more than ten feet away, crashing into the tables and chairs, scattering them in all directions. Hearing the commotion, two burly men¡ªone tall, one short¡ªleapt out from the kitchen. [Name: Zhang Qing ? Vegetable Farmer] [Race: Human] [Realm: Second Stage of the Body Refining] [Attributes: Earthly Star of Punishment (not activated), Skinning and Dismembering (White), Farming Expert (White)] [Name: Xiao Er] [Race: Human] [Realm: Mortal] [Attributes: Dull-Witted (White)] Seeing Sun Erniang collapsed on the ground, Zhang Qing flew into a rage, his hair standing on end. He brandished his trident and charged forward. ¡°How dare you harm my wife? You will not live to see tomorrow!¡± Xu Xuan forced himself to calm down. With a flick of his toe, he sent a bench flying in disarray. Zhang Qing swung his fork, knocking the stool aside¡ª only to see Xu Xuan suddenly pull something out and fling it toward him! In an instant, a blinding white cloud filled his vision, and his eyes burned with searing pain! Xu Xuan had dared to travel alone to Mount Longhu to seek a master, so naturally, he had prepared thoroughly. He even carried two large firecrackers besides his short blade and lime powder! Zhang Qing had been weaker than Sun Erniang to begin with, and now, with his eyes blinded by the lime powder, his already limited strength dropped by forty to fifty per cent. Xu Xuan seized the opportunity, moving to the side. With one hand, he grabbed Zhang Qing¡¯s weapon, while the other repeatedly stabbed his body with the short blade. After two swift strikes, Zhang Qing no longer had any strength left to resist. As for the burly man Xiao Er, his attributes proved accurate. Instead of helping Zhang Qing, he just stood there, dumbfounded. Only after Zhang Qing¡¯s collapse did he snap to his senses. With a terrified scream, he dropped his kitchen knife and fled the scene. Xu Xuan remained on high alert but did not give chase. He knew his limits. Killing Sun Erniang and Zhang Qing had been a matter of luck and strategy. If he recklessly pursued them, he might end up being the one ambushed instead. Glancing at the bodies on the ground, then at the kitchen reeking of a strange, bloody stench, his relief at surviving turned into overwhelming fury and dread. Had the system not been activated in time, he would have been hacked into pieces in that very kitchen. Would he have ended up in a meat bun¡­ or as braised beef? Having narrowly escaped death, Xu Xuan didn¡¯t dare linger. He set fire to the black-market inn and ran for three or four miles before letting his guard down. [Host has killed Sun Erniang and Zhang Qing] [You have unlocked the attributes: Earthly Star of Vigour (Locked), Poison Crafting (White)] [You have unlocked the attributes: Earthly Star of Punishment (Locked), Skilled Farmer (White)] [Note: Earthly Star of Vigour and Earthly Star of Punishment are exclusive traits that cannot be unlocked.] [Option: These attributes can be merged with other traits. Would you like to proceed?] If they were unusable, what was the point of keeping them? Without hesitation, Xu Xuan chose to merge them¡ª fusing both into [Strength]. In an instant, a terrifying transformation began. In broad daylight, a glimmer of starlight suddenly flashed across the sky. Xu Xuan felt an intense heat surge through his body. His bones crackled, and his skin felt like it was about to peel away. If the previous power surges were like gentle streams, this was like a broken dam flooding rampantly! Moments later, drenched in sweat, Xu Xuan collapsed to the ground. When he finally got up, his entire physique had undergone an earth-shattering change. Originally around 1.7 meters tall¡ªwhich was already considered quite tall for this era¡ªhe had suddenly grown past 1.8 meters. His once frail body was now muscular, and lifting his robe revealed well-defined abdominal muscles. [Host: Xu Xuan] [Race: Human] [Realm: Fifth Stage of the Body Refining Realm] [Attributes: Benevolent Man of 20 lifetimes (Gold), Herculean Strength (Green), Poison Crafting (White), Skilled Farmer (White), Slight Talent (White)] Seeing his updated status panel, Xu Xuan couldn¡¯t hide his excitement. Three new attributes had appeared- one green and two white. [Poison Crafting (White)]: You can create simple poisons. [Skilled Farmer (White)]: You have some talent in farming. These white attributes were minor, but the newly upgraded [Herculean Strength]¡ªformed by merging [Earthly Star of Punishment] and [Earthly Star of Vigour]¡ªleft him overjoyed. [Herculean Strength]: You are incredibly strong and can lift objects weighing a thousand pounds. Whether he could lift the thousand-pound cauldron, Xu Xuan did not know. but when he casually yanked a small tree from the ground with its roots intact, he knew his strength had grown to unimaginable levels. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Jumping from a mere mortal to the Fifth Stage, his physical strength wasn¡¯t the only thing that had changed. His endurance and speed had also improved drastically. What was originally a six or seven-day journey, he compressed into an extreme three-day sprint. Panting heavily, Xu Xuan finally arrived at the foot of Mount Longhu. ¡°I am seeking a master to study the way of Dao.¡± The welcoming Daoist priest remained unfazed when he heard Xu Xuan¡¯s request. The Emperor of this dynasty had revived Daoism, and the people followed suit. As the head of the Heavenly Sect, the Celestial Master¡¯s Residence was a prominent Daoist stronghold. Many came to seek an apprenticeship, so the priest was long accustomed to such requests. ¡°Our sect welcomes all,¡± the priest said, ¡°but the Dao is not lightly passed down. If you wish to enter our gates, you must first serve as a menial worker for three years¡­¡± Xu Xuan nodded. As long as he wasn¡¯t rejected outright, he was fine with the terms. ¡°Many thanks, Daoist priest. I am willing!¡± ¡°Do you have any special skills?¡± Xu Xuan pondered for a moment before replying, ¡°I can read and write, and I once passed the scholar¡¯s examination. I also have some strength¡­ and I¡¯m skilled in farming.¡± The Daoist priest looked surprised. Xu Xuan was already a scholar¡ªhis path to officialdom in the Imperial Palace was wide open. ¡°You have a bright future ahead. Why have you come all the way to this secluded place to endure hardships?¡± ¡°Even if you complete your servitude, you must still pass a test and find a master willing to accept you¡­¡± Xu Xuan discreetly observed the priest¡¯s head¡ª a dazzling array of attributes shimmered like neon lights. [Golden Light Mantra] emanating a mystical purple aura, [Introduction to Thunder Magic] in red and purple text and [Dragon¡¯s Stride, Tiger¡¯s Gait] flickered in blue¡­ Xu Xuan subtly wiped away the drool at the corner of his mouth. Shaking his head, he declared righteously: ¡°A sharpened sword emerges from relentless grinding; plum blossoms bloom through the harshest winter! Only by paving the way with hardship can one cultivate true enlightenment! If I can attain the true Dao, what¡¯s a little suffering in comparison?¡± Chapter 3 - Upgrade Rush! Farming Makes Me Happy~ Chapter 3: Upgrade Rush! Farming Makes Me Happy~ ¡°Such resilience! Excellent! What a fine statement, ¡®A sharp sword is forged through grinding, and the fragrance of plum blossoms comes from the bitter winter! Since your determination to seek the path is so firm, I naturally cannot stand in your way.¡¯¡± The Daoist steward repeatedly praised him, his admiration evident. ¡°Take my token and report to the miscellaneous duties office, tell them I have assigned you to cultivate the farmland and medicinal fields!¡± Upon hearing this, Xu Xuan froze. He had assumed the elder¡¯s delight would earn him an easy task, but in the end, he couldn¡¯t escape the fate of ploughing fields and planting vegetables. In the blink of an eye, Xu Xuan had already spent three months on Mount Longhu. Apart from morning and evening cultivation sessions, his days were filled with ploughing, weeding, watering, and carrying manure. If not for his cultivation reaching the Fifth Level of the Body Refining Realm and the enhancement of [Herculean Strength], Xu Xuan estimated he wouldn¡¯t have lasted even a month before fleeing! At the same time, he realized that the Daoist steward had indeed taken care of him¡ªcompared to other miscellaneous duties, farming was quite easy! In these three months, he had not been without gains. On the contrary, his harvest far exceeded his expectations. First, after joining Mount Longhu for a month, he received a Qi-nurturing technique specifically prepared for outer disciples. Though this technique was mediocre and could not compare with the Golden Light Incantation, it was stable and gentle, making it perfect for a complete novice like Xu Xuan. Secondly, his understanding of the system had improved. He discovered that the system¡¯s so-called ¡°defeating opponents¡± did not necessarily require physical combat. For example, in arm wrestling, meditation, or even farming, as long as he could get an opponent to agree to a competition and win, he could obtain random abilities from them. [Host: Xu Xuan] [Race: Human] [Realm: Seventh Level of the Body Refining] [Cultivation Method: Longhu Qi-Nurturing Technique] [Abilities: Benevolent Man of 20 lifetimes (Gold), Herculean Strength (Green), Beginner Fist Techniques (White), Beginner Leg Techniques (White), Poison Brewing (White), Expert Pharmacist (White), Skilled Farmer (White), Some Literary Talent (White)] Fusion Chances: 1 Luck: 89 Generate attributes now? sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Looking at the long list of abilities, Xu Xuan felt immense satisfaction¡ªthey were like the crops he had harvested himself. After admiring them for a moment, Xu Xuan exhaled deeply. ¡°System, fuse abilities!¡± Under his mental command, dozens of white-tier abilities quickly merged. [Beginner Fist Techniques] and [Beginner Leg Techniques] fused together. [Poison Brewing], [Tranquilizer Crafting], and [Expert Pharmacist] combined into one. As for [Skilled Farmer], [Good Appetite and Sleep], [Muscular Build]¡­he merged them all into [Herculean Strength]. Soon, three new abilities were formed, flickering in bold green text: Proficient Martial Arts (Green): Mastery of basic fist and leg techniques. Expert Pharmacist (Green): Skilled in crafting various medicines and understanding their principles. Strength of Nine Bulls and Two Tigers (Green): Possesses the strength of nine strong oxen and two fierce tigers. Seeing his new abilities, Xu Xuan was very pleased. [Proficient Martial Arts] and [Expert Pharmacist] were self-explanatory. But [Strength of Nine Bulls and Two Tigers], despite being green-tier, was clearly superior to [Herculean Strength]. Not only had his strength more than doubled, but his stamina and endurance had also significantly increased. ¡°In just three months, I have advanced from an ordinary mortal to the Seventh Level of the Body Refining. I now possess immense strength, martial skills, and pharmaceutical expertise. A little more time and suppressing Fahai will be effortless!¡± The thought of beating up Fahai filled Xu Xuan with excitement, making even his usual chores feel more enjoyable. Unfortunately, the peaceful days didn¡¯t last long. Once others confirmed that Xu Xuan had no significant background, trouble soon found its way to him. ¡°Junior Brother Xu, not busy today? I have something to do. Could you carry some manure for me?¡± At that moment, Xu Xuan appeared to be hoeing the ground. In reality, most of his focus was on refining his fist techniques. Hearing the voice, he looked up and saw a burly man, fat and heavy. Despite wearing a Daoist robe, the man lacked any semblance of serenity. Instead, he resembled a mountain bandit who had taken control of a fortress. ¡°First of all, I busy right now! Secondly, even if I wasn¡¯t, I still wouldn¡¯t help you! Lastly, I joined before you, so technically, you should be calling me Senior Brother!¡± The burly man grinned. ¡°I¡¯m calling you Junior Brother out of courtesy! Carry the manure without fuss if you know what¡¯s good for you. Otherwise, my fists will do the talking!¡± Seeing the name above his round head, Xu Xuan raised his head again, examining the man carefully¡ªas if looking at a rare treasure. [Fan Rui ? Demon King] [Realm: Sixth Level of the Body Refining] [Abilities: Earthly Star (Locked), Phantom Technique (Green), Master of Hidden Weapons (Green)] [Beginner Swordsmanship (White)] ¡°Demon King Fan Rui?¡± Fan Rui paused. ¡°Demon King? That¡¯s a pretty good title! In honour of that name, I¡¯ll spare you a punch. Just obediently carry the manure and help with the farming from now on. If you do that, I¡¯ll let your earlier rudeness slide¡­¡± Xu Xuan had no intention of indulging him. If he was afraid of someone like Fan Rui, then all his effort in learning these skills would be meaningless. ¡°Get lost¡ª¡± Fan Rui¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°You brat, refusing to respect me, huh?!¡± He stepped forward to make his move, but several other outer disciples intervened. A few held back Fan Rui, while others tried to persuade Xu Xuan. ¡°Junior Brother Xu, why are you so stubborn?¡± ¡°A wise man knows when to back down.¡± ¡°Just agree for now, then report him later¡­¡± Xu Xuan chuckled without responding, but his face clearly said: ¡°You don¡¯t understand! Fan Rui is different from us.¡± ¡°We joined because we had nowhere else to go, just hoping for a meal. I know you¡¯re strong, but you¡¯ve never learned real martial arts.¡± ¡°Fan Rui, on the other hand, comes from a wealthy family and has trained since childhood. Once, three disciples stood up to him together, but he took them down in just a few moves!¡± ¡°I saw it with my own eyes¡ªhe¡¯s truly ruthless¡­¡± As everyone whispered, one disciple added mysteriously: ¡°Besides martial arts, Fan Rui might also know spells!¡± ¡°Spells? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Last time, one of the disciples who had been beaten was my fellow townsman¡­ He said that when he leapt forward, he grabbed Fan Rui, but in the end, he caught nothing but air. Instead, he got a solid kick in the back¡­¡± Chapter 4 - Starting Strong! Is This the So-Called Demon King? Chapter 4: Starting Strong! Is This the So-Called Demon King? ¡°Is he really that formidable?¡± ¡°Well, better safe than sorry. If we can avoid a fight, we should.¡± A murmur of hushed whispers spread through the crowd as all eyes turned to Xu Xuan. Although Xu Xuan stood over eight feet tall, his loose Daoist robe concealed his muscular build. Instead of appearing powerful, his towering height made him look somewhat lanky. His calm and composed demeanour was mistaken by the onlookers as the frail weakness of a bookish scholar. With no battle record to speak of, he was incomparable to Fan Rui, a martial artist proficient in spells. ¡°Senior Brother Xu, just admit your defeat!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that big of a deal!¡± ¡°Anything is better than getting beaten up by Fan Rui, right?¡± Xu Xuan paid them no mind but was calculating inwardly: At that moment, Fan Rui, seeing Xu Xuan remain silent for long, became truly enraged. With a sudden movement, his arms¡ªthicker than most men¡¯s thighs¡ªshook violently. The two disciples standing in his way were instantly sent tumbling to the ground. ¡°Xu Xuan, you bastard! If I don¡¯t teach you a lesson today¡­People might start thinking I, Fan Rui, am a pushover!¡± Fan Rui immediately charged at Xu Xuan. The disciples surrounding them, intimidated by his aggression, scattered in all directions. ¡°Senior Brother Xu, run!¡± S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Run? Why should I run?¡± Xu Xuan stood motionless, seemingly frozen in fear. The disciples watching from the sidelines clenched their fists in frustration. ¡°Senior Brother Xu is doomed!¡± ¡°Scholars always have stiff necks¡ªwhy can¡¯t he just back down a little?¡± ¡°Hurry, go get the mentor!¡± ¡°Fan Rui is ruthless¡ªwho knows how badly he¡¯ll beat him up¡­¡± Meanwhile, Fan Rui had already reached Xu Xuan. Without even fully setting his feet down, he wasted no time in attacking. A scholar with no experience in martial arts wasn¡¯t worth any hesitation! His massive fist, the size of a sandpot, whooshed through the air, aiming straight for Xu Xuan¡¯s chest. Yet, just as the iron fist was about to land, Xu Xuan moved. Not in a panic. Not in desperation. With unhurried precision, he raised both hands like a dragon emerging from the sea. At the same time, a handful of grey powder was flung out. With the strength of and the power of the Seventh Stage cultivation, the powder burst in mid-air, instantly spreading like mist across a radius of several feet. A strange fragrance rapidly filled the air. Fan Rui, caught off guard, charged directly into the cloud. Before he could react, his face and mouth were covered in the strange powder. The so-called Demon King rolled his eyes back and collapsed to the ground without uttering a single word. Xu Xuan stepped aside to avoid Fan Rui¡¯s falling body and sneered. ¡°That¡¯s all you¡¯ve got, Demon King?¡± No sooner had he spoken than he heard ¡ªthe sound of more bodies hitting the ground. ¡°What the¡ª? This drug is a little effective?¡± Xu Xuan looked around. Every single onlooker had collapsed, knocked unconscious by the airborne drug. ¡°¡­If I had known it was this strong, I would¡¯ve used less! Now I have to wake them up one by one¡­ What a pain.¡± Fan Rui, despite being a Sixth Stage fighter skilled in illusions, had fallen victim to Xu Xuan¡¯s mere tricks. To be safe, he had opted for full power from the start. But he never expected his ability to create such a ridiculously potent knockout powder. Not only had it taken down Fan Rui, but also every single disciple in the vicinity! Xu Xuan sighed and pulled out the antidote. Just then, a disciple arrived with an inner sect mentor. The two newcomers froze in shock at the sight before them. ¡°Xu Xuan, you¡ª¡± Xu Xuan quickly explained, ¡°Senior Brother, don¡¯t worry! They¡¯re just unconscious!¡± The mentor sighed in relief. ¡°Damn it, Xu Xuan, you nearly scared me to death! For a second, I thought you were some kind of¡ª¡± He fumbled halfway, his body trembling as if weighed down by a mountain. His head turned slowly. The disciple who had accompanied him¡ªthe one who was perfectly fine just moments ago¡ªhad slumped against him like a boulder. It was only then that the overseer realized¡­They, too, had accidentally inhaled Xu Xuan¡¯s knockout powder. ¡°D-don¡¯t worry, Senior Brother! I¡¯ll administer the antidote immediately!¡± With a , the mentor fainted. Xu Xuan let out another sigh, shaking his head. ¡°Looks like I really overdid it¡­¡± As he began administering the antidote, a system notification suddenly popped up: [Congratulations! You have defeated Inner Sect Disciple Jing Ming!] [Reward: Random Attribute ¨C Longhu Slay Evil Sword Technique (Blue)] [Congratulations! You have defeated Outer Sect Disciple ¡°Demon King¡± Fan Rui!] [Reward: Random Attribute ¨C Phantom Technique (Green)] [Congratulations! You have defeated Outer Sect Disciple Deng Tiezhu!] [Reward: Random Attribute¨C Village Gossip (White)] ¡­ [Congratulations! You have defeated Outer Sect Disciple Liu Dabiao!] [Reward: Random Attribute¨C Midnight Widow-Kicker (White)] Xu Xuan¡¯s face flushed with excitement as the floating traits filled his vision. His hands, which had been treating the unconscious disciples, slowed down. ¡°I struck gold! I¡¯m rich!¡± While Xu Xuan was practically dancing with joy, chaos erupted throughout the Celestial Master¡¯s Temple. ¡°Where are the disciples supposed to chop firewood? The water tanks are empty¡ªwho¡¯s fetching water? Are we even getting dinner tonight? The side gate is so filthy! No one¡¯s cleaned it up? There are bird droppings everywhere! Master Xuan Yan just stepped in a whole pile¡ªhis face turned dark as hell!¡± ¡°He kept chanting the Clear Heart Mantra at least a dozen times¡ª¡± Xu Xuan, meanwhile, was still grinning. After all, he was now a rich man. ¡°This is strange. The disciples are usually quite diligent. How did they all suddenly slack off today? And not just one or two, but more than a dozen of them, all at the same time?¡± ¡°The disciple in charge of the chores today should be Jing Ming, right? Where is he?¡± ¡°Wait, why is Junior Brother Jing Ming also missing? Could something have happened¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible. It¡¯s one thing if the chore disciples are missing. But Jing Ming is an inner sect disciple at the first level of the Innate realm, and he wields a fine sword technique.¡± ¡°Even a fully armed squad of imperial guards wouldn¡¯t be his match! Besides, this is Mount Longhu, our Celestial Master¡¯s Sect¡¯s territory! Who could possibly pull off something like this right under our noses?¡± TL Note: (Village Gossip) is a humorous and unexpected skill name, suggesting a skill that might relate to spreading rumours or information, perhaps even a buff or debuff effect. Chapter 5 - Early Assessment! Can the Rules Be Broken? Chapter 5: Early Assessment! Can the Rules Be Broken? ¡°Alright, what¡¯s the point of discussing this now? Does anyone know where Jing Ming went last?¡± Everyone turned to look at the group of disciples from the Servants¡¯ Court. A slightly older disciple immediately stepped forward: ¡°Reporting to Master Shouxin, an hour ago, a servant disciple reported that some disciples were having a private duel in the back mountain. Senior Brother Jing Ming went over to check, but he never returned¡­¡± Daoist Shouxin, who was in charge of the Servants¡¯ Court, frowned. ¡°An hour? And none of you went to check?¡± The inner sect disciple looked uneasy, their gaze flickering with fear. ¡°Half an hour ago, Senior Brother Jing Ling took three servant disciples to search for him, but they haven¡¯t returned either¡­¡± Two inner sect disciples had disappeared in the back mountain. Not daring to delay, they immediately reported to Daoist Shouxin. However, before they could explain, Daoist Shouxin had already begun reprimanding them. ¡°What? Jing Ling is missing too?¡± S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Now that he heard the full story, Daoist Shouxin couldn¡¯t help but gasp. ¡°Could it be that a formidable enemy has invaded Mount Longhu? Stay here and don¡¯t move around recklessly! I will report this to the Elder immediately!¡± Moments later, a startled exclamation echoed from the Alchemy Chamber of the Celestial Master¡¯s Temple. ¡°What? Something happened in the back mountain?¡± The Elder in charge of the Celestial Master¡¯s Mansion that day was Master Xuan Mu, an elder of the Alchemy Sect, one of the four main sects. Upon hearing about the incident, the elderly Daoist with white hair and beard flared his nostrils in anger. ¡°Damn it! Truly damn it! Why is it that nothing happens when others are on duty, but as soon as it¡¯s my turn, chaos erupts? My batch of Elixir of Fleeting Life is about to be completed! If I leave now, all my efforts will be wasted!¡± Daoist Shouxin clasped his hands together and smiled bitterly. ¡°Master, please step in and help¡­¡± Master Xuan Mu pouted in displeasure. Even though he didn¡¯t want to go, he knew this was serious. ¡°The back mountain, huh? You, watch the fire for me here. I¡¯ll be right back! If my Elixir of Fleeting Life gets ruined, I¡¯ll make you copy the Daoist Scripts a hundred times!¡± As he spoke, golden light flickered around Master Xuan Mu¡¯s body, and in the blink of an eye, he had vanished. In just a single breath, the old monk arrived at the back mountain. As soon as he entered, he wrinkled his brows. ¡°This scent¡­ is from the Anshen Flower? But why is the smell so strong? There¡¯s also Snake Tongue Grass and Viper Vine¡­¡± Master Xuan Mu walked forward while discerning the fragrances. In a few strides, he reached the medicinal field at the edge of the back mountain. There, a tall young man was picking herbs while muttering to himself: ¡°Damn it! I¡¯m in trouble now! I never expected this Drunken-Dream Powder to be so powerful. And I never thought I¡¯d run out of antidote! Am I going to get expelled from Mount Longhu¡­?¡± Xu Xuan muttered while swiftly gathering herbs. Suddenly, he heard shouts from nearby. ¡°Master Xuan Mu!¡± Jing Ling and Jing Ming, now awake, looked embarrassed upon seeing Master Xuan Mu. As inner sect disciples and Innate-level martial artists of Mount Longhu, being taken down by a mere servant disciple¡ªeven if drugged¡ªwas utterly humiliating! Yet, to their surprise, Master Xuan Mu didn¡¯t even spare them a glance. His eyes swept over the fallen inner sect and servant disciples before landing on the only one still standing¡ªXu Xuan. ¡°Boy, you made this sleeping powder?¡± Facing the elderly Daoist, Xu Xuan couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous. Mount Longhu had many ranking systems¡ªXu, Xuan, Shou, and Jing¡ªbut that wasn¡¯t the main issue. What really stunned him was the glaring title display above the old Daoist¡¯s head: [Master Xuan Mu ? Mount Longhu] [Race: Human] [Realm: Golden Core, First Transformation] [Skills: Golden Light Divine Incantation (Purple), Grandmaster of Alchemy (Red), Wind Manipulation (Red), Thunder Palm (Red), Three-Colored Flame (Red), Dragon¡¯s Stride (Blue), Master of Swords (Blue)¡­] Xu Xuan swallowed nervously. But deep down, he wasn¡¯t scared¡ªhe was drooling in awe! Never mind the fact that Golden Light Divine Incantation was clearly superior to the basic Golden Light Spell, the Wind Manipulation, Thunder Palm, and Three-Colored Flame were all authentic Daoist spells! While salivating, Xu Xuan quickly responded, ¡°Reporting to Master Xuan Mu! I made it, but I didn¡¯t mean to cause trouble. I just didn¡¯t expect the Dream Drunken Powder to be this potent¡­¡± Master Xuan Mu had already figured everything out. He was only asking to confirm. ¡°Drunken-Dream Powder? That¡¯s a good name! Not many sleeping drugs can affect Innate-level cultivators. Did you come up with the formula yourself, or did you learn it from somewhere?¡± Xu Xuan took a deep breath. He knew this was his chance. This was the moment to showcase his talent! If he could impress Master Xuan Mu, he might soar to greatness! ¡°I created it myself! The Drunken Dream Powder was originally derived from ordinary knockout drugs¡­¡± Xu Xuan didn¡¯t hesitate to explain his entire process. Master Xuan Mu listened attentively, nodding repeatedly while secretly observing him. The moment Xu Xuan finished speaking, Master Xuan Mu suddenly grabbed his wrist with lightning speed. Before Xu Xuan could react, his pulse was already taken. Master Xuan Mu muttered to himself for a moment before smiling. ¡°Boy, fortune has smiled upon you! I will conduct a special assessment for you today. If you pass, you can enter my Alchemy Sect!¡± The Celestial Master¡¯s Temple on Mount Longhu had one mansion, one palace, four sects, and six academies. The Mansion was the residence and training ground for the direct descendants of the Zhang family. The Palace, Daqing Palace, was where deities were worshipped, Daoist gatherings were held, and grand rituals took place. It was also the training ground for elders and true disciples. The Four Sects were Alchemy, Talisman, Weapon Forging, and Combat. The Combat Sect was responsible for exorcising demons. Only by entering one of these four sects could one become a true disciple of Mount Longhu. ¡°Thank you, Master Xuan Mu! I will do my best!¡± Hearing this, Xu Xuan¡¯s face lit up with joy. He had struggled to reach Mount Longhu precisely for this moment! Meanwhile, the other servant disciples who had woken up couldn¡¯t help but look on with envy and resentment. Xu Xuan had only been here for a few months, yet he had already caught the eye of a Sect elder and was granted a special assessment! They had to toil for three years just to get a chance! Comparing oneself to others was truly frustrating! Of all the outer disciples boiling in envy, the most infuriated was Fan Rui. The more Fan Rui thought about it, the angrier he became. Looking up, he felt as if all the gazes around him were mocking him. Gritting his teeth, Fan Rui suddenly stepped forward. ¡°Master Xuan Mu, I believe this decision is inappropriate! The rules of Mount Longhu require three years of servitude before one can take the assessment. When I joined, I never heard of such exceptions!¡± Chapter 6 - Difficulty Is Through the Roof? No Worries, Let Me Level Up First Chapter 6: Difficulty Is Through the Roof? No Worries, Let Me Level Up First ¡°I never heard of any exceptions being made when I joined!¡± The other outer disciples immediately fell silent. It was clear that Fan Rui¡¯s words had struck a nerve. As the saying goes, it¡¯s not about having little but about fairness¡ªif Xu Xuan could get special permission to take the assessment early, why couldn¡¯t they? Even inner disciples like Jing Ming and Jing Ling exchanged glances, feeling uneasy. After all, even they had endured three long years before qualifying for the assessment! Master Xuan Mu chuckled as he looked at Fan Rui, his wise eyes seeming to discern his thoughts. ¡°And what do you propose?