《Dao》 Chapter 1 - Son Will Avenge His Fathers Suffering Son Will Avenge His Fathers Suffering Dusky clouds enveloped the skyline, revealing an atmosphere of depression in the darkness. Bit by bit, the clouds in the east went red, gradually blazing up fiercely like a fire. A ray of morning light finally breached the darkness and sprinkled the whole earth, flushing the mountains and plains. Surrounded by mountains, a small village with thirty to forty households struggled to keep living on the few barren fields among the peaks. While the sun rose and sprinkled the morning glow, a young boy in the room opened his eyes. A calm look beyond his peers appeared on the face after a short period of confusion. Getting up in a hurry and washing himself, Shiao Chen rushed out. Today was the day to go to the town and fetch the seeds of each year at the early spring. He needed to make an early start with solid food, or he wouldnt get home at night. However, he was in a trance for what he saw after stepping out of his room, then he asked, Father,mother, why do you get up so early? Rest assured, I remember its time to fetch the seeds and wont delay doing it. His father, Shiao Wenshan, looked at him somewhat expectantly, waved his hands and said, Change your clothes and I will go to town with you today. Shiao Chen was a little surprised, and then he noticed his father put on the most solemn clan costume which he would only wear on the clans sacrifice day. Although he felt confused, he nodded and went back to his room, taking out a green brocade long gown with embroidery from his only worn-out case. They then had the breakfast in silence. There was a bit of worry in the eyes of Shiaos mother and many times, she wanted to say something but was held back by his fathers severe gaze. Lets go. Getting out of the yard and seeing a green carriage outside the door, once again, Shiao Chen sensed something odd. Mr. Shiao, please get on. We should leave now. Living at the west of the village, Old Wu tried to support the whole family with this carriage. Exposed to the wind and sun every day, he looked like a little old man even in his early 40s. Nodding while lifting the curtain, Shiao Wenshan went into the carriage regardless of his perplexed son. Hey, the date to fetch seeds has been put off, right? Then why do they hire Old Wu to go to town? Who knows? This family has always been acting secretly and doesnt make much contact with us . Look what they wear, maybe theyll have a marriage interview. Maybe, Shiao Chen looks like a good boy with that handsome face. However, hes not in good health and may not live very long, or I will betroth my daughter to him. The carriage went down on the sole road of the village. Hearing of the discussion outside ambiguously, Shiao Chen was shocked in the heart and wondered if he was really taken to a blind date. Dont woolgather and keep yourself revitalized. Todaytoday you may have a chance to be someone powerfulDont ask too much. You will know it later. Looking at Shiao Chen, Shiao Wenshan waved his hands with a complicated expression on his face which disappeared soon. Shiao Chen nodded and closed his eyes to rest his mind. Staring at his sons macilent face, a touch of firmness appeared in the eyes of Shiao Wenshan. Meanwhile he murmured, Today, even I have to bow to him, so what? The kids future cant be ruined because of me. The carriage was caught in a silence after a long sigh. Mr. Shiao, Were in Shiao Town now. Old Wu said with a respectful and cautious voice outside. Shiao Chen opened his eyes at the moment he heard the words, only seeing his father was a little absent-minded, which was rare. Ohreally? Shiao Wenshan murmured , then pulled back the curtain and got off the carriage with a complicated expression crossing his face. Old Wu, you can go back first. No need to wait here, Shiao Wenshan said gently. All right. Seeing Old Wu driving the carriage far away, Shiao Wenshan stood at the huge gate of Shiao Town. Staring at the script of Shiao Town, a touch of complexity flashed by in his eyes. After a long while, he said Follow me, then went straight into the town. Looking at the shadow of his aging father, Shiao Chen still tried to figure out why he had to come here in person. Thinking of what happened today, his suspicion became deeper. After nearly an hour, they found a shabby inn to have a rest. Shiao Wenshan enjoined Shiao Chen not to go outside by himself and then left the inn hurriedly with a complicated expression. Frowned with suspicion in his eyes, Shiao Chen followed his father secretly and immediately. The behavior of his father was too queer. He must be onto something. Shiao Chen was far away from his father all the way and in the end, he saw his father go straight into a restaurant. Is it possible that father just comes to visit a friend? Frowned a bit, Shiao Chen stepped into the restaurant. Glancing at the hall, he didnt find his father, so he stepped forward to the second floor of private rooms. Seemingly thin and weak with a pale face, he acted gracefully and imposingly. Besides, what he dressed was far from common, so the waiter was hesitant to stop him. It was much quieter on the second floor. Shiao Chen slowed down and trod lightly on the corridor while listening carefully. Hes here! Seeing the private room Heaven No. 1, Shiao Chen felt uncertain. Being poor, his father had always been thrift. It was odd enough to hire Old Wu today, and now he met someone in this expensive restaurant. All things just ran counter to his normal behavior. Standing at the gate and taking a look around the room, Shiao Chens eyes brightened suddenly. There was an air hole at the wall facing the street, which allowed him to catch a glance of the condition inside the room. Seeing nobody around, Shiao Chen held his breath and trod lightly and then looked inside on tiptoe. Full of antique beauty, there was a scentedwood round table with four cyan chairs surrounding it. A piece of ink landscape painting was hung on the wall and a fresh and green bonsai sat at the corner, simple with lingering charm. And now on the chairs, there were three fair and clear middle-aged men in brocade gown with slight coldness on their faces. Without saying anything, the aura they presented awed people. Obviously, they must have been in a high status for a long time. However, what surprised Shiao Chen most at the moment was his father. He sat right in front of the three men with intricate expression. However, he was not scared at all by their imposing manner, behaving with ease and confidence. Hm, Shiao Family have a lot to deal with every day, so lets just get to the point. Why did you send a message to call us here? Tell us now or well leave immediately. Seeming to be the head of the three men, one man took a sip of tea and satirized with sardonic expression. Similar expression was written on the other two mens face although they didnt say anything. Hearing this, Shiao Chen was in a trance. Shiao family? In Shiao Town, the first name Shiao belonged to Shiao Clan, so the three men were in charge of Shiao family? No wonder they behaved in such a lofty manner. But then he frowned and came up with another question C when did his father know these people? He didnt even mention it. And judging from their behavior, they seemed not to get along. Many thoughts flooded into Shiao Chens mind, but before he could come to himself, what his father said next nearly shocked him to tumble. Brother, why are you so ruthless? Although I have left the family, we are still brothers. With complicated expression, Shiao Wenshan took a glance of the three men in front of him and spoke in a low voice. Hearing this, Shiao Wenting raised his eyebrows and sneered, Brothers? You were expelled from the family twenty years ago, and now you remember we are brothers? Or maybe you cant survive outside, so you decide to come here and wish we can give you a hand now? The one who said this in cold voice was full of squib. Brother, why are we still talking with him here? The immortals are coming tomorrow. Wed better go home and prepare for that now. The second master of Shiao family, Shiao Wenchien gave a sardonic grin and suggested. Taking a cold glance at Shiao Wenshan, they were ready to get up and leave. Wait! Shiao Wenshan groaned suddenly and then took out a jade lion seal in thumb size from his chest with trembling hands. Brother, although you became the master of Shiao family with the help of our elder mother, this seal, the token of the family, was handed down to me by our father long ago. I wonder you may have worried about it a lot for these years, right? If you promise me one thing, I will hand it to you. Seeing the seal in Shiao Wenshans hand, Shiao Wenting stopped. With longing in his eyes, he thought for a while and answered, What do you want? Hearing this, Shiao Wenshan stared at him and shook his head, saying, Why do you ask while knowing the answer, Brother? Today I come here for earning a chance for my son to attend the test of entering the divine gate. With dodgy eyes, Shiao Wenting seemed to be thinking about it carefully, weighing the gains and loses. Brother, you cant give him that promise. If his son is lucky to be chosen by the immortals, well be doomed. Right, brother, please think it over. Shiao Wenting waved his hands to stop their words, and then looked at Shiao Wenshan with sharp eyes, saying coldly, You abused my mother in those years. Hearing this, the expression of Shiao Wenshan became more complicated, and then he kneeled down facing the direction of the Shiaos Clan Hall and bowed and kowtowed repeatedly while saying, Please forgive me, elder mother, for my ignorance and impertinency at young age. Then he seemed to be stripped off the energy, eyes becoming dull suddenly. Turning a blind eye to it, Shiao Wenting continued, You disrespected us in those years. I was too young and aggressive at that time, please forgive me. At that moment, the wrinkles on Shiao Wenshans face became deeper and he looked even older than before. You hurt me in those years. With grimmer face, Shiao Wenting pulled uphis left sleeve, showing an ugly scar wriggling from the chest like a huge and deformed scolopendra. Hearing this, Shiao Wenshan shivered a little and then smashed his left arm ruthlessly and directly. Crack! Clear sound of bone fracture echoed in the room while Shiao Wenshans face turned pale and lips quivered due to the pain. Brother, is this enough to make it up to you? With a poker face, Shiao Wenting rested his eyes on Shiao Wenshan who was humiliated for a long while, and then said inexorably, Dont say I havent given you a chance. Tomorrow you can bring your son to the family. Then he collected the jade lion seal in his chest and left with the other two men. Seeing they left the room, Shiao Wenshan trembled slightly and fell on the ground. After a while, he burst out weeping. Mother, please forgive me, your unfilial son. But I have to do this. Even Im humiliated, I must earn this chance for my son. Mother, please forgive me. Tears flowing from his aged eyes, Shiao Wenshan cried out with hoarse voice. Outside the room, Shiao Chen covered his mouth with hands and fell on the ground involuntarily. As a son, seeing his father being insulted by others without any solution, Shiao Chen was buried in sorrow. He clasped his hands and roared in the heart madly, I will avenge my fathers suffering. One day, I, Shiao Chen, will make all of you pay for what you have done today! Chapter 2 - Shiao Family Shiao Family Shiao Town, Shiao Family. As its name suggested, the status of Shiao Family in the town could be seen clearly. However, the defiant guardians of Shiao Family at ordinary times were now full of respect and caution. Though dressed well, they behaved very humbly in an ingratiating manner. With the gate of Shiao Family opened now, a row of beautiful maidservants lined at each side of the road and red lanterns hung high under the eaves. It was so ceremonious and seemed someone special was coming. Father, are the envoys from Luoyun Valley so unattainable? Do we really need to be so prudent considering our strength? At the hall, haughty Shiao Lin asked his father. As the eldest childe of Shiao Family, he had been praised and respected by whoever knew him, which leaded to his arrogant character. Shut up! Hearing this, Shiao Wenting changed the expression suddenly and berated him seriously. Looking around carefully for a while and finding nothing abnormal, he was a bit relieved, though still grim-faced. Then he continued, Stop it, if you say anything annoying the envoys, wait and see how I will punish you. Shiao Lins face turned gray. He never thought his affectionate father would be so furious to him because of this. However, he was not that stupid to argue with him, so he didnt say a word any more. Now, in case any of you offend the envoys and spell disaster for this family, I need to remind you something beforehand. Shiao Wenting stated with a solemn face. All other principals of Shiaos branches were listening seriously. Luoyun Valley doesnt belong to any secular power, or we wont need to act so cautiously and humbly to flatter them. It is a sect full of high and powerful cultivators who can topple the mountains and overturn the seas. Even a disciple can destroy our family easily. There were awe and longing in the eyes of Shiao Wenting while he talked about it. He had seen it by himself. Notorious thieves and the best martial art experts became ashes with nothing left of them under the attack of a small fireball from one of Luoyun Valleys cultivators. Fortunately, our ancestors had history with Luoyun Valley, so every twenty years, there will be a chance for us to send age-appropriate boys to have a test. If they are gifted for being a cultivator, they will be the disciples and have a chance to be immortal. What? Do immortals really exist? So we are here to have a test? Really? Ah, great, I have a chance to be immortal. Immortal! I will become an immortal. Dozens of young boys from Shiao Family in the hall turned excited immediately. So all of you remember to act respectfully and cautiously when the envoys are here. If there are any mistakes and our family suffers due to that, it will not be atoned for even you die one hundred times. Shiao Wenting said the last sentence with loud voice and stern expression. Yes, clan leader. Hearing this, all teenagers became serious, eyes full of revere and expectation. Shao Wenting nodded with satisfaction. Actually he was too cautious. The divine envoys were usually cold and prideful and cared nothing about the flatter of ordinary people. They wouldnt even take a sip of the tea provided and would leave as soon as they found potential disciples. So there would hardly be any chance to offend them even if someone wanted to. At the moment, a servant in green clothes ran in and kneeled down with a pained look, saying cautiously, Master, theres a man and a boy outside claiming they belong to a branch of Shiao Family and intend to attend the selection today. They look unfamiliar and I havent seen them before, however, what they wearare the clan costumes, so Im here to ask for your instruction before allowing them in. He said this with scrupulousness while feeling perturbed in the heart. Today was the most important day in twenty years, if the guests belonged to this family, everything would be all right; if not, he would definitely be punishedhowever, the man outside presented a gentle aura, so he couldnt be a cheater, right? Hearing this, Shiao Wenting sneered with cold expression, and then waved his hand and said, I have known it, just bring them in. While the servant left, the second man on the left side frowned and asked, Brother, three branches with eight households of our family are all here. The two people outside are obviously lying, so why do you let them in? If they deliberately cause troubles and offend the divine envoys, wont it be a problem? Ho ho, brother, you are wrong. Technically, there are three branches with nine households in total. Have you forgotten one of our brothers was expelled from the family? Full of squib, he continued, Yesterday, he invited me and your other two elder brothers out and begged for a chance to let his son take part in the test of Treading Divine Gate. I agreed seeing hes so pitiful. Oh, its him! When he left, he said he would never set foot in this family, now what? Come here so eagerly. Hum, just see how I will make him ashamed. The fifth son of the Shiao, Shiao Wenbin, looked at the entrance of the hall with ruthless eyes when speaking of this. Meanwhile, two figures showed up and came into the hall. They were of course Shiao Wenshan and Shiao Chen. Hey, you may not know that. In front of us is an awful man who was favored by the previous master. However, later he planned to take over the property in confidence, which was discovered and so he was expelled by our masters mother. Now how dare he come back? Hum, of course for the coming test of Treading Divine Gate. Knowing our elder brother is lenient, he just comes here to beg for mercy. For me, I will throw them out. Really annoying! Look at his son, so weak with that pale face. How can he dream to be chosen by the divine envoys. For a moment, the hall resounded with satire and cynicism while Shiao Wenting just looked at everyone with a cold smile on his face. Shiao Wenshan clasped Shiao Chens shoulder with full strength and stopped his intention to refute with stringent eyes. After a while, Shiao Wenting waved his hands to stop all the sneers, then he began to talk, I will stick to my promiseto give you the chance. But remember, this is your last chance. After this, no matter you live or die, never step into this family again. Now step aside and dont offend the divine envoys. Yes. Regardless of how others thought of them, Shiao Wenshan pulled Shiao Chen to the corner. My son, dont ask why Im doing this and never regard it as a burden. Now just remember one thing. After you leave with the divine envoys, try everything to stay there. Hearing this, Shiao Chen nodded violently. Although his eyes were red, he didnt let one drop of tear fall down because his father had always taught him that a real man could bleed but never drop tears. Chapter 3 - The Test of Tread Divine Gate The Test of Tread Divine Gate An hour later, a swishing sound of sharp objects cutting through air was heard, and then three flying sword landed before the great hall of Shiaos family. On those swords were standing three young men of more than 20 years old with cold faces. Is the Master of Shiaos family here? We come here under orders. Bring the candidates to us fast. They were cold and arrogant, and their eyes swept the crowd occasionally as if they were high above the others. Shiao Wenting led his family members out in a hurry to greet the three guests. Three Immortals, you have come a long way here. Please do me the favor to rest in the great hall and have a cup of tea. His face was modest and his voice humble. The drastic difference made Shiao Chen secretly clenched his hands and sworn to be a powerful Immortal one day to make his parents proud. No need. Once we have all the candidates for the Test of Tread Divine Gate, well leave. One of the three young men who appeared to be in charge replied in cold voice, frowning. Yes! Yes! Shiao Wenting nodded hastily, daring not to meddle any more. Go! The three young men muttered some incantations and suddenly pointed their hands to the flying swords under their feet, which at once grew big enough for dozens of people to ride on. Come up and stand in sequence. Dont be afraid. The teenage boys of Shiaos clan were all held in awe by the three Immortals who were able to travel on flying swords and make them grow bigger with spells, so they obediently did what they were told to do. Rise! After all the boys were up on the swords, the three young men immediately steered the flying swords and flew away without the courtesy to say goodbye. In a blink of eyes, no trace of them could be found. Watching him leaving, Shiao Chens father was unable to suppress the injuries any longer. His face turned deathly pale in an instant, still he managed to hobble across the hall and left. Patriarch, why did you agree to permit Shiao Chen to attend the Test? Even though he is a member of our family, he will never be one of us. We have offended him and his father. If he gets lucky and pass the test, none of us can sleep tight at night. Shiao Wenbin complained. Shiao Wenting laughed. Wenbin, dont worry. Shiao Chen is not in good health. I even bet he will die young. How can the Immortals pick such a weak boy? You can rest assured. In his heart, the only boy who would succeed was his own son, Shiao Lin, who had taken a valuable treasure just in case. Above the cloud, three gigantic swords were flying. The wind blew straight at the faces of the people who were standing on them. It was so strong that nearly no one was able to open their eyes. Shiao Chen was on the last sword. He clenched his hands into fists, trying his best not to look frightened. The young man steering the sword laid his eyes on Shiao Chen, a bit of surprise mixed with a bit of admiration. Hu! The wind abruptly got stronger, and its direction suggested they were descending in a fast speed. A moment later, a cold voice said, We are here. Get down. Until then did all the teenage boys of Shiaos family open their eyes and find them in an unknown place. Shiao Chen followed others down the flying sword and examined the surroundings. It was a verdant valley of several thousand meters long, a fairy land full of green trees, exotic flowers and rare herbs, even the air smelled faint fragrant. Dozens of teenage boys and girls had arrived before them, except they all stared at them with a bit of hostility. Line up in pairs. The Test is about to begin. Before the boys and girls was a stone table, and before the table was sitting a stout old man, about 50 years old. The three young men who escorted Shiao Chen and the others saluted him in a respectful manner and retreated to his side. Shiao Lin, as the oldest son of his family, had received instructions from his father, so he bowed to the old man and led his brothers queue up quickly. All right. Now come to me one at a time to take the Test. The old man opened his eyes, darting penetrating glances at them as if he could see them through. Most of the teenagers lowered their heads, afraid to confront his eyes. Lets start with Meis. Hardly had the sound fade away, a 16 or 17-year old boy, strong and with bright piercing eyes, promptly stepped forward from the far left group. Anxiously, he bowed before he put his hands in the old mans. In a moment, the old man opened his eyes and announced emotionlessly, No spiritual root. Go to the left. The young boy obeyed and walked to the empty land on the left downheartedly, as if all his energy had been drained off by these words. Next! A young girl came to the old man gingerly and put her hands in his. No spiritual root. Go to the left. The Test went on in a very fast speed, and half of the candidates had been tested by the old man, but no one was ever qualified. Next! The old man slightly furrowed his brows, and a touch of impatience crept on his face. This time was a young girl of 16 years old with snow-white skin and black hair to her waist, as stunning as a fairy exiled to the mortal world. Ji Yuewu from Jis clan! I did not expect her today. It is said she taught herself to gather nimbus when she was 10. She must possess a spiritual root. Anyone with a spiritual root has the ability to become an Immortal. How lucky she is! Shiao Chen listened to these whispers and concluded that the Test seemed to concern only the spiritual root, not the physical fitness at all. He secretly felt relieved a bit. He would have no chance if the Test was all about physical fitness, but the fact that more than 30 boys and girls had failed made him worried. What on earth was a spiritual root, which seemed so rare? Spiritual root of wooden attribute! Excellent talent! Great! Great! Great! The old man opened his eyes, beaming with great joy and surprise. Shiao Chen was interrupted from his thinking. He raised his head and happened to see that Ji Yuewu withdrew her hands, so calmly as if she was not surprised at all. You go to the right. Ill take you to see our Chief Master after this. The old mans spirit was lightened, which softened his voice when he opened his mouth. Ji Yuewu slightly nodded and walked to the right with her head lifted high in the admiring eyes of others, like a real fairy descending to the mans world. Next! The old man was encouraged and his voice sounded more vigorous than before. It took another 15 minutes to finish the tests of the rest candidates except Shiaos. A boy and a girl passed the Test besides Ji Yuewu, but their spiritual roots were not as good as hers judging from the normal reaction of the old man. Even so, they still attracted admiration from those who failed. Next! The first candidate from Shiaos clan was no other than Shiao Lin, who was the oldest son of the Patriarch. He straightened his clothes, bowed to the old man and held out his hands with great anticipation. The old man did not even look, and he just closed his eyes after he held Shiao Lins hands. Soon he shook his head. No spiritual root. Fail. Shiao Lins face turned pale and then regained a little bit red after he remembered his father had given him a secret gift. Immortal, my father asked me to bring you a gift when I left home. Please do me a favor for the sake of it. Before the old man could reject, he took a brocade bag from inside of his robe with great care. A sneer played on the old mans lips. He was a cultivator high above the mortal world. What kind of gift could a mortal family give to catch his eyes? Still he opened the bag and saw a black stony thing. Iron Essence! The old mans eyes brightened. He held it in his hands and carefully examined it for a while. His joy increased. This Iron Essence was so pure, enough for him to refine a spiritual weapon when he advanced to the late phase of the Refining Realm. Hm! Ill take it, and Ill accept you as a nominal disciple for its sake. If you do well, youll have the opportunities to become a formal disciple. The old man narrowed his eyes and put the Iron Essence in his storage bag before others could notice. A nominal disciple? Shaio Lin found it hard to believe. You have a problem with that? The old man lowered his voice and asked. No, no. How dare I? Master, please allow me to kowtow to you! Shiao Lin kneeled on the ground and bowed. Em! Now go to the right. The old man nodded his head unsatisfactorily. Aye. The admiring eyes from the others instantly swept away Shiao Lins discontent of being a preparative disciple, and he swaggered to the right. Next! Next! Soon, everyone from Shiaos clan had taken the Test except Shiao Chen, but no one was found to have the spiritual root. It has been 300 years. Not a single candidate from Shiaos clan ever has a spiritual root. Its nothing like a great family lasted from the ancient times. I shall suggest to the Chief Master to disqualify them. The old man muttered in secret, and then raised his voice impatiently. Last one! Shiao Chen was the last candidate. He went forward with great hope. The anticipating eyes and the humiliation his father suffered to win him this opportunity made him determined and eager. Please! Please! A moment later, the old man opened his eyes and shot a cold glance at him. No spiritual root. Not qualified! Every word thundered in his ears and made him even paler. Darkness came over his eyes when he thought of his father. His head was spinning, and he nearly fell on the ground under the gloating stars of others. All he could think of was how to tell his father that he failed! To fight for his candidacy, his father had broken his