¡± Fan Rui met Master Xuan Mu¡¯s gaze and he felt a sudden chill, as if his thoughts had been seen through. But he had already made up his mind. He had already offended Xu Xuan¡ªand if Xu Xuan became an inner sect disciple, then Fan Rui¡¯s path in Mount Longhu would become rocky. At this point, the only option left was to sabotage Xu Xuan¡¯s assessment. Fan Rui might still have a glimmer of hope if Xu Xuan failed today. ¡°Master, your status is exalted, and if you wish to make an exception, naturally, we have nothing to say. But since you believe he has extraordinary potential, the difficulty of this assessment cannot be ordinary. If he¡¯s just average, how can he be worthy of such special treatment?¡± With just a few words, Fan Rui had put Master Xuan Mu in a difficult spot. Whether it was Jing Ling, Jing Ming, or even the servant disciples, including those who usually got along with Xu Xuan, nodded silently in agreement. ¡°That is indeed true! Xu Xuan, are you willing to accept the challenge?¡± Xu Xuan gritted his teeth in frustration¡ªif he had known this would happen, he wouldn¡¯t have given Fan Rui the antidote earlier. Letting him sleep for three days and three nights, or better yet, forever, would¡¯ve been so much better! Now, he had no choice but to accept. If he refused, not only would he miss a great opportunity, but he would also embarrass Master Xuan Mu, who had recommended him. Even if he took the test later, getting into the Alchemy Sect would become nearly impossible. ¡°I accept!¡± ¡°Excellent!¡± Seeing Xu Xuan¡¯s confidence and decisiveness, Master Xuan Mu let out a sigh of relief and smiled in satisfaction. If Xu Xuan had refused, he truly would have lost his face. ¡°Since you accept, let¡¯s not delay any further! Jing Ming, go inform the Sect masters! Tell them the Alchemy Sect is assessing a disciple early and ask them to bear witness!¡± Master Xuan Mu led Xu Xuan toward the Alchemy Sect. Meanwhile, the outer disciples resumed their work¡ªfetching water and chopping wood. Those who worked in the medicinal fields, including Fan Rui, exchanged glances. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Should we go watch? Will we get punished by the elders?¡± Fan Rui gritted his teeth and stepped forward. With a petty mindset, he thought that the bigger the scene, the better it was for him. That way, Master Xuan Mu would at least have some reservations and wouldn¡¯t openly favour Xu Xuan to let him pass. ¡°Let¡¯s go. If anything happens, I¡¯ll take the blame!¡± The outer disciples had already been itching to spectate. Now that Fan Rui had taken the lead, they ran like a bat out of hell. Soon, the Alchemy Sect¡¯s grand hall was packed with disciples, and even the masters of the Talisman, Weapon Forging, and Combat Sects had arrived. ¡°Lao Mu, why did you call us here in such a hurry?¡± ¡°Hurry up, I still need to supervise those kids drawing talismans!¡± Master Xuan Mu cleared his throat and stepped aside, revealing Xu Xuan. ¡°I called you all here today for an early assessment of a disciple.¡± ¡°An early assessment? There hasn¡¯t been a precedent for this before, right?¡± ¡°He¡¯s just an outer disciple. He does look strong, but not particularly special¡­¡± The masters scrutinized Xu Xuan, not seeing anything remarkable about him. ¡°Because this is an exception, the difficulty of the assessment will be increased accordingly. Xu Xuan will have to refine a Bone Restoration Pill within three hours.¡± The three other Sect masters froze at the announcement. After a long silence, Xuan Mo, Master of the Talisman Sect finally broke the silence. ¡°Old Man Mu, do you want to accept him or not? If you didn¡¯t want to, you wouldn¡¯t have called us here. But if you did want to, why would you have him refine a Bone Restoration Pill?¡± Xuan Yan, Master of the Weapon Forging Sect chimed in next. ¡°If I remember correctly, disciples entering the Alchemy Sect, like those in the Weapon Forging Sect, first start by learning fire control and temperature regulation. They then study medicinal herbs, pharmacology, and alchemical principles, and only in their third year do they begin refining even simple pills. Bone Restoration Pills may not be top-tier, but they aren¡¯t beginner-level either. Having a complete novice refine this¡ªthe assessment seems improbable?¡± Xuan Ming, Master of the Combat Sect didn¡¯t say anything, his expression agreed with them. Their discussion wasn¡¯t exactly private, so all the disciples present could hear everything loud and clear. ¡°Bone Restoration Pill? You mean the one that can regrow flesh and heal bones?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that miraculous, but it does speed up healing and stop bleeding. It¡¯s one of the best external healing pills available today.¡± ¡°I heard Alchemy Sect disciples train for three years before they¡¯re allowed to refine it. And even then, they have a decent chance of failure¡­¡± ¡°That means this test will be really tough for Senior Brother Xu! What a shame¡ªhe finally got an opportunity, but now¡­¡± Fan Rui, however, was overjoyed. To him, the harder the assessment, the better. Ideally, Xu Xuan would fail miserably! ¡°If it¡¯s an exception, it should be worthy of such talent! If he¡¯s not talented enough, he should just come back and farm with us, and after three years, he can take an easier test like the rest of us.¡± As soon as farming was mentioned, the servant disciples¡¯ sympathy for Xu Xuan vanished completely. It was the classic case of ¡® Inside the hall, Xu Xuan felt his head throb. Just moments ago, Master Xuan Mu explained the process and principles of refining the Bone Restoration Pill to him. But knowing the theory and actually making it were two different things. It was like in his previous life¡ªmany countries knew how to build nuclear bombs, but only a few could do it. Xu Xuan quietly activated the system. ¡°System, merge [Skilled Farmer]¡­ [Village Gossip], [Phantom Step], and convert them all into skills for [Expert Alchemist]!¡± At his command, the newly acquired traits turned into countless white light particles, swirling around him, merging into his alchemy skills. Even his newly acquired Phantom Step skill was sacrificed. The faint green glow of Alchemy Expertise deepened¡ª [Congratulations, Host! You¡¯ve acquired the new skill: Master of Alchemy (Blue)] Chapter 7 - More Than One Talent? This Guy Has Several! Chapter 7: More Than One Talent? This Guy Has Several! [Master of Alchemy (Blue): The host is proficient in various potion-making methods and principles and can innovate to some extent.] Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Xu Xuan let out a sigh of relief as he finally completed his transformation. With such a mastery of the alchemy skills, this assessment should be a breeze! ¡°Xu Xuan, you may begin!¡± Nodding, Xu Xuan swiftly got to work. The assessing masters and the onlooking disciples all widened their eyes in anticipation. ¡°This disciple seems to have a natural talent for herbal identification. He gathered all the necessary ingredients in just a few breaths! I must admit, Lao Mu does have an eye for talent!¡± Master Xuan Mu stroked his beard with a proud expression. ¡°If he had no potential, why would I make an exception for him? You don¡¯t know, but earlier today, he refined a batch of Drunken Dream Powder in the back mountains. It knocked out more than a dozen servant disciples¡ªincluding two inner sect disciples!¡± Hearing this, Xuan Yan, Xuan Ming, and Xuan Mo Master¡¯s expressions turned serious. Knocking out outer disciples was one thing; their cultivation was usually no higher than the Body Refining realm. But the inner sect disciples were at least at the Seventh Level of the Body Refining Realm, with some even being Innate-level experts. There were certainly potions capable enough to knock them out, but for someone of Xu Xuan¡¯s age to have refined such a concoction was highly unusual. Still, Xuan Ming, Master of the Combat Sect shook his head. ¡°Just because he had a powerful drug doesn¡¯t mean he made it himself. Even if he did, it could have been pure luck or years of experimentation.¡± Master Xuan Yan and Xuan Mo nodded in agreement. Whether in alchemy, Weapon Forging, or Talisman crafting, mastery required both practice and a bit of luck. Even a fool might succeed by accident, But one¡¯s luck doesn¡¯t prove his Innate talent. ¡°Enough talk, he¡¯s about to start his first refinement! Whether he truly has talent or if it was just luck¡­We¡¯ll know soon enough.¡± Two loud crashes interrupted the discussion. The servant disciples looked toward the hall¡¯s centre, stunned. Xu Xuan stood in the middle, holding a furnace¡ªwhich was the size of half a human¡ªin each hand, casually moving them from the alchemy chamber to the main hall. ¡°What¡­ How is this possible?! These furnaces may not be made of top-tier materials, but¡­ They¡¯re crafted from refined iron and bronze to withstand explosions!¡± ¡°Each furnace weighs at least half a tonne! And he¡¯s holding one in each hand effortlessly¡ªdoesn¡¯t that mean he has the strength of half a tonne in each arm?!¡± Master Xuan Ming¡¯s eyes lit up. However, despite his internal excitement, he deliberately spoke dismissively. ¡°Impressive brute strength, but it¡¯s useless for alchemy. I say we end the assessment early.¡± Xu Xuan then stacked firewood and lit the flames. In less than fifteen minutes, towering flames engulfed the furnaces, heatwaves filled the entire hall. The iron-bronze furnaces glowed red-hot. Xuan Yan, Master of the Weapon Forging Sect raised an eyebrow. Alchemy and Weapon Forging both required fire control¡ªbut alchemy demanded precision, while Weapon Forging focused on extreme heat. The hotter the flames, the better they burned away impurities in metals. Master Xuan Yan, although outwardly composed, was already scheming internally. Before Xuan Yan could act, Xuan Ming, Master of the Combat Sect spoke up again. ¡°Xuan Mu, this test is far too difficult. And this kid is too ambitious, trying to control two furnaces at once. He¡¯ll fail at this rate. I suggest we end the assessment early!¡± Master Xuan Yan immediately saw an opportunity and chimed in. ¡°Xuan Ming is right! We should end the assessment now!¡± Master Xuan Mo, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up as well. ¡°I agree!¡± Master Xuan Mu stared at them in disbelief. For a brief moment, he even began to doubt himself. Had he truly made the wrong decision by allowing this early assessment? As the four sect masters argued, the disciples outside whispered among themselves. ¡°What¡¯s happening inside?¡± ¡°I heard they¡¯re ending the assessment?¡± ¡°He just started¡ªwhy end it now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious¡ªXu Xuan must be failing!¡± Hearing this, Fan Rui was ecstatic. ¡°Really?!¡± ¡°Of course! I heard Master Xuan Yan and Xuan Ming both say so!¡± ¡°And honestly, this test was unfairly difficult.¡± ¡°Even alchemy disciples with four or five years of training can¡¯t guarantee success every time. And Xu Xuan had never even seen this pill before today!¡± ¡°How could he possibly succeed?¡± ¡°I thought we were witnessing a miracle, but¡­ !¡± Inside the hall, a long silence followed. Then, Master Xuan Mu suddenly asked: ¡°If we stop the assessment now¡­ what happens to Xu Xuan?¡± Master Xuan Ming hesitated, but Master Xuan Yan immediately spoke. ¡°This kid at least has some strength¡­ Let him join the Weapon Forging Sect as a fire-stoking assistant.¡± Master Xuan Ming, realizing he was losing ground, quickly countered: ¡°That¡¯s a bad idea! This kid is too arrogant, trying to control two furnaces at once. If he stokes flames recklessly, he might cause an explosion! I should take him to the Combat Sect for proper training!¡± Master Xuan Mo scoffed. ¡°If you two think Xu Xuan is useless, then neither the Combat Sect nor the Weapon Forging Sect should take him. I just had my disciples investigate. Xu Xuan is literate and even passed the imperial exam as a scholar. So, he must have some talent for calligraphy and painting. Why don¡¯t I take him into the Talisman Sect as a scribe? That way, you two won¡¯t have to worry about him anymore!¡± Chapter 8 - A Pill to the Size of a Fist? Who Are You Trying to Fool? Chapter 8: A Pill to the Size of a Fist? Who Are You Trying to Fool? ¡°You, you, and you! You¡¯re all lying through your teeth!¡± Master Xuan Mu might be old, but he wasn¡¯t stupid. From the very beginning, something felt off. And by now, he could clearly see what these three were scheming. Master Xuan Yan and Xuan Ming at least looked a little guilty, But Master Xuan Mo, with his thick skin, remained perfectly calm. ¡°Senior Brother, tell me¡ªwhat exactly did we say that was wrong?¡± Xuan Mu was about to respond, but he couldn¡¯t find a flaw in their argument. Technically, the assessment wasn¡¯t over yet. Xuan Yan, Xuan Ming, and Xuan Mo were just making predictions. Frustrated, Xuan Mu could only huff, ¡°Fine, I get why the Weapon Forging and the Combat sect want him, but why in the world does a Talisman master like you want to interfere?¡± Master Xuan Mo chuckled. ¡°Who would turn down a good thing? If they¡¯re all fighting over him, I might as well join in too! As for whether he¡¯s worth it, I¡¯ll decide after I get him.¡± Master Xuan Yan and Xuan Ming both nodded in agreement, while Xuan Mu rolled his eyes so hard they nearly fell out. ¡°Hmph! And what makes you so sure that Xu Xuan can¡¯t refine this pill? What if he¡¯s a once-in-a-millennia prodigy and gets it right on his first try?¡± ¡°Senior Brother¡­ do you honestly believe that? If I recall correctly¡­ You, a Master of Alchemy, first practised with Cooling Elixir, and even you took seven whole days to succeed. This Bone Restoration Pill is several times harder than that. Ha¡­ Do you really believe he can do it?¡± Xuan Mu fell silent, but internally, he was full of regret. Amidst all this chaos, Xu Xuan was refining the pill at his own pace, oblivious to the wildfire he ignited. With [Master of Alchemy] as a support, he had already mastered the process for the Bone Restoration Pill. Adjusting the heat at just the right moments, and adding ingredients in the precise order and quantity¡ªhis movements were smooth and precise¡ªhe was steady as a veteran. He had a natural talent for alchemy! Not only that¡ªhis Herculean strength and fire control skills¡­If Xuan Mu lost him, he¡¯d regret it for the rest of his life! But thanks to his own big mouth, he had set the difficulty so high. If Xu Xuan failed the test, he¡¯d be like a lamb thrown into a pack of wolves. Would he still be able to recruit him? Highly uncertain. As time passed, the flames beneath the furnace began to die down. But the eyes of the audience only grew brighter. ¡°It¡¯s over. It¡¯s over. It¡¯s over¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s over? Did Xu Xuan fail?¡± ¡°Not yet, but he might as well have! The fire has gone out, so the pill must be done.¡± ¡°But done and failed are basically the same thing.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think he succeeded, do you?¡± S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. With all eyes fixed on him, Xu Xuan slowly opened the first furnace. The moment he did, a wave of intense heat surged outward. Master Xuan Mu peered inside and let out an almost imperceptible sigh. Although the heat was overwhelming and steam filled the air, Xuan Mu, a Golden Core master, could see clearly. And inside the furnace¡­There was no Bone Restoration Pill. Instead, there was only a lump of black medicinal paste. ¡°Sigh¡­ This batch is a failure. Our only hope now is the second furnace.¡± The other three masters shook their heads slightly, and soon, the news spread outside the hall. ¡°The first furnace failed! I heard it didn¡¯t even form pills¡ªjust turned into a black paste!¡± ¡°What a shame. A real waste of talent. Now, everything depends on the second batch.¡± Fan Rui, on the other hand, was grinning ear to ear, as if he hadn¡¯t been the first victim of Xu Xuan¡¯s Drunken-Dream Powder. ¡°This was obvious from the start! What¡¯s there to be sad about? Forget the first batch, I bet the second one is just as bad!¡± Just as he spoke, Xu Xuan opened the second furnace. Master Xuan Mu ignored the heat and leaned in immediately. And then¡ªhis eyes widened in pure shock. ¡°This¡­ This can¡¯t be real?!¡± ¡°Xuan Mu, what¡¯s going on?! Did something happen?!¡± Xuan Mu¡¯s expression was complicated. It was a mix of disbelief, astonishment, and utter confusion. Xuan Yan, Xuan Ming, and Xuan Mo all rushed forward. Three more stunned faces appeared. ¡°This¡­ How is this even possible?!¡± Outside the hall, Fan Rui¡¯s heart sank. A sudden bad premonition filled his mind. As Fan Rui spiralled into doubt, Master Xuan Mu¡¯s voice echoed from inside the hall, and his tone was thrilled yet strangely urgent. ¡°Xu Xuan has successfully refined the Bone Restoration Pill! He has passed the assessment! From this day forward, he is officially a disciple of the Alchemy Sect!¡± The crowd of outer disciples froze in place. Every single one of them were in utter shock as if the words had struck them like lightning. Fan Rui felt like his entire world collapsed. He shook his head wildly as if trying to wake from a nightmare. Fan Rui stormed into the hall, marching straight to the furnace. He leaned forward, took a look¡ªand then¡­burst into wild laughter. ¡°It¡¯s all fake! It¡¯s all a scam! I can¡¯t believe the masters of Mount Longhu¡¯s Heavenly Sect would stoop so low as to cheat for a servant disciple!¡± A wave of shock rippled through the crowd. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Has Fan Rui lost his mind?!¡± ¡°Is he seriously accusing the masters of fraud?!¡± ¡°So¡­ what exactly did he see inside the furnace?¡± Some inner disciples stepped forward to drag Fan Rui away, but Master Xuan Ming held up a hand to stop them. ¡°We need no explanations for fools like you. But Mount Longhu¡¯s reputation must not be slandered! You claim we covered for him¡ªwhat proof do you have?¡± Fan Rui, true to his arrogance, showed no fear, even before a Golden Core master. Instead, he smirked even wider. ¡°Fine! You want proof? I¡¯ll give you proof!¡± Fan Rui thrust his hand into the scorching furnace, pulling out a round, white-grey pill. Instantly, his entire arm was covered in burns, blood blisters bursting across his skin. Despite the pain, he held up the pill triumphantly. And the moment everyone saw it¡­they froze in place. Because ordinary pills¡­were only as big as a dragon¡¯s eye. But the one in Fan Rui¡¯s hand was larger than a baby¡¯s fist. Chapter 9 - A White Bone Pearl Worth a Fortune! The Demon King Is Scared to Death! Chapter 9: A White Bone Pearl Worth a Fortune! The Demon King Is Scared to Death! Whoosh! The entire hall erupted in chaos. Even some inner disciples were left completely stunned. ¡°What?! What the hell is that?!¡± ¡°That thing is supposed to be a pill?! Who could even swallow something that big?!¡± ¡°Forget curing an injury¡ª you¡¯d choke to death first! No wonder Fan Rui said something felt off! That thing doesn¡¯t look like any pill I¡¯ve ever seen!¡± Hearing the crowd¡¯s discussions, Fan Rui felt like he had gained an army of supporters. Even the pain in his burned arm seemed to fade. ¡°Esteemed Masters, I ask you, is this thing truly a Bone Restoration Pill?¡± Xuan Yan, Xuan Ming, and Xuan Mo all chuckled. The way they looked at Fan Rui was full of sympathy¡­ and pity. As the lead examiner for this test and the Master of the Alchemy Division, Xuan Mu stepped forward confidently. ¡°No, that is indeed a Bone Restoration Pill!¡± Hearing this, Fan Rui¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement. He raised the massive pill high, turning to the crowd. ¡°You all heard that, didn¡¯t you?! Master Xuan Mu just admitted it himself¡ªthis is NOT a Bone Restoration Pill! And if it¡¯s NOT a Bone Restoration Pill, then this test¡­¡± But something felt off. Master Xuan Mu had agreed way too quickly. Just as doubt crept in, Master Xuan Mu¡¯s voice rang out again. ¡°Indeed, this is not a Bone Restoration Pill, but something even greater¡ªa White Bone Pearl!¡± ¡°White Bone Pearl?! I¡¯ve never even heard of that! Are you just making up words now to cover for him?!¡± Master Xuan Mu grinned at Fan Rui, or more precisely, at Fan Rui¡¯s hand. ¡°Tell me, don¡¯t you feel¡­ different?¡± ¡°Feel different? What do you mean?¡± Fan Rui scanned himself up and down but didn¡¯t notice anything unusual. Just as he was about to speak, a shocked voice shouted from outside. ¡°Look at Fan Rui¡¯s hand!¡± ¡°His hand?¡± Fan Rui¡¯s mind swirled with confusion. ¡°Wait a second¡­ why doesn¡¯t it hurt anymore?¡± He raised his hands to his face¡ªand his eyes nearly popped out of his skull. ¡°It¡¯s healed?! How?!¡± His once-burned right hand, which had been covered in horrific blisters, was now completely unscathed. The dead, cracked skin peeled away in flakes, revealing fresh, healthy flesh beneath. In that instant, Fan Rui finally understood. No wonder he felt no pain. His wounds had been healed! ¡°This¡­ This was the effect of the White Bone Pearl?¡± Fan Rui stared at the massive white-grey pill in his palms. He didn¡¯t want to believe it, but he had no choice. The power of this pill far exceeded his imagination. But before he could examine it further¡ªit was snatched away by Xuan Mu Zhenren. ¡°A White Bone Pearl may not bring the dead back to life, but it truly can heal flesh and bone. Simply rubbing it on minor wounds will heal them instantly. Even deep bone injuries can be healed within three days. And if one¡¯s internal organs suffer grave damage, holding it in the mouth can save them from death.¡± The entire hall was dead silent. Then, chaos broke out. ¡°I heard Master Jing Ming say, out of three thousand batches of Bone Restoration Pills, only White Bone Pearl might appear! And when it does, it¡¯s considered a divine blessing!¡± ¡°There was once a nobleman in the capital¡­who offered a thousand taels of gold for a single White Bone Pearl¡ªand still couldn¡¯t buy one!¡± ¡°No way. That can¡¯t be true! But if it really can heal fatal wounds¡­then even a thousand taels of gold wouldn¡¯t be enough!¡± A hush fell over the crowd. Then, all eyes shifted toward one corner of the hall. The one who had created the legendary White Bone Pearl¡ªthe one who had stunned even the masters¡ªXu Xuan. But instead of basking in the attention, he was squatting next to his first failed batch, lost in tinkering something. Master Xuan Mu called out, ¡°Xu Xuan, would you like to join my Alchemy Division? Xu Xuan? Xu Xuan!¡± Master Xuan Mu had called two or three times, but Xu Xuan didn¡¯t even respond. Growing impatient, Master Xuan Mu strode over and barked, ¡°Xu Xuan!¡± ¡°Ah! Master! What is it?¡± ¡°What are you doing over there?¡± ¡°Those leftovers are useless. Why are you keeping them?¡± Master Xuan Mu¡¯s gaze landed on what Xu Xuan was carefully wrapped in oil paper. It was the failed batch¡ªthose black, sticky medicinal pastes. Xu Xuan, however, looked excited. ¡°Master, earlier, when you explained Bone Restoration Pill¡¯s properties¡­I realized its healing ability is outstanding for flesh wounds, but too slow for bone injuries. So, I adjusted the formula. I added ingredients that strengthen bones and transformed the pill into a medicinal paste for direct application. My calculations suggest this should speed up bone healing by 20%!¡± Even though Master Xuan Mu was a Golden Core master, for a moment, even he was completely dumbfounded. ¡°You¡¯re telling me that this was your time refining Bone Restoration Pills¡­And not only did you create a legendary White Bone Pearl, you also managed to invent an entirely NEW medicinal formula?!¡± Xu Xuan nodded firmly. Now was not the time for humility. ¡°Perhaps it was the Dao Ancestors¡¯ blessing¡ªor maybe I just had a flash of inspiration.¡± Master Xuan Mu stared at Xu Xuan for a long moment. Then, suddenly¡ªhe clapped his hands. All the doors and windows of the hall slammed shut. ¡°You say this is a new medicine?¡± Xu Xuan nodded hesitantly. ¡°In theory, yes. But theory is one thing¡ªIt needs to be tested.¡± Master Xuan Mu wasted no time. ¡°Jing Ling! Go to the back mountain and catch a rabbit!¡± Jing Ling was about to leave when Master Xuan Ming raised a hand to stop him. ¡°No need for that, Senior Brother! We already have a test subject.¡± Xuan Ming pointed straight at Fan Rui. Fan Rui turned pale. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°W-Wait! You wouldn¡¯t¡­ you can¡¯t be serious!!¡± But before he could protest¡ªXuan Ming flicked his fingers, and Fan Rui¡¯s mouth was sealed. ¡°Besides being the Combat Sect¡¯s Head, I also enforce the sect¡¯s rules. In less than ten months, you¡¯ve brawled five times, injured nine disciples, and forced others to do your work. Today, you caused another disturbance and even went as far to insult us! You¡¯re lucky we¡¯re only testing medicine on you!¡± Fan Rui broke into a cold sweat. ¡°W-Wait! Master, Please have mercy¡ª!¡± But before he could finish¡ªthe hall echoed with Xuan Ming¡¯s booming laugh. ¡°I haven¡¯t even touched you yet. Why are you already screaming?¡± Master Xuan Ming spoke casually, as if discussing the weather. But as his right hand slowly rose, Xu Xuan could clearly feel the pressure in the air shift. A powerful, invisible force began to gather in Xuan Ming¡¯s fingertips. A golden light shimmered, flickering like tiny lightning bolts. His hand hovered over Fan Rui, his fingers tapping lightly as if choosing a spot. But before Xuan Ming could actually make a move¡ªa piercing scream echoed through the hall. ¡°Please spare me¡ª!¡± Xuan Ming burst into laughter. ¡°I haven¡¯t even touched you yet¡ªwhy are you screaming? Did you think our sect has no rules?¡± Then, his tone hardened. ¡°Take him away! Twenty strokes of the staff¡ªthen expel him from the sect! Jing Ling, why are you still standing there? Go catch that rabbit!¡± Xu Xuan stood to the side, quietly watching. As Fan Rui screamed and struggled, he could barely keep a straight face. It was rare to see the so-called Demon King¡¯ reduced to a blubbering mess. In fact, he was pretty sure he caught a whiff of urine. Even though Master Xuan Ming hadn¡¯t laid a single finger on him, the sect¡¯s punishments were no joke. Moments later, Fan Rui¡¯s miserable wails drifted in from outside the hall. At first, he still had the strength to cry out¡ªbut after a few strokes of the staff, even the self-proclaimed Demon King could no longer make a sound. Master Xuan Ming let out a cold snort, still visibly annoyed. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Master Luo¡¯s recommendation, I would¡¯ve kicked him out long ago!¡± As soon as Fan Rui and Jing Ling left, the four masters turned their attention back to Xu Xuan. Master Xuan Mu¡¯s eyes shone with anticipation. ¡°Xu Xuan, you¡¯ve passed the test. Have you decided which Sect to join?¡± Chapter 10 - Pristine Body! Advancing to the Innate Realm! Chapter 10: Pristine Body! Advancing to the Innate Realm! ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to test the pills¡¯ effects first?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a minor issue!¡± Master Xuan Mu waved his hand dismissively. ¡°You already proved yourself by refining the White Bone Pearl. We can test the ointment later. What¡¯s more important now is that you choose your sect!¡± Like a protective mother hen, Master Xuan Mu spread his arms wide, shielding Xu Xuan from the other masters. ¡°What do you mean ¡®choose¡¯? Now that he¡¯s passed the test, he¡¯s already my disciple in the Alchemy Sect!¡± ¡°Senior Brother, you¡¯re being too stingy!¡± ¡°Stingy? Keep talking, and I¡¯ll cut your pill supplies!¡± Seeing the dispute about to flare up again, Xu Xuan quickly stepped out from behind Master Xuan Mu and bowed respectfully. ¡°I sincerely thank all the masters for your guidance, But Master Xuan Mu has given me a chance like no other¡ªjoining the Alchemy Sect has always been my goal.¡± Among the three masters, Xuan Yan had been the most eager to recruit him. Xuan Ming also saw great potential in him but Xuan Mo? He was just here for the drama. But after this test, none of them were doubting his talent anymore. This wasn¡¯t just potential, it was raw, undeniable strength. A prodigy capable of refining a White Bone Pearl, of innovating and creating a new medicinal ointment¡ªif they tried to steal him away, Master Xuan Mu might actually fight them to the death. ¡°Fine, your skills are best suited for Alchemy. But if you ever have time, feel free to visit my Talisman Sect!¡± ¡°Our Weapon Forging Sect has some good stuff too!¡± ¡°Alchemy is important, but you also need to learn self-defence. Come to my Combat Sect sometime. I¡¯ll teach you a few of our sect¡¯s techniques!