vows and suffered a lot, but in the end he failed! Chapter 4 - Dao Seeking Canal Dao Seeking Canal All right. The Test of Tread Divine Gate is now at its end. Those who have failed please wait here for a moment. You will be allowed to stay in Luoyue Valley for 15 days before going home. The old man turned away. Ji Yuewu and the three candidates who passed the Test followed him toward the outside of the valley. So it is true that Ji Yuewu is born with a spiritual root of good quality. Iam afraid it is of good quality according to Elder Wus reaction. She is sure to be a big shot in the future. You are right. And the boy surnamed Sun, who expected such an ordinary boy could be born with a spiritual root? When he returns to his clan, maybe his family line will thrive and even replace the direct line. Who knows? And Shiao Lin, he doesnt have the spiritual root either, but he has good luck and a treasure to offer to Elder Wu. The boys and girls talked about the Test in words full of admiration and jealousy. This is no ordinary place for you. No one shall make any noise, or you shall be expelled at once. A sudden shout frightened them and they all shut their mouths. The cultivator who gave the shout was quite satisfied and revealed a complacent smile. Line up and follow me to the Fairy Yard. Though you dont have the spiritual roots to take on the journey of cultivation, the abundant nimbus in the valley could still benefit you. Shiao Chens mind had been in turmoil since the Test, so he heard nothing along the way to his room. When he finally came to his senses, it was already midnight. He lay on the narrow stone bed, exhausted yet not able to fall asleep. In one moment he would see the extremely disappointed eyes of his father after he returned to Shiaos mansion, in another he would see himself become an almighty Immortal who could travel from the heaven to the hell on a flying sword The next day at daybreak, Shiao Chen was awakened by noises from outside of the door. He seemed confounded for a moment, and then he quickly cleaned his face with cold water and went out to the yard. All candidates who had failed yesterdays Test had gathered there, and in front of them was Elder Wu. For some unknown reason, Shiao Chens heart beat fastened. Was there a favorable turn? Elder Wu, the teenagers who came to the Yard are all here now, waiting for your command. A middle-aged man in a common black robe tried to please the old man. Em. Elder Wu slightly nodded his head and swept the teenagers with half-open eyes. Luoyun Valley is in need of some lay disciples, so we assemble you here to offer you a second chance: if you are willing to stay as lay disciples, follow me to attend one more test. And if you are lucky enough to pass it, you can stay. Lay disciples are not equal to direct disciples, still we will teach you some cultivation methods. After you finish your assigned work every day, the time is all yours. You can use it to learn and practice. Diligence and a bit of luck may pave your way to be an Immortal! The announcement stirred up huge excitement from the teenagers. Even a lay disciple of Luoyun Valley could bring honor to the whole clan, let alone a slim chance to become a respectable Immortal. Shiao Chen was more anxious than others. This was his last chance. He would never miss it no matter what. All right. Follow me. The Dao Seeking Canal was a famous place in Luoyun Valley, which was said to be a masterpiece of Luoyun Immortal, the founder of Luoyun Valley and an extremely powerful cultivator in the Initiate Realm. In order to test the disciples determination in pursuing Dao, he had set up a formation through his magic power to forcibly channel the icy water from the top of the mountain down to the valley. Since then, Luoyun Valley had declined and none of his disciples had ever broken through the Initiate Realm. Things had gotten even worse for this generation, and only the Chief Master had reached the Medium Phase of the Azoth Realm. Nonetheless, the Dao Seeking Canal had been reserved intact. And it would be the very place to carry out the test for lay disciples today. Elder Wu stopped. More than a hundred meters away, a steep slope came into sight. On it was a water channel of about one meter deep and dozens of meters wide abruptly inserted inside. Icy water ran from the top to the bottom, and the chill made the teenagers shiver even at such a distance. Elder Wu seemed not notice it. He pointed to the channel and said, Anyone who can climb to the top within 4 hours will be accepted as a lay disciple in Luoyun Valley. The slope was built in the air with no support from the ground, and the water came from nowhere, which did not surprise the teenagers much, considering they were at a fairyland. They gained some confidence when they found the steep channel was no longer than 200 meters. They waited for Elder Wu to announce the start of the test and then dashed to the channel, shouting in madness. Comparing to others, Shiao Chen was thin and weak, so he lagged behind since the very beginning. The water did not run fast at the bottom, and its low temperature was still tolerable. Some of the teenagers, who were in excellent physical fitness and had learnt Ku Fu, climbed up nearly 50 meters in a blink of eyes. After that, the current suddenly doubled its speed and its temperature dropped below the freezing point. Small pieces of ice were hidden in the current, sharp as knife when they rushed down with rapid flow. Any carelessness would led to a long cut. The climbing became much harder from there. Shiao Chen struggled for air, and he felt his lungs were burning. Great drops of sweat broke out from his forehead and fell into his eyes, burning like hell. The next second the sweat was washed out by icy water, so he could see a lit clearly. The higher he arrived, the slower he climbed. He lowered his body as close to the bottom as possible with an effort to decrease the impact of the current, so he was basically immersed in the water. He used both his hands and feet to grasp the rocks and ledges at the bottom, trying his best not to fall. The clothes wrapped his knees and elbows were soon worn out, and bare skin was quickly cut by the ice in the water and rocks at the bottom. Blood spilled out from the cuts was soon washed clean by the icy water. The other teenagers also struggled. Climbing the 200-meter long channel was as difficult as touching the sky. Cutting wounds increased with the passage of every second, and blood added red to the water. The Dao Seeking Canal looked like an evil blood river from the distance, while the teenagers were like small fishes swimming against the current, miserable yet horrifying. Even the several cultivators of Luoyun Valley couldnt help but reveal complicated looks. One hour till the end! The cultivator responsible for timing shouted. His voice, amplified by his true force, spread all over the mountain. Several strong teenagers were not far from the top then, but the current became more torrential and the small pieces of ice grew to big ones. All of a sudden, a crushed ice crashed on the forehead of one of the teenagers and blood spurted out at once. He lost his balance and was washed down by the current. At the same time, the cultivator in charge of safety flew to the channel and took the boy safe to the bottom of the slope. Elder Wu shot a emotionless glance at the boy and instructed, Treat his injuries and send him home after he recovers. The boy, whose head was covered with blood, pleaded in a weak voice. Immortal, please give me another chance. I beg you. I was so close. I am telling you the truth. I was just one way from the top. Why cant you give me one more chance? Why? The boys mind collapsed and burst into a rage of tears. Elder Wu furrowed his brows, and snapped, Cultivator requires both talent and opportunity! When the crushed ice hit you, you have lost your opportunity. Demanding is useless. Now leave us! A cultivator bowed in a respectful way, held the boy in his arms and fly away. Seeing what had happened, the teenagers who were still struggling got despaired. Aa, Ive run out of time! Half of the distance has already taken me 3 hours, and the current runs faster and its temperature gets lower with every stop up, I think Id better give up! Forget about it. I am done. I am so tired! One by one, the teenagers cried in despair. They all stopped climbing, just holding tightly to the rocks, waiting. All these whispers were heard by Shiao Chen, but he did not listen. At this moment his mind had long been disintegrated, yet he was still moving up bit by bit when others had all given up, all for the sake of his unyielding will. His palms, elbows and knees were all badly mutilated. His face, arms and chest were covered with numerous wounds made by ice. However, neither the torrential cold water nor the sharp pain all over his body could stop him, not even the despairing wailing of other candidates. He had only one belief in his heart. Keep climbing. Keep moving. Never stop! Nothing could stop him. He must succeed. He must make his parents proud. No one should look down upon them any longer. He must succeed. He had to! Chapter 5 - Master Yaodaozi Master Yaodaozi Hey! You fool. Theres no way we could pass the test. Why dont you stop? Bro, have some rest. Dont struggle any more. Its useless. Do you want to die? If you do not quit now, it will cost your limbs and even your life! The other candidates came to notice Shiao Chen, a weak weirdo who kept moving and caught up to those who had given up one by one in spite of all the difficulties. The sneer that had crept upon their lips was gradually replaced with admiration. The words came out of their mouths, no matter what, had little effect on Shiao Chen. He just looked down on the channel and climbed up inch by inch, emotionless. Oh! I win! I pass the test! A surprising shout was heard from the finishing line. The victory belonged to a robust boy. He straightened up from the channel, proud of himself, even though the icy water had turned his wounds to black and purple. Right now, Shiao Chen had just covered more than half of the distance. The faster current, the colder water and the bigger pieces of ice made him as slow as possible, but he showed little sign of flinching, just like a little junk struggling in the sea which could always get to the shore safe no matter how raging the sea was. Every other while since then a surprising shout would give out on the top, and every one of them were either in good physical fitness or had learnt Ku Fu before. The Dao Seeking Canal may badly injure them, yet was not difficult enough to stop them from reaching the end line. Shiao Chen, comparing to them, was like a tiny little loach trapped in a muddle. No matter how hard he tried, he would still embarrass himself. Yet at some point, he had attracted enough attention with admiration from both the candidates who had quit the test halfway and the winners. Time is up! The cultivator in charge of timing at the bottom of the slope gave out a shout, sighing secretly. Finally its over! What a pity! He tried so hard, yet he still failed. I have told him its useless, but he would not listen. In the end he is no better than us. He is the most persistent guy I have ever met. The failure today will certainly not stop him from get successful in the future. Both the winners and those who failed felt great relief and a bit of sorry for Shiao Chen when they heard that the test was over. They all wondered would he ever climb to the top if he was given more time. But time was up and the test was finished. Go get them down from the channel. Take those who passed the test to the Chief Steward of the lay disciples and send those who failed back to their rooms and later back to their homes in 15 days. Elder Wu frowned, showing a bit of impatience. He had been preparing to break through to the next level these days, so he had no intention to waste more time on those candidates who failed two tests. Aye! More than 10 cultivators summoned their flying swords and flew to get those teenagers who were still in the channel. Soon only one figure was still climbing towards the top inch by inch. Elder Wu, what do we do now? One of the cultivators hesitated and landed to ask for instructions. Hum! No need to ask me. The test is over. Do you expect me to waste my time here? Get him back and treat his injuries. We dont want any trouble if he get disabled because of this. Elder Wu got more impatient, waving his hand irritably. Aye! The cultivator dared not to disobey, so he got on his sword and was about to fly. Wait! At this moment, a laugh came near from afar. In the meanwhile, a green light came across the sky and stopped at the bottom of the slope. When the light disappeared, Elder Wu was surprised to find Yaodaozi standing there. He asked in a respectful tone of voice. Senior, what brings you here? Yaodaozi, the fifth disciple of the last Chief Master whose cultivation reached the Completeness Phase of the Refining Realm and a third-class alchemist as well, held a far more important position than Elder Wu in Luoyun Valley, so the latter looked cautious and respectful even a bit of ingratiating in the face of the former. Uncle Master! The other disciples greeted Yaodaozi with respectful bows. Yaodaozi waved his hands and smiled. He is persistent. I am intrigued to find out if he can climb to the top or not. Senior, if thats what you want, Ill give an order not to interrupt him. Elder Wu smiled as well. He was only an Elder in the Valley. How could he dare to reject such a small request from Yaodaozi, who was not only a good alchemist but also was likely to upgrade to the Azoth Realm in the future. Thus a weird scene appeared before the Dao Seeking Canal, where dozens of cultivators stood and watched a boy climbing against the icy water inch by inch. The higher he got, the slower he climbed. Cutting wounds covered all over his body and some of them swelled due to blood lost and cold water. Admiration flashed across Yaodaozis eyes. Shiao Chens tenacity and strong will would have made him a rare talent for cultivation. What a pity that he had no spiritual root at all. 6 hours had passed, and darkness fell in the valley. Now Shiao Chen was only one step from success. Finally, a bloody hand reached at the end line and grasped a rock, trying to pull its owner up. Slowly he got to his feet and straightened up in the astonishing eyes of all the audience. He stood at the top of the channel, swaying back and forth, as if a breeze could blow him down. He opened his eyes, trying to force a smile on his face, but all of a sudden he fell backward. The unyielding will that had supported him all the way to the last vanished when he finally stood at the top, and his strength diminished along with it. A gentle force held up his body before he fell to the ground. Yaodaozi had come to his side at some point. He looked at the boy with a faint smile on his face, frowning. You have the will and determination for cultivation, unfortunately not the spiritual root! Luckily you have met me! I will keep you by my side, and your future lies in your own hands. Elder Wu, I will take him in as a nominal disciple. Please send his jade ID tablet to my residence. After this, Yaodaozi flew away like a beam of light, leaving the other teenagers full of admiration. Herb Valley, Yaodaozis residence, was an important place in Luoyun Valley because its owner was not only a powerful cultivator who had great hope to level up to the Azoth Realm but also a third-class alchemist. It was several kilometers long, planted with countless rare spiritual herbs which gave off strong fragrance. In one of a dozen stone rooms, a young lay on the bed with his brows furrowed. Did I pass the test or not? Where is this place? Shiao Chen opened his eyes and examined the room with great care. It was a small room, clean and simply decorated. Sunlight spread through the window and shone on an unknown green plant. He remembered he had been climbing the Dao Seeking Canal but not a clue what had happened next. It seemed he had passed out. Then did he pass the test? At that moment, the door was pushed open from outside and a pretty figure walked in. She had an exceptional face with curved brows, a high nose and a small mouth, noble and otherworldly. Her skin was white and smooth, and her black hair curtaining to her waist, elegant and graceful. She was Ji Yuewu! She froze a bit when she saw Shiao Chen was awake, but soon she regained her calmness and said plainly. Master has left an order that you drink this bowl of medicine when you wake up and then find him in the Herb Valley. She put down the bowl and turned away. Her eyes had never looked at Shiao Chen through the whole length. He did not notice her indifference toward him. Even if he had, he would not take it personal. She was a gifted talent with a spiritual root beyond compare, and naturally she would be more proud than others. Besides, he was anxious about his own fate right now. It appeared he had passed the test, or how to explain a direct disciple was asked to bring him medicine? Still he was restless before anything was certain. He gulped down the medicine, stretched a bit and then walked out of the room. He noticed that he seemed to be stronger and full of energy that would never ran out. He gave a thought about it and concluded that no need to be so surprised since Luoyun Valley was such a prestigious school. Anxiously he walked through the yard and felt the jealous stares from the lay disciples taking care of the herbs. When he caught a sight of the figure not far way, he stopped and kneeled with respect and caution. Immortal, Shiao Chen is here to thank you for your grace of rebirth! Though he had been out of consciousness that day, he remembered how badly he had been injured. Now he was completely recovered, it was not hard to guess who treated him. Yaodaozi turned his head and smiled. With a basket full of herbs on his back and soil on his hands, he was no different than an ordinary old man who was picking herbs in the mortal world. Yet Shiao Chens respect for him did not lessened. Rise to your feet, young boy. I take you have accept me as your master. This is your jade ID tablet. From now one you will be a nominal disciple of mine. Yaodaozi put the tablet on Shiao Chens hands, and couldnt help but feel sorry for this young boy, who unfortunately had no spiritual root or else would be a perfect candidate to inherit his legacy. As haughty as him, if he had not moved by his unyielding will and determination, he would never have taken a disciple with no spiritual root. Chapter 6 - Cultivation World Cultivation World Oh Shiao Chen was in a trance when hearing it, then rejoiced with wild excitement, kowtowing ceaselessly and saying, Thanks, Master, thanks a lot. Finally, he was collected by Luoyun Valley, so all his father had suffered was not in vain. In the future he would make his parents be proud of him and no one could ever humiliate them any more. Shiao Lin, the patriarch Shiao Wentings son, was the nominal disciple of Master Hu, and Shiao Chen was the nominal disciple of Master Yaodaozi whose identity was unsure. However, judging from the presence Master Yaodaozi owned, he should be superior to Master Hu at Luoyun Valley. Alright. You have slept for one day, now go back to your room. Ive asked your senior sister disciple to send you some jade sheets which recorded the common sense of the cultivation world. Read them first and come to find me a few days later. Then Master Yaodaozi waved his hands and turned around to fiddle with his herbs. Shiao Chen saluted politely and then couldnt wait to go back. Cultivation world! Here he came! Three jade sheets were lying on the table when he returned to his room. However, the senior sister disciple, Ji Yuewu, was not there. Caring nothing about it, Shiao Chen picked up one of the sheets and attached it to his forehead when numerous contents appeared automatically in his mind. Six hours later, Shiao Chen put down the jade sheet while kneading his head, with eyes full of astonishment. Cultivation world! This was indeed the cultivation world. Divided into eight realms, there were Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Gold Core , Nascent Soul, None Descending, Super Combination, Immortal Turning and Mastery in the cultivation world. Anyone who could reach the last realm would be immortal and live eternally like Heaven and Earth. Each realm would then include early, middle, late and complete stages. But the gap in power among the four stages could be insurmountable, especially for the stage of complete. When reaching the realm of Gold Core and going through a Heaven Disaster, ones cultivation would be booming and he could live for five hundred years, but if he failed, he would become ashes and vanish from the world forever. At the realm of Nascent Soul, one needed to experience 27 Heaven Disasters. If he succeeded, he would be the master in Nascent Soul and live as long as one thousand years, or he would perish. Then if entering the realm of None Descending after Nascent Soul, which was the highest realm in the cultivation world recorded, one had to break through to the Spiritual World to get further improvement. However, to get to the Spiritual World, he must pass the thunderclap disaster, or he would be doomed to die. Above the None Descending Realm, there were no more records. However, what he learnt already shocked him, making his whole back soaked in cold sweat. The path of cultivation was indeed arduous, whats worse, one could easily lose his life with any carelessness. But the tyrannical power a cultivator could attain lured Shiao Chen more. Unfortunately, without spiritual root, all these seemed irrelevant to him. After he calmed down, he picked up the second jade sheet. Things like images, functions and collecting methods of countless spiritual herbs were recorded in it. With a glance of it, there were more than ten thousand types, so after scanning a while, Shiao Chen put it down. He couldnt remember all of it overnight, thus decided to learn it carefully when he had more time. The color of the last jade sheet was a bit different from that of the other two. When he held it in his hand, a 1000-word article showed up in his mind, with the name of Tricks of Plants Refining. Below it were some small characters that read, Shiao Chen, my disciple, born without spiritual root doesnt mean you cant cultivate at all, but you will do it very slowly. The Tricks of Plants Refining isnt a precious manual, however, it requires little of cultivation talent. Now I give it to you, hoping you can practice assiduously and never give up. It was really a good news for Shiao Chen who was now excited and kept focusing on reading. During the formation of the universe, the Heaven and Earth appeared, with five elements namely gold, wood, water, fire and earth Though Tricks of Plants Refining was a basic cultivation manual, the methods of cultivation it recorded were really obscure to understand for Shiao Chen at the first sight. However, he perceived there were some implicit Taoism laws behind it. When he opened his eyes again, it was already dark outside. Looking exhausted, there was a touch of excitement on his face too. He finally remembered the manual in the heart hours after. Though there was still something vague to understand, he had done his best. For the most time of the next few days, Shiao Chen kept digging into the Tricks of Plants Refining at his room. At other times, he just took a walk and got to know a few outside disciples accidentally. After understanding all the contents of Tricks of Plants Refining, Shiao Chen decided to begin his cultivation. Taking a deep breath, Shiao Chen sat on the bed crossing his legs and began to absorb the spirit in the universe using the way recorded on the manual. Two hours, four hours, six hours Sitting cross-legged for the whole six hours, Shiao Chen could hardly feel his legs. What discouraged him more was the fact that he hadnt perceived the spirit mentioned in the Tricks of Plants Refining. It was said the manual was easy with low cultivation requirement and beginners could sense the spirit and absorb it within an hour. However, why didnt it work to him? Spiritual root C that must be the cause. Feeling bitter in the heart, Shiao Chen realized without a spiritual root, he may need to double the work on the road of cultivation. However, he had determined that if it wouldnt work with six hours, then he would try twelve hours, or even twenty-four hours. He wouldnt accept that he couldnt cultivate. Forgetting about the time unconsciously, Shiao Chen suddenly felt something like light spots suspending around him. However, when he tried to see them through, everything became too vague. The Tricks of Plants Refining was still running in his body while the floating light spots flied towards him slowly, which turned into a fresh and clear breath and integrated into his body. Hm? Surprised by the cool breath, Shiao Chen withdrew from the fantastic feeling. Opening his eyes and finding he was still in the empty room, Shiao Chen was delighted secretly to perceive the cool breath like tiny silk in the body. Is this the spiritual power cultivators owned? Collecting his mind and forcing himself to calm down, Shiao Chen felt those floating spots again after a while. Without neglect, he performed the Tricks of Plant Refining and absorbed those light spots gradually. With one more light spot, he could feel the cool breath from his genuine energy increased, so did its volume. Chapter 7 - Yellow Talisman Chapter 7 Yellow Talisman Hu! Exhaling a mouthful of foul air gradually, Shiao Chen opened his eyes while trying to hold back his smile. He could feel a strand of true force thin as hair was travelling along his meridians! Without sleeping for the whole night, he still felt vigorous and the numbness of the legs was relieved by the magical true force which though small, had encouraged him a lot. It was the first step that cost troublesome. After feeling the existence of the nimbus, Shiao Chen was immersed in meditation crazily besides having meals. Though things ticked over, the nimbus within his body was enlarged bit by bit. Like usual, Shiao Chen revolved the nimbus around his body for a circle before opening his eyes. Then an akustisch talisman emerged out of the void in his room and blazed up, coming out the voice of Alchemy Taoist, Shiao Chen, come to my room now. A touch of admiration appeared in Shiao Chens eyes, because only at the Foundation Establishment Realm could one use this kind of talisman. After greeting a few acquaintances along the way, he rushed to his Masters room without delay. Master, Im here to see you. Shiao Chen spoke with great respect outside Alchemy Taoists room. Just come in. Alchemy Taoist answered mildly. Pushing the door open and walking into the room, Shiao Chen found his Master sitting cross-legged on the cattail hassock with his eyes closed. However, there was an intangible majesty coming out of him, which awed Shiao Chen and made him a little nervous while standing by. Disclosing his eyes and looking at Shiao Chen, a flicker of surprise flashed by in Alchemy Taoists eyes. He then inquired, Have you gained anything from the practice of the Tricks of Plants Refining these days? Hearing this, Shiao Chen was a little embarrassed and whispered, Sorry Master, stupid and without any spiritual root, I could only manage to perceive the nimbus outside and absorb some into the body with a dozen days cultivation. Nodding to show he got it and looking at Shiao Chen again, Alchemy Taoist sighed in the heart. Understanding the Tricks of Plants Refining and forming a wisp of true force within such a short period indicated Shiao Chens ability of comprehension was excellent. However, it was really a pity for there wasnt