¡± Even if it was just formal pleasantries, Xu Xuan couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of excitement. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After this, he had not only escaped the laborer¡¯s Sect ahead of schedule, but he had also gained recognition from all four Sect masters, learned the Bone Restoration Pill refining method, and even invented the White Bone Pearl. A huge success, well worth the resources he had spent upgrading himself. A new beginning in the Alchemy Sect. In high spirits, Xu Xuan followed Master Xuan Mu to the Alchemy Sect. ¡°From today, you can move out of the outer disciples¡¯ quarters! Our Sect doesn¡¯t have too many people¡ªyou can pick any empty room. After morning classes, you¡¯ll start your alchemy training. On the ninth day of next month, I will formally offer incense to the Three Great Founders, inform the ancestors, and officially take you in as my direct disciple!¡± Xu Xuan nodded eagerly. He had finally set foot on the true path of Dao cultivation. He was so excited, that he completely missed one key phrase¡ª Master Xuan Mu hadn¡¯t said, ¡°Alchemy Disciple.¡± Instead, he had said ¡°Direct Disciple.¡± ¡°Thank you, Master!¡± Master Xuan Mu laughed, his eyes full of approval. ¡°That¡¯s good!¡± Then, as if struck by lightning, his face changed. ¡°Oh no! My pills!¡± With a wave of his hand, he tossed a few ancient scrolls at Xu Xuan before vanishing into thin air. ¡°These are the foundational texts of our Alchemy Sect! You¡¯re a scholar and already understand medicine¡ªyou don¡¯t need me to explain. Read them on your own, and ask me if you have questions!¡± Xu Xuan caught the scrolls, feeling a gentle breeze in front of him¡ªand Master Xuan Mu was already gone. He glanced down at the titles. ¡¶Shennong¡¯s Classic of Materia Medica¡· ¡¶The Master Who Embraces Simplicity¡· ¡¶Prescriptions in the Jade Box¡· At first, they seemed like normal medical texts. But when he reached the final scroll, his expression shifted. ¡¶The Dragon and Tiger Scripture of Elixirs¡· His eyes twitched. But he quickly shook his head. Even if the scroll contained secrets, alchemy was more than just theory. Even if he understood everything, he still needed guidance and materials. Besides, who in their right mind would dare betray Mount Longhu? ¡­ Half a month later¡ª Xu Xuan quickly settled into the Alchemy Sect. Mornings were spent on sect lessons. After that, he trained under Master Xuan Mu, learning to refine pills. At first, he was only observing. But soon, he was allowed to control the flames, manage the furnace, and even refine pills himself. With his [Expert Alchemist] attribute, he absorbed knowledge like a sponge. Master Xuan Mu had gone numb from shock to pure frustration. If that wasn¡¯t enough proof of his monstrous talent, his ¡°blue¡± attribute had darkened¡ªfrom light blue to deep blue, and now to an almost-black shade. The next step¡­ would be legendary-tier. That morning, after finishing his daily lessons, Xu Xuan entered the Alchemy Hall. A small note was left on the counter. ¡°The weather is nice today¡ªI¡¯m going fishing! Make a batch of Revitalizing Pills. If you have time, also refine more White Bone Pearls. The Combat Sect loves it and we¡¯re running low!¡± Xu Xuan chuckled. His gaze fell onto his status panel. [Current Stats] [Name: Xu Xuan] [Race: Human] [Realm: Eighth Level of Body Refining Realm] [Cultivation Technique: Longhu Qi Cultivation] [Attributes: Gold: Benevolent Man of 2 lifetimes, Blue: Expert Alchemist, Green: Tiger-Dragon Sword Art, Herculean Strength, White: Slightly Talented Scholar] One free attribute chance is available. Generate now? (Luck: 100) His luck had maxed out. Xu Xuan wasn¡¯t sure if it could increase any further, but he couldn¡¯t hold back his excitement. ¡°Generate attribute!¡± [Processing¡­] The system buffered. Xu Xuan¡¯s heartbeat sped up. He felt like he was waiting for his college entrance exam results. Then¡ª [Congratulations! You have gained a Red attribute¡ª¡±Pristine Body.¡°] Like a newborn child, your body is pure and untarnished. Dust and impurities cannot cling to you. You naturally produce ¡®Innate Qi,¡¯ making cultivation effortless. Xu Xuan stared at the words, his hands slightly trembling. His breath hitched. Then, a wave of power surged through his body. His entire being felt weightless, as if he had been reborn. ¡°Innate Qi¡­?! Does this mean I can advance to the Innate Realm?!¡± Chapter 12 - The Path of the Great Dao: Struggle Alone Chapter 12: The Path of the Great Dao: Struggle Alone ¡°Master, you¡­¡± Xu Xuan was stunned into silence. He hadn¡¯t expected Master Xuan Mu to go to such lengths. If he were to be accepted as a disciple on behalf of the master, wouldn¡¯t that place him on the same seniority level as Master Xuan Mu? Xu Xuan opened his mouth, wanting to express his gratitude, but he realized that words were ultimately meaningless compared to actions. Master Xuan Mu chuckled and shook his head. ¡°Of course, that doesn¡¯t matter! As cultivators, while we respect titles and ranks, in the end, strength truly matters! Now, there is a small issue. I¡¯ve praised you to the skies and even accepted you as a disciple on my master¡¯s behalf. While the Celestial Master agreed, he found this move to be a bit impulsive¡­¡± Before Master Xuan Mu could finish explaining, Xu Xuan had already guessed the issue. ¡°Master, I haven¡¯t even completed my servitude period and was already granted early entry into the sect. Now, with your guidance, I have skipped two entire ranks¡ªfrom an inner disciple straight to a core disciple¡ªlanding directly at the level of department heads and elders. Even if the senior members say nothing, the countless disciples of Mount Longhu may not accept it so easily.¡± Master Xuan Mu¡¯s eyes lit up. Until now, he had only thought of Xu Xuan as an exceptional talent in alchemy. But hearing these words, he realized Xu Xuan also possessed remarkable social awareness. As the saying goes, ¡°Understanding the ways of the world is a form of knowledge, and mastering human nature is an art.¡± The path to enlightenment was not just about fighting and cultivation¡ªunderstanding people was just as important! ¡°Oh? Then what do you propose?¡± At this moment, Xu Xuan saw no need for false modesty. ¡°The path to the Great Dao is one of struggle¡ªeternal growth through competition! If anyone has doubts, I just have to beat them!¡± Seeing Xu Xuan¡¯s unwavering confidence, Master Xuan Mu felt a deep satisfaction. ¡°I¡¯ve already witnessed your unparalleled talent in alchemy. Aside from us old core disciples, no one on this mountain can match you. But strength in battle is valued even more than alchemy. If the Celestial Master only cared about alchemy, I might have been the Celestial Master myself¡­¡± Master Xuan Mu laughed at his own joke. ¡°With the year-end approaching, the Celestial Master¡¯s annual tournament is soon to be held. This competition tests both alchemy and combat prowess. Of course, don¡¯t feel too pressured¡ªyou¡¯ve only just started your cultivation journey. Consider this event an opportunity to observe. But next year¡­I expect you to rank at least in the top ten among the inner disciples!¡± With that, Master Xuan Mu ended the discussion and handed Xu Xuan two cultivation manuals. ¡­ ¡°This technique, , is best practised in a sunlit forest before noon¡­¡± Xu Xuan focused intently, absorbing every word. After an hour, Master Xuan Mu paused. ¡° is a divine technique, unlike ordinary Yin-gathering methods. It is highly difficult. It took a full month to grasp the basics even for a genius like me. If you have no questions, try it now. I¡¯ll watch over you to prevent any mishaps¡­¡± Xu Xuan hesitated briefly before extending his right hand. A soft green glow, brimming with Qi, gently emerged. ¡°Master, like this?¡± The moment the green glow appeared, Master Xuan Mu¡¯s expression froze. ¡°You¡­ When did you learn this?¡± ¡°When you were halfway through your explanation. I didn¡¯t see any difficulties, so I tried it myself. Turns out I got lucky and succeeded on my first attempt!¡± Master Xuan Mu stared at the glow in Xu Xuan¡¯s hand, his mouth twitching as he forced a stiff smile. ¡°Not bad¡­ not bad at all! It seems you have a natural affinity for ¡­¡± ¡°Actually, I was lying earlier. I mastered this technique in a single day¡ªI just didn¡¯t want you to feel too pressured, so I stretched the timeline a bit. Go ahead and keep practising. I¡­ I need to step outside for a bit¡­¡± In the next second, Master Xuan Mu disappeared. In the distance, his voice could be heard scolding the alchemy disciples. ¡°Bragging again! And you can¡¯t even brag big? How will you ever achieve greatness?¡± Xu Xuan, however, had already immersed himself in cultivation. The within him naturally guided his along the meridian pathways of , seamlessly drawing in external spiritual energy and transforming it into a thriving, life-infused force. ¡°¡ªThis is extraordinary. My body is thoroughly cleansed, allowing spiritual energy to flow without hindrance. No wonder my cultivation progresses so quickly!¡± By the time Xu Xuan snapped back to reality, it was already midnight. Feeling the surge of Qi within him, he opened his system panel. [Host: Xu Xuan] [Race: Human] [Realm: First Level of the Innate Realm(6%)] [Cultivation Technique: Qi of the Azure Yimu Dragon] Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. [Attributes: Benevolent Man of 20 lifetimes (Gold), Pristine Physique (Red), Expert Alchemist (Blue), Tiger-Dragon Demon-Slaying Swordsmanship (Green), Herculean Strength (Green), Overflowing Qi (White), Slight Talent (White)] [Attribute Generation Available: 1 (Luck: 15)] The first thing Xu Xuan noticed was the progress indicator next to his realm. Though he was still in the first stage of the Innate Realm, a percentage marker had appeared. His progress had instantly jumped to 6%, a drastic improvement compared to before. Based on his calculations, with his previous foundation in , he could advance to the second stage of the Innate Realm in about a month. But what surprised him the most was the new attribute in his panel. With the completion of , a new white attribute appeared. [Bursting Vitality (White): Slightly accelerates wound healing.] Though merely a white-tier attribute with only minor benefits, Xu Xuan was more than satisfied. Not only could he enhance this attribute through further cultivation of , but he could also speed up its advancement by absorbing redundant attributes, creating a perfect cycle of reinforcement. Feeling optimistic about his future, Xu Xuan clenched his fist. He had taken another step closer to his goal of toppling the strongest fighters in the world. The next morning, Xu Xuan woke early, carefully grooming himself for the day. Today marked his first official appearance in the Alchemy Sect. He had to make a strong impression. ¡°This is your senior brother, Xu Xuan¡­¡± Before Master Xuan Mu could finish his sentence, a commotion erupted among the alchemy disciples. ¡°Senior brother? What¡¯s going on?! ¡°He joined later than us¡ªhow did he suddenly become our senior?¡± Chapter 13 - When the Heavens is Enage, It Pours; When a Man is Arrogant, He Faces Calamity Chapter 13: When the Heavens is Enage, It Pours; When a Man is Arrogant, He Faces Calamity ¡°Maybe¡­ we misheard?¡± ¡°One person mishearing is understandable, but all of us? Impossible!¡± ¡°Or maybe Master Xuan Mu just misspoke?¡± ¡°Are you kidding? Master Xuan Mu is a Golden Core cultivator.¡± ¡°Look at our senior disciples in the Alchemy Sect¡­ and even the elders!¡± ¡°They don¡¯t seem the least bit surprised¡­¡± ¡°Oh no, this senior brother is probably real!¡± ¡°You mean¡­ he¡¯s becoming a core disciple right away?¡± ¡°Huh???¡± The disciples of the Alchemy Sect were in an uproar. Yet Master Xuan Mu didn¡¯t bother to intervene¡ªhe simply waited for them to quiet down on their own. ¡°Do any of you have objections to this?¡± The disciples exchanged glances. Some wanted to speak but hesitated at the last moment. Suddenly, a voice rang out from the crowd. ¡°Master, we don¡¯t object. But there¡¯s something we don¡¯t quite understand¡­¡± Master Xuan Mu waved his sleeve dismissively. ¡°No need for excuses. In our Alchemy Sect, alchemy skill is what matters! If you have doubts, feel free to challenge your new Senior Brother Xu and judge for yourselves if he is worthy of that title!¡± Xu Xuan stepped forward with a calm smile. If calling him ¡°Senior Brother¡± was already unbearable, what would happen if they had to call him ¡°Master¡±? Would they fight each other like rabid dogs? He didn¡¯t speak, but his actions made his stance clear. ¡°Come at me. I¡¯ll take on whatever you throw my way!¡± The inner disciples hesitated. Master Xuan Mu and Xu Xuan¡¯s confidence was overwhelming, shaking even those who had been so sure of themselves moments ago. ¡°Look at Master Xuan Mu¡¯s attitude! This Xu Xuan must have some real skill.¡± ¡°Of course! Otherwise, how could he be promoted to a core disciple so quickly?¡± ¡°Forget it, you guys go ahead! I¡¯m too weak¡ªI¡¯ll stay out of this mess.¡± Just then, a thin disciple spoke up. ¡°Senior brothers, have you no confidence in yourselves? I saw this Xu Xuan just last month¡ªhe was still farming in the back mountains! No matter how much of a genius he is, he couldn¡¯t have learned much in such a short time. Don¡¯t be fooled by his act!¡± ¡°What? An outer disciple? Promoted ahead of schedule?¡± Time flows differently in the mountains¡ªseasons change go unnoticed, and closed-door cultivation often lasts weeks or months at a time. So, most disciples barely heard of Xu Xuan. But now, hearing that he had started as a mere farmer, all lingering hesitation vanished. A mere farming disciple? Not even a month in the sect? How could someone like that become a core disciple and stand above them? Emotions flared. It wasn¡¯t long before someone stepped forward. ¡°Senior Brother Xu, I am Jing Du. I¡¯d like to challenge you!¡± This Daoist, known as Jing Du, was over thirty, his face weathered with age. A strong herbal scent clung to his robes, a sign of someone who had spent years immersed in alchemy. His appearance stirred the crowd. ¡°Jing Du?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not surprising, is it?¡± ¡°Among us inner disciples, Jing Du has the best chance of becoming a core disciple.¡± ¡°But now, with Senior Brother Xu appearing out of nowhere¡­¡± ¡°Jing Du¡¯s path to promotion is as good as ruined!¡± At first, there was sympathy for Jing Du. But soon, the discussion shifted to the upcoming duel. ¡°There¡¯s no need to pity him!¡± ¡°Jing Du entered Mount Longhu at sixteen¡ªhe¡¯s been here for fifteen years. Three years as a labourer, two years tending fires, two years identifying herbs, And the last eight years? Spent almost entirely refining pills! In terms of alchemy, no other inner disciple can match him! Meanwhile, Senior Brother Xu hasn¡¯t even been here a month. He probably can¡¯t even name all the pills, let alone compete!¡± Xu Xuan nodded slightly and returned the courtesy. ¡°Junior Brother Jing Du, feel free to pick the challenge.¡± The disciples were taken aback. ¡°This Xu Xuan is arrogant beyond belief!¡± ¡°He¡¯s barely entered the sect, yet he dares let Jing Du set the challenge? Does he not realize he might not even understand the question?¡± ¡°The heavens send rain when they are enraged, and men invite disaster when they are arrogant!¡± ¡°Looks like Jing Du won¡¯t hold back¡ªSenior Brother Xu is in for a humiliating defeat¡­¡± Hearing himself being called ¡°Junior Brother,¡± Jing Du¡¯s anger surged. This upstart, a mere lucky outer disciple, had stolen his rightful place as a core disciple¡ªand now dared to look down on him? If he didn¡¯t teach Xu Xuan a lesson today, wouldn¡¯t the fool think refining pills was as easy as breathing? ¡°In that case, Senior Brother, I¡¯d like to challenge you to refine !¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Xu Xuan strode straight to the alchemy furnace. Jing Du had expected some back-and-forth argument first. But Xu Xuan didn¡¯t waste a single word¡ªhe started immediately. ¡°Less talk, more action. Fine by me!¡± Seeing the two get to work, the crowd buzzed with anticipation. ¡°Jing Du is¡­ cunning!¡± ¡°Indeed. He chose ¡ªhardly anyone in the sect has ever refined them!¡± ¡°That¡¯s true! can protect against extreme temperatures, keeping the body warm in winter and cool in summer. They¡¯re more like miraculous elixirs than regular pills! But they¡¯re expensive, difficult to refine, and ultimately impractical. Rich people don¡¯t need them, and those who need them can¡¯t afford them.¡± ¡°They only sell occasionally to high-ranking nobles in the capital. Who would bother learning such a useless pill? Not to mention, it wastes valuable ingredients!¡± ¡°This Xu Xuan is doomed. He probably hasn¡¯t even heard of ! Whatever, let¡¯s just enjoy the show¡­¡± Above the Alchemy Hall¡ª Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Master Xuan Mu stood alongside two senior elders, while four core disciples stood respectfully at their sides. ¡°Elder Xuan Ying, if I recall correctly, you refined a batch of two years ago. They still haven¡¯t sold out, have they?¡± Elder Xuan Yin smirked. Before he could finish speaking, Elder Xuan Ying quickly cut him off, steering the conversation back to Master Xuan Mu and Xu Xuan. ¡°Can I help it if no one buys them? But I have to say, Master Xuan Mu, your disciple is in real trouble this time. When I refined , my assistant was none other than Jing Du. With all his years of experience, he has at least a 90% chance of succeeding. I¡¯d bet anything¡ªJing Du is going to win.¡± Master Xuan Mu chuckled. ¡°Oh? What would you like to bet, Junior Brother?¡± Chapter 14 - A Narrow Victory? He Just Got Lucky Chapter 14: A Narrow Victory? He Just Got Lucky ¡°A bet¡­ How about one piece of lightning-struck wood?¡± Though Elder Xuan Ying was a Golden Core cultivator and a senior alchemy elder, he was also an avid gambler. The moment Master Xuan Mu suggested the wager, he blurted out his response without thinking. But as soon as the words left his mouth, something felt off. Master Xuan Mu had never been one for gambling. He didn¡¯t even like it, often chastising Xuan Ying for the habit. His unusual behaviour made Xuan Ying uneasy. ¡°Senior Brother, don¡¯t tell me your disciple has already refined before?¡± ¡°He hasn¡¯t. I¡¯ve never even taught him about them. I guess this is the first time he¡¯s heard the name.¡± ¡°Oh? Look at him¡ªhe¡¯s flipping through the alchemy manual!¡± Xuan Ying looked closely and, sure enough, Xu Xuan was buried in a book, flipping pages while making gestures in the air. Every now and then, he paused to think deeply. ¡°This¡­ this¡­ is he learning it on the spot? Master Xuan Mu, aren¡¯t you going to stop him? He¡¯s your disciple! If he loses, won¡¯t that be embarrassing for you?¡± Master Xuan Mu chuckled. ¡°Xuan Ying, just say whether you¡¯re in or not.¡± ¡°In, of course! How could I pass up a guaranteed win?¡± And the long-awaited duel began. Jing Du worked methodically: sorting ingredients, inspecting the furnace, igniting the fire¡­Every step was precise and disciplined. Xu Xuan, on the other hand, seemed completely reckless. ¡°Our new ¡®Senior Brother¡¯ is quite something! I¡¯ve never seen anyone try to learn and refine at the same time.¡± ¡°His process is all over the place! He doesn¡¯t even know the ingredients properly, yet he¡¯s already lit the furnace!¡± ¡°By the time he figures it out, he¡¯ll have burned through all the fuel. This entire match is a waste of time.¡± ¡°Exactly! Does anyone seriously think he can succeed?¡± ¡°Shh, the elders are watching!¡± Minutes turned to hours. Xu Xuan had long discarded the alchemy manual, focusing entirely on refining the . As someone on the verge of advancing to Master Alchemist, armed with knowledge far beyond his era, only Master Xuan Mu, a grandmaster of alchemy, could truly surpass him. The other elders and core disciples? They weren¡¯t necessarily better than him at all. Victory had never been Xu Xuan¡¯s concern. His real goal was to use this chance to earn more skills and attributes! Half an hour later, the flames of Jing Du¡¯s furnace dimmed. With a controlled strike, he knocked the heavy lid off the furnace. Three emerald-green pills shot into the air, shimmering like jade. Jing Du caught them, unable to suppress his triumphant smile. ¡°I am honoured to have successfully refined these . I humbly present them for the three elders¡¯ review.¡± Master Xuan Mu shook his head. ¡°No need. They are without a doubt. Judging by their aura, they¡¯re mid-grade. However, completing the refinement in such a short time is impressive. You¡¯ve clearly put in a lot of hard work.¡± Elders Xuan Ying and Xuan Yin also offered their praise. Xuan Ying, in particular, was eager to praise Jing Du¡ªafter all, his face was on the line. ¡°Senior Brother, about that lightning-struck wood¡ª¡± ¡°What¡¯s the rush? The match isn¡¯t over yet.¡± ¡°Fine, fine! You can hold onto it¡­ for now.¡± Finally, it was Xu Xuan¡¯s turn. While the elders chatted, the disciples spoke more freely. ¡°Jing Du is incredible! are so obscure, yet he refined three of them!¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be able to make even one!¡± ¡°I told you, this whole challenge was pointless!¡± ¡°No matter how talented Xu Xuan is, even a saint needs time to learn!¡± ¡°Oh? Looks like Xu Xuan is opening his furnace¡­¡± ¡°With such a chaotic process, how could he have succeeded?¡± ¡°The outcome is already decided. He can¡¯t turn this around!¡± ¡°Jing Du, congratulations! You really shined today!¡± ¡°Indeed! Looks like a core disciple position is within reach¡­¡± ¡°Not at all! It was just luck!¡± Despite his words, Jing Du couldn¡¯t hide his smug expression. But then, he turned just in time to see Xu Xuan opening his furnace. With a light tap on the furnace, several brilliant green pills shot into his hands. ¡°My first time refining , so I was a little slow. Apologies for the delay.¡± Xu Xuan placed the pills in front of the three elders. Xuan Ying had already been craning his neck, but now his eyes widened to the size of saucers. ¡°He succeeded? You actually refined them? The color, the fragrance, the texture¡­One, two, three, four¡ªwait, you made one more than Jing Du?¡± Xuan Ying could hardly believe his eyes. The others were staring at Xu Xuan¡¯s , But Xuan Ying? He was staring at his lost bet, watching his precious lightning-struck wood fly away. Elder Xuan Yin, who had barely paid attention, pursed his lips in surprise. He had assumed Xu Xuan would win, so he hadn¡¯t even bothered to check. But seeing those four glowing pills now, he was reminded of the wisdom of keeping quiet. ¡°The verdict is that both batches of pills are of equal quality, but since Xu Xuan refined one extra pill, this match goes to Xu Xuan!¡± Master Xuan Mu declared the result. Jing Du¡¯s smile froze. The disciples who had been congratulating him went silent. ¡°He lost? Jing Du actually lost?¡± ¡°Yeah! Xu Xuan just picked it up today, yet somehow, his haphazard refining actually worked!¡± ¡°He even made one more pill than Jing Du!¡± ¡°That¡¯s just¡­ infuriating!¡± ¡°Shh¡­ look at Jing Du¡¯s face¡­¡± Jing Du¡¯s expression shifted from green to white. Every polite word he had uttered earlier, felt like a slap to his own face. ¡°He just got lucky!¡± His supporters rushed to comfort him. ¡°Senior Brother, don¡¯t take it to heart! I was watching him closely while he refined the pills. His process was completely chaotic¡­ He even skipped two key steps our master taught us! For him to succeed¡­ it was just sheer dumb luck!¡± Jing Du¡¯s face relaxed slightly. After all, luck was a widely accepted belief in cultivation. But cultivators were meant to defy fate. If one relied only on luck, then what was the point of training? Jing Du clenched his fists. ¡°Lucky or not, we¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡± He stepped forward again. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Many thanks for the lesson, Senior Brother Xu! But I would like to challenge you again. This time, let¡¯s refine . Would Senior Brother be willing to grant me another opportunity?¡± Chapter 15 - Grandmaster of Alchemy! The True Advantage is Mine Chapter 15: Grandmaster of Alchemy! The True Advantage is Mine ¡°White Bone Pearls?¡± At the mention of these four words, not just Xu Xuan, even Xuan Mu Zhenren, Elder Xuan Zhen, and Elder Xuan Yin along with many disciples present showed a strange expression. ¡°White Bone Pearls? Senior Brother Jing Du wants to challenge Senior Brother Xu in refining White Bone Pearls?¡± ¡°Why? Is there a problem?¡± ¡°Jing Du has been refining White Bone Pearls for ten years. In that time, he¡¯s made over three hundred furnaces of them! He could probably refine them with his eyes closed. He¡¯s made more White Bone Pearls than Xu Xuan has eaten grains of salt!¡± ¡°Last time, Senior Brother Jing Du refined two furnaces at once, producing nine perfect-grade pills in each. Every single pill was of the highest quality. And you¡¯re asking if this challenge is fair?¡± The disciple who had raised the question was momentarily speechless. When he finally found an opening to speak, he only uttered a single sentence¡ªone that left his opponent at a complete loss for words. ¡°But Senior Brother Xu has already refined a White Bone Pearls!¡± Silence fell over the crowd. Even Jing Du turned around abruptly at the words. ¡°Jing Ling, what did you just say?¡± ¡°White Bone Pearls? What¡¯s going on? I was in closed-door cultivation for just a few days¡ªwhat exactly happened?¡± Jing Ling didn¡¯t dare keep them in suspense. He quickly recounted everything he knew. ¡°¡­Because of this, Master Xuan Mu personally broke the rules and accepted him into the Alchemy Sect. I was there that day. Those White Bone Pearls were definitely real! The department heads of the Artifact, Talisman, and Combat Sects were all present. They nearly started fighting over Xu Xuan¡­¡± Most disciples were merely shocked. But as Jing Du finished listening, he felt completely numb. White Bone Restoration Pills and White Bone Pearls. Only a single word is different, yet they are worlds apart. T/N: originally, Bone Restoration Pills was originally White Bone Pills while White Bone Pearls was originally Bone White Pearls, which is why they say ¡°it¡¯s just a difference of one word¡± (pill and pearl) He could refine nine perfect-grade Bone Restoration Pills in one go, but even after a hundred furnaces of pills, he wouldn¡¯t necessarily produce a single White Bone Pearls. ¡°How is Xu Xuan this lucky? Or is it just my luck that¡¯s so terrible that everything I excel in¡­ happens to be his speciality?¡± Jing Du hesitated for a moment. But before he could speak, Xu Xuan smiled and said: ¡°Junior Brother Jing Du, would you like to switch to another pill for this challenge?¡± Jing Du¡¯s heart leapt with joy. He was just about to accept the offer when he saw the smile on Xu Xuan¡¯s face. The words were caught in his throat. Xu Xuan watched as Jing Du¡¯s face turned from green to pale, then back to normal. He simply shook his head and turned his focus inward. Ding! [Host has defeated Longhu¡¯s Inner Disciple, Jing Du.] [System is randomly selecting a trait from the opponent¡­] [Congratulations! New trait acquired: Diligence Makes Up for Shortcomings (Green)] [ You can use acquired effort to slightly compensate for natural deficiencies.] Xu Xuan¡¯s eyes lit up. But he quickly shook his head again. While the trait¡¯s ability was useful, Its low grade made it barely effective. Without hesitation, Xu Xuan fused it into his Expert Alchemist trait. A notification chimed: [Congratulations! Expert Alchemist (Blue) has upgraded to Grandmaster of Alchemy (Red)] [Grandmaster of Alchemy (Red): Your knowledge of alchemy is now unparalleled¡ªyou are now a legendary talent in the field.] Xu Xuan¡¯s lips curled into a smile. With this, apart from some minor gaps in knowledge, his alchemy skill was now equal to Master Xuan Mu. And yet, when Jing Du saw his smile, he misinterpreted it completely. Jing Du clenched his fists. ¡°White Bone Pearls it is!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Xu Xuan replied casually. He didn¡¯t care¡ªas long as he could keep collecting traits, he was satisfied! And hence, the second duel began. Both contestants immediately set to work. This time, both of them moved swiftly. Jing Du was completely familiar with the process. Xu Xuan, on the other hand, was simply dominating with his newfound expertise. ¡°Why is Senior Brother Jing Du being so reckless? We warned him that Senior Brother Xu specializes in this pill! Why is he running straight into his doom?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t get it! Xu Xuan¡¯s White Bone Pearls was just luck! But Jing Du¡¯s expertise comes from experience and skill! With his mastery, he is guaranteed to produce nine perfect-grade pills.