any spiritual root in him. He became a little anxious with the thought of it, so he waved and said, This is your ID token. Take it and register at the lay affairs department. Then collect two Wind Walking Talismans and go home with your senior brothers. Remember, return within five days or you will be punished based on the disciplines. Shiao Chen nearly couldnt control his excitement while hearing it. He took over the ID token gingerly and then turned around to leave. Hows father doing? Is he bullied by the Shiao Family? With worries in the heart, Shiao Chen lowered his head and trotted down the road. When a patch of white clothes came into his eyes at the corner, Shiao Chen was a little surprised and hurried to get out of the way. However, the white shadow reacted fast and went a few steps back agilely, with an angry face. Oh, sister. Seeing it was Ji Yuewu, Shiao Chen was a little embarrassed. Just now he was too hurried to notice anyone. However, when they ran into each other, he seemed to have touched something soft while lowering his head. Seeing Ji Yuewu in anger with a red face, Shiao Chen set his eyes on her bosom. Hum! Seeing the boys eyes were wandering about on her, Ji Yuewu became more irritated and then snorted. Ah, Im so sorry, sister. Master told me to do the registration and go home with senior brothers just now. Then I was just thinking about my family and acted a little abruptly. Please forgive me if I offended you unwittingly. Being aware of his impoliteness, Shiao Chen stepped back and apologized. Never mind. Hearing this, Ji Yuewu changed her expression a little, though still cold. Emthank you. Then please allow me to leave now. Smiling embarrassedly, Shiao Chen ran away after saying it. Not until a long while later, did Shiao Chen got a bit relieved. Thinking of the mistake a moment ago, he felt bitter in the heart. If he offended Ji Yuewu who was a cultivator with excellent spiritual root just now, could he sleep tight at night from now on? However, judging from Jis expression, things couldnt be that bad, right? Shiao Chen comforted himself while going straight to the lay affairs department. On the way, he met many lay disciples who worked busily in order to spare more time for cultivation, so that they could become a direct disciple of the sect one day. Is brother Liu here? Shiao Chen wants to see you. Liu Tao who was in charge of the lay affairs department had reached the sixth level of Qi Refining Realm. His cultivation ranked in the top three among all lay disciples which granted him this position. Although nominal disciples were superior to lay disciples in status, Shiao Chen acted humbly when facing Liu Tao since he knew he was far behind Liu Tao. Shiao Chen? Oh, you are a disciple of the fifth master Yao Daozi in Herb Valley. Please come in. While speaking, an enthusiastic man around 30 years old came out. Hello, senior brother, Shiao Chen saluted. No, no, you are now a disciple of the fifth master, your cultivation will surely soar up in the future, then how can I be your senior brother? If you dont mind, just call me Liu Tao. Looking affectionate, Liu Tao invited Shiao Chen to his room. Is there anything I can help you today? Just tell me and I will do my best. Liu Tao inquired while patting his chest. In a few words, they seemed to have known each other for many years with intimate relationship. Brother, you are so kind. I just come here to record my first return home with other senior brothers. After all, if I miss this chance, I will have to wait for another year to go home. Shiao Chen understood Liu Taos enthusiasm was built upon his Master Yao Daozi renown, so he kept acting modestly without any arrogance. Liu Tao praised Shiao Chen in the heart. If he was indeed an uppity boy, Liu would look down upon him with apparent reverence. However, seeing Shiao Chen act so politely, hed like to fawn on him and get along well with him. After all, Yao Daozi supplied the medical pills and elixirs for the whole Luoyun Valley. If he kept well connection with his disciples, he would benefit from it someday. Haha, so it is. No problem. Then how long do you need? I can give you at most 10 days. Not that long. I just need five days as my Master has requested it. Brother, please do me another favor and give me two Wind Walking Talismans for coming back. Waving his hands, Shiao Chen answered with smile. No problem. Please wait a second. Liu Tao replied quickly and went into his bedroom then. Soon he went back with five yellow talismans on his hands which should be the Wind Walking Talismans. Im not sure how far it is from your home to our valley, so I prepare three more than you have asked. With one Wind Walking Talisman on the leg, you can walk one hundred kilometers, so these should be enough for your return. Saying this, Liu Tao foisted the five Wind Walking Talismans on Shiao Chens hands and then brought out another talisman from his chest, This is a first level Fireball Talisman which can be used for ten times. You can launch it with little spiritual energy. Every fireball contains the power of an attack at the fifth level of Qi Refining Realm. Take it as a gift for our first meeting to defend yourself in case of any risks and dangers on the way. Though Liu Tao said it easily, there was distressed feeling behind it. Obviously, the Fireball Talisman was also precious to him. No, no, no, this is too much. Shiao Chen refused that immediately with his face changing. Please, I insist. Itll be much appreciated if you remember it and give me a hand when you can in the future. Youre despising me if you dont take it. Liu Tao said it pretending to be unhappy. Hearing this, Shiao Chen wore a wry smile. It seemed his Master really enjoyed a high position in the Luoyun Valley, or how could a senior brother with cultivation at the sixth level of Qi Refining Realm act so humbly in front of him? Looking at the exquisite and complicated talisman in his hands, Shiao Chen could feel the obscure and terrifying energy undulation within it. Collecting the talismans into his storing bag, Shiao Chen saluted to express his gratitude. Then Shiao Chen left and rushed towards the valley where they were tested for spiritual roots, finding more than ten disciples having waited there. Sorry, brothers. Please forgive me.I had something to deal with just now. Shiao Chen walked towards them and apologized sincerely. Ho ho, it doesnt matter. We just got here a few minutes ago. Now you are here, lets set off. The head of the disciples waved his hands after hearing it and then continued, I came here four years earlier than you did, if you dont mind, just call me senior brother Wang. Ill be sending you back home later, is it ok? All right, thank you a lot, senior brother Wang. Shiao Chen answered with a smile, feeling inured to the unusual respect he got because of his Master. Meanwhile, the candidates who didnt pass the test stared at Shiao Chen with jealousy. They were all treated the same before the test, however, now Shiao Chen could talk with the divine envoys freely. For the ten teenagers from the Shiao Family, they were full of more complicated and mixed feelings seeing Shiao Chen talk with senior brother Wang happily. Shiao Lin, at the same time, clenched his hands tightly. Although they were both nominal disciples in Luoyun Valley, the status of their masters varied a lot. He never thought he, the heir of the family, would be inferior to Shiao Chen. However, he dared not show any discontent on the face though no matter how much he hated Shiao Chen inwardly. A presentiment emerged in his heart that there would be a huge transformation in the family with Shiao Chens rise. Chapter 8 - Return Home Chapter 8 Return Home Standing on the huge sword calmly, Shiao Chen felt pleased seeing the ingratiating expression on the faces of other boys in the Shiao Family. Go! Senior brother Liu and other disciples shouted together, making the sword soar up into the sky and then fly quickly far away. Squinting at the fleeting mountains and rivers under him, Shiao Chen swore secretly in the heart that he would become a strong and omnipotent cultivator who could go into heaven and earth as hed like to someday. Shiao Town, Shiao Family. As usual, after half a month, the candidates of each family would be sent back home no matter they passed the Test or not. At the Shiaos mansion, Shiao Wenting sat at the prominent seat with a steady face, though a little uneasy at heart. He wasnt sure whether the Iron Essence that he got by chance could help Shiao Lin get accepted by Luoyun Valley or not. Scanning around the others in the hall and setting his eyes on Shiao Wenshan at the corner, Shiao Wenting sneered coldly. Whatever, his sons chance to be a cultivator was the greatest among all. If he failed, no one would ever succeed. Shiao Chen, in particular, would never be chosen by the immortals with that weak physique. When will they come back? My son Shiao Li has some foundation of internal force, will he be favored by the immortals? The sixth master of the family walked anxiously while murmuring. Haha, its really hard to tell. The immortals will choose the ones with spiritual root. Without it, even the leader of martial arts will be disdained, another master with fair and clear face laughed. The daughter of our second brother is smart since young. Bright and beautiful, she must own the so called spiritual root and be chosen by Luoyun Valley. The son of the seventh brother is also great with tall and strong figure, and there should be a great chance for him to be chosen. In my opinion, only Shiao Lin stands a good chance to be a disciple. He has always been the best one in this generation. If theres a chance, it should fall on him. Yeah, yeah, I agree with you. If Shiao Lin got chosen by Luoyun Valley and became a cultivator, the status of our family will definitely rise. Aye, how dare the Wu Family swagger around in front of us when we get a cultivator in our Family? With a fireball, Shiao Lin will kill all of them. Hearing the discussion below, Shiao Wenting was happy and inflatable, but he said humbly, All our children are excellent and have the chance to be chosen. Patriarchs right. However, there is one person here who actually doesnt belong to our family. He was expelled by our masters mother when she was alive, and swore not to step into this family ever again. But now he stands here and begs our master shamelessly to send his son to attend the Test of Entering Divine Gate. Hm, even our master has promised him, how can his son be chosen by the immortals of Luoyun Valley? Think about that thin body of his which could easily be blown down by wind. He will definitely die young. Shiao Wenbin took a glance at Shiao Wenshan, sneered coldly with undisguised satire. Thats right. Patriarch, I think maybe you are wrong to let Shiao Chen attend the Test. He will just bring shame to this family. They were expelled by our masters mother long ago and didnt belong here. Patriarch, you did them a favor this time, but I do suggest setting a boundary with them. With fame and prestige, how can we let some shameless people step into this family? Enough! I already apologized in front of you. What do you want? Honestly, I will never walk into your door even I die if not for earning a chance for my son to stand out in the future. Shiao Wenshan yelled out with a sullen face. Shiao Wenbin rolled his eyes and said with sarcasm, Yo, look someones showing off now. You are not invited here and if dont want to stay here, just leave! This is our familys mansion, how dare you act presumptuously here? Shut up. When father was still alive, he intended to appoint me as the next patriarch. It was all of you here, who ganged up on my mother and me. Answer me with your conscientiousness, who on earth will be at that seat of honor if you didnt use all those low-leveled tricks? Shiao Wenshan reproached with his eyes fixed on Shiao Wenbin. Enough! Shiao Wenting interrupted him with a gloomy face. He knew everything well since his mother had plotted everything. Shiao Wenshan, never challenge me here. Now get out of here, or you will pay the price. Get out of here? Haha, how can you say this? If not because of your dirty dogs, I will be the one sitting on your place now! With the destiny of his son settled, Shiao Wenshan felt unencumbered. Turning prideful like before, he sneered and cursed out of rage. The first and second hidden guards, do your work and kick him out of here. Shiao Wenshan, rest assured, when your sons back, he will be treated just like you. Never show up in front of me again. Shiao Wenting stared at Shiao Wenshan arrogantly, like looking at a nonentity with an apathetic face. Yes, patriarch. Two middle-aged men standing behind Shiao Wenting fleered and flew to Shiao Wenshan immediately. The hidden guard was the most powerful force of the Shiao Family. As leaders, the first and second hidden guards Kung Fu was transcendent, so the power within one move was impressive. Although Shiao Wenshans Kung Fu was beyond average, with a fractured arm, he was no match for these two strong opponents. Soon enough, he was slapped on the chest, spitting blood and then fell to the ground. The hidden guards sneered and were about to catch Shiao Wenshan when a harsh noise came through the air. Chuu! Shiao Wentings expression changed suddenly and then he waved his hands and commanded, Just catch him and keep an eye on him. Dont offend the immortals. Then he sorted out his clothes and ran towards the immortals with other masters. Shiao Chen, is this your home? Its really majestic. No wonder you are so excellent. Senior brother Liu got familiar with Shiao Chen on the way, so he sounded quite friendly now. Shiao Chen smiled without response when hearing it while the others faces, especially Shiao Lins, turned red immediately. Glancing around the hall, Shiao Chen frowned when he couldnt find his father, which gave him a bad feeling. Thank you so much for sending our children back. Please come in and take a rest before leaving. With a humble smile, Shiao Wenting played up to the immortals. Ho ho, if you insist. Thank you. senior brother Liu replied, smiling gently. Chapter 9 - The Unexpected Kill Chapter 9 The Unexpected Kill Shiao Wenting was a bit of lost. The Immortal was amiable and different than the others he had met before, suggesting something good must have happened. So he hastened to lead the way to the great hall. Master Shiao, this time in total two candidates from you family have been selected by Luoyun Valley, and a promising future waits for you. Congratulations. In the great hall, Brother Liu shot a glance at Shiao Chen, who was a disciple of the late Chief Masters fifth disciple and the very reason why he played nice with his family members. Even a lay disciple of Luoyun Valley could not be estimated. What! Immortal, did you just saytwo of our boys and girls passed the Test? Shiao Wenting asked in disbelief, ravished with joy. Brother Liu seemed not surprised at all. He nodded with a smile on his face. Exactly. All the family members looked pleasantly surprised. The heads of each house kept looking at their own sons and daughters, and expectation was all over their faces. 300 years had passed and no one in their family had been born with a spiritual root, so none of them had ever expected that two candidates would have been picked on this time. How could they conceal their excitement? If it happened to be their own blood that got lucky, their won houses would also rise in the whole family, even they themselves would be qualified to become the Master. Shiao Wenting stared at his son, Shiao Lin, short of breath for a moment. Slowly he asked, Lin, have youbeen chosen? The attention coming from Shiao Lins uncles produced a sense of superiority in his heart, so he nodded with a bit of complacency. Great! Haha, thats my boy!Shiao Wenting repeatedly praised, and his face was reddened with excitement. High compliments were also given by the heads of other houses, who were both jealous and eager to find out that who was the other person favored by luck. Shiao Wenting understood the anxious stare fell on him, so he calmed himself a little and gave a gentle cough. Lin, then who was the other one? The daughter of your second uncle or the son of your third uncle? The question immediately dispersed the complacency on his sons face who was too embarrassed to make a sound. A bad feeling welled up in his heart, but he could not figure it out in such a short time. So he swept the crowd and then fixed his eyes on Shiao Chen. He snapped, Shiao Chen, you tell us. Who was the other one chosen? Shiao Chen darted a cold glance at him with no intent to answer. His calm and coldness made Brother Liu who had several guesses of what was going on lift his brow and look at others in a weird way. Such reaction was not expected from Shiao Chen. It aggregated Shiao Wenting. He was trembling with rage, and his face turned red. Shiao Chen, having attended the Test of Entering Divine Gate does not grant you any right to defy me! Dont forget who you are. How dare you stand next to the Immortal? Now get out of here and never let me see you again! Shiao Chen raised his head to examine the angry face. The corners of his mouth were quirked up, showing his scorning. He was no longer the country boy who could not fight back under humiliation three days ago. He was a cultivator of Luoyun Valley now, and his master had achieved the Late State of the Foundation Establishment. He had absolute confidence in himself when he stood in the great hall of Shiaos again. Where is my father? Why is he not here? He slightly felt uneasy. His father, who would never miss such an occasion, had not shown up this whole time. Hum! You are as disgusting as your father. Guards, take his father here and let them reunite! Seeing that he was still ignored, Shiao Wenting got more furious, but then he sneered. He had numerous opportunities and ways to teach this father and son a good lesson after today! Two guards came into the great hall as ordered with an injured old man between them. The old man was Shiao Chens father, who had an extremely weary and pale face with drops of dried blood on corners of his mouth. His left arm, which had been dislocated once, was twisted in a peculiar angle, clearly it was broken again. Kid, take your old man home quickly. If he dies, dont blame us for not warning you. One of the guards said to him with a grim smile while they threw the old man on the floor. Father! Shiao Chen froze for a moment before he rushed to his father. Red covered his eyes instantly and anguish-motivated killing surged in his heart. Ahem. Dont worry. I am fine. These scratches wont kill me. Some rest will cure them. The old man forced a smile, afraid that his son would do something stupid under rage. Provoking the Shiao family right now would only bring them more insults. Father, they hurt you, didnt they? All of a sudden, Shiao Chen regained his calmness. The red in his eyes faded, instead chill accumulated. Chen, stay calm. Lets get out of here at once! The old man knew his own son, who must have boiled with anger. He was terrified that his son would act out, so he struggled, trying to stand up. Shiao Chen led his father to sit on a chair and said in a gentle voice, Father, dont worry about me. I have grown up and I can protect you now. I will never allow anyone to humiliate you from now on. Then he stood up and fixed his icy cold eyes on the two guards. Brother Shiao, do you need me to take care of this for you? Brother Liu asked. His face turned pretty dark. Shiao Chen was a member of Luoyun Valley now, yet his father had been badly injured by two mortals. It was a great disrespect to Luoyun Valley. Besides, Shiao Chen was a nominal disciple of Alchemy Taoist and it was said he was highly favored by his master and likely to achieve huge success. Offering a small favor right now might greatly benefit him in the future. Thanks. I will do it by my own. Shiao Chen shook his head. As a son, he must make those who had insulted his father pay for their crimes tens or hundreds of times. What! The other one is him!! When he heard how the Immortal addressed Shiao Chen, Shiao Wenting was stunned. He couldnt help but give out a scream in disbelief. Shiao Chens father, on the other hand, was full of pleasant surprise. But the two guards were both struck by panic. Run! They both dashed backwards at the same time. Though their opponent was a cultivator, he had just started and should have not learnt any skills, so they should have the chance to escape. Once they succeeded, they would change their names and conceal their identities. Who could find them then? Shiao Chen sneered. After the two guards ran for more than 10 meters, he took a piece of yellow paper that was depicted with numerous lines and sending out waves of energy from his storage bag. It was the Fireball Talisman that Liu Tao had given to him. He held the Sign in his hand and injected a weak wasp of Spiritual Qi into it. Immediately he got weaker, but the lines on the Sign brightened and two dark red fire balls as big as two fists emerged and rushed directly at the two guards. Ah! Ah! Two sounds of cry rang in the great hall and then abruptly stopped. The two guards stood no chance under the attack of the fire balls and was burnt into ashes in a blink of eyes. The attack exhausted the little Spiritual Qi in Shiao Chens body, yet it intimidated all the people around, including Brother Liu. The latter decided to make a good friend of Shiao Chen who must have been valued much by Alchemy Taoist if he could have a Sign and produce some Spiritual Qi only a few days in Luoyun Valley. With the Spiritual Qi ran out, Shiao Chen looked like a fragile boy again, but the eyes fell on him were full of respect and fear. Father, tell me, who asked them to beat you? Though he still remained calm, he frightened others after he killed the two guards without hesitation. He locked his eyes on Shiao Wenting whose face turned as pale as death in an instant. Lin, come and save me. You are also a cultivator now. You must be able to help me! Shiao Wenting looked at his son and calmed a little bit. His son also became a disciple in Luoyun Valley as Shiao Chen. Was he not able to protect him? Shiao Lins face turned white all at once. Though he was taken in by Luoyun Valley, he was not so lucky. His master had only met him once in the past half of a month and had not taught him anything, how was he able to fight Shiao Chen? As Shiao Chen approached step by step, Shiao Wenting was shocked with fury, even Shiao Lin kept to walk back. Chen, that man was my elder brother. You shall not do things that are hated by both man and god. Shiao Chens father stepped in. Shiao Wenting continued as if he grasped a life-saveing straw. Thats right. Shiao Chen, I am your uncle. Though I did something wrong in the past, I never thought of killing you. How can you treat me like this? I am Chapter 10 - Glorious Return Chapter 10 Glorious Return A cold glance darted at Shiao Wenting and made him so frightened that he dared not to finish his sentence. Father, this man had always treated us like trash, and he even asked his dogs to hurt you today. Why do you still want to protect him? Chen, dont you listen to me now that you are an Immortal? I forbid you to touch your uncle! Shiao Chens father yelled at him. Fine. I will spare you for the sake of my father. If this happens again, you are a dead man! Then he returned to his father. Why are you still standing there? Take my father to the room and treat his injuries. The family members took actions all at once. They did not only offer the best yard for his father to stay but also sent for the best doctor in Shiao Town. Brother Shiao, I suppose you will stay at home for a few more days. I have orders so I cant stay here too long. After they were left alone, Brother Liu opened his mouth. This is a Blood-activating and Stasis-eliminating Pill, nothing special. Please attend your father to take it. Then he will recover in one or two days. Shiao Chen received it after he gave it a thought. He cupped one hand in another and said, Thank you for your kindness. If you ever need any help after today, I will never refuse as long as its in my power. Though he received the favor, he would not promise to do any unreasonable things. Then I am going now. Brother Liu was pleased with the answer. He nodded with a smile on his face. It was always delightful to deal with a clever man. After he left, Shiao Chen hurried back to Flowing Glass, one of the courtyards in the Shiao family. It used to be the residence of Shiao Wenting, but now it was given to Shan Wenshan to heal his wounds. Several renowned doctors in Shiao Town had been invited to treat the latter. Listen up. I dont care how much itll cost, you must cure him, or youll see what we are capable of. Do not mess it up! Shiao Wenbin stood in the yard, urging the doctors to do their best. He was frightened to death by Shiao Chen who would dare to destroy the whole family if anything happened to his father. Shiao Chen heard the threats when he entered the yard. He furrowed his brows and then went inside the room under the slightly ingratiatory staring. Shiao Wenshan was lying on the bed, extremely delightful in spite of the pain all over his body. He was so proud that his son could rise and soar up to the sky. Father, how do you feel? Do you feel better? Shiao Chen trotted to the bedside and asked with great care. Dont worry. I just need to rest for a while. Shiao Wenshan looked at his son with eyes filled with care and pride. His fathers high spirit eased his mind a bit. Then he took the Pellet from the storage bag. Father, Brother Liu gave it to me before he left. It should help you with your recover, please take it. His father frowned. It must be one of these Spiritual Pellets made by Immortals. I do not have internal injuries and time will cure me. Save it for yourself in case of emergency. I will have more of these pellets. You need it more than me now. Letting his father to argue no more, he fetched a cup of water and helped his father to swallow it. How do you feel? Any better? His father looked well after the Pellet. I feel my whole body is warm and the broken arm itchy and tingling. The fast recovery made his father shocked with incredibility. The Immortals medicine is indeed miraculous! Thats a load off my mind. Father, please take some good rest. I will go and get Mother to Shiao Town tomorrow. She has suffered a lot these years. Now that I have achieved a little, she can enjoy her life now. He laughed, feeling relieved. Watching him leaving, pride filled his fathers eyes again. Raising a son like this was definitely the proudest thing in his fathers life. Darkness fell upon. The chaotic noises died away, only the watchmans cries were heard from afar. Shiao Chen sat on the bed with his legs crossed and tried to absorb the Spiritual Qi through the method Plants Growing Scripture. The mortal world had much less Spiritual Qi, so it took him 6 hours to gather as much of it as he exhausted during the day. The unstoppable power came along with his identity as a cultivator in Luoyun Valley was the very reason that he had been able to kill the two guards and intimidate the family members. He knew it, so he would never get light-headed or slackened in cultivation. The more powerful he got, the better his parents would live. Later he practiced the method to absorb the Spiritual Qi again and again. The next morning, he opened his eyes when the first light appeared in the sky. Glimmer flashed across his eyes and soon disappeared. He exhales a mouthful of foul air, content to find that the volume of the Spiritual Qi in his body grew bigger. Father, please rest at home. I am going to meet mother and bring her back in the afternoon. He told his father, who was now seated on the