¡± ¡°Even if Xu Xuan has ridiculous luck, at best, this will be a tie¡­¡± ¡°Oh¡­ that actually makes a lot of sense! I never expected Jing Du to have such hidden cunning!¡± Meanwhile, Xuan Mu Zhenren stood at the side holding a two-foot-long black wooden staff, grinning at Elder Xuan Ying, who was sulking. ¡°Elder Xuan Ying, do you want to place another bet?¡± Though Xuan Ying stood apart from the group, his cultivation was near the Golden Core realm. He had heard everything in the hall. The moment Xuan Mu Zhenren spoke, his gambling spirit flared up once again. He took his time considering. Jing Du¡¯s odds still seemed strong. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°A bet? Of course! If I win, I get my lightning-struck wood back! If you win, I¡¯ll give you two Scarlet Spirit Fruits!¡± ¡°Deal!¡± It wasn¡¯t long before a familiar sound rang out. ¡°He¡¯s opening the furnace so soon?¡± ¡°Experience makes a difference. Jing Du has refined this pill hundreds of times! Nine perfect-grade White Bone Pearls, he¡¯s still unbeatable.¡± ¡°So now, the only thing that matters is¡­ can Xu Xuan surpass him?¡± All eyes turned to Xu Xuan. Jing Du, feeling confident once more, had regained his lost composure. ¡°Senior Brother Xu, no rush! There¡¯s plenty of time¡ªtake it slow!¡± ¡°Oh, no need,¡± Xu Xuan said casually. ¡°I¡¯m already done.¡± As steam billowed from his furnace, he opened it with a single motion. Jing Du leaned in to take a look¡ªonly to be shoved aside by Elder Xuan Ying, who couldn¡¯t wait any longer. ¡°Let me see! Let me see!¡± Elder Xuan Ying rushed forward, covering his face with a visible layer of protective Qi to avoid the heat. But the moment he saw inside, his expression changed dramatically. ¡°This¡­ this can¡¯t be right!¡± Chapter 16 - You Learned It on the Spot? You Must Be Cheating! Chapter 16: You Learned It on the Spot? You Must Be Cheating! ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What happened? Did the Bone Restoration Pills I refined turn out defective?¡± Hearing Elder Xuan Ying mumbling to himself, Jing Du felt a surge of excitement. If something was wrong with Xu Xuan¡¯s pills, that would mean he had won against Xu Xuan! Suppressing his eagerness, Jing Du leaned in for a closer look¡ªonly to see Elder Xuan Ying wave his hand, causing several greyish-white pills to float out of the furnace. At the sight of those pills, Jing Du¡¯s expression changed drastically. After years of refining Bone Restoration Pills, he knew them like the back of his hand. With just a glance, he could tell¡ªthese were top-grade Bone Restoration Pills. Their quality surpassed even the ones he had just refined. ¡°But¡­ these are just Bone Restoration Pills¡­ What¡¯s wrong with them?¡± Jing Du turned to Elder Xuan Ying, searching for an answer on his face. But Elder Xuan Ying wasn¡¯t paying him any attention¡ªhe was too busy counting. ¡°One, two, three, four¡­Seven, eight, nine¡ªten? Unbelievable! There are actually ten?! I¡¯m only sixty-eight years old! Am I already going blind?! No! This is absolutely impossible!¡± Elder Xuan Ying turned to glance at Xuan Mu Zhenren¡ªand then finally locked eyes with Elder Xuan Yin. ¡°Elder Xuan Yin, come here and check for me. Are there nine pills, or ten?¡± Elder Xuan Yin silently observed the floating Bone Restoration Pills. He remained expressionless, but in reality, he had already counted them three times. His shock was no less than Elder Xuan Ying¡¯s¡ªjust that he was better at hiding it. ¡°Elder Xuan Ying, you don¡¯t need to count again. There are indeed ten. Not a single one less!¡± Elder Xuan Ying froze. Jing Du froze as well. ¡°How is this possible? I thought nine was the absolute limit?¡± ¡°Why is my luck so bad?! My lightning-struck wood! My Scarlet Spirit Fruits!¡± S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The shocking news spread through the crowd like wildfire. Their reactions immediately drew the attention of the disciples. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°What went so wrong that made Elder Xuan Ying lose his composure?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t this supposed to be an unbeatable match for Jing Du? Why does it seem like he lost?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just ¡®seems like¡¯¡ªhe completely lost!¡± ¡°No way! Senior Brother Jing Du reached the theoretical limit of nine pills. At best, Xu Xuan should¡¯ve been able to match him, not surpass him!¡± ¡°But Xu Xuan refined ten, a full ten! Even Elder Xuan Ying can¡¯t believe it, I can¡¯t either!¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling me¡­ he actually broke the Bone Restoration Pills¡¯ maximum limit?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to believe it either, but the proof is right in front of us!¡± The disciples turned to stare at the grey-robed youth standing calmly at the side. At that moment, Xu Xuan seemed shrouded in an aura of mystery. If it was just luck, then his luck was beyond absurd. If it was skill, then it defied all logic. His Bone Restoration Pills, White Bone Pearls and this unprecedented breakthrough completely shattered everything they thought they knew about alchemy. Even Elder Xuan Ying was bewildered. ¡°Senior Brother Xuan Mu, you¡¯re lying to me, right? You must have secretly trained him and held back information! Then, you two set up this whole match just to steal my precious treasures!¡± Master Xuan Mu dismissed him with a flick of his sleeve. ¡°With all these disciples watching, aren¡¯t you embarrassed? If I wanted something from you, I¡¯d just take it outright. Why bother scheming? Now, hand over my Scarlet Spirit Fruits¡ªand don¡¯t even think about backing out!¡± Seeing the two elders bicker, the disciples lowered their heads obediently. Jing Du stumbled back into the crowd. No matter how hard he tried to wrap his head around it, he couldn¡¯t figure out what went wrong. Xu Xuan glanced at the new trait he had just acquired, Grandmaster of Alchemy. He considered comforting Jing Du for a moment but realized this was not the time. Besides¡­ he had probably gone a bit overboard. Elder Xuan Ying pulled him aside and interrogated Xu Xuan. ¡°You! Explain yourself right now! How did you do it? Did you sneak in extra pills while I wasn¡¯t looking? Or is there some hidden compartment inside your furnace? Or maybe¡­ maybe¡­¡± Xu Xuan watched as Elder Xuan Ying circled him like a hawk, And realized he had indeed overstepped. He had no idea that alchemy had a ¡®maximum limit¡¯ rule. Xu Xuan quickly adjusted his expression and downplayed his success. ¡°Elder Xuan Ying, I really didn¡¯t cheat! It was just a lucky coincidence! Bone Restoration Pills have always been my speciality, everyone knows that. As for , they aren¡¯t even that hard to refine. With a bit of luck, getting it right on the first try isn¡¯t strange at all¡­¡± Xu Xuan pushed all credit to sheer luck. Though Elder Xuan Ying remained sceptical, he slowly began to find it reasonable. Still, losing both his lightning-struck wood and his Scarlet Spirit Fruits was unbearable. He needed to get something back. ¡°Let¡¯s test you, then! You¡¯ve been in the sect for a month¡ªwhat has your master taught you?¡± ¡°Mainly , , and . But of course, the one I¡¯ve studied the most is our Alchemy Sect¡¯s . If you don¡¯t believe me, feel free to test me!¡± Elder Xuan Ying thought for a moment, then suddenly grinned. ¡°Of course, I believe you! But since we have the opportunity, why not demonstrate your skills to everyone? Jing Shui, you and Senior Brother Xu shall refine a Fasting Pill together!¡± A young Daoist named Jing Shui hesitated briefly before stepping forward. ¡°Senior Brother Xu, please guide me!¡± The two quickly set up their furnace. But this time, the crowd barely spoke a word. Why? Because no one dared make predictions anymore. Every time someone spoke, their words would come back to slap them in the face. And since Elder Xuan Ying had picked Jing Shui, who was far less skilled than Jing Du, it was genuinely hard to say who would win. Many disciples were now secretly betting on Xu Xuan, simply because his luck seemed invincible. The results were disappointing. ¡°Jing Shui: Two pills¡ªone mid-grade, one low-grade. Xu Xuan: One pill¡ªtop-grade. A tie.¡± As soon as Xuan Mu Zhenren finished speaking, the entire hall erupted into laughter and mockery. Not because either alchemist had done well¡ªbut because they were both terrible! ¡°Embarrassing! This was like watching two amateurs fumble around!¡± ¡°Fasting Pills are the most basic alchemical product! Even I got three mid-grade pills the first time I refined them! But these two? They barely managed three pills between them!¡± ¡°Jing Shui is understandable¡ªhe¡¯s only been refining for a year. But Xu Xuan? What the hell is going on with him?¡± ¡°First, he instantly masters . Then, he breaks the Bone Restoration Pill¡¯s supposed limit. But now? He can barely make a single Fasting Pill?¡± ¡°Maybe¡­ he really was just lucky all along? Maybe his luck finally ran out¡ªand this is his real level?¡± Chapter 17 - An Extra Challenge? Losing Is Just Too Difficult Chapter 17: An Extra Challenge? Losing Is Just Too Difficult ¡°This¡­ I really can¡¯t say for sure!¡± The disciples fell silent, unwilling to make any bold claims. Jing Du, in particular, looked utterly defeated, full of regret. If he had known this would happen, he never would have challenged Xu Xuan with Bone Restoration Pills. Wouldn¡¯t he have been better off with Fasting Pills instead? Elder Xuan Ying glanced between the pills in his hand and the sweat-drenched Xu Xuan. Gradually, a wide grin spread across his face. ¡°Good, good, good! So you¡¯re not invincible after all! As long as there¡¯s a weakness, I can find a way to beat you. Today, I¡¯m taking back everything I lost!¡± Xu Xuan wiped the sweat from his forehead. Barely managing to force a draw had been no easy feat. After all, who could have guessed that Elder Xuan Ying¡¯s chosen disciple would be this unskilled! Xu Xuan had originally refined five pills, intending to deliberately lose this round. After all, losing would encourage more disciples to challenge him! Who could have expected that Jing Shui was so incompetent! During pill condensation, he barely managed four pills. Then, in the final stage, he rushed, ruining one more. When it came time to open the furnace, his fire went out too quickly, causing another pill to crack. Every time he lost a pill, Xu Xuan had to throw away one as well. By the time Jing Shui was left with only two, Xu Xuan started panicking. If he kept messing up, he¡¯d have no choice but to blow up the furnace just to match his opponent! Xu Xuan sighed dejectedly, only to turn and lock eyes with Master Xuan Mu, who was grinning at him. His heart skipped a beat. If anyone understood his true level of alchemy, it was Master Xuan Mu. Refining three furnaces of Fasting Pills simultaneously, with each producing the maximum number of pills was something Xu Xuan could pull off effortlessly. After all, 80% of Master Xuan Mu¡¯s assigned sect tasks were secretly being handled by Xu Xuan and Fasting Pills were the most common request. Yet, Xu Xuan had barely produced a single pill in a single furnace during this face-off. If Master Xuan Mu couldn¡¯t tell something was off, then all his years of cultivation would have been a waste. Just as Xu Xuan was thinking up an excuse¡ªMaster Xuan Mu suddenly, when no one was looking, gave him a thumbs-up. But with all eyes on him, Xu Xuan couldn¡¯t ask. Just then, Elder Xuan Ying picked another disciple. This time, the challenge was Qi Condensing Pills. The match wasn¡¯t a total disaster, but neither side¡¯s performance was particularly impressive. Xu Xuan carefully controlled his results, keeping his victory as narrow as possible. By now, he had figured out Elder Xuan Ying¡¯s mindset. The old man had lost too much and was getting desperate. At the same time, he saw a glimmer of hope in Xu Xuan¡¯s uneven results. As long as Xu Xuan kept him hooked, Elder Xuan Ying would keep sending more disciples to challenge him! After four more rounds, Xu Xuan won two by a slim margin. The disciples¡¯ skepticism about Xu Xuan began to rise again. But on the other hand, Elder Xuan Ying¡¯s grin only grew wider. He was now convinced that he had seen through Xu Xuan! Elder Xuan Ying called over his personal disciple, Jing Xin. At first, Jing Xin was confused, but he quickly stepped forward. ¡°It¡¯s already late. Let¡¯s have one final match, then call it a day!¡± Xu Xuan froze on the spot. ¡°¡­So soon?¡± But before he could protest, Elder Xuan Ying continued¡ª ¡°For this round, I want to test your creativity and knowledge. Both of you must refine a pill of your choice¡ªoutside of the ¡®Celestial Masters Alchemy Canon¡¯! The result will be judged by me, Master Xuan Mu, and Elder Xuan Yin.¡± Master Xuan Mu frowned. ¡°Junior Brother, don¡¯t you think this is a bit unfair? Xu Xuan has only been a disciple for a month!¡± ¡°He hasn¡¯t even fully learned the ¡®Alchemy Canon¡¯ yet! And you expect him to refine a pill beyond its teachings?¡± The disciples began whispering among themselves. Most agreed¡ªthis was clearly rigged. ¡°Master Xuan Ying¡¯s suggestion is indeed ridiculously unfair!¡± ¡°Even though they¡¯re both true disciples, Xu Xuan¡¯s only been here for one month! Honestly, his performance today is already beyond my expectations. But Jing Xin¡­?¡± ¡°Forget the skill gap, even their family backgrounds can¡¯t be compared! Jing Xin¡¯s grandfather was a renowned master alchemist in the Daoist world! His family¡¯s secret pill formulas are beyond our sect¡¯s reach!¡± ¡°Master Xuan Ying is clearly rigging this match in Jing Xin¡¯s favour!¡± ¡°Shhh, keep it down! Can¡¯t you see? Master Xuan Ying is desperate! He¡¯s already lost so much. Now he¡¯s willing to cheat outright just to win it back!¡± ¡°A whole chunk of Lightning-Struck Wood¡ªenough to forge a sword or magic weapon! And those Vermilion Fruits¡ªeach one saves three years of cultivation, two of them mean six years! If you lost all that, wouldn¡¯t you be panicking too?¡± S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Fine then!¡± Elder Xuan Ying smirked. ¡°Let¡¯s bet on this match! I¡¯ll wager ten Vermilion Fruits against that Lightning-Struck Wood and two more Vermilion Fruits!¡± Master Xuan Mu flatly refused. ¡°Not betting. This is a guaranteed loss, anyone who bets is a fool. If there¡¯s nothing else, then let¡¯s end this here!¡± Chapter 18 - Yawning Nonstop! Don’t Worry, This One’s in the Bag Chapter 18: Yawning Nonstop! Don¡¯t Worry, This One¡¯s in the Bag ¡°Senior Brother, don¡¯t leave! One century-old Scarlet Spirit Fruit, do you dare bet?¡± S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Seeing that Master Xuan Mu was about to walk away, Elder Xuan Ying completely panicked. Master Xuan Mu paused, hesitating for a moment before saying, ¡°Fine, but the match must be tomorrow. My disciple has been in the sect for too short a time¡ªhe doesn¡¯t know any other pill formulas. I¡¯ll take him back tonight and give him some guidance¡­¡± Elder Xuan Ying frowned deeply. An entire night? He didn¡¯t think Xu Xuan could learn anything substantial within that time. But still, a long night meant many possibilities. What if something unexpected happened? Yet, if he didn¡¯t agree, this bet might fall apart immediately! ¡°Bah! Even if they stay up all night, how much could he possibly learn? How about just one hour? A match in one hour? Senior Brother, you are a master of alchemy, and Nephew Xu is a rare prodigy¡ªan hour should be plenty!¡± ¡°No, it has to be tomorrow¡­¡± Elder Xuan Ying argued relentlessly with Master Xuan Mu. In the end, they compromised. The match would take place after the evening lecture. As the disciples dispersed, Master Xuan Mu tugged Xu Xuan aside. ¡°Do you have a plan for this match?¡± At first, Master Xuan Mu hadn¡¯t intended to take this seriously. He just wanted to teach Elder Xuan Ying a lesson about gambling. But then Elder Xuan Ying accused them of setting up a scam. Ironically, gave him an idea. Xu Xuan already understood his master¡¯s intentions. He glanced at his trait panel where [Grandmaster of Alchemy] gleamed bright red. ¡°Master, don¡¯t worry. This one¡¯s a piece of cake!¡± Master Xuan Mu nodded with satisfaction. ¡°Good. Have you chosen what pill to refine?¡± Xu Xuan hesitated for a moment, then leaned in and whispered three words. Master Xuan Mu was stunned at first. Then, his eyes lit up, shining like gold. ¡°Excellent! That¡¯s my disciple! Tomorrow, we¡¯ll teach them a real lesson! It¡¯s a shame we can¡¯t squeeze more out of Xuan Ying¡­¡± Time flew by and the evening of the match approached. After dinner and the evening lecture, the Alchemy Sect disciples gathered early in the grand hall. Though most had already expected the outcome, it didn¡¯t dampen their enthusiasm for spectating the drama. This time, however, no one discussed victory or defeat. Everyone believed there was no way Jing Xin could lose. After all, Jing Xin was a core disciple, came from a prestigious family and had Elder Xuan Ying rigging the match in his favour. How can he lose in such circumstances? Then, the crowd started to speculate before the duel. ¡°What do you think Senior Brother Jing Xin will refine?¡± ¡°My guess? His family¡¯s signature pill, theTranquil Mind Pill! It calms the heart and prevents inner demons from arising. When he took the entrance exam, he refined that very pill. That¡¯s why he was given the Taoist name Jing Xin!¡± ¡°Hard to say! Senior Brother Jing Xin knows way too many pill formulas. Even outside the , he must know at least twenty or thirty different pills. But honestly, I¡¯m more curious about what Xu Xuan will choose!¡± ¡°He¡¯s only had an hour and a half¡ªwhat could he possibly learn?¡± ¡°But just earlier, he learned Cold-Heat Pills on the spot!¡± ¡°That¡¯s completely different! Cold-Heat Pills are part of our sect¡¯s teachings. Even if he hadn¡¯t learned them, their core techniques were still familiar to him. But this time, he has to refine something completely outside the manual! That¡¯s like starting from zero¡ªhe has to relearn everything!¡± ¡°As long as he manages to produce a pill, I¡¯ll consider it a success.¡± Under the watchful eyes of the disciples, the furnaces roared to life. Jing Xin, a true core disciple, was leagues beyond the inner disciples. From kindling the flame to preparing the ingredients, every motion was precise, efficient, and perfectly executed. His movements were swift and agile, like water flowing in a river. The formation of his pill was as inevitable as a river reaching the sea. But when the spectators turned to observe Xu Xuan, they were stunned. This time, Xu Xuan¡¯s performance was different. Unlike before, he showed no hesitation. He wasn¡¯t frantically flipping through books looking for a formula. ¡°Wait¡­ something¡¯s off! Does anyone else notice that Senior Brother Xu seems¡­ weirdly calm? His movements are just as smooth¡ªno stiffness, no hesitation. And look at his expression¡ªnot a trace of nervousness!¡± ¡°He looks even calmer than Jing Xin! This¡­ this level of confidence¡ªI¡¯ve only ever seen it in Master Xuan Mu himself!¡± ¡°That¡¯s all surface-level. What really matters is the final result!¡± ¡°Wait¡ªlook at Jing Xin¡¯s furnace! The air above it¡­ a pillar of blue energy! That¡¯s¡ªQi Condensing Pills?! A single pill boosts three years of cultivation!¡± With a closer look, Xu Xuan observed Jing Xin¡¯s technique. He didn¡¯t know exactly what formula his opponent was using, but as a Grandmaster of Alchemy, he could analyze the process and infer the details. After a month of Master Xuan Mu¡¯s guidance, Xu Xuan was no longer an amateur. In the Daoist world, and all of heaven and earth, anything that could enhance cultivation¡ªwhether natural treasures, alchemical pills, formations, or artefacts¡ªwas prized above all else. Xu Xuan briefly envied his opponent, then shifted his focus back to his own furnace. With a muffled boom, Jing Xin opened his furnace. Six glistening, translucent pills emerged with an intoxicating fragrance wafting throughout. ¡°Top-grade Qi Condensing Pills?!¡± ¡°Their color is almost flawless¡ªnearly supreme-grade!¡± ¡°This pill ranks among the top ten cultivation pills!¡± ¡°Potent effects, low toxicity, and relatively low material cost!¡± ¡°Most cultivation pills rely heavily on rare ingredients, but Qi Condensing Pills test the alchemist¡¯s raw skill! In terms of difficulty, this ranks in the top five!¡± Elder Xuan Ying beamed with joy. ¡°Excellent, excellent! Jing Xin, you¡¯ve improved again! It¡¯s all thanks to your great teaching, Master! I wouldn¡¯t have been able to pull this off without your Scarlet Spirit Fruits!¡± The Master and disciple praised each other, grinning ear to ear. Elder Xuan Ying was especially thrilled. Soon, his lost treasures would return to him! Jing Xin, on the other hand, was excited for another reason. Elder Xuan Ying had promised him that if he won, he could keep half the pills. Three Qi Condensing Pills, worth nearly ten years of cultivation were just for himself! Meanwhile, as everyone celebrated, no one noticed the wisps of pale greyish-white smoke rising silently from Xu Xuan¡¯s furnace, vanishing into the air without a trace. ¡°Haah¡ª¡± A long yawn echoed through the hall. ¡°Ugh¡­ why am I suddenly¡­ so sleepy¡­?¡± Chapter 19 - Drunk in a Dream! Am I Dizzy? Who Knows? Chapter 19: Drunk in a Dream! Am I Dizzy? Who Knows? ¡°Haah¡ªHaah¡ª!¡± Anyone who yawns frequently knows that yawns are contagious. Once one person yawns, it won¡¯t be long before those nearby follow suit. But when dozens of people start yawning at the same time, anyone with a brain can tell that something isn¡¯t right! ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still early¡ªnowhere near bedtime!¡± ¡°Why do I feel so lightheaded?¡± ¡°This doesn¡¯t feel like normal drowsiness¡­¡± One disciple couldn¡¯t hold on any longer and collapsed onto the floor with a heavy plop. Then came the second. Then the third. Then the tenth¡­Within moments, over a dozen disciples had fallen, and before long, a chorus of snores filled the air! Panic broke out in the hall¡ª ¡°Quick! Hold your breath!¡± Elder Xuan Ying was the first to react, immediately summoning protective qi to block the air. Other disciples followed his lead, circulating their own internal energy to seal their breathing. Unfortunately¡ªit didn¡¯t help. First, the outer disciples collapsed one after another. Then, even some Innate realm disciples noticed something was wrong and tried to flee the hall. But that was the worst mistake they could make. The moment they moved, they seemed to stir up the fumes. They barely made it three steps before collapsing like falling pillars. Some fell unconscious faster than the weaker disciples! In just one breath¡¯s time, there were merely a handful of people still standing. ¡°Master, we¡¯re under attack!¡± ¡°Senior Brother! Go inform the Grandmaster! This must be an enemy attack¡ª!¡± But instead of panicking, Master Xuan Mu chuckled. He patted his fellow elders lightly on the shoulders. ¡°Relax, relax! This is not an attack. It¡¯s just my disciple testing out a new pill! Xu Xuan, are you done? Come on, show your Drunken Dream Pills! Look at how terrified your senior uncles are!¡± Xu Xuan obediently presented a jade box. Inside were three pure white pills, smooth like carved jade. Elder Xuan Ying¡¯s gaze darted back and forth between Master Xuan Mu, Xu Xuan, and the pills. ¡°You¡­ this¡­ Drunken Dream Pills?¡± ¡°Indeed!¡± ¡°Uncle, please have a taste!¡± Elder Xuan Ying looked around at the pile of unconscious disciples. He didn¡¯t even need to test the effects to figure out what had happened. Unwilling to admit defeat, he tried to find an escape out of desperation. ¡°This pill¡­ certainly has some skill behind it. But¡ª¡± Before Elder Xuan Ying could finish his sentence, the loud snores of his own disciple, Jing Xin, cut him off. His face darkened immediately. One moment he was about to dismiss the pill, in the next, his own disciple was KO¡¯d in front of everyone. His face turned pale, then green, then red. Normally, Xu Xuan would never provoke an elder like this. But with one look at the glowing new trait floating above Elder Xuan Ying¡¯s head, Xu Xuan decided to gamble. ¡°Elder Xuan Ying, this Drunken Dream Pill is something I recently developed. I haven¡¯t properly tested it yet. Would you be willing to try it out?¡± Elder Xuan Ying hesitated for a moment. Then, he reached into the jade box and picked up a pill. ¡°Hah! My disciple¡¯s Qi Condensing Pill can benefit even Golden Core cultivators! And sure, your Drunken Dream Pill makes people dizzy, but I am at halfway through the Golden Core stage! This pill won¡¯t have any effect on me!¡± I Under Xu Xuan¡¯s expectant gaze, Elder Xuan Ying actually popped the pill into his mouth, falling for the trap. But just before he swallowed, he froze. ¡°Wait¡­ this isn¡¯t poisoned, is it?¡± Xu Xuan forced a helpless smile. ¡°Uncle, come on! Master Xuan Mu is right here. I only designed this pill to help with sleep troubles!¡± Elder Xuan Ying rolled his eyes. ¡°Yeah, sure. I totally believe you.¡± Despite his skepticism, he still swallowed the pill, not because he trusted Xu Xuan, but because he trusted Master Xuan Mu¡ªand more importantly, he trusted his own strength. ¡°Huh? It actually¡­ tastes pretty good!¡± ¡°Oh, I added honey and tangerine peel for flavor.¡± ¡°What kind of knockout drug needs fancy ingredients¡ª¡± ¡°¡­Oh no¡­ oh no, my head¡­¡± ¡°Uncle, are you okay?¡± Elder Xuan Ying¡¯s eyes went wide. With his precious treasures on the line, he refused to show weakness. ¡°Hah! As if your pill could knock me out! I¡¯m telling you¡ªit won¡¯t¡­ it won¡¯t¡­¡± Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But as he spoke, Golden energy surged around his hands, attempting to force the pill¡¯s effects out of his body. However¡ªbefore he could finish the technique, his knees buckled, and he collapsed onto the floor. Thud! Master Xuan Mu casually flicked his finger, gently lowering Elder Xuan Ying to the ground. ¡°Xu Xuan, not bad at all! This Drunken Dream Pill is ridiculously strong! Even a Half-Step Golden Core cultivator couldn¡¯t resist it!¡± Xu Xuan could barely contain his grin. Inside his mind, his system¡¯s notification chime wouldn¡¯t stop ringing. The aftermath was groundbreaking. ¡°Alright, wake them up now!¡± This time, Xu Xuan was fully prepared. With plenty of antidote at hand, the disciples woke up quickly. The moment they regained consciousness, they stared at Xu Xuan like he was a ghost. During that brief unconscious period, their lives were completely at his mercy. If Xu Xuan had been an enemy, they might already be drinking Meng Po soup from the Naihe River in the underworld. A newfound respect emerged among the disciples for Xu Xuan. ¡°This Senior Brother Xu¡­ his methods are terrifying. Maybe this is his true strength!¡± ¡°With skills like this, no wonder the division leaders fought over him!¡± ¡°I heard during the entrance test, even the other three division masters wanted to recruit him. But in the end, he chose our Alchemy Division!¡± ¡°That¡¯s our great fortune!¡± ¡°With Senior Brother Xu¡¯s Drunken Dream Pill, we might actually make a name for ourselves at the year-end tournament!¡± The disciples¡¯ whispers turned into heated discussion. Their skepticism toward Xu Xuan melted away, replaced by respect, admiration, and even a bit of awe. Elder Xuan Ying, who had eaten a whole pill by himself, was the last to wake up. The moment he opened his eyes, he pounded his chest and declared: ¡°I¡¯M FINE! THAT PILL DIDN¡¯T WORK ON ME! I WAS TOTALLY AWAKE THE WHOLE TIME!¡± Jing Xin, his disciple, quietly muttered: ¡°Master¡­ please stop¡­We lost. completely.¡± ¡°Impossible! No way! We couldn¡¯t have lost!¡± ¡°Master¡­ you passed out. And Xu Xuan was the one who woke you up¡­¡± Chapter 20 - A Great Harvest! The Power of Four Elephants & An Alchemy Cultivation Genius Chapter 20: A Great Harvest! The Power of Four Elephants & An Alchemy Cultivation Genius ¡°Haa¡ª¡± Elder Xuan Ying let out a deep sigh, only to hear Master Xuan Mu calling him over. ¡°Enough with the sighing. Take a look at this!¡± Elder Xuan Ying glanced over and immediately felt his stomach drop. In Master Xuan Mu¡¯s hand was none other than his most prized Hundred-Year Vermilion Fruit. And Master Xuan Mu wasn¡¯t done yet, it seemed he was determined to rub salt in the wound. ¡°Junior Brother, there¡¯s something you might not know! For the past half a month, all the pills that left my hands were actually refined by Xu Xuan! Otherwise, where do you think I got so much free time to go fishing?¡± At this point, Master Xuan Mu had spelled it out clearly. How could Elder Xuan Ying not understand what had happened? ¡°You¡­ you set me up? His level was never that bad to begin with!¡± ¡°Bet placed, no backing out! A true gambler owns up to their losses! If you keep reneging on bets, no one will ever want to gamble with you again.¡± Xuan Ying gritted his teeth. ¡°Fine, fine! If I ever bet with you again, I¡¯m a damn mutt!¡± With his disciple in tow, he stormed off. Master Xuan Mu simply waved him away and dismissed the rest of the disciples. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s late. Everyone, get some rest!¡± Without another word, he beckoned Xu Xuan and led him to his private meditation chamber. ¡°You performed well today! But don¡¯t get arrogant. I¡¯m confident in your alchemy, but your cultivation cannot be neglected either. Take these three Vermilion Fruits¡ªI don¡¯t need them, use them to boost your cultivation. And starting tomorrow, you¡¯ll still come here in the mornings for alchemy. But in the afternoons, you¡¯ll go to the Combat Sect. I¡¯ve already spoken to Master Xuan Yang. He will personally teach you the ¡®Celestial Emperor¡¯s Subduing Tiger Sutra.¡¯¡± ¡­ Xu Xuan returned to his quarters late at night, but despite lying in bed, he couldn¡¯t sleep. Today¡¯s battle had been incredibly rewarding. Among the three Vermilion Fruits he received, two were 30 years old, but the last one was over a century old! Even taking them raw could boost his cultivation by a dozen years. If he refined them into a pill, he might be able to break through to Innate Stage Two or even Stage Three! Beyond the Vermilion Fruits, his gains in system traits were even more shocking. Defeated Inner Sect Disciple Jing Shui New Trait Acquired: Alchemy Novice (Green) Defeated Inner Sect Disciple Jing Ming New Trait Acquired: Sharp Eyes & Keen Ears (White) Defeated True Disciple Jing Xin S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. New Trait Acquired: Alchemy Master (Blue) Defeated Elder Xuan Ying of the Alchemy Sect New Trait Acquired: Light Wind Technique (Blue) A treasure chest of traits! Xu Xuan stared at the long list of traits and rolled back and forth in bed with excitement. ¡°So this is what it feels like to truly step into the path of cultivation! Even random drops are mostly green quality! But it¡¯s a shame Elder Xuan Ying didn¡¯t drop a red trait¡­¡± After counting, he realized he had earned over 60 new traits! Blue: 3 Green: 32 White: 20 It was a massive gain. His trait panel was now packed to the brim, but Xu Xuan knew better than to hoard mediocre traits. His success in alchemy wasn¡¯t just due to having many traits, it was because he focused them all into becoming a Grandmaster! After careful consideration, Xu Xuan kept only one trait by selective merging. Surprisingly, it wasn¡¯t the blue Light Wind Technique from Elder Xuan Ying but a green trait from an inner disciple: Qi Cultivation Genius ¡ª Increases spiritual energy absorption by 50%! And everything else? He merged them into higher-quality traits. ¡­ System Panel [Refreshed] [Host: Xu Xuan] [Race: Human] [Cultivation: Innate Stage 1 (7%)] [Cultivation Method: Azure Dragon Qi] Traits: Benevolent Man of 20 lifetimes (Gold), Pristine Physique (Red), Grandmaster of Alchemy (Red), Power of the Four Elephants (Blue), Qi Cultivation Genius (Blue), Bursting Vitality (Green), Slight Talent (White) Qi Cultivation Genius (Blue) ¡ª Increases absorption of spiritual energy by 50%! Power of the Four Elephants (Blue) ¡ª Your water affinity is dragon-like, and your strength rivals an elephant. You now possess the strength of four divine elephants! Bursting Vitality (Green) ¡ª Minor boost to natural healing speed. Available Trait Generation: 1 (Luck Factor: 18) Xu Xuan clenched his fists and heard crackling sounds from his palms. The terrifying power within his body surged! A boundless energy coursed through his meridians. Xu Xuan couldn¡¯t help but praise himself. The next morning, Xu Xuan checked his system panel and was shocked to find his cultivation progress had increased overnight! After morning practice, he refined his Azure Dragon Qi while continuing alchemy training. To his delight, his spiritual energy absorption had skyrocketed and his Qi condensation had become significantly faster. Before, he could only gain 1-2% cultivation progress per day. But now? He gained 2% in just half a morning! At this rate, his breakthrough to Stage 2 would be at least 30% faster! After lunch, Xu Xuan finally left the Alchemy Sect and headed towards the Combat Sect¡¯s training grounds. The Celestial Masters Sect had a Grandmaster Hall, a High Palace, 4 Sects and 6 Academies. Among them, the Combat Sect occupied the largest territory. From a distance, he could already hear loud explosions. When he arrived, the sky was filled with dust. Figures soared through the air like birds, dashing, dodging, and clashing in fierce combat. The air was thick with killing intent and the scent of sweat. A guard checked Xu Xuan¡¯s token and led him deep into the training grounds. Instead of the main hall, they arrived at a smaller sparring arena. Inside, a burly man dressed in half-open Daoist robes was swinging a massive trident-like blade. Xu Xuan¡¯s jaw nearly hit the floor. The man was well over 7 feet tall, with muscles like iron cables. His arms alone were as thick as Xu Xuan¡¯s waist! The giant turned, his massive blade slamming into the stone floor, shattering it instantly. ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re that brat Lao Mu took in?¡± Chapter 21 - Master Xuan Yuan —A Walking Mountain of Muscle! Chapter 21: Master Xuan Yuan ¡ªA Walking Mountain of Muscle! ¡°Disciple Xu Xuan greets Master Xuan Yuan!¡± Xu Xuan felt a gust of wind sweep past him, and in the blink of an eye, the figure that had been standing several dozen meters away was now right in front of him. Master Xuan Yuan was already terrifying enough due to his massive figure, but now, standing less than two meters away, Xu Xuan truly grasped his sheer size. The rising sun behind him cast a long, enormous shadow, completely enveloping Xu Xuan and his own silhouette within it. The man did nothing but stand there with his hands behind his back, yet Xu Xuan felt an overwhelming pressure washing over him. Struggling to steady his nerves, he quietly activated his system. [Mount Longhu ¨C Master Xuan Yuan] [Race: Human] [Cultivation Level: ???] [Traits: ???, ???, ¡­ ???] Apart from his name and race, everything else was just a string of question marks. Xu Xuan restarted the system twice, rubbed his eyes three times, and finally had to accept the truth¡ªMaster Xuan Yuan was on a level he couldn¡¯t possibly afford to mess with. After all, even Masters Xuan Mu and Xuan Ming, both at the Golden Core stage, could be analyzed by his system. Yet, Master Xuan Yuan¡¯s power was so mighty that not even the system could break through his veil of mystery. ¡°You have a good amount of blood vitality, but your physique is far too frail,¡± Xuan Yuan said, studying Xu Xuan like a hawk. ¡°If you want to learn the Celestial Emperor¡¯s Tiger Subduing Sutra, how can you hope to subdue dragons and tigers without a strong body?¡± Faced with this walking mountain of muscle, Xu Xuan could only nod obediently. ¡°Master, you¡¯re absolutely right!¡± Xuan Yuan grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth. He then pointed to the large stone weights stacked beside the training ground. ¡°Go test your strength first,¡± he said. ¡°Let me see what you¡¯re made of before I decide how to teach you!¡± Xu Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. With the Power of Four Elephants backing him, this test shouldn¡¯t be too difficult. He began with the lightest stone weight of 250kg, holding it up for three breaths before setting it down. Then, he lifted the 500kg rock¡­Then the 750kg rock¡­Then 1000kg rock¡­ Even as he reached the rock with a weight of 1500kg, Xuan Yuan showed no reaction. His expression remained as still as a statue. Unsure what else to do, Xu Xuan continued lifting. 1500kg¡­2500kg¡­4000kg¡­ Finally, when Xu Xuan hoisted a massive 5000kg stone weight¡ªa block larger than a millstone¡ªhe felt some strain. Even then, he still lifted it with relative ease. At that moment, Xuan Yuan, who had been seated cross-legged in observation, suddenly smashed the stone table beside him with a single palm. Xuan Yuan cursed. After venting his frustration, Xuan Yuan turned back to Xu Xuan, who was still standing there awkwardly. With a flick of his wrist, golden light shot out, and a massive three-bladed halberd embedded in the ground suddenly rose into the air. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Kid, try my weapon!¡± Xu Xuan reached out to grab the weapon. At first, he thought it was fairly light, maybe 1000kg to 1500kg, and swinging it around was effortless. But then¡­Another pulse of golden light from Xuan Yuan doubled the weight. Xu Xuan nearly lost his grip. He steadied himself, adjusting his stance. But Xuan Yuan didn¡¯t stop there. With each flicker of golden energy, the weight increased further. By the fifth pulse, Xu Xuan couldn¡¯t hold on any longer. His fingers gave out, and the massive weapon came crashing down, shattering the stone floor. ¡°Hah! You¡¯ve got 25,000kg of raw physical strength?¡± Xuan Yuan bellowed, his laughter booming. ¡°With a punch like that, even a fully-formed demonic beast wouldn¡¯t stand a chance!¡± Xuan Yuan shook his head in frustration. Before Xu Xuan could react, Xuan Yuan grabbed him and started dragging him off toward the Alchemy Sect. Panic surged through Xu Xuan. ¡°Master! There¡¯s no point in doing this! My teacher only has one true disciple¡ªme! He¡¯ll never agree!¡± Xuan Yuan flashed a grin, flexing a fist the size of a wok. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. He can¡¯t beat me! If he disagrees, I¡¯ll punch him until he does!¡± Xu Xuan¡¯s face turned pale. He thought about Master Xuan Mu¡¯s frail build and compared it to Xuan Yuan¡¯s monstrous physique¡­Then he remembered Xuan Mu was merely Golden Core Level One, whereas Xuan Yuan¡¯s cultivation level was completely unreadable. This wasn¡¯t just about ¡°winning or losing¡±, this was about whether his master would even survive the encounter! ¡°If you beat up my master, I¡¯ll never accept you as my teacher! That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just beat you up until you do!¡± Xu Xuan froze. This man¡¯s thought process was completely incomprehensible! ¡°Master, if you forcefully take me, both you and the entire Combat Sect will become a laughingstock!¡± Xuan Yuan scoffed, his pearly-white teeth glinting under the sun. ¡°That¡¯s fine. If anyone dares laugh at me, I¡¯ll just beat them up too! There are only three people in Mount Longhu who can take three of my punches!¡± Xu Xuan felt his headache worsen. Just who was this monster? Even the system couldn¡¯t analyze him¡­Xu Xuan quickly changed tactics. ¡°What about the Heavenly Master?¡± At the mention of the Sect Leader, Xuan Yuan stiffened. ¡°Tsk¡­ That slippery bastard¡­Can¡¯t see him, can¡¯t hit him. He¡¯s like a damn loach. No fun at all!¡± After muttering to himself for a moment, Xuan Yuan finally dropped the idea of attacking the Alchemy Sect. ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll be magnanimous and let Xuan Mu keep half of you!¡± Xu Xuan sighed in relief¡­ only for his heart to jump again at what Xuan Yuan said next. ¡°Alright, no more nonsense! Since you¡¯re naturally gifted, we¡¯ll skip the beginner steps! You¡¯ll train in the Tiger Subduing Sutra, Celestial Emperor Fist, and West Extreme Gold Sword Qi¡ª all at the same time!¡± Xu Xuan almost choked on his own breath. ¡°Wait¡­ We¡¯re training stance work, martial arts, and sword techniques¡­ all at once?!¡± ¡°Of course! For normal people, this would be impossible. But do you know who I am?¡± Xu Xuan didn¡¯t even bother arguing. This muscle-bound lunatic was beyond reason. At least, one thing was certain¡ªtraining under him would definitely yield results. But¡­ as the training began, Xu Xuan slowly realized something¡ªIt wasn¡¯t training. It was hard labour. When it came to cultivation, Master Xuan Yuan wore an expression of absolute pride. Thinking about his terrifying strength, Xu Xuan couldn¡¯t help but feel a rush of anticipation. Training under such a powerhouse, his strength was bound to skyrocket. At first, the training seemed fairly normal¡ªTiger Subduing Sutra, Celestial Emperor Fist¡ªeverything followed an orderly, structured approach. But the moment Master Xuan Yuan felt Xu Xuan had grasped the fundamentals, the entire training regimen took a drastic turn. ¡°Next, we¡¯ll integrate Western Extreme Gengjin Sword Qi¡ªall three techniques combined into one! Starting today, you¡¯ll train like this¡­¡± Hearing Master Xuan Yuan¡¯s explanation, Xu Xuan¡¯s face went blank. ¡°Master¡­ are you sure this is actual training¡­? Or are you just tricking me into doing hard labour for you?¡± Chapter 22 - The Ferocious Gengjin Fiendstone! Are Alchemy Disciples This Weak? Chapter 22: The Ferocious Gengjin Fiendstone! Are Alchemy Disciples This Weak? ¡°Huff¡ªhuff¡ªhuff¡ª¡± Heavy and laboured breathing echoed across the martial training grounds as a figure dressed in a blue Daoist robe struggled forward, carrying a massive greenish stone slab nearly as tall as a person. The passing Combat Sect disciples paused in their steps, glancing over with curiosity and amusement. ¡°Where did this disciple come from? He¡¯s struggling just to carry a stone?! How did someone with such poor physique manage to enter our Combat Sect?¡± ¡°Wait¡ªlook at the pattern on his robe. He¡¯s from the Alchemy Sect!¡± ¡°Ah, no wonder he looks so frail. So, he¡¯s one of those pill brewers?¡± ¡°Probably couldn¡¯t make the cut there, so he settled for second best.¡± ¡°To be fair, anyone who enters the Weapon, Talisman, or Alchemy Sects can still learn some basic combat techniques from us. But we¡¯re different. We¡¯re born warriors.¡± S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Those alchemists, blacksmiths, and talisman makers? They¡¯re just support units! When it comes to slaying demons, upholding justice, and protecting Mount Longhu, the real burden falls on us, the Combat Sect disciples!¡± Mount Longhu was a sanctuary of Daoist cultivation, but where there were people, rivalry was inevitable. And in the Combat Sect, where combat was the very foundation, competitiveness was in their blood. As the blue-robed figure gritted his teeth and continued carrying his burden, the gathered Combat Sect disciples watched with smirks. They weren¡¯t outright mocking him, but their words dripped with condescension. However, the struggling disciple, Xu Xuan, was far too occupied hauling the stone to even care about their chatter. Just as his figure disappeared from sight, another person carrying a similar stone walked past. Suddenly, one of the Combat Sect disciples gasped aloud. ¡°Master?! What are you doing here?¡± Jin Song exclaimed. The group of disciples stiffened, their expressions turning into one of shock and disbelief. Wasn¡¯t that Elder Xuan Yuan?! One of the youngest elders of the Combat Sect and a prime candidate for the next Head Master! A figure of such stature¡­ carrying a stone?! Impossible! ¡°Master, were you¡­ punished for something?¡± Xuan Yuan chuckled as he dropped his massive stone onto the ground. The huge stone slammed into the ground, shattering the paved bricks and sinking into the soil. ¡°You think carrying this stone is easy?¡± Xuan Yuan swept his gaze over his students, instantly seeing through their thoughts. He smirked inwardly. ¡°Since you think it¡¯s so simple,¡± Xuan Yuan said, ¡°why don¡¯t you give it a try?¡± Jing Song had witnessed firsthand how the stone cracked the ground upon impact. He had expected it to be heavy, but¡­He had just broken through to the Innate Realm and his arms alone held over 500kg of strength. If he burst out his inner energy, that number would double so he could lift a small mountain if needed. One stone was merely a breeze.. Jing Song steadied his stance, fingers tightening like iron hooks, digging deep into the loose earth, gripping the stone¡¯s base. It should have been a simple feat. He was just about to shout aloud and lift. But the moment he touched the stone¡­ A piercing metallic energy erupted from within the stone, shooting up his arms, attempting to invade his body! ¡°AH¡ª!¡± Jing Song instantly let go and the stone that was barely lifted an inch before slamming back down¡ª If Xuan Yuan hadn¡¯t stepped in to halt the impact, Jing Song¡¯s foot would have been crushed! ¡°Wh-what is this stone?!¡± Xuan Yuan chuckled. ¡°Gengjin Fiendstone.¡± Jing Song turned pale. The other disciples instinctively backed away. ¡°Gengjin Fiendstone¡­ the most lethal of all elemental fiendstones?!¡± ¡°I remember reading about this in The Book of Wonders! Fiendstones are natural spiritual minerals, formed by fusing the five elemental energies! They¡¯re heavier than refined steel, and the energy inside them disrupts the body¡¯s meridians! That¡¯s why you can¡¯t use inner energy when moving them! If you do, the evil energy will invade your body through your pores and meridians!¡± The group visibly paled. Even if they didn¡¯t fully understand the weight, they knew what evil energy could do. Jing Song, who was still shaken, quickly added, ¡°You guys have no idea what it actually feels like! Even if you don¡¯t use inner energy, the evil aura still seeps into your body!¡± . Now, the disciples looked even more hesitant. Xuan Yuan smirked and turned to the remaining Combat Sect disciples. ¡°Well? Does anyone else want to give it a try?¡± Lifting the stone was one thing. But now, the fear of failure mixed with fear of losing face. None of them wanted to back down. One by one, they stepped forward, and one by one, they all failed. Just as Xuan Yuan was about to lecture them, he noticed Xu Xuan strolling toward them casually. When Xu Xuan saw the Fiendstone, his eyes lit up. ¡°Elder Xuan Yuan, are you taking a break? If so, why don¡¯t I carry that stone for you?¡± Before Xuan Yuan could answer, Xu Xuan picked up the Fiendstone and ran off. In mere seconds, his figure had vanished into the distance. His movements were swift and his footwork was light. It was as if¡­ he wasn¡¯t carrying anything at all. The Combat Sect disciples stood frozen. ¡°¡­W-what the hell?!¡± ¡°Someone slap me. Did I just hallucinate?¡± ¡°That Alchemy Sect guy¡­ did he just carry off the Fiendstone?¡± ¡°What else would it be?! That massive stone!¡± ¡°I tested it earlier¡ªit¡¯s at least 2500kg!¡± ¡°But¡­ but he made it look so effortless?!¡± ¡°And that Gengjin Fiend Qi didn¡¯t it affect him at all?¡± ¡°Wait¡­ was that stone fake?¡± ¡°No way¡ªI just tried lifting it myself!¡± ¡°Guys¡­ did you forget something?¡± ¡°Xu Xuan already carried another Fiendstone earlier¡ªjust as big!¡± . The Combat Sect disciples no longer knew what to say. And Xuan Yuan? He suddenly let out a low, angry roar. ¡°That damn brat! He stole my Fiendstone! I spent so long choosing the smallest one¡ªthat was mine! MINE!¡± TL/N: is a type of iron and means metal. So the stone is a magnetic metal composed of iron Chapter 23 - Ten Thousand Pounds of Strength? Are the Requirements of Alchemy Sect This High Now? Chapter 23: Ten Thousand Pounds of Strength? Are the Requirements of Alchemy Sect This High Now? ¡°Master, if he wants to carry it, let him! You can use this time to train your Qi or practice your martial arts and spells¡­¡± Jing Song, standing nearby, didn¡¯t understand why his master was this angered. Wasn¡¯t moving one less stone a good thing? Master Xuan Yuan flicked his sleeve, speaking with indignation. ¡°What do you know? I fought so hard to get this job! Do you even know how much virtue merit moving these Fiendstones gives?¡± Mount Longhu took in so many disciples, and trained so many students, not to mention cultivating immortality, martial arts, alchemy, and weapon forging, just feeding everyone was an astronomical expense. This virtue merit was a special reward system of Mount Longhu. Other than menial labour disciples, from Celestial Masters to inner disciples, everyone had to complete a set amount of tasks each year. Completing these tasks earned them virtue merit points, which could be exchanged for elixirs, treasures, talismans or even converted into gold and silver¡ªone virtue merit was worth a hundred taels of silver! Gold and silver were easy to obtain, while virtue merit was priceless. No one on Mount Longhu would waste it on mere money. Hearing that moving Fiendstones could earn virtue merit, the inner disciples¡¯ eyes were instantly filled with greed. ¡°No way¡­ there¡¯s virtue merit for this? No wonder even Master Xuan Yuan is here carrying stones!¡± ¡°But even if there is merit, the payout can¡¯t be that high! Moving these stones is hard, sure¡­But if your body is strong, you can do it!¡± ¡°I¡¯d say one merit point per day would already be generous!¡± ¡°One merit per day? I wouldn¡¯t even dare dream of that! If I could earn one per day, I¡¯d be filthy rich!¡± The combat sect disciples thought they were guessing high¡ªfor them, one merit a day was already their wildest fantasy. Hearing their answers, Xuan Yuan burst out laughing. ¡°If it were only one per day¡­would a Master like me rush over here so eagerly?¡± S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The disciples¡¯ eyes widened when Xuan Yuan dropped a bombshell. ¡°It¡¯s one merit per stone! Each stone earns you one virtue merit!¡± The disciples fell into a stunned silence and then erupted in shock. ¡°One stone, one merit? Master, where do I sign up?¡± ¡°I want in! I need virtue merit! Master Xuan Yuan! Father¡ª!!¡± Xuan Yuan nearly laughed himself to death. ¡°You really think merits fall from the sky? This task requires one person to move 100 Fiendstones within three hours! If you fail to meet the quota¡ªyou get nothing.¡± With that, Xuan Yuan vanished in a blink, rushing off before Xu Xuan could steal all the virtue merits. The combat disciples stood dumbfounded, watching him leave. They all thought of one person, the swift-moving, unstoppable figure of Xu Xuan. ¡°One person¡­ three hours¡­ a hundred Fiendstones?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t finish, you get nothing?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a scam? How strong would your physical body need to be?¡± ¡°I¡¯d guess at least 10,000 pounds of raw strength!¡± ¡°10,000 pounds?! Are you exaggerating?¡± ¡°Without that kind of strength, how could you possibly complete it?¡± ¡°So¡­ this means only elders like Xuan Yuan can do it?¡± ¡°Wait¡­ didn¡¯t you all forget about that Alchemy Sect disciple?¡± Everyone froze, recalling the figure who had come and gone like the wind¡ªthe one who had even snatched Xuan Yuan¡¯s Fiendstone. ¡°That disciple¡­ was that terrifying? But that¡¯s not the scariest part¡­The scariest thing is he¡¯s from the Alchemy Sect!¡± The combat sect disciples fell into deep silence, yet, a certain figure refused to fade away. ¡°Since when did the Alchemy Sect¡¯s entrance requirements get this high?!¡± They couldn¡¯t wrap their heads around it. As the Fiendstone task ended, this matter faded into the wind. Time flew by and winter was nearing. Cold winds howled and snow filled the sky. Yet the harsh weather couldn¡¯t dampen the disciples¡¯ training. As the Year-End Grand Ceremony and the Inner Sect Tournament approached, the entire Mount Longhu burned with fervent determination. On a platform paved with Fiendstones, Xu Xuan stood bare-chested, wearing only thin pants. His stance was the Tiger Subduing Sutra, his fists holding the Celestial Emperor Fist, his movements as fierce as a raging tiger. Even the howling blizzard could not touch him within ten feet. If one opened their Heaven¡¯s Eye, they would witness an endless surge of deadly fiend energy pouring from the very ground into Xu Xuan¡¯s flesh, veins, and bones. This was the first step in cultivating the Western Extreme Gengjin Sword Qi¡ªdrawing fiend energy into the body! Most cultivators would purify the Qi first, but Xu Xuan was directly absorbing it¡ªan insane method only Master Xuan Yuan had dared attempt before! ¡°Brat! Take this punch!¡± Just as Xu Xuan was immersed in his training, Master Xuan Yuan couldn¡¯t hold back anymore! Like a massive black eagle, he shot forward at Xu Xuan. Xu Xuan had long expected this. With the speed of a tiger, he dodged the attack and then countered with a flurry of lightning-fast punches! ¡°Good! Come at me!¡± Master Xuan Yuan grinned, his massive arm moving like a phantom wall, blocking every single one of Xu Xuan¡¯s strikes! BOOM! A huge impact shook the ground¡ªthen another, and another, like firecrackers exploding non-stop! They traded blows for half an hour until Xu Xuan was sent flying off the platform! ¡°Master, you can¡¯t just spit at me!¡± Master Xuan Yuan showed zero shame, instead, he laughed loudly and spat another shot of saliva at Xu Xuan! That tiny droplet¡­blasted a hole straight through the stone floor. ¡°Kid, your first work is decent now, but your combat experience is lacking. I can¡¯t help you there, you¡¯ll have to figure it out yourself.¡± Xu Xuan nodded. He had already realized this weakness. Xuan Yang was too familiar with him¡ªtheir fights had become predictable sparring matches. If he wanted real progress, he needed new opponents. ¡°Master, don¡¯t worry¡ªI already have a plan.¡± ¡°¡­What plan?¡± ¡°Simple. I¡¯ll just throw money at the problem.¡± Chapter 24 - Paying to Get Beaten? Who’s the Fool Losing Out Here? Chapter 24: Paying to Get Beaten? Who¡¯s the Fool Losing Out Here? The next morning, after early lessons, instead of dispersing to train as usual, the Combat Sect disciples gathered around the task board, reading it with great curiosity. ¡°Unbelievable! You live long enough, and you really see all kinds of missions. Look at this one,¡± Sparring Partner Wanted¡ª Requirements: Must be at least Innate Realm with proficient combat skills. Reward: 1 virtue merit every 3 days or 1 White Bone Pill! ¡°Paying to get beaten up? Just how desperate is this guy?¡± In the Combat Sect, training wasn¡¯t just a routine, it was a way of life. Sparring happened constantly. Not once every three days or once a week, but five times before noon and three full fights a day! Winning meant bragging all night. Losing meant either brooding in silence or yelling ¡°I¡¯ll get you next time!¡± Any grudges? Settle them with a duel. But paying to get beaten up? None of them could understand the logic behind this. ¡°Who cares? If there¡¯s a reward, I¡¯m taking it!¡± ¡°Junior Brother, let me go test the waters first. Let¡¯s see who this poor fool is¡­¡± Before anyone could react, someone let out a howl and the crowd swarmed toward the task official. But Master Xuan Yuan had already given prior instructions, so the official glanced through the crowd before settling on one person. ¡°Jing Yin, you can do it! Do well! Don¡¯t embarrass the Combat Sect!¡± The moment Jing Yin¡¯s name was called, the entire crowd fell into complete silence. ¡°Jing Yin? He actually signed up?¡± ¡°It¡¯s over¡­ it¡¯s all over. I was hoping to try this mission someday¡­But now that Jing Yin¡¯s involved, it¡¯s over for all of us!¡± The Combat Sect disciples sighed in disappointment, losing all interest in staying. A new recruit looked around, confused. ¡°Uh¡­ what¡¯s wrong with Senior Brother Jing Yin?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not exactly ¡®wrong¡¯¡­It¡¯s just that he has trouble holding back.¡± ¡°Trouble holding back?! That¡¯s putting it way too lightly! Jing Yin¡¯s real name was Jing Neng¡ªdo you know why he changed it to Jing Yin?¡± The new recruit shook his head vigorously, full of curiosity. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because he practices the Thirty-Six Styles of Wind and Thunder Palm. Fast as wind, loud as thunder¡ªhis strikes are both swift and lethal. His opponents never even get the chance to surrender¡ªthey just drop immediately. Over time, ¡®Jing Neng¡¯ became ¡®Jing Yin¡¯.¡± The new recruit¡¯s mouth dropped wide open. ¡°So¡­?¡± ¡°So, whoever issued that task¡­ they¡¯re doomed. Even with healing elixirs, they¡¯ll be stuck in bed for at least ten days.¡± ¡°Paying to get beaten up¡­ I¡¯ve never seen this before.¡± ¡°I wonder which poor fool is reckless enough to agree to spar with Jing Yin¡­¡± At that exact moment, the ¡°reckless fool¡± Xu Xuan was meeting the legendary Jing Yin himself. Unlike most of the Combat Sect who worshipped hulking muscles, Jing Yin was tall but lean, almost scrawny. His wide robe hung loosely on his frame, fluttering as if a strong breeze could blow him away. ¡°Alchemy Sect disciple, Xu Xuan. A pleasure, Junior Brother Jing Yin! Our match today¡ªno matter who wins or loses, I ask that you keep it confidential.¡± The moment Jing Yin heard ¡°Alchemy Sect,¡± he froze. The only people who could afford such high-paying sparring missions were usually Celestial Master Zhang¡¯s direct descendants or a High Elder¡¯s heir from Shangqing Palace. But an Alchemy Sect disciple¡­? Among the four Sects of Mount Longhu, the Combat Sect was unquestionably the strongest followed by the Artifact and Talisman Sects¡ªone specialized in weapons, the other in charms. Both were combat-focused. But the Alchemy Sect? Alchemy, medicine, pills¡ªthey were at the bottom of the whole lot. Hearing Xu Xuan call him ¡°Junior Brother¡± Jing Yin immediately disliked him. But he figured¡ªafter the fight, this kid would learn respect. Then he heard Xu Xuan¡¯s request for secrecy and nearly laughed out loud. Jing Yin straightened up and saluted. ¡°I¡¯m a disciple of the Combat Sect, Jing Yin. Please instruct me, Junior Brother Xu!