main chair in the great hall, to which not a single member had shown the slightest dissatisfaction. He swept the family members and no one dared to meet his eyes. Soon he led a group of people and marched to the small village where he used to live. Who are these people? Why do they come here? The whole village boiled up and the villagers came to Shiao Chens home one after another to see what on earth had happened. You dont know? See that sigil, the red one with silver signs on it? Thats the sigil of the Shiao family in Shiao Town, so these are their people. Then why do they come to our small village? And the leader, doesnt he look like Shiao Chen? You are not wrong. He is Shiao Chen. I came a little closer earlier, he even signaled to me. Who would have known they concealed so much? If I knew, I would have married my daughter to him, a concubine will do. Mother, we dont need all these things, just the valuable ones. Shiao Chen looked at his mother who wanted to take the broken loom and sadness rose in his heart. He stopped her and told her, You son has made small achievements now. You dont need to suffer any more. His mother gazed at him with loving eyes and then looked around the house she had lived for more than 10 years, nodding her head gently in approval. Chapter 11 - A Dog-eat-dog Fight Chapter 11 A Dog-eat-dog Fight The wagon train of the Shiao Family soon set out on the return journey. Shiao Chen was walking in the front of the line. From time to time, he heard his mother saying good-bye to others in a proud tone. Shiao Chen smiled, but suddenly his face changed. Sullenly looking at the mountain behind, he ordered the wagon train to move on after a moment of hesitation, then quietly walked alone toward the mountain after telling his mother. With a Wind Walking Talisman on his leg, Shiao Chen suddenly felt as light as a swallow, treading through the weedy and thorny mountains as if walking on a flat ground. As he approached, the intense nimbus fluctuation in the distance became more and more conspicuous. Shiao Chen carefully slowed down and quietly moved forward. The reason why he suddenly left the wagon train was that he felt vaguely the nimbus fluctuation was coming from here, and had been curious for a while, so he decided to take a look. The closer Shiao Chen got, the paler his face became. The nimbus fluctuation seemed so terrifyingly formidable like a stormy sea that any little bit of it could kill him. But since he already got here, he wouldnt want to leave without taking a look. Hesitating for a little while, he continued to move forward, but with great caution. Should any danger occur, he would immediately turn away and leave. Hiding behind a big tree, Shiao Chen popped his head out carefully to get a better view. The scene immediately drove him dumbfounded with an incredible expression. Only a hundred meters away, dozens of big trees were snapped off from the middle, some of them burning continuously. The ground was scabbed with potholes as if being hit by heavy objects. At the moment, there were four people confronting in a two-vs-two situation in the clearing, but one party of them had been at a disadvantage obviously. Hey, I advise you to hand it over as soon as possible; otherwise, dont blame me for relentlessly draining and refining your souls, and you shall never be reincarnated after death. An old man in black looked bleak and shouted coldly to the two men opposite him. A beautiful woman was standing next to him with peach blossom eyes that were very captivating while her clothes were extremely revealing, exposing a large white skin on her chest. You old fart, dont fool us. You two would really let us go if we hand in the treasure? snorted a middle-aged man, looking pale and short of breath. It was evident that he was seriously injured. A trace of malignity flashed by in her eyes when the woman heard his words. Then she said with a charming smile, Brother, these two are being unappreciative. Lets just kill them directly. Then naturally we will get that thing, so as not to get tangled up and bring about new troubles unexpectedly. My dear, youre right. You two can go to hell! The Black Ghost laughed sinisterly and shot dozens of black fireballs which were extremely powerful that the two brothers dared not to make light of and hurriedly shaded themselves with nimbus shield around the body. The woman giggled, raised her hand and wielded a spirit sword, which burst out a dazzling light that shot right towards those two men. Shiao Chen was in a bit of a daze, then he realized that it must be a spirit tool! In the cultivation world, all cultivation treasures were divided into different levels, namely spirit tools, magic weapon, Daoist implements and the legendary spirit treasure. Although it was only a spirit tool of the lowest level, Shiao Chen drooled over it. In Luoyun Valley, even a disciple at the fifth or sixth level of Qi Refining might not be able to get a spirit tool. It was indeed precious! Bro, get out of here with that thing now! I will delay them for a while. A burst of shouts came, while one of the two buddies suddenly turned back and rushed away. Expressions of the Black Ghost and the woman altered all of a sudden, eyes gluing to the only man left behind. Big bro, how could you turn your back on me like this? Why did you frame me? The treasure is in your hands. The man shouted angrily and flew back at the same time. Lets separate. We must not allow them to escape. Saying that, the Old Ghost suddenly turned into a black shadow and shot to the person who escaped first, while the woman went after the other with a seducing smile. Ah! Ah! Soon there came two short yet miserable cries. And two figures flew back to the ground quickly. Brother, did you get it? The woman asked him hurriedly and looked exited. After hearing this, the Old Ghost beamed with amazement. He took out a brocade box from the storage bag, eyes full of fervent greed. Ha ha. I got it. I didnt expect the gossip to be true. As long as I get this treasure, I will surely make rapid progress in my future cultivation. If I am lucky enough to advance to the Nascent Soul, I may also be able to set up a sect and become a giant in the world of cultivation. Congratulations! I wish you every success in cultivation and achieve great causes in the future! Smiling seductively, the woman threw herself into the mans arms. The Old Ghost felt extremely complacent and cuddled the woman, his hands moving erotically around. Seeing this, Shiao Chen knew that he must leave immediately although he was really eager to know what kind of treasure was in the box, otherwise he would be killed if these two found him. However, the situation changed dramatically before he could leave. Ah! YouYou slut. How dare you! The Black Ghost raged and struck violently at the woman with his hand, throwing her far away. Pu! The woman fell to the ground and vomited blood, her face suddenly getting pale yet her eyes full of excitement. Dont blame me for being cruel, big bro. Although I can get benefits from it if you possess this treasure, but itll be better if I can have it myself. Dont worry, I smeared Qianji Powder (a lethal poison) on the dagger. It will be over soon. You slut, I will kill you! Spitting out a mouthful of black blood, the Black Ghost ran two steps forward but then fell straight to the ground. He stopped moving after several twitches. I know that you ate a strange fruit years ago, making you extremely resistant to toxicity. You can definitely support for some time. Brother, you shouldnt die so quickly, how can you delude your little sister? The woman had a sneer at the corners of her mouth, keeping quite a distance from the Old Ghost as if fearing something. Nothing happened after some time. The woman frowned slightly and then walked carefully to the old man. She reached out for the brocade box on the ground, her face beaming with ecstasy. But just at this moment, a flash of dark light shot out from the Black Ghost on the ground and flew straight to the woman. Pu! Although the woman had been on the alert, she got a bit relaxed just now, and it was too late to react. So she could only slightly deflect her body, and the black light penetrated into her shoulder. Death Awl! Face changing suddenly, the woman immediately flew back and tapped her injured shoulder. Only when she swallowed several elixirs from a storage bag did she stop the unholy and lethal aura on her face. This final attack exhausted all the strength of the Black Ghost. As the toxicity of Qianji Powder spread to his heart vessels, he died soon and collapsed to the ground. You damn old ghost. The woman gnashed her teeth and cursed in rage. Not until she looked at the jade box in her hand did her face show some excitement. Carefully putting the jade box into the storage bag, the woman walked to the corpse of the Black Ghost. Taking off the two storage bags from him, she staggered toward the mountains. Behind a big tree, Shiao Chen looked thoughtful. The treasure in this box must be extremely precious; otherwise, the brothers would not be against each other and the couple would not fall out. But what attracted Shiao Chen most was that the Black Ghost said it seemed to be quite beneficial to cultivation. Being an ordinary man without spiritual root, it was already something of a fluke that he could be accepted by his master this time. For future cultivation, however, he was completely on his own. Shiao Chen couldnt help but feel excited at the thought that if he could get this treasure Narrowing his eyes, Shiao Chen softened his footsteps and chased after the woman. Although the woman was seriously injured, she was able to drive the spirit tool. Even if she was not a master of Foundation Establishment, she must have reached the seventh or eighth level of Qi Refining. He dared not to go off the deep end to rush forward. After moving on a few hundred meters ahead, the woman who was advancing suddenly turned around and smiled seductively, Who is following me all the way? Please show up. Face changing suddenly, Shiao Chen immediately held his breath and hid behind the trees. But he did not know how the woman detected him. His heart was thumping rapidly out of tension, and just as he was about to ran away, he uttered eh out of confusion and decided to hide again. Because at this point, the woman looked relaxed after getting no reply. She raised a small ancient flag in her hand and whispered spells at a stone wall in front of her. A moment later, the stonewall shook like a water wave, revealing a hole large enough for a person in and out. Sorcery! Shiao Chen was astonished. It seemed there was a cave. As the woman went in, the entrance of the cave changed irregularly and returned to its original state. After waiting for a moment, Shiao Chen walked carefully towards the stonewall. Knitting his eyebrows, he channeled the spirit power in his body to his eyes and immediately saw a mass of lingering mist above the stonewall. Presumably it was the force of sorcery. He stretched out his hand into the white fog subconsciously. It was empty as he expected. Shiao Chen was pleased and he stepped in directly when he saw there was no danger. Shiao Chen was very cautious and afraid of making any sound after entering the cavern. Not until he moved on prudently for dozens of meters ahead and reached the depths of the cavern did he see a small adobe. Inside it the woman looked painful at the moment. The Death Awl on her shoulder had been taken out. Shiao Chen ground his teeth and made a decision. This woman seemed to have reached a critical point that if she successfully forced out the toxin in her body and recovered cultivation, he would not only lose his chance to get the brocade box, but also his life here. Walking out of the hiding place with great caution and staring at the woman with her eyes closed, Shiao Chen still dared not to relax even a little. She was in the weakest state at the moment, but a lean camel is still bigger than a horse (meaning when the mighty fall, they continue to command more influence than the ordinary). Any carelessness would plunge him into a life-and-death crisis. Suddenly, the woman opened her eyes and looked up at Shiao Chen. She was panicked. Shiao Chen was alarmed suddenly and quickly took a few steps back. Only when he saw that she did not plan to launch an attack did he feel relieved. Chapter 12 - Snatch Treasure Chapter 12 Snatch Treasure You followed me all the way. I guess you will definitely kill me and snatch the treasure. I do not dare to ask for anything from you, but only hope to be killed without suffering for a long time before death. The woman was weeping and looked delicate and touching, so that Shiao Chen couldnt help but feel sorry. Shiao Chen bit the tip of his tongue hard. He broke into a cold sweat on his back because there was a flashing idea in his mind to desperately protect the woman just now. If he hadnt been more determined, he would have already been under control now. As he assumed, a cultivator was definitely not easy to be defeated even though she was seriously injured. Shiao Chen was vigilant inwardly, but he was expressionless and said, Dont try any more tricks. Hand over the brocade box obediently, otherwise dont blame me for being ruthless! The woman looked unreconciled in her eyes which could hardly be perceived. I am seriously injured and cant move, even a little, then she said pitifully. The brocade box is in the storage bag at my waist. If you want it, come and fetch it yourself. Shiao Chens eyes flashed instantly and his face looked somewhat hesitant. Then he slowly approached her. When he was less than three meters away from the woman, a trace of ecstasy flashed in by the womans eyes. Shiao Chen raised the corners of his mouth slightly, turned over the Fireball Talisman already hidden in his sleeve without hesitation, and then put all his spiritual power into it. A burst of fiery red color broke