¡± Xu Xuan saluted back. ¡°Please¡ªgo ahead and attack first.¡± Jing Yin almost burst out laughing. Letting him attack first? Did Xu Xuan want to die? The moment his Wind and Thunder Palm started, his opponent wouldn¡¯t even have time to defend! But there was no need to explain. Once Xu Xuan got beaten senseless, he¡¯d figure it out himself. ¡°Be careful, Junior Brother!¡± S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The instant his voice fell¡ª A thunderclap exploded in the air and Jing Yin had vanished. When he reappeared, his fist¡ªwrapped in wind and lightning¡ªwas inches from Xu Xuan¡¯s face. One punch became two, two became four¡­In the blink of an eye, the sky was filled with countless phantom fists, crashing down like a tidal wave. Xu Xuan¡¯s eyes lit up in excitement. Refining Qi took patience. But martial arts? You had to fight. No matter how talented you were, without real combat experience, all of it meant nothing. Jing Yin sighed. But the very next second¡ª Xu Xuan threw a punch. The wall of fists instantly shattered. Jing Yin flew backwards like a rag doll, slamming into the far wall with a thunderous crash, then slowly slid down like a crumpled scroll. His head spun and his mind went blank. ¡°Junior Brother? Jing Yin? Are you alright?¡± Xu Xuan rushed forward, checking his pulse and pupils. He had held back. His punch should¡¯ve only caused minor internal shock. At worst, Jing Yin would need a few minutes of rest. But looking at him now¡­Why did he seem like he¡¯d been knocked into another dimension? Xu Xuan even considered acupuncture or medicine¡ªbefore Jing Yin finally snapped back to reality. ¡°You¡­ you¡­ how are you this strong?!¡± If not for the burning pain in his chest, Jing Yin wouldn¡¯t have believed he had lost. He had not just lost¡ªhe was utterly destroyed. He was one of the strongest in the Combat Sect. He stood a good chance even against Innate Fifth Realm opponents. Yet, here, with just one punch, he was sent flying¡ª a punch from an Alchemy Sect disciple at that! ¡°Junior Brother, my apologies! I was born a bit too strong¡­And I haven¡¯t fought many people before¡­So my control is still a little off¡­¡± Jing Yin blinked rapidly, desperately fighting back tears. He had said the same words before, to his own victims. Jing Yin held himself together until Xu Xuan spoke again. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, Junior Brother¡ªI think after two more rounds, I¡¯ll have my strength fully adjusted!¡± And just like that, Jing Yin broke down. Chapter 25 - Master of Martial Arts! If Everyone Loses, Then No One Loses! Chapter 25: Master of Martial Arts! If Everyone Loses, Then No One Loses! ¡°Two more times? Do you even hear yourself? Just now, if anything had gone wrong, I might already be chatting with Yama*!¡± ¡°I make people speechless for a moment when I fight¡­But you? You¡¯re trying to make sure I never speak again! You know what? The name ¡®Jing Yin ¡® suits you better than me!¡± Jing Yin glared at Xu Xuan, his mind filled with resentment. Without another word, he stood up and walked away. ¡°Junior Brother, why are you leaving? If you leave now, you won¡¯t get your reward! Are you really going? At least remember to keep it secret¡ª¡± But Jing Yin didn¡¯t look back even once. His steps were firm. He didn¡¯t give Xu Xuan a single chance to persuade him. Just a moment ago, he had thought one virtue merit was a great deal. But now? This wasn¡¯t sparring, this was suicide! He wasn¡¯t stupid enough to risk his life for one merit. ¡°Man, what a shame! Jing Yin¡¯s skills weren¡¯t bad at all¡­That ¡®Mastery of Fist Techniques¡¯ trait was quite decent too¡­¡± A while later, Jing Yin returned to the Combat Sect. He tried to avoid meeting anyone but was unfortunately spotted by someone. ¡°Senior Brother Jing Yin! Weren¡¯t you taking part in the sparring mission? It¡¯s only been half an hour¡ªwhy are you back so soon?¡± The moment he remembered getting slammed into the wall, Jing Yin¡¯s face turned red. His pace quickened as he tried to flee. ¡°Senior Brother, don¡¯t walk so fast! What happened? Tell us too!¡± Jing Yin had already suffered a brutal defeat. Now, he was being hounded with questions that made his frustration boil over. With that thought, he flicked his sleeve and put on a helpless expression. ¡°That guy from the Alchemy Sect, his fist techniques were awful. He couldn¡¯t even last one move against me. I sent him flying into the wall. I couldn¡¯t stand it, so I quit the mission. No amount of virtue merits could make me stay!¡± Saying this, he immediately turned to the mission elder, requesting to withdraw from the task. The moment Jing Yin withdrew, a swarm of disciples rushed in. ¡°His skills were that bad? Isn¡¯t that perfect for a sparring partner?¡± Very quickly, a Fourth Rank Innate disciple accepted the mission. He thanked the elder profusely and eagerly ran off to Xu Xuan¡¯s training ground, like an innocent rabbit walking into the sly fox¡¯s trap. This time, Xu Xuan held back. At first, he limited his strength to First Rank Innate. After half an hour, he even suppressed his true energy, fighting purely with physical strength. After another half hour, he cut his strength in half again. Yet, his opponent wasn¡¯t able to keep up with his power. Xu Xuan sent him flying over and over, each time using a different technique which made his system notifications chime continuously¡ª [Congratulations! You have defeated disciple Jin Song of the Combat Sect!] [New Trait Acquired: Master of Kicks (Green)] [New Trait Acquired: Master of Claw Techniques (Green)] [New Trait Acquired: Ironclad Footing (White)] [New Trait Acquired: Master Tactician (White)] By the time Jing Song limped out of the training ground in tears, Xu Xuan had gained four new traits. Without a second glance, he merged them all into his ¡°Mastery of Fist Techniques¡± trait. The green glow brightened, transforming into ¡°Mastery of Combat (Green).¡± Although it was still green, its scope had expanded significantly¡ªnow covering fists, palms, fingers, legs¡ªall forms of unarmed combat. Looking at his new trait, Xu Xuan was thrilled. He even gave Jing Song one virtue merit as a bonus. Of course, with the condition that he kept zipped his mouth shut. As Jing Song limped away, he realized he had been set up. He plotted his revenge, but also¡­ planned to trick a few of his own fellow disciples. After all, if one or two people lost, it was humiliating. But if everyone lost¡ªthen no one lost. And so, the infinite loop of conspiracy to trap fellow disciples began. ¡°Xu Xuan, please instruct me!¡± Another excited Combat Sect disciple entered the training ground. BANG! BANG! BANG! Fists collided, bodies crashed into walls, and the system kept chiming with new notifications. Time flew by. Xu Xuan¡¯s mission had been running for a month. The intensity and rewards were beyond his wildest expectations. On average, he faced one opponent per day, gained three traits per fight and had acquired over 90 traits acquired in just one month. At first, he dumped everything into ¡°Mastery of Combat¡±, until it fully evolved. Then, he focused on other areas. Current Stats¡ª [Host: Xu Xuan] [Race: Human] [Realm: Fourth Rank Innate (22%)] [Cultivation Technique: Azure Dragon Qi of Wood] [Traits: Benevolent Man of 20 lifetimes (Gold), Pristine Physique (Red), Grandmaster of Alchemy (Red), Master of Martial Arts (Red), Power of Four Elephants (Blue), Qi Cultivation Genius (Blue), Master of Swordsmanship (Blue), Bursting Vitality (Green), Slight Talent (White)] [New Traits Unlocked: Master of Martial Arts (Red): Master of Swordship (Blue): Bursting Vitality (Green): [One Trait Generation Chance Available! Generate now? (Luck: 68)] His biggest achievement this month was the trait ¡°Mastering Martial Arts.¡± Even among all of Mount Longhu, there were hardly a few who could match him in hand-to-hand combat. His ¡°Master of Swordsmanship¡± trait was a pleasant surprise. Since so many disciples trained in swordsmanship, it had been easy to gather the necessary traits. Xu Xuan had originally planned to upgrade ¡°Power of the Four Elephants¡± to Red¡­But an unexpected mission from Shangqing Palace changed everything. ¡°Lord Wang Hongzhi, Imperial Transport Commissioner of Jiangnan, was poisoned while inspecting Ganjiang River¡­¡± A new challenge awaited him. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. *TL/N: Yama = King of Hell Chapter 26 - The Mighty Po Yue Sword! A Weapon with Attributes Chapter 26: The Mighty Po Yue Sword! A Weapon with Attributes ¡°This task would have been most suitable for me. But recently, the High Priest* has asked me to refine a batch of Bone Restoration Pills. You don¡¯t have sufficient cultivation to use three-coloured flames, so you can¡¯t refine the Bone Restoration Pill.¡± ¡°Among the entire Alchemy Sect, aside from me, you are the one I trust the most. So, Lord Wang, you must go on this mission! But you don¡¯t have to worry, there will be elder disciples from the Battle Sect accompanying you!¡± Xu Xuan felt a headache coming on. He had just thought of a shortcut to spend money and buy attributes. Originally, he planned to enhance his Power of Four Elephants, but since Master Xuan Mu had been so kind to him, there was no way he could refuse. ¡°Master, rest assured. It¡¯s just a matter of some poison. As long as he still has a breath left, I guarantee I¡¯ll bring him back alive.¡± Master Xuan Mu chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t think of this as a burdensome task! This mission was issued by the Celestial Master himself, and it comes with considerable merit. But¡­ I bargained on your behalf, so the merit points are gone¡­¡± Xuan Mu deliberately kept him in suspense. Even though Xu Xuan had a guess, he couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Master, how did you negotiate? Others bargain to get more; how did you end up losing it all?¡± Master Xuan Mu waved his sleeve, and an object flew out from it. Xu Xuan caught it and realized it was a token from the Weaponry Forging Sect. ¡°I heard from XuanYuan that your martial skills have reached mastery, but I believe that, while fists are good, weapons are still sharper. So I took the liberty of exchanging your mission reward for a weapon instead. Take this token and pick one from the Weaponry Forging Sect yourself.¡± ¡°Thank you, Master!¡± Xu Xuan thanked him profusely. His two masters had truly treated him well. Although Xuan Mu was somewhat unreliable, always fishing and rarely at home while Xuan Yuan was a bit too violent, dragging him into sparring matches all the time, when it came to benefits, they genuinely did their utmost best! In the Alchemy Sect, as long as Xu Xuan wanted to refine medicine, it was as if the medicinal ingredients were free. At first, Xuan Mu had to write approval slips, but later, he directly gave Xu Xuan the Sect leader¡¯s token. Now in the Alchemy Sect, Xu Xuan¡¯s words carried more weight than the elders¡¯! Meanwhile, Xuan Yuan spared no expense in teaching him the Celestial Emperor¡¯s Subduing Tiger Sutra. The training platform alone, built from over a hundred Gengjin Fiend Stones, cost 3,000 merit points. Not to mention, Xuan Yuan personally guided him every day. Xu Xuan kept all of this in mind. He respectfully thanked Xuan Yuan again before happily heading to the Weapon Sect Hall. At the Weapon Sect Hall¡ª ¡°Senior Brother Xu!¡± ¡°Greetings, Senior Brother Xu!¡± All along the way, disciples greeted him continuously. After half a year in the sect, everyone in the inner sect already recognized this Alchemy Sect¡¯s Senior Brother. It wasn¡¯t because Xu Xuan had knocked out dozens of disciples and even an elder¡ªthat embarrassing incident was best kept within the Alchemy Sect. Nor was it because he effortlessly carried Fiend Stones, displaying godlike strength. Rather, it was because everyone knew his alchemy skills were unparalleled. Sixty percent of the pills supplied by the Alchemy Sect came from his hands. Even Elder Xuan Ying and Elder Xuan Yin couldn¡¯t match him. In the entire Mount Longhu, Xu Xuan ranked among the top three alchemists! Who wouldn¡¯t want to befriend such a master? ¡°Greetings, Master Xuan Yan!¡± The one overseeing the Weapon Sect today was Master Xuan Yan. Upon seeing Xu Xuan, Xuan Yan sighed. ¡°Ah, what a pity¡­¡± Xu Xuan smiled awkwardly and explained his purpose. Xuan Yan nodded and stood up, leading him toward the weapon storage room. ¡°Do you have any particular type of weapon in mind?¡± Xu Xuan was momentarily stunned. He had never really thought about it. He had always trained in fist techniques and sword energy, so he had never considered which weapon to use. Seeing his expression, Xuan Yan immediately understood. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°You cultivate the Celestial Emperor¡¯s Tiger Subduing Sutra and are naturally strong. I suggest you choose a long weapon or a heavy weapon which will maximize your advantages.¡± Xu Xuan nodded in agreement. ¡°In that case, please help me find a great sword!¡± ¡°That¡¯s no problem at all!¡± Xuan Yan led Xu Xuan into the storage room. The vast space was filled with all kinds of weapons¡ªsabres, spears, swords, halberds, axes, maces, hooks, and forks were the most common. There were even alchemy furnaces, treasure pagodas, eight trigram mirrors, and talismans. Xu Xuan was curious but didn¡¯t linger. He followed Xuan Yan straight to the heavy weapons section. ¡°All of Mount Longhu¡¯s heavy weapons are here. The lightest of them weighs 400kg. Take your time to choose.¡± Xu Xuan scanned the area but saw nothing particularly special. He chuckled to himself. This storage room had clearly been here for ages. It had probably been picked clean by generations of disciples. If there was anything truly valuable, it was long gone. How could he expect to find a hidden treasure? With that in mind, Xu Xuan didn¡¯t hesitate any longer. Soon, his eyes landed on a massive, peculiar sword. It was over three feet long and four fingers wide, entirely pitch black. At first glance, it seemed ordinary. However, unlike most swords that were as thin as cicada wings, this sword¡¯s blade was thick beyond reason. Its central ridge was raised high, almost three fingers thick. ¡°Master Xuan Yan, why is this sword so strange?¡± Xuan Yan gave an embarrassed smile. ¡°This Po Yue (Mountain-Crushing) Sword was crafted by the previous Weapon Sect master. The primary material is Crimson Fire Iron, fused with a large chunk of Blazing Flame Stone. At first, he planned to forge a colossal sword, but its resistance to fire was too high, making it nearly impossible to smelt. In the end, he gave up and decided to turn it into a heavy mace instead. But even that failed¡­ and it ended up looking like this.¡± Xuan Yan sighed, feeling a little humiliated. They always taught disciples to focus on a single goal, yet their former master had been so whimsical. To make matters worse, every time a disciple came to pick a weapon, seven or eight out of ten would be curious about this Po Yue Sword. So he and the other elders had to reluctantly explain its backstory. Each time, it felt like their dignity took another hit. ¡°Still, rest assured, Po Yue is among the finest weapons in the entire storage room. If you choose it, I¡¯ll even throw in a small gift!¡± Xu Xuan saw the urgency in Xuan Yan¡¯s eyes. But he actually found the sword quite satisfactory, so he was willing to do him a favor. ¡°Master Xuan Yan, I humbly accept!¡± Hearing this, Xuan Yan beamed with joy. He led Xu Xuan to a cluttered corner of the storage room. Unlike the neatly arranged areas, this corner was filled with random broken items. Amongst discarded weapons, shattered armor, and cracked bows, Xuan Yan rummaged around and pulled out a dusty little hammer. The moment Xu Xuan saw it, a dim gray light flashed before his eyes. ¡°Have¡­ I really found a hidden treasure?¡± Chapter 27 - Judging by Appearance! Can This Guy Make It? Chapter 27: Judging by Appearance! Can This Guy Make It? ¡°What is that?¡± Xu Xuan followed the glow with his eyes, and his gaze immediately brightened. It was a four-foot-long metal short staff, about the thickness of an egg. One end of the staff had an armour-piercing spike nearly a foot long, while the other end was jagged and uneven as if a long weapon had been forcefully severed in half. But this alone wasn¡¯t enough to shock Xu Xuan. What truly stunned him was¡ªthis short staff had an inscription! This was the first time Xu Xuan had ever seen an inscribed weapon. Even the Treasure-tier three-bladed spear of Xuan Yang Zhenren had never displayed any attributes. [Shattered Spear] [Level: ???] [Inscriptions: ???, ???, Weak Spellbreaker (Green)] [The weapon is broken. Do you want to extract its inscription?] He couldn¡¯t even see what rank the original spear had been, and Weak Spellbreaker was merely a white-tier inscription. From what Xu Xuan knew, its effect should be extremely limited. However, the implications of this discovery were anything but ordinary. While extracting the inscription, Xu Xuan chatted idly with Xuan Yan to pass the time. ¡°Master Xuan Yan, what¡¯s the story behind this staff?¡± Master Xuan Yan paused for a moment, looking puzzled. ¡°It¡¯s just a broken spear shaft¡ªwhat story could it have? You might as well take a look at this armour-piercing hammer in my hand. Don¡¯t be fooled by its small size, it weighs 800kg. If you suddenly swing it out from your sleeve, doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s a man or a monster, they¡¯ll all be screaming¡­¡± A crisp system notification rang out¡ªthe inscription had been successfully extracted. Just as Xu Xuan had expected, the storage room¡¯s contents had been thoroughly scavenged already. Other than being tough and fire-resistant, the broken spear was nothing special. Its awkward size made it unsuitable as a spear or a sword. If it hadn¡¯t carried an inscription, Xu Xuan wouldn¡¯t have even glanced at it. Now that the extraction was complete, it was completely worthless. He set the spear shaft aside and took the armour-piercing hammer from Master Xuan Yan. To his surprise, this really was a rare treasure amid the junk heap. It wasn¡¯t suitable as a main weapon, but it would make an excellent concealed weapon. Armed with both a sword and a hammer, Xu Xuan returned to his room and eagerly opened the system panel. [Weak Spellbreaker (Green): Grants a minor ability to break spells.] [This is a general-use inscription. Please select an equipment target.] With Xu Xuan¡¯s extensive experience from his past life, he instantly grasped the meaning. His thoughts wandered, and he glanced downward at his . Shaking his head vigorously, he quickly banished the absurd notion. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Without hesitation, Xu Xuan assigned the inscription to the Po Yue Sword, his primary weapon. The stronger, the better. With his weapon prepared, he went to the Talisman Sect to purchase some charms. As for pills¡­ As the chief disciple of the Alchemy Sect, how could he possibly lack such things? At dawn, Xu Xuan shouldered his bag and arrived at the Shangqing Palace early. The other three disciples assigned to the exorcism mission were already waiting. ¡°Xu Xuan greets Uncle Xuan Zhen, and greets my two fellow disciples.¡± Before him stood an elder and two disciples, all from the Combat Sect. Each one was broad-shouldered, thick-armed, and bulging with muscle. Their blue and black Daoist robes stretched tight over their bodies, looking as if they could tear apart at any moment. ¡°Let¡¯s go! We¡¯ll talk on the way.¡± Master Xuan Zhen was an impatient type. With a wave of his wide sleeve, he set off immediately. The four of them soared through the air, descending at the mountain gate where a carriage was already waiting. However, for just four people, there were two carriages, quite an extravagant arrangement. But, Xu Xuan soon realized that even two might not be enough. Master Xuan Zhen placed his Coiling Dragon Staff onto a carriage, and the entire vehicle visibly sank under its weight. Following suit, Jing Xu, Jing Xuan, and Xu Xuan also loaded their baggage and weapons. Upon seeing Xu Xuan¡¯s enormous sword case, Jing Xuan couldn¡¯t help but tease: ¡°Junior Brother Xu, as an Alchemy Sect disciple, shouldn¡¯t you be bringing more medicinal ingredients? Why are you carrying so many weapons? Are you afraid we can¡¯t protect you?¡± Xu Xuan merely smiled and didn¡¯t respond. Having spent considerable time with Master Xuan Yuan and sparred with many Combat Sect disciples, he knew their temperament well. They were naturally competitive, a good beating solved everything. The group travelled without breaks, and by nightfall, they had arrived at Ganzhou. At the city gate, a group of officials was already waiting anxiously. ¡°Honored Daoists, we have been eagerly awaiting your arrival! This¡­ um¡­¡± Xuan Zhen¡¯s face darkened in irritation. ¡°If you have something to say, speak properly. Must we keep guessing?¡± Xu Xuan chuckled, stepping in to ease the tension. ¡°My lord, just take me to Lord Wang. As for my uncle and fellow disciples, please arrange for their rest and a meal.¡± The official cast Xu Xuan a grateful look, bowing deeply. Lord Wang was on the verge of death, and he naturally wanted the Daoists to see him immediately. But after such a long journey, it would have been rude to deny them even a sip of water. Xu Xuan¡¯s intervention resolved the dilemma. Even though he had spoken out of turn, Xuan Zhen didn¡¯t mind. As a battle fanatic, Xuan Zhen only cared about finding and fighting the demon. He had no patience for formalities and diplomacy. ¡°This is my junior nephew, Xu Xuan, chief of the Alchemy Sect. If it¡¯s about treating an illness, just ask him.¡± The official bowed repeatedly and led Xuan Zhen and the others away to rest. ¡°Master Xu, this way, please!¡± Xu Xuan followed the official through several corridors, soon arriving at Lord Wang¡¯s residence. By this time, Lord Wang¡¯s family had been waiting anxiously at the entrance. However, upon seeing Xu Xuan¡¯s youthful face, their expressions twisted with doubt. ¡°Wenbo, are you sure you found the right person? This man looks so young¡­¡± The speaker was Madam Li, Lord Wang¡¯s wife¡ªand also the official Li Wenbo¡¯s cousin. Hearing this, Li Wenbo quickly stepped forward. ¡°Cousin, do not be disrespectful. I just heard from the elder himself that Master Xu is the chief of the Alchemy Sect of Mount Longhu.¡± Lowering his voice, he added, ¡°¡­Besides, Lord Wang is at death¡¯s door. This might be his only chance.¡± Madam Li, flustered, nodded hastily and forced a smile. ¡°Yes, yes, that was my mistake! Master Xu, please, come inside!¡± Xu Xuan shook his head with a quiet chuckle. No matter the era, judging by appearances was unavoidable. Did a physician have to have a long beard to be trustworthy? What he didn¡¯t know was, he wasn¡¯t just being judged by Lord Wang¡¯s wife. In the darkness, a strange black shadow also observed him coldly. ¡°So, Mount Longhu looks down on people, huh? They send a mere greenhorn to undo the poison I¡¯ve been refining for three hundred years? What a joke¡ªan absolute fool¡¯s dream!¡± Chapter 28 - Two Venomous Demons! Lets see what danger lies ahead! Chapter 28: Two Venomous Demons! Let¡¯s see what danger lies ahead! Xu Xuan followed Mrs. Wang to the back courtyard. As soon as he entered the door, he was hit with a strange odour. It smelled like the stench of scorpion venom mixed with a faint fox-like musky scent. ¡°Mrs. Wang, does your household keep foxes?¡± ¡°Foxes? Why do you ask?¡± Li Shi shook her head in confusion. Seeing her reaction, Xu Xuan didn¡¯t ask further. He stepped forward and began to check Wang Hongzhi¡¯s pulse. Just a glance at the symptoms and Xu Xuan couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue. Unknowingly, this sound directly frightened Li Shi, causing her face to turn pale. ¡°Mr. Xu, is there no hope for my husband?¡± Seeing her reaction, Xu Xuan felt somewhat embarrassed. ¡°I was just remarking on how potent the poison is.¡± Upon hearing this, Li Shi and Li Wenbo¡¯s expressions tensed. Before either of them could speak, Xu Xuan continued. ¡°The poison that Lord Wang has ingested has already entered his blood and bones. If it were someone else, they wouldn¡¯t survive more than a few minutes. Now, after two days, Lord Wang is still somehow miraculously alive. He¡¯s incredibly lucky or has a protective treasure¡­¡± Li Shi was confused, not understanding what Xu Xuan was saying. ¡°Then Mr. Xu, is there a way to cure this poison?¡± Xu Xuan nodded, taking out a pill. ¡°Mix this herb medicine with warm water and have Lord Wang drink it. I¡¯ll give you a prescription, and you can prepare a bathtub or a large pot. Boil it for an hour every day for seven days, and he¡¯ll recover¡­ Also, prepare some lime. You¡¯ll need it later!¡± Li Shi nodded repeatedly at first, but as she heard the latter part, she was left dumbfounded. However, she held her tongue, only speaking up after Xu Xuan had left the house. ¡°This Mr. Xu is so young, is he trustworthy enough? He even wants us to put our Lord in a pot for seven days! That would cook a whole cow! He even told us to prepare lime¡ªwhat for?¡± Li Wenbo sighed. Though his face remained calm, his heart was in turmoil. He came this far thanks to Wang Hongzhi. If Wang Hongzhi died, his future wouldn¡¯t be good either. ¡°Cousin, let¡¯s just give the medicine to our Lord first!¡± Once the medicine was administered, Wang Hongzhi, who had been motionless, suddenly opened his eyes. ¡°Lord, Lord is awake!¡± Li Shi and Li Wenbo were ecstatic, but as Wang Hongzhi tried to speak, he suddenly began coughing violently. Before Li Shi could help him sit up, Wang Hongzhi vomited a large amount of foul blood, filling the room with a foul, unbearable stench. ¡°Quick, quick! Where¡¯s the lime?¡± The Wang family servants hurriedly used lime to cover the mess, Li Shi and Li Wenbo exchanged glances, both stunned. ¡°Good heavens, he¡¯s amazing! This Mr. Xu is truly miraculous!¡± ¡°Not only did a single pill wake our Lord up, but he even knew the reaction after taking the medicine. A divine doctor, truly a divine doctor!¡± Xu Xuan, however, had no idea what had transpired after his departure. After leaving the Wang family¡¯s backyard, he didn¡¯t head straight home. Instead circled the Wang family several times. He muttered to himself. At that moment, if Xu Xuan had pressed his ear to the ground, he might have heard some faint rustling sounds. A while later, about two miles from the Wang family, in an old house, a scorpion the size of a palm emerged from the ground. As it crawled out, it suddenly expanded, becoming larger than the grinding mill at the village entrance. What was even more terrifying, was that this scorpion, instead of crawling on its legs, stood up on two long pincers, and its abdomen emitted a series of murmurs that sounded like human speech. ¡°Has it been unlocked? He actually unlocked it? Damn, this Bull-nosed Daoist from Mount Longhu is truly formidable. Does a small Daoist actually have such skills? She Ji, She Ji? Come out, there¡¯s trouble!¡± The demonic scorpion hissed in frustration. ¡°You¡¯re afraid of a mere Daoist? With your skills, when will you break through and ascend to immortality?¡± She Ji, the half-snake, half-human demoness, emerged from the back, slithering rather than walking due to her long, snake-like tail. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Why panic? A single Daoist has you terrified? Heh, when will break through and become an immortal?¡± The demonic scorpion muttered, clearly displeased. ¡°You just stand there and talk, who doesn¡¯t know that among the five insects, we¡¯re the slowest at cultivating?¡± She Ji coiled her massive snake tail into a seat. ¡°Knowing your slow cultivation, why not work harder? That fox is not much older than us, but because it has that magic pearl, it¡¯s already fully transformed. If we could get that pearl, we¡¯d be the ones transformed now.¡± Thinking of the magical powers of that pearl, the demonic scorpion wavered again. She Ji continued, ¡°That three-tailed fox suffered during its transformation tribulation, it was severely wounded by heavenly thunder. If we don¡¯t act now, we¡¯ll never get another chance!¡± The demonic scorpion hesitated for a long time, still unsure. She Ji, seeing the hesitation, scoffed. If she didn¡¯t need a good pawn, she wouldn¡¯t waste so much time talking to this cowardly demonic scorpion. ¡°I¡¯ve come up with a perfect plan. We¡¯ll lure the fox out and frame it, pretending to be its ally. When the Daoist from Mount Longhu sees us, he¡¯ll never let it go. Once the fox and the Daoist are both seriously wounded, the pearl will be ours!¡± The demonic scorpion, hearing this, seemed to have regained hope. ¡°Alright, alright, this plan sounds good!¡± She Ji smiled faintly and said no more. Anyone with a little sense would never agree to bear all the risks while sharing the rewards. Especially since the plan was full of holes. But the demonic scorpion, being foolish, actually agreed. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, you return to the Wang family and lie in wait. I¡¯ll find an opportunity to force the fox out¡­¡± After saying this, She Ji slithered away, disappearing into the darkness. The demonic scorpion, feeling confident, shrank back to the size of a palm, and began crawling through the previously dug tunnel, planning to return to Wang Hongzhi¡¯s bedroom to wait. But halfway through, it found the tunnel had been blocked. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why is the path blocked? Where did my marking signs go? Could I have gone the wrong way?¡± The underground was pitch-black, with no distinguishing features. The demonic scorpion had wandered aimlessly in the past and had learned to mark its path with some venom. But now, not only was the path it had come from collapsed, it couldn¡¯t even smell its own venom. ¡°Searching in the dark isn¡¯t working. I¡¯ll just go up and take a look, then return quickly. What danger could there possibly be?¡± Chapter 29 - Suppression! A demonic scorpion filled with Treasures Chapter 29: Suppression! A demonic scorpion filled with Treasures ¡°Huh? No, this is the right way. This is the path I came from!¡± With a faint sound of crumbling earth, a palm-sized, purple-glowing scorpion crawled out from underground. The demonic scorpion glanced around cautiously, confirming that it hadn¡¯t taken the wrong path. What it didn¡¯t know, however, was that someone had been watching it this entire time. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s the right way!¡± Suddenly, a voice rang out in the air, startling the demonic scorpion so much that its tail stood up straight. Its first instinct wasn¡¯t to fight back but to burrow into the ground as quickly as possible. Every year, millions of scorpions are born, and every day, millions of scorpions die. It had managed to survive this long by being extremely cautious! But this time, things weren¡¯t as simple as it had imagined. At some unknown point, its escape tunnel had collapsed. No matter how hard it scraped at the ground with its enormous pincers, even creating sparks in the process, it barely managed to dig two or three inches! ¡°Turning earth into steel? Impossible!¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s impossible¡ªthat¡¯s a divine technique!¡± Along with this voice, a small yet gleaming hammer came crashing down. The one blocking the scorpion¡¯s path was none other than Xu Xuan. As soon as he entered the Wang family¡¯s courtyard, he had caught the scent of scorpion venom. At first, he assumed it was just the lingering poison from Wang Hongzhi¡¯s affliction. But after administering the Hundred Herb Pill, the scent didn¡¯t weaken in the slightest. At that moment, Xu Xuan immediately realized that there was still a demon lurking somewhere in the Wang residence. So, he pretended to leave, deliberately speaking aloud to mislead the demonic scorpion, lulling it into a false sense of security. Sure enough, the scorpion took the bait and fled to find She Ji. Xu Xuan followed its venomous scent all the way, and before he even got close, he had already sensed the presence of the demonic serpent, She Ji. This was his first time descending the mountain and his first time encountering demons. Excited as he was, he resisted the urge to charge in headlong. Since it was his first time slaying demons, he decided to play it safe and deal with them one at a time! With a deafening crash, Xu Xuan¡¯s armour-piercing hammer, infused with five thousand kilograms of force and Gold Sword Qi came smashing down. The impact shook the ground within a hundred-meter radius, like a miniature earthquake. The demonic scorpion let out a miserable shriek as it was forcibly knocked back into its true form! The tiny palm-sized scorpion instantly expanded to the size of a millstone. Its once-impenetrable exoskeleton now bore a gaping wound, with greenish blood oozing out. The demonic scorpion had always been timid, but now, it was outright terrified. Its backplate was the hardest part of its entire body. Moments ago, it had even compressed its form, concentrating all of its essence and energy into a smaller size¡ªmaking its defences three to four times stronger than normal! Yet this young Daoist had shattered it with a single strike! ¡°You little Daoist, you¡¯ve gone too far!¡± As the saying goes¡ªeven a rabbit will bite when cornered. Wounded and desperate, the demonic scorpion¡¯s vicious nature was ignited. It opened its massive jaws and unleashed a thick cloud of venomous mist! The poison mist rapidly spread across several dozen meters. The surrounding plants and trees withered instantly upon contact, while wooden doors and railings showed clear signs of corrosion. This wasn¡¯t just any poison¡ªit was a potent toxin capable of corroding anything, while also obscuring vision and confusing the mind. At the same time, its iron-like tail lashed out like a whip, its deadly venomous stinger gleaming with a cold, sinister light¡ªstabbing straight toward Xu Xuan¡¯s chest like a spear! ¡°Die, you damn Daoist!¡± After executing this perfect combo attack, the demonic scorpion was extremely satisfied with itself. The poison mist was merely a distraction, but this stinger was its true trump card¡ªa weapon harder than refined steel, honed over three hundred years of cultivation, filled with lethal venom that could make even immortals scream in agony. The demonic scorpion was confident that within a few moments, this young Daoist would be reduced to a puddle of sludge. But then, something unexpected happened. Instead of piercing flesh, the demonic scorpion¡¯s stinger felt like it had stabbed into cotton. Then, a calm voice echoed through the poison mist, ¡°Looks like I overestimated you. If I¡¯d known you were this pathetic, I would¡¯ve taken care of that demonic serpent at the same time.¡± The demonic scorpion¡¯s heart skipped a beat. It was nothing more than a low-ranking demon that had yet to fully transform, relying only on its tricks, venom, and tail attacks. But now, all of its techniques had been effortlessly countered. Completely out of options, it could already see its own demise looming before it. ¡°No, I have to run! I¡¯ll find She Ji¡ªshe¡¯ll save me!¡± Determined, the demonic scorpion pushed off the ground with all its might. Yet, no matter how hard it struggled with its pincers and legs, it couldn¡¯t move an inch. Instead, an excruciating pain shot through its tail. The demonic scorpion turned around, only to be horrified beyond belief. The familiar tail, the venomous stinger honed over centuries¡ªwas now being held in Xu Xuan¡¯s hand. And the stinger? Snapped off. ¡°You¡­ You¡ªlet me go!¡± The demonic scorpion struggled with all its might, but even its brute strength was useless against the young Daoist. In desperation, it made a ruthless decision and used its pincers to sever its own tail. Xu Xuan was momentarily stunned but quickly reacted. With a light step, he soared through the air like a great bird, landing squarely on the demonic scorpion¡¯s back. Activating the Power of Four Elephants¡¯, he pinned the demon to the ground, rendering it immobile. This time, he didn¡¯t even bother using his hammer. Instead, he covered his hands with Western Gold Qi and directly tore off the scorpion¡¯s pincers! ¡°Aaaah! Spare me, Lord Daoist! Have mercy!¡± With a pained shriek, the demonic scorpion lost one pincer¡ªthen the other¡ªand then all eight of its legs. Only after completely disabling the demon did Xu Xuan cautiously retrieve a small jade box from his robe. The box, smooth and warm like jade, was no larger than half a palm. As soon as Xu Xuan infused Azure Dragon Qi into it, the box opened on its own, releasing a soft green light that enveloped the demonic scorpion. The millstone-sized body of the demon rapidly shrunk, before being sucked into the jade box! ¡°It¡¯s worthy of the Alchemy Sect¡¯s prized treasure¡ªthis really is something!¡± This Spirit-Sealing Box was said to be a relic of the first Zhang Heavenly Master, originally used for preserving medicinal ingredients. Although its interior space was only the size of a few small rooms, and it couldn¡¯t compare to divine artefacts from legendary tales, it was still an extremely rare treasure in this era. Xu Xuan sealed the scorpion away, along with its pincers, stinger, and severed tail. ¡°Not bad, not bad¡ªwhat a great harvest! A tail whip and stinger for weapons, an exoskeleton for armour, venom for poison-making¡­Even the scorpion itself can be used for experiments!¡± Just as he returned, he overheard his companions discussing, ¡°Based on the Wang family¡¯s testimony and my findings, the one who attacked Lord Wang must be a demonic scorpion!¡± S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 30 - Xiao Cui? Liaozhai? Am I Just a Pawn Too? Chapter 30: Xiao Cui? Liaozhai? Am I Just a Pawn Too? ¡°A demonic scorpion? But the one I tracked down was a demonic fox!¡± Jing Xuan¡¯s conclusion was met with disagreement from Jing Xu. ¡°I could smell that fox¡¯s stench from 800 meters away.¡± Jing Xuan raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. ¡°As if I wouldn¡¯t know that. But tell me, since when do foxes have venomous mouths?¡± ¡°Well¡­ maybe this particular fox has awakened some kind of divine ability? Besides, it¡¯s cunning¡ªit could have learned how to use poison, right?¡± ¡°If that fox was smart enough to use poison, why didn¡¯t it just bite Lord Wang to death outright?¡± ¡°How should I know? I¡¯m not a fox¡­¡± Seeing the two about to start arguing, Xuan Zhen tapped the table, signalling for silence. Just as he was about to speak, he noticed Xu Xuan standing at the door. ¡°Nephew Xu? Why are you still awake this late?¡± Xu Xuan hesitated for a moment. ¡°I just ran into a giant scorpion and captured it to make medicinal wine for my master. That¡¯s why I was delayed a bit¡­¡± Elder Xuan Zhen nodded approvingly. ¡°You¡¯re quite the filial disciple! Since you¡¯re still up, why not join us for a discussion?¡± Xu Xuan was about to agree, but both Jing Xu and Jing Xuan frowned. ¡°Master, we can discuss this ourselves. Xu Shidi is a disciple of the Alchemy Sect and just recently joined. He likely doesn¡¯t know much about demons and spirits.¡± ¡°Exactly! There¡¯s no need for Xu Shidi to be involved in this matter. His only concern should be curing Lord Wang. Once that¡¯s done, his merit will be complete!¡± Xuan Zhen hesitated for a moment, then nodded. ¡°That makes sense. Xu Xuan, you should go rest.¡± Xu Xuan didn¡¯t mind and simply bid farewell before leaving. As he walked away, the argument about the scorpion and demonic foxes resumed behind him. This time, however, Xuan Zhen didn¡¯t interfere. Instead, after a long pause, he suddenly asked: ¡°Did either of you smell anything just now?¡± ¡°Smell? No.¡± ¡°Maybe a faint stench, but I didn¡¯t pay much attention.¡± ¡°Elder, is something wrong?¡± Xuan Zhen waved his hand, a trace of doubt flashing in his eyes. ¡°Nothing¡­ perhaps I¡¯m overthinking it.¡± Jing Xuan and Jing Xu exchanged glances. They wanted to ask further but didn¡¯t dare. ¡°No need to argue anymore! Since Xu Shizhi has already taken action, Lord Wang should wake up soon. By then, we can just ask him directly and find out what kind of demon it was.¡± In truth, Xuan Zhen already had an answer in mind. But the knowledge gained from books alone is shallow. Since he brought Jing Xu and Jing Xuan along, it was partly to train them through experience. The next morning, Li Wenbo came to fetch them. Everyone first enjoyed an exceptionally lavish breakfast at the Wang household, during which both Li Wenbo and Lady Wang showered Xu Xuan with praise. ¡°Yesterday, I failed to recognize greatness. Please, Master Xu, do not take offence! You are truly the reincarnation of Hua Tuo, a miracle doctor! After drinking the medicine you prescribed, my husband woke up immediately. If not for his frail condition, he would have personally thanked you today. But rest assured, once he recovers, he will personally visit Mount Longhu to express his gratitude¡­¡± Xu Xuan responded politely but absentmindedly. His mind was still preoccupied with the conversation between the demonic scorpion and She Ji from the night before. Xu Xuan thought he would have to ponder over this mystery for a long time, but unexpectedly, he got his answer just an hour later. ¡°Lady Wang, keep the fire at this intensity. In an hour, let it burn out naturally¡ªno need to add more wood. After that, carry Lord Wang back to rest. For the next few days, make sure he eats nourishing foods¡­¡± After carefully instructing Lady Wang, she showered him with more gratitude and flattery. Even Wang Hongzhi, who was still in the medicinal bath, struggled to sit up and express his thanks. Just as he was about to leave, Xu Xuan clearly saw Wang Hongzhi frantically winking at his wife. ¡°Madam, is there something else?¡± Lady Wang smiled and signalled to a servant. Soon, Li Wenbo arrived carrying a wooden tray covered with a red cloth. ¡°Master Xu, you have saved my husband and, by extension, the entire Wang family. This is just a small token of our gratitude¡ªplease do not refuse!¡± Lady Wang lifted the red cloth, revealing a dazzling pile of gold ingots. Her so-called ¡°small token¡± amounted to at least two or three hundred taels of gold! Xu Xuan didn¡¯t hesitate¡ªhe flicked his sleeve, and the gold was instantly swept into his hidden treasure pouch. Seeing this, both Lady Wang and Li Wenbo widened their eyes, staring at Xu Xuan¡¯s plain white Daoist robe as if trying to find some hidden secret. It took them a long time to recover, and only when Xu Xuan lightly coughed did Li Wenbo snap out of it. ¡°Cousin, don¡¯t you have another favour to ask Master Xu?¡± Lady Wang nodded repeatedly. ¡°Master Xu, please wait a moment! Xiaotao, bring the young master over!¡± Soon, a servant girl led a young boy inside. The boy, about fourteen or fifteen years old, was dressed in luxurious robes. His face was youthful, but his eyes were filled with pure, unfiltered foolishness. Yet, he wasn¡¯t shy at all. Instead, he treated Xu Xuan and the others like pillars, constantly circling around them. ¡°This is my son, Yuan Feng! Yuan Feng, quickly greet Master Xu!¡± The boy stared blankly at Xu Xuan for a long while before finally bowing clumsily. ¡°Yuan Feng greets Master Xu!¡± Xu Xuan exhaled deeply. Though his expression remained calm, his mind was already in turmoil. Hearing the name suddenly unravelled all his doubts. In the original story, Wang Hongzhi once saved a spirit fox from danger. Later, the fox repaid him by marrying her daughter, Xiao Cui, to his foolish son, Wang Yuan Feng. Then, they encountered the demonic serpent She Ji, who tried to seize the treasured pearl. Many twists and turns followed, but in the end, love prevailed. Xu Xuan finally understood, but his heart remained restless. It wasn¡¯t because he feared She Ji or the demonic fox. Even though he was only at the stage, his unique talents made his combat prowess rival that of a cultivator. Slaughtering ordinary Innate level practitioners was as easy as killing chickens. What shocked him was that this world wasn¡¯t as simple as he had assumed. Xu Xuan shook his head, forcing himself to stop overthinking. As long as his fists were strong enough and his poisons potent enough, he could crush whoever came his way! ¡°Master Xu? Master Xu?¡± ¡°Madam, what is it?¡± S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°My son has been different from other children since birth. Even at this age, he still acts like a three-year-old. Master Xu, your medical skills are extraordinary¡ªplease tell me if there¡¯s any hope for him.¡± Xu Xuan examined Wang Yuan Feng, then shook his head. His condition was congenital, beyond the help of medicine. He was about to speak, but out of habit, he opened his system. A list of attributes appeared above Wang Yuan Feng¡¯s head. Xu Xuan glanced at them and suddenly froze! Chapter 31 - If Heaven Goes Against Me, Humanity Shall Prevail! Chapter 31: If Heaven Goes Against Me, Humanity Shall Prevail! [Wang Yuan Feng] [Race: Human] [Realm: Mortal] [Traits: Six Lives of Virtue (Red), Paragon of Human-Demon Love (Blue), Innate Divine Strength (Green)] Six Lives of Virtue (Red): Accumulated virtue over six lifetimes, bringing smooth sailing and good fortune. Paragon of Human-Demon Love (Blue): A love story between a human and a demonic fox, intertwining wisdom and passion, moving the heavens¡ªa model of interspecies romance. Innate Divine Strength (Green): Though lacking intelligence, possesses immense strength. Neither [Six Lives of Virtue] nor [Innate Divine Strength] stirred any emotion in Xu Xuan. However, [Paragon of Human-Demon Love] made him uncomfortable. Especially the phrase sparked his imagination. Perhaps Wang Yuan Feng and Xiaocui¡¯s union was not a mere coincidence. If someone had orchestrated their fateful meeting, could it be that his destined love with the White Snake was also part of a grand scheme? If Wang Yuan Feng and Xiaocui were the precedents for human-demon love, then wouldn¡¯t the be an even greater tale? As this thought struck him, Xu Xuan clenched his fists tightly. ¡°Sir? Sir?¡± Lady Wang and Li Wenbo¡¯s repeated calls finally brought Xu Xuan out of his daze. ¡°This illness is congenital; no medicine can cure it. However, I see that your son is lively and adorable. There is no need to force a remedy.¡± Lady Wang sighed deeply, losing the desire to continue the conversation. But Xu Xuan¡¯s mind was already consumed with suspicion and anger. After bidding a hasty farewell, he found a secluded hill near Ganzhou City. Fueled by rage and an intense thirst for power, Xu Xuan released the half-maimed demonic scorpion. [Demonic scorpion] [Race: Demon ¨C Earth Scorpion] [Realm: Qi Refining Eighth Layer (Innate Eighth Layer)] [Traits: Deadly Poison (Blue), Regeneration (Green), Iron Skin and Steel Legs (Green), Cautious (White)] This demonic scorpion, a 300-year-old great demon, had astonishing resilience. After some time recovering, its wounds had improved significantly. Even its severed tail and pincers had begun regenerating, suggesting that a full recovery was not impossible. ¡°This regeneration must be the effect of the [Regeneration] trait. A demon with both Deadly Poison and Regeneration¡­ perfect for my experiments.¡± Xu Xuan retrieved a collection of vials from his mystical storage box¡ªpoisons and drugs he had concocted during his alchemical training. He had long intended to test these substances on a suitable subject. Now, with a thick-skinned and highly resistant test subject before him, combined with the unsettling truths he had glimpsed from Wang Yuan Feng, his desire to grow stronger became even more urgent. ¡°Here, eat this Heartbreak Powder! You¡¯re a scorpion, you won¡¯t die from poison, right? Oh? Stomach ache? Don¡¯t worry. This is Dreamless Yellow Millet¡ªyou¡¯ll fall asleep in an instant. In your dreams, you¡¯ll feel no pain¡­What? You¡¯re awake already? Hm, seems the potency of my is still too weak¡­¡± If scorpions could cry, this one would be weeping rivers. ¡°You¡¯re not human¡ªyou¡¯re a demon! What kind of twisted Daoist are you?!¡± Xu Xuan remained indifferent to the demonic scorpion¡¯s protests. ¡°What nonsense. I wear the robe of Mount Longhu. I cultivate the highest Daoist arts. Just earlier, I saved Lord Wang¡¯s life and fortune. And yet, you¡ªa demon¡ªcall me evil?¡± If the demonic scorpion had any legs left, it would have knelt before Xu Xuan by now. ¡°Great master, please have mercy! If you must kill me, at least make it quick!¡± Xu Xuan exhaled slowly and pulled out another vial. ¡°I let you go¡­ but who will let go?¡­ Never mind. I am a kind-hearted person, after all. If you survive three days, I will set you free.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Hurry up¡ªrelease your spiritual energy! Let¡¯s see if this can break through a spirit shield¡­¡± The sun rose and set; two days had passed. Xu Xuan maintained a strict routine. Each morning, he woke early, had breakfast, supervised the Wang family in their daily boiling-water treatment for Wang Hongzhi, and then spent the rest of his time experimenting on the demonic scorpion. Meanwhile, Daoists Xuan Zhen, Jing Xu, and Jing Song were busy searching, yet they found no trace of the demonic scorpion. Instead, they encountered the three-tailed fox protecting Wang Hongzhi. A battle broke out. The three-tailed fox, though gravely injured, still held its ground against the three Daoists. Had Wang Hongzhi not intervened to clarify the misunderstanding, Xuan Zhen might have been fine, but Jing Xu and Jing Song would likely have perished. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Even so, the three Daoists were left battered and bruised. Not only had they attacked the wrong target, but they had also lost the fight. Xuan Zhen was so furious that he didn¡¯t eat for an entire day. And the happiest person? It was none other than She Ji. ¡°Wonderful! I never expected things to unfold so perfectly! That vixen was already injured. Now, after fighting those powerful Daoists, she¡¯s even weaker. This is my chance to steal the treasure¡ªmy odds of success are at least seventy percent. But no, I must be absolutely certain. I¡¯ll bring the demonic scorpion along¡ªhis tough hide will be a perfect distraction. While the fox is occupied, I¡¯ll ambush her and claim victory in one strike!¡± But to She Ji¡¯s surprise, despite searching near the Wang estate for a long time, she found no trace of the demonic scorpion. ¡°Damn it! That coward must have run away! Does he really think he can escape from me?¡± Frustrated, She Ji activated her innate tracking ability. As a demonic serpent, her sense of smell was extraordinary. She had honed this skill to the peak, turning it into a near-divine ability. Using this talent, she had found numerous fortunes and evaded countless dangers. She followed the demonic scorpion¡¯s scent across various locations, until finally, she arrived at the secluded hill where Xu Xuan had been conducting his experiments. From a distance, She Ji caught a familiar scent. ¡°No doubt about it, he¡¯s here! No wonder I couldn¡¯t find him, he hid this far away.¡± She Ji slithered towards the hill, her body undulating gracefully. But just as she stepped forward, her heart pounded violently. ¡°Damn it! What is this smell? My senses are going haywire! My head feels dizzy! What kind of madness is that stupid scorpion involved in?!¡± She Ji followed the strange scent and looked towards its source. But the moment she laid eyes on it, her entire body froze as if turned to stone. ¡°T-That¡­ what that?!¡± Chapter 32 - Lord of a Hundred Poisons! We can’t stay here another moment! Chapter 32: Lord of a Hundred Poisons! We can¡¯t stay here another moment! S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°What is that?¡± She Ji trembled all over, unable to control herself. She couldn¡¯t make out who that small figure was, but that massive shadow, if not the missing Scorpion Spirit, then who could it be? Only now, the Scorpion Spirit was already without its massive pincers, claws, and tail. Its bare form looked just like a giant rock. Ji hadn¡¯t yet recovered from the shock when she saw someone scatter something into the air. The next second, a terrible scream rang out. First, the Scorpion Spirit¡¯s demonic aura was corroded, and then, even its once impenetrable carapace was eaten away by some unknown substance, leaving pits all over. . She Ji swallowed nervously. Heavens! She had lived for over 300 years, and had been cultivating for 200 of them, but never in all that time had she seen or even of ¡ª a poison this terrifying. But just when she thought that was the end of it, a gut-wrenching cry echoed from the distance: ¡°Master, stop trying to save me! Just let me die¡­¡± She Ji¡¯s whole body shuddered as she looked toward the figure crouching beside the Scorpion Spirit. She used to think of humans as nothing more than food, but what she witnessed today completely overturned that belief. Compared to herself, wasn¡¯t human the real monster? ¡°Too terrifying. Way too terrifying! No way. We can¡¯t stay in Ganzhou anymore. We must leave, right now!¡± She Ji was panic-stricken and slowly began to back away. At a time like this, she couldn¡¯t care about anything else. She had to escape while the man¡¯s attention was still on the Scorpion Spirit. Though the snake spirit moved cautiously, her retreat still caught Xu Xuan¡¯s attention. ¡°Hmm? I think something just slipped away?¡± But in the moment he looked away, the Scorpion Spirit committed suicide. ¡°Sigh¡­ why so stubborn? I said I¡¯d let you go if you could endure it. Why didn¡¯t you believe in my sense of honor?¡± Xu Xuan sighed, then casually dismembered the corpse. The scorpion¡¯s flesh, long since corroded by all kinds of poisons, was clearly inedible but could still be refined into deadly poison pills. Xu Xuan figured that even a Golden Core cultivator might lose half their life if they swallowed one. ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s this?¡± To his surprise, inside the Scorpion Spirit¡¯s body were three pearls, each the size of a walnut, vivid green and eerily glowing. Even more surprising ¡ª these pearls came with attributes: [Scorpion Pearls] [Grade: Acquired Treasure] [Trait: Poison & Miasma Immunity (Green)] [Effect: Worn on the body, grants immunity to all worldly poisons.] Xu Xuan was quite pleased with these brilliant green Scorpion Pearls. Though he had no use for them himself, they¡¯d make excellent gifts or trade goods. After cleaning up the mess, he returned to the courtyard arranged by the Wang family. He had barely entered the courtyard when he was stopped by Elder Xuan Zhen. ¡°Nephew Xu, today we fought a demonic fox. Jing Xu and Jing Xuan both got injured. Since you¡¯re here, help treat them.¡± Though Jing Xu and Jing Xuan were arrogant and liked to mock the differences between the Combat and Alchemy Sects, they were still fellow disciples of Mount Longhu. There was no real enmity. Xu Xuan naturally didn¡¯t refuse such a small favour. ¡°It¡¯s just some scratches from the demonic fox, nothing serious. Wash the wounds with Bixin Elixir, then take Bone-White Pills for three days ¡ª they¡¯ll recover just fine.¡± Jing Xu and Jing Xuan felt a bit awkward. Though they didn¡¯t apologize outright, out of pride, their attitude became much friendlier. They even pulled Xu Xuan aside to excitedly retell recent events. ¡°That was a transformed demonic fox! People always say foxes are seductive. But after transforming, every fox becomes alluring beyond compare.¡± ¡°Junior Brother Xu, it¡¯s a pity you weren¡¯t there to see it!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t listen to his nonsense. That was a transformed great demon. Even gravely injured, it wasn¡¯t something we could handle. If Elder Xuan Zhen hadn¡¯t been with us, we might already be crossing the Naihe Bridge.¡± They chatted late into the night. Xu Xuan heard many stories of slaying demons and gained valuable experience. Just as Jing Xu was telling him how he killed a green-furred zombie, a sudden thunderclap rang in their ears, followed by an oppressive force surging in. Before they could react, Elder Xuan Zhen¡¯s voice came through: ¡°A transformed great demon is approaching! Jing Xu, Jing Xuan! Protect Lord Wang!¡± The two disciples showed visible shock. Even Xu Xuan found it hard to believe. Transformed great demons¡­ were they that common these days? ¡°Junior Brother Xu, don¡¯t just stand there!¡± The three of them rushed outside, only to see green light flickering in the black sky, with a tall, hunched figure hovering in the air. That eerie green light shone from the figure¡¯s pupils. ¡°I am the Lord of a Hundred Poisons from the One-Horn Ridge. Tonight, I¡¯ve come only for the Moonlight Pearl. Hand over the demonic fox and the treasure¡ªand I swear not to harm a single blade of grass.¡± Below the sky-bound ¡°Lord of a Hundred Poisons,¡± She Ji coiled her long tail atop a high building. Ever since meeting Xu Xuan, she had been utterly terrified. She knew she had no chance at the Moonlight Pearl, and was afraid of staying near Ganzhou and getting captured. So, She Ji took a gamble and surrendered her freedom, choosing to pledge allegiance to this fellow snake spirit, the Lord of a Hundred Poisons. But asking for protection was never free. Without anything valuable, how could the Lord of a Hundred Poisons help her? With nothing else to offer, She Ji betrayed the location of the Moonlight Pearl as her entry fee. Xu Xuan scanned the sky and lines of text appeared before his eyes: [Lord of a Hundred Poisons] [Race: Demon ¡ª Golden-Ringed Snake] [Realm: Transformed Beginner (Golden Core, 2nd tier)] [Traits: Wind Control (Red), Poison Mist (Blue), Copper-Skin Iron-Bones (Blue), Pierce through the Mountain (Green), Blade Mastery (Green)] Xu Xuan frowned slightly. Honestly, this Lord of a Hundred Poisons was underwhelming. As a transformed great demon equivalent to a second-tier Golden Core cultivator, he technically surpassed Xu Xuan¡¯s master, Xuan Mu, in cultivation. But aside from one red trait, the rest were low-grade, rather pitiful. Xu Xuan and the others quickly reached the Wang family¡¯s rear courtyard. There, Wang Hongzhi and his family were huddled together in fear. When the trio arrived, Elder Xuan Zhen gave them a nod and transformed into a streak of golden light, flying into battle. ¡°Lord of a Hundred Poisons? Never heard of you! I am Xuan Zhen, Elder of the Combat Sect at Mount Longhu¡¯s Celestial Master¡¯s Mansion. If you know what¡¯s good for you, retreat now! Or don¡¯t blame my sword for being merciless!¡± Chapter 33 - Moonlight Pearl and Golden Light Incantation Chapter 33: Moonlight Pearl and Golden Light Incantation ¡°Venerable Xuan Zhen, you¡¯re truly brave!¡± It wasn¡¯t Xu Xuan expressing admiration, Xuan Zhen really brave. He was only at the Foundation Establishment stage, not yet at Core Formation. To put it bluntly, he was caught between the two realms. On the other hand, the Lord of a Hundred Poisons was a second-level Core Formation transformed demon, capable of flying with the wind. Clearly, he had the upper hand. Yet Xuan Zhen still dared to threaten such a monster. But Jing Xu and Jing Xuan didn¡¯t seem surprised. ¡°Our Mount Longhu has flourished ever since the rise of our first Celestial Master. For a thousand years, we¡¯ve never declined. The current Celestial Master Xu Jing of our generation commands the stars, suppresses earthly demons, and slays dragons. The Upper Clarity, the Divine Treasure, the Divine Firmament, and Mount Shu all hold our sect in the highest regard. Even the Four Great Monks, revered as human arhats, do not dare provoke us. Let alone a mere demonic serpent at the transformation level?¡± ¡°Besides, Elder Xuan Zhen is no fool. Just two years ago, he slew a Core Formation wolf demon while still at the Foundation stage. This demonic serpent is just another name to add to his list of accomplishments.¡± S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Upon hearing Jing Xu and Jing Xuan, Xu Xuan suddenly understood. With celestial ancestors above, earth immortals holding the fort, three Nascent Soul masters below, and dozens of Core Formation experts. Not to mention over a hundred disciples in the innate realm¡­ Just revealing their sect¡¯s name was enough to scare off many demons. And the members of the Demon-Slaying Sect spent their lives studying how to eliminate such creat. With endless methods at their disposal, even if outmatched, they could often still win through skill. Backed by strength and influence alike, with another transformed demonic fox inside the Wang family, it wouldn¡¯t be easy for the Lord of a Hundred Poisons to win this fight. Sure enough, just as Xuan Zhen finished speaking, the three-tailed demonic fox hidden in the Wang household emerged. She wasn¡¯t as elegant and charming as described. She was rather a giant red fox the size of an elephant, with three tails on her back. Much of her fur was singed black, clearly injured by lightning and not yet fully healed. ¡°Lord of a Hundred Poisons, I¡¯ve heard of your reputation. Though you¡¯ve reached transformation, your days are numbered. If we really fight, you might not defeat me and this Daoist Xuan Zhen. Leave now, and I will personally hand you the Moonlight Pearl in three months.¡± The Lord of a Hundred Poisons let out a cold laugh. ¡°You think I¡¯m a three-year-old? Three months later, your wounds healed ¡ª you expect me to just take it from you? Or perhaps you¡¯ll flee with the pearl, and I¡¯ll never find you?¡± Xuan Zhen tried to speak, but the demon cut him off. ¡°Enough from both of you! If you know my time is short, then you should understand how important that pearl is to me. If we fight, I won¡¯t hold back. Even if it means offending the Celestial Masters, I take the pearl!¡± Xuan Zhen gripped his sword tightly. No one understood better than him how terrifying a desperate, dying transformed demon could be. Everyone heard he once slew a wolf demon beyond his level. But, if Mount Longhu¡¯s reinforcements had been even half a moment late, he¡¯d already be lying in a coffin. Suddenly, the Lord of a Hundred Poisons¡¯s tone changed, ¡°Of course, what I said still stands. Hand over the pearl, and I¡¯ll leave immediately. Not a moment¡¯s delay¡­¡± With threats and bribes, the Lord of a Hundred Poisons pressed on. The three-tailed demonic fox now wavered. The pearl was valuable but so was her life! Just as she was about to hand it over, Xuan Zhen quickly sent a voice transmission to stop her. ¡°Don¡¯t give it to him! With it, his power will skyrocket. Then the balance of power shifts. If he decides to stay rather than leave, what happens then?¡± Hearing this, the demonic fox froze. The Lord of a Hundred Poisons had been watching her closely. The moment she paused, he noticed. ¡°So you won¡¯t give up until the bitter end? In that case, don¡¯t blame me for what happens next!¡± With a flash of cold light, two crescent-shaped scimitars appeared in his hands. ¡°Go!¡± With a furious roar, the scimitars flew through the air, becoming two spinning full moons rushing toward Xuan Zhen and the demonic fox. Radiating danger, the blades multiplied ¡ª two became four, four became eight, until hundreds of them filled the air in the blink of an eye, surrounding Xuan Zhen, the demonic fox, and the entire Wang family courtyard. ¡°Heaven and Earth¡¯s mystic origins, the root of all energy, Through endless sutras I cultivate, that I might master divine powers, Golden Light¡ª¡± Xuan Zhen chanted the Golden Light Incantation, his sword shone with radiant gold, and with a final cry of ¡°sword,¡± it flew toward the spinning blades above. The three-tailed demonic fox was not to be outdone. She opened her mouth and spewed blue-green flames, and every blade touched by them instantly melted away like snow. ¡°Jing Xuan, we¡¯ll stall the demonic serpent! You escort Lord Wang out!¡± ¡°But Uncle Xuan Zhen¡ª¡± Jing Xuan tried to protest, but Xu Xuan pulled him back. ¡°That demon wants the Moonlight Pearl. We can¡¯t help here. If we stay, we¡¯ll only distract Uncle!¡± Jing Xu and Jing Xuan might be reckless, but they weren¡¯t stupid. Xu Xuan¡¯s words made the logic clear. ¡°You¡¯re right, Junior Brother Xu, let¡¯s go!¡± Xu Xuan and the others protected Lord Wang and his family as they fled. But after only a few steps, they were discovered. The transformed demon grinned cruelly, spitting out a foul, toxic mist. A storm whipped up, the poisonous water turned into tiny droplets, and the wind spread them across the entire courtyard. ¡°Today, none of you¡ª¡± He didn¡¯t finish because the humans he said would escape were already moving beyond the poison mist under Xu Xuan¡¯s lead. ¡°Jing Xuan, Jing Xu! I have two anti-poison pearls for now. Everyone else, stay close ¡ª don¡¯t stray too far!¡± At first, Xu Xuan only shielded Lord Wang and his wife and child. Soon, Li Wenbo and the Wang household joined the group, and their escape party grew larger and larger while the demon¡¯s face grew darker and darker. ¡°Damn it! Damn it! Someone broke through my poison mist?!¡± He tried to stop them, but Xuan Zhen¡¯s golden flying sword came at him. Fending off the sword with his scimitars, the demon glanced toward She Ji at the battlefield¡¯s edge. ¡°She Ji, it¡¯s your time to shine. Capture them, and I¡¯ll give you a ¡± The Lord of a Hundred Poisons was cunning ¡ª even a single exchange with Xuan Zhen and the fox told him brute force wouldn¡¯t win him the pearl. But he understood humans. If he captured Xu Xuan and Lord Wang¡¯s family, even if the demonic fox didn¡¯t care, Xuan Zhen would have to stop. Just a wounded demonic fox? He had complete confidence! At the mention of the Transformation Grass, She Ji was immediately tempted. Low risk, high reward ¡ª perfect for her. With a flick of her snake tail, she launched herself dozens of meters into the air. In just a few moves, she cut off Xu Xuan¡¯s escape route. ¡°None of you are going anywhere!¡± Chapter 34 - One Punch Kill! Who Gave You the Right to Call Me Junior Brother?! Chapter 34: One Punch Kill! Who Gave You the Right to Call Me ?! ¡°I¡¯ll hold them off with Jing Xu! Junior Brother Xu, take the others and run!¡± Panic erupted at the sight of She Ji. Some of the Wang clan retainers were so frightened they burst into tears. Jing Xuan and Jing Xu both wore solemn expressions. The upper half of She Ji¡¯s body had fully transformed into human form, her shapeshifting was halfway complete. She now possessed the power equivalent to a Core Formation cultivator. Yet they were merely at the 8th layer of Innate Realm, armed with nothing but standard Talismanic Weapons of Mount Longhu. To face her and survive was nearly impossible. ¡°Senior Brother, leave it to me.¡± In that brief instant, Xu Xuan had already seen through She Ji¡¯s abilities. [She Ji] [Race: Demonic Hybrid ¨C Feathered Serpent] [Cultivation: Qi Refining 10th Layer (Half-Transformed)] [Abilities: Petrification (Red), Heightened Smell (Blue), Deadly Venom (Blue), Slithering (Blue), Leap (Green)] What surprised Xu Xuan was that though She Ji wasn¡¯t as powerful as the Lord of a Hundred Poisons, she clearly descended from a feathered serpent bloodline, blessed with rare gifts. Her innate skills were even more extravagant than those of that poison-cultivating old monster. Had she been a full-fledged Core Formation demon, Xu Xuan might have hesitated. But a mere half-transformed serpent in the Core Formation realm? Not worth his concern. ¡°Junior Brother Xu! This isn¡¯t the time for competition! She¡¯s a half-transformed great demon! Even the two of us together might not survive her. Your Alchemy Sect isn¡¯t known for combat! Get out of here, quickly!¡± But She Ji had already launched her attack. Jing Xu swung his Vajra Mace, infused with True Qi, causing its original three-foot length to magnify many times over. Jing Xuan followed up by casting three Flaming Talisman Seals, which exploded midair into three massive fireballs the size of water vats, blazing a path directly toward the demoness. But She Ji had no fear. Facing flames that could melt iron, she pressed low to the ground and¡ªlike an ice skater¡ªglided swiftly across the floor. In mere seconds, she closed in on Jing Xu. The Vajra Mace hadn¡¯t even reached its full arc when Xu Xuan saw She Ji¡¯s eyes turn a violent red. At that critical moment, Xu Xuan threw a punch, knocking the stunned Jing Xu out of harm¡¯s way. In that very instant a blood-red beam shot out from She Ji¡¯s eyes, missing Jing Xu but hitting an unlucky Wang clan servant. The moment the red light entered him, the man instantly froze, his body and clothes rapidly transforming into a lifeless statue of grey stone. ¡°Hsss¡ª! Her petrification technique is terrifying?!¡± Even Jing Xu gasped. Though he had True Qi to protect him, he¡¯d still have been paralyzed for at least a moment. Against a Qi Refining peak, a half-transformed demonic serpent, a moment¡¯s delay was enough for ten deaths. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Junior Brother Jing Xu, let me handle this!¡± Xu Xuan was already at the front lines. She Ji stared at his elegant face, her eyes wandering down his firm physique. ¡°Such a handsome little Daoist¡­If you¡¯re willing to submit to me, perhaps I¡¯ll consider sparing your life.¡± Jing Xuan and Jing Xu¡¯s faces turned red with panic. ¡°Junior Brother Xu, come back! There¡¯s no time! Let¡¯s unleash the Five Thunder Talismans together! Maybe we can still save¡ª¡± ¡°Where is Junior Brother Xu?! Where did he go?!¡± They frantically looked around. Even the arrogant She Ji began to sense something was wrong. She activated her heightened sense of smell and the moment she caught a familiar scent, her face twisted. ¡°¡­Why does this scent feel so familiar?¡± A shadow passed over her memory¡ªthe hairless body of that accursed demonic scorpion, its screams of agony still vivid. A chilling breeze approached an aura that sent terror down her spine. A blue-robed Daoist figure emerged from the mist, blending seamlessly with the nightmare in her memory. ¡°You!?¡± ¡°Me.¡± Xu Xuan had recognized her just as she had recognized him. Thanks to titles like Alchemy Grandmaster, Flawless Physique, and Power of Four Elephants, his body had undergone many refinements. Even though those weren¡¯t directly related to senses, his enhanced physical form made his sense of smell no weaker than She Ji¡¯s. They moved simultaneously. She Ji, overwhelmed with fear, instinctively activated her Petrification Spell, but before her bewitching pupils could glow, Xu Xuan¡¯s Binding Demon Rope had already clutched her throat. With his other hand, he unleashed a mighty punch to her supple waist. Infused with savage Metal-element Sword Qi, the body with the power of four elephants along with the pinnacle technique of a Fist Master¡ªit was the ultimate fusion. Celestial Emperor Fist ¨C The Emperor Patrols the Nine Provinces! The golden-light-cloaked fist smashed against her soft, glossy skin with a heavy like a drumbeat of flesh. For a moment, time froze. Then, a series of crackling sounds, like firecrackers erupting, split across She Ji¡¯s smooth porcelain-white flesh. Hairline cracks spread like spiderwebs. With a deep thunderclap, the explosive Sword Qi burst outward. The once-beautiful demonic serpent shattered like a firework in the sky. It had all happened so fast¡ªjust one punch from Xu Xuan. Jing Xu and Jing Xuan had barely drawn their Five Thunder Talismans, not even channelling True Qi into them yet when She Ji exploded like a giant firecracker! If not for a small piece of snake tail falling from the sky, landing in front of them, they would¡¯ve thought they were hallucinating. ¡°She¡¯s dead? That huge demonic serpent, just like that?¡± ¡°Are we hallucinating?¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s this thing at our feet?¡± The two looked at each other, then at Xu Xuan as he slowly walked toward them. ¡°So¡­ Junior Brother Xu really killed her with one punch?¡± ¡°Insolence! Who gave you the right to call me Junior Brother!? Call me ! Senior Brother!¡± Chapter 35 - She Ji is super strong! Or… why don’t you take a look at this? Chapter 35: She Ji is super strong! Or¡­ why don¡¯t you take a look at this? Just then, Xu Xuan arrived in front of the two. He reached out and picked up the severed half of a snake¡¯s tail from the ground. Looking at Xu Xuan¡¯s gloomy expression, Jing Xu was uncertain about the situation. ¡°Se¡­Senior Brother Xu, are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine!¡± Xu Xuan waved his hand, his expression extremely serious, even visibly unpleasant. His expression clearly didn¡¯t match what he said at all. ¡°Senior Brother Xu, did you use some kind of burst secret technique just now? I have some top-quality Essence Stabilizing Pills¡­¡± Before Jing Xu could finish, he was pulled aside by Jing Xuan. ¡°You fool, Senior Brother Xu is the chief of the Alchemy Sect. If there¡¯s anything he¡¯s not lacking, it¡¯s pills.¡± ¡°Then why does his face look so terrible?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not Senior Brother Xu, how would I know?¡± At that moment, they heard a pained and regretful murmur behind them. ¡°This is top-quality snake skin, a demon snake¡¯s skin! And the snake bones, snake venom, snake fangs¡­¡­Xiao You, how could you be so reckless?¡± Jing Xu and Jing Xuan exchanged glances and then shook their heads in unison. ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything!¡± Xu Xuan escorted the group outside Ganzhou City, where the deafening roar from the city could still be heard. ¡°Junior Brother Jing Xuan, Junior Brother Jing Xu! You two escort him toward Mount Longhu. I¡¯ll head back. Maybe I can help somehow!¡± Had it been earlier, Jing Xu and Jing Xuan would¡¯ve scoffed or tried to talk him out of it. But after witnessing Xu Xuan kill the demonic serpent with a single punch, they felt that whatever he said must be right. After all, to one-shot kill a semi-transformed demonic beast, not even a Core Formation-level master like Elder Xuan Zhen could manage such a feat. ¡°Shixiong, please go ahead!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, we¡¯re leaving now.¡± Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°We definitely won¡¯t cause any trouble for you or the elder!¡± ¡°But please be careful, Shixiong. If it can¡¯t be helped, just return safely with Elder Xuan Zhen!¡± Xu Xuan nodded, suddenly launching himself upward. He soared into the sky like a white crane. He had just acquired several entries (powers) from She Ji, including one called [Leap] which enhanced his jumping ability. With just a few leaps, Xu Xuan disappeared from view. ¡­ Back in Ganzhou City, the sprawling Wang family estate, along with many surrounding houses, had been turned into complete ruins under the clash between two semi-transformed demonic beasts and a Core Formation cultivator. Wails filled the city, with people fleeing in every direction. The Prefect of Ganzhou wanted to organize troops to suppress the demons, and even armoured generals rushed toward the battlefield. But before they could get close, they either collapsed from the poisonous miasma or fled in terror at the sight of the Lord of a Hundred Poisons in his true form. By the time Xu Xuan arrived, the situation was far more critical than he expected. Both the semi-transformed demons had revealed their true forms. A black serpent over 100 meters long, its body coiled with golden rings, was forming a tightening snake formation and squeezing inward. In the centre of the formation, a red-haired fox the size of an elephant was trapped. If not for Elder Xuan Zhen¡¯s relentless sword strikes and talismans attacking from the side, that demonic fox would¡¯ve already been crushed to a pulp by the Lord of a Hundred Poisons. At this point, the difference between a demon in the Golden Core stage and one in the Core Formation stage became apparent. The three-tailed fox spat demonic fire continuously, scorching the surrounding snake scales black. Xuan Zhen¡¯s golden sword left slash after slash across the serpent¡¯s body. But neither the fox nor Xuan Zhen could deal serious damage to the Lord of a Hundred Poisons. Forget killing him¡ªeven severely wounding him seemed impossible. In contrast, when the serpent struck, he could easily kill the fox. After a long and brutal fight, the Lord of a Hundred Poisons got serious. He abandoned defence, letting Xuan Zhen¡¯s attacks land. His massive serpent head rose like a flood dragon, and he spewed a mouthful of poisonous fluid directly at the trapped three-tailed fox. With nowhere to run, the fox had no choice but to go all out. Her demonic fire suddenly changed colour, burning hotter than before. The intense flames evaporated the venom and even burned the serpent so badly that he howled in pain. But while she guarded against the poison above, she couldn¡¯t defend against the deadly coil of the serpent¡¯s body. The Lord of a Hundred Poisons was already stronger, and as she focused on the venom, she exposed herself to the snake¡¯s constriction. Enduring the searing pain, he suddenly tightened his grip. As countless bones in the fox¡¯s body shattered, the cracking sound rang out loudly. This was a critical injury, even for a demonic beast. When he finally released her, the once-proud, newly transformed three-tailed fox collapsed to the ground like a pile of mush. Xuan Zhen sensed danger and tried to retreat. But the freed serpent lashed out with his tail, sending the glowing golden Xuan Zhen flying. And at that moment¡ªXu Xuan arrived! ¡°Elder Xuan Zhen¡ª!¡± Xu Xuan flew forward and caught him, but the impact still flung them a dozen meters away. ¡°Master Xuan Zhen, are you alright?¡± Seeing Xu Xuan, Xuan Zhen¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Nephew Xu, why are you here? Could it be¡­ something happened?¡± Before Xu Xuan could answer, they heard the arrogant laughter of the Lord of a Hundred Poisons. ¡°You really thought I had no backup plan? While we were fighting, I already sent She Ji to capture them. Your Mount Longhu lineage is indeed impressive¡ªeven a Core Formation cultivator can match me evenly. But I wonder¡­ can a few Innate-stage juniors handle a semi-transformed demonic beast?¡± Xuan Zhen¡¯s face darkened further. He looked at Xu Xuan, hoping to hear a different answer. ¡°There was indeed a semi-transformed demon called She Ji. But¡­¡± Before Xu Xuan could finish, the demonic serpent cut in again, emboldened by his upper hand. ¡°I know you¡¯re still clinging to false hope, but let me tell you¡ªthere¡¯s no chance! She Ji is from an ancient Feathered Serpent bloodline with innate divine abilities. She may not be invincible among peers, but suppressing a few Innate cultivators? That¡¯s effortless.¡± Hearing this, Xuan Zhen let out a long, heavy breath. ¡°Nephew Xu¡­ is what he said true? Jing Xu and Jing Xuan, they¡­¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± It was the answer he hoped for, but somehow it didn¡¯t feel real in Xuan Zhen¡¯s ears. ¡°Nephew Xu, what did you just say?¡± ¡°Elder, don¡¯t listen to his nonsense! That She Ji was strong, yes, but I already killed her! Jing Xuan and Jing Xu are escorting Lord Wang to safety. For the moment, they¡¯re not in danger!¡± ¡°Is that¡­ true?¡± To Xuan Zhen, it sounded like a fantasy. How could this be possible? A semi-transformed demonic beast with innate divine powers¡ªeven for him, killing such a creature wouldn¡¯t be easy. Xuan Zhen was in disbelief. The Lord of a Hundred Poisons was even more so. ¡°You brat, trying to bluff me? I¡¯ve lived 500 years! You think I haven¡¯t seen tricks like this before? Let me guess, when you saw She Ji¡ª¡± a green snake tail landed on the ground. ¡°Lord of a Hundred Poisons, was it? Why don¡¯t you take a look at what this is?¡± Chapter 36 - Colossal Power! If I kill you first, then you can’t kill me! Chapter 36: Colossal Power! If I kill you first, then you can¡¯t kill me! ¡°She Ji? Impossible! How is this possible? Where did you get a snake tail to trick me?¡± Though Lord of a Hundred Poisons spoke words of disbelief, his eyes were wide open in shock. He even unconsciously leaned forward a little to see more clearly. He was so focused on the snake¡¯s tail on the ground that he didn¡¯t notice that Xu Xuan had vanished. ¡°Nephew Xu¡ª¡± Xuan Zhen, however, saw Xu Xuan sprinkle something over himself. In the next moment, Xu Xuan completely disappeared from his senses, even his eyes could no longer detect a trace of him! When Xu Xuan reappeared, he was already atop the massive snake body of the Lord of a Hundred Poisons. No matter how distracted he was, a person this big climbing onto his body wouldn¡¯t go unnoticed. ¡°You brat, do you have a death wish?!¡± The Lord of a Hundred Poisons roared in fury, his enormous body rapidly shrinking. If not for learning human techniques, if not for this very moment to slay human cultivators, why would demon beasts go through the pain of taking human form? ¡°You¡¯re just at the Innate Stage and instead of running, you dare interfere in a battle between Golden Cores? Today I¡¯ll show you what death truly means!¡± Xu Xuan didn¡¯t reply, he simply swung his enhanced Po Yue Sword*with all his strength. He originally wanted to reach the snake¡¯s vital point before attacking, but since the opportunity was gone, he struck early instead. The heavy sword, weighing almost 2500kg, was driven by a force exceeding 30 metric tons and was brought down fiercely upon the rapidly shrinking snake body. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. To strike decisively, Xu Xuan poured everything he had into this blow. At the moment of swinging, he activated the petrification divine ability he had just acquired. But unlike the red glow in She Ji¡¯s eyes, Xu Xuan¡¯s petrification emitted a faint stone-grey light. When the light touched the Lord of a Hundred Poisons¡¯ snake scales that were impervious to blades, fire, or water and instantly turned into a ruined, ashen gray. The sword, neither quite a sword nor quite a mace, came down, its sharp tip glittering with golden light. Facing a transformed demon beast, Xu Xuan didn¡¯t dare be careless and concentrated all of his sword aura at the tip of the blade. First came the sound of stone shattering, followed by the sharp sword piercing flesh, and finally, a strange sizzling sound. ¡°Aaaargh! It hurts! Damn it! Damn it all! What the hell did you do to me?!¡± The Lord of a Hundred Poisons howled in pain, his body twisting and shrinking, trying to throw Xu Xuan off and return to his best combat form. Xu Xuan knew once he returned to human form, he¡¯d be several times more difficult to deal with especially since he was a fully formed demon capable of flight. At that point, he could just kite him in the air endlessly. Now was the best chance for Xu Xuan to defeat him! Gripping the Po Yue Sword with one hand to steady himself, his other hand reached into the divine storage box tucked in his robe. One by one, he took out all kinds of vials and bottles without even checking them, he shoved them directly into the gaping wound. Bottles of special poisons and knockout agents were thrown in. Even from over a hundred meters away, Xuan Zhen could smell the overwhelming stench. As black smoke began to rise from the Lord of a Hundred Poisons¡¯ body¡ª ¡°You brat, die!¡± The demon, after all, was a high-level demon beast. As a serpent, he had high resistance to poisons. Despite suffering a deadly combo attack from Xu Xuan, he finally managed to revert to his human form. But he looked terrible with his back and torso riddled with wounds down to the bone, oozing foul-smelling pus and black smoke. He kept baring his teeth from the pain, clearly even for him, the injuries were unbearable. ¡°You brat, you¡¯re not running?¡± What was even more surprising to him was despite his now much more agile human form, Xu Xuan didn¡¯t flee but instead launched another attack. ¡°Run? Why should I run? You¡¯re the one who should be running, right?¡± The Po Yue Sword pinned the Lord¡¯s foot to the ground. Before he could react, Xu Xuan¡¯s fist smashed into his face. ¡°Demon, prepare to die!¡± Compared to swords, Xu Xuan was more proficient with fists. As a grandmaster in martial arts and a founder of his sect, his fame was well-earned. A series of heavy blows landed on the demon¡¯s head and chest. The ground beneath them sank three to four feet, and the Lord of a Hundred Poisons was dazed like a beaten snake. If he were any other demon race, he¡¯d probably be a puddle of meat by now. But as a serpent, his iron-like skin and flexible bones allowed him to barely survive this brutal beating. ¡°I¡¯ll cut you into a thousand pieces!¡± Though poisoned and physically suppressed, his monstrous demonic power remained unaffected. With a thought, two curved blades turned into countless rotating wheels of blades, accompanied by wind blades, wind swords, and wind spears! ¡°Die¡ªugh!¡± The demon shouted in fury, only to be punched back in the gut by Xu Xuan. But the hundreds of blade wheels and wind attacks still came crashing down on Xu Xuan. ¡°Watch out, Xu Xuan!¡± Xuan Zhen cried out and moved to assist. He had seen these blades before. One or two weren¡¯t much, but hundreds were terrifying. Countering them meant failing to keep up in number and speed, defending meant draining energy too quickly. Other than dodging, Xuan Zhen couldn¡¯t think of any better solution. ¡°Truly a high-level demon¡ªso troublesome.¡± Xu Xuan¡¯s power was immense, and his defence was impressive too. Whether Innate cultivators or half-formed demon beasts, they likely couldn¡¯t even scratch him if he stood still. But he didn¡¯t have any defensive-specific traits, while the demon¡¯s blade wheels were carefully refined magic weapons. A slight misstep, and he could be shredded into bits! Run? If Xu Xuan wanted to run, he wouldn¡¯t have come back in the first place. Since he returned, he was fully prepared! High-level demon beast? Iron skin? Wind blades? Blade wheels? Thousands of cuts? What¡¯s there to fear? ¡°System, fuse traits!¡± On a panel only Xu Xuan could see, new and old traits quickly disappeared: [Leap], [Glide], [Poison]¡­ All the traits he had just looted from She Ji¡ªhe didn¡¯t even have time to look at them. They were gone in an instant. Only [Power of Four Elephants] grew ever brighter, until a brilliant red light completed its transformation. [Congratulations, host. New Trait Acquired: Colossal Power (Red)] TL/N: Po Yue or the Mountain-Crusing Sword he got from the Weaponry Forging Sect previously