out. Two fireballs suddenly appeared and rushed at the woman. Ah! The unexpected change suddenly astonished the woman. She screamed loudly. The distance was so close that two fireballs hit her before she could have any reaction. Green glow flickering from her body, the woman resisted for a while. But then as endless fright gathered in her eyes, the flame instantly covered her whole body and burned her into ashes. So far, Shiao Chen was slightly relieved. In order to have the treasure all to herself, the woman even killed her cultivation partner without any hesitation. How could Shiao Chen not take precautions against such a malicious woman whose heart was like that of snakes and scorpions? Moments ago, Shiao Chen did not miss the womans brightened eyes. Hesitating for a little while, he retreated a few meters, picked up a stone from the ground and threw it at the womans place. Pah! The stone fell to the ground and suddenly something started to rise. Endless pale green flames burst forth on the originally smooth ground within three meters with the womans body as the center. The flames constantly twisted to form ghost faces, and from time to time there were dreary cries and screams. Looking at the green flames, Shiao Chen felt chilly in his heart. Fortunately, he was cautious. If he had rushed to hunt for treasure at the beginning, he might have already become a dead body at this moment. Although he didnt know what this flame was, the gust of cold air chilled his bones. After a while, the green flames gradually weakened. In the end, it was like a tide sucked into a certain point. The space shook and a black gourd appeared in front of him. Shiao Chen once again took out a few stones and threw them towards that place. Only when he found there was no any difference could he be a little relieved. Quickly walking to where the woman was, he picked up four storage bags on the ground. Once opening, Shiao Chen suddenly felt pleasantly surprised. The former old black ghost and the pair of brothers definitely reached the Foundation Establishment Realm. Shiao Chen discovered five spirit tools from their storage bags unexpectedly. Although the grade was not high, it had already surprised him. Even some true disciples in Luoyun Valley had few spirit tools in the refining period. Shiao Chen put aside the spirit tools happily and successively pulled out dozens of low-order talismans, hundreds of low-order spars and dozens of unknown elixirs. Three of the talismans were obviously similar to the Fireball Talisman, but the patterns on them were several times more complex than those on the Fireball Talismans, and the spiritual power contained in them was incomparable. Shiao Chen carefully collected the talismans and it wouldnt be late to study their utility after he went back. As for the spars, they were good things and beneficial for cultivation. Therefore, they also should be kept well. After completely cleaning up the four storage bags, Shiao Chen looked at the brocade box in his hand. He couldnt help but show a bit of excitation in his eyes. The treasure inside could lead to the life-and-death fighting among the four cultivators of the Foundation Establishment Realm, and even the woman killed her cultivation partner. Absolutely it was not an ordinary thing. Slightly hesitant, Shiao Chen placed the box on the ground, stepped several meters back, and picked up a spirit sword next to him to open its lid carefully. Crack! At the moment when the brocade box was opened, a cloud of white smoke suddenly erupted from the box and filled the space within three meters of the box. Shiao Chen was shocked, and immediately felt that his hand was slightly numb. As if losing all his strength, the spirit sword fell to the ground from his hand. In the white mist, the glow of the spirit sword faded away and the spirituality was lost. In a moment, it became a useless sword. Shiao Chen was startled and hurriedly looked at his hand. Three fingers had turned a strange black color at this moment. The black airflow was circling quickly, soon it spread to his wrist. The fingers even began to rot, dropping black blood. Feeling the strength in his body disappearing rapidly, he felt a bit of a trance. Shiao Chen showed a wry face and muttered, How come?! I would die here when I just stepped onto the road of cultivation? He then thought about his parents who had just got rid of the predicament on account of him. Would they be attacked back to their former situation due to his downfall? There was endless unwillingness in Shiao Chens heart. He was absent-minded and walked a few steps forward. Even if he was about to die, he had to see what on earth the cause of his death was! The brocade box had already been opened. The cloud of white smoke had dissipated moments ago. There appeared a primitive, simple and golden-colored square seal. Shiao Chen sneered, It turns out to be such a thing. What a pity! Now Im dying from it, yet I have no idea what sort of treasure it is. Shiao Chen lay on the ground and grasped the gold seal firmly in his hand, his eyes losing vitality gradually. Dear father and mother, I am not filial since I cannot continue to serve you anymore Muttering to himself, Shiao Chen slowly closed his eyes. His energy became quickly weakened. At this moment, the black airflow already covered his entire arm and rushed towards his heart. There would be no way for him to escape from the desperate situation if he was completely occupied by it, then he would be gone for good! Although Shiao Chen passed out, he was still holding the gold seal on his hand. Drops of black blood fell on the seal, and more and more, eventually the whole gold seal was wrapped by the black blood. Suddenly, the unresponsive gold seal flashed a glimmer of light. The black blood on it turned a bright red color like getting purified and was then inhaled into the seal instantly. Chapter 13 - Gold Seal Chapter 13 Gold Seal It was like some ritual having been initiated. A large amount of black blood, as if being pulled by some unknown force, quickly gushed out from Shiao Chens hand and landed on the gold seal and then was completely inhaled into it after being purified. As it absorbed blood, the gold seal gradually radiated a soft golden light. Under the shining of this golden light, the black gas that was spreading rapidly in the body of Shiao Chen seemed to have met its natural enemy and became thin in an instant. After a while, it disappeared completely. The rotten wound in Shiao Chens hand was also healing quickly. When the wound was completely healed, it seemed the gold seal also absorbed enough blood, suddenly retracting all its golden light. It became more and more illusory and eventually vanished into Shiao Chens body. In a daze, Shiao Chen felt warm under the bathing of the golden light, his whole body feeling extremely refreshed. In the abode, Shiao Chen moved his fingers a little, and then opened his eyes with some confusion. After seeing clearly, he rejoiced with wild excitement, I am alive, I am still alive! Lifting his hand to his eyes, he was surprised to find that his rotted fingers, originally haunted with black gas, were now intact. Everything was like an illusion. The gold seal is gone, so are the toxins in my body. Is there any correlation here? Shiao Chen looked a bit confused. But then he sensed something unusual about his soul. He immediately closed his eyes and applied the method of internal vision that he had just learned. The next moment, he suddenly opened his eyes, which were full of shock. The disappeared gold seal somehow ran into his soul. Shiao Chen tried to take it out. But no matter how hard he tried, the gold seal did not have any reaction. After some time, he had no choice but to give up. After a careful examination of his body and confirming that there was nothing wrong with him, he felt temporarily relieved. It wouldnt be late to study it in detail after going out. The things scattered on the ground were still there. Apparently, no one had ever entered here during his coma. Shiao Chen picked an inconspicuous one, which was about a dozen square meters big, out of the four storage bags, to replace the original one of his which was only half a square meter big. Putting all the spiritual tools, talismans, spars and pills on the ground into it, he carefully cleaned up the traces. Not until he was sure that no one would find anything related to him, even if they found this place, did he nod with satisfaction. Before he left, he hesitated for an instant, but then picked up the dark gourd on the ground and put it into the storage bag. It could spew out green fire. If applied well, it would be a good self-defense weapon. Taking a last glimpse, Shiao Chen turned around and left. The stone wall rippled, then a young boy of 15 or 16 came out of it. He watched around carefully and patted a yellow talisman on his leg, turning into a plume of cyan smoke then disappearing into the jungle. Shiao Town, Shiaos Hall. Brother, my nephew Shiao Chen shouldve returned four days ago. Do you know where he went? Today they will have to return to Luoyun Valley. If late, he will be punished according to the rules. Sitting beside Shiao Chens father in the hall, Shiao Wenting asked carefully while reading his brothers face. Shiao Wenshan became worried as soon as he heard this. Shiao Chen left that day to pick up his mother. However, he left the wagon train on the way back and it was already four days without any news. Shiao Wenshan also sent many subordinates to look for him, only to find a heavily destructed place and three corpses but not a single trace of Shiao Chen. These days, there were rumors spreading in the whole family that Shiao Chen fought with immortals and had already been killed. Hearing that, Shiao Chens mother was panic-stricken and cried for days on end. As for Shiao Chens father, calm as he behaved, he was also anxious in his heart. Shiao Wenshan did not believe that Shiao Chen was killed. However, he must have got into some trouble; otherwise, he would never be gone for such a long time. Watching the uneasy expression on Shiao Wenshans face, Shiao Wenting was excited and thought, If Shiao Chen died outside, then his parents will not be able to do anything influential. Shiao Lin will become the only divine cultivator of Luoyun Valley in the Shiao Family. And he, Shiao Wenting, will recover his solid position in the Shiao family! However, right at this moment, a voice came from outside the door, Humph, it is none of your business. Just mind your own things! As the voice fell, a figure strode in. Shiao Chen scanned around the room. The whole family suddenly lowered their heads, and no one dared to look at him. Father, something delayed me for days outside. Sorry I have worried you. Shiao Chen would never mention that he nearly lost his life because it would be useless and disquieting for his parents. Good good. It is okay as long as you come back safe. Shiao Chens father felt so happy that he answered good several times when he saw his son unhurt. I will go back to the Sect today. Now I will say goodbye to mother. Shiao Chen glanced at Shiao Wenting with chill flashing in his eyes, which sent shivers down Shiao Wentings spine. A layer of sweat appeared on his head. He then quickly lowered his head. Shiao Chen nodded inwardly out of satisfaction. Then he turned around and walked out of the hall. After two hours, under the gaze of the whole family, two figures quickly turned into two black dots and finally disappeared far into the distance. Brother, lets go back. Obsequiously, Shiao Wenting said to Shiao Wenshan with a smiling face. As long as Shiao Chen was alive, Shiao Wenting, the patriarch of the Shiao Family, would have to treat Shiao Chens parents with great respect. Shiao Wenshan nodded and saw that the whole family all appeared to be fawning. He felt proud to some extent. It all thanks to the good son he raisedShiao Chen, so that he could come back to The Shiao Family, revered by all. With a Wind Walking Talisman on their legs, Shiao Chen and Shiao Lins speed reached a new high. It was not exaggerated to say that they two could cover a thousand li (one li equals half a kilometer) in a single day. They two flew swiftly like wind or lightning on the way. Shiao Lin intended to curry favor with Shiao Chen to establish a closer relationship. However, he shut his mouth after a few words when he found Shiao Chen showed no intention to talk with him. By the time of twilight, they returned to Luoyun Valley after a long day. Upon arriving, the two immediately separated, and Shiao Chen went straight to the Valley of Spirit Elixir. Arriving at his residence, Shiao Chen washed and dressed up, then hurried out to the place where Master Alchemy Taoist was. Master, disciple Shiao Chen came to pay respects. Standing outside the door, Shiao Chen said respectfully. Come in. Alchemy Taoists placid voice came from the inside. Shiao Chen pushed the door open and walked in. Being amazed by what he saw, he kneeled on the ground calmly. I went back home to stay for five days and returned as scheduled. Alchemy Taoist was sitting on the futon, with 3 male and 2 female disciples standing on either side. Ji Yuewu was among them standing at the end of one side. Shiao Chen came in. Except for Ji Yuewu, the other four disciples all cast their eyes towards Shiao Chen. After a slight look, they showed a bit of disdain. They had also heard about the nominal disciple their master just accepted, an ordinary person with no spiritual root. Even he had entered the immortal sect, he would have no achievement in the future. Taking a glance at Shiao Chen, Alchemy Taoist pointed at the five people and said, Shiao Chen, these five are my direct disciples, that is, your senior fellow apprentices. Master, I got it! Glad to meet you, brothers and sister! Shiao Chen nodded and greeted the five people respectfully. Only Ji Yuewu gave him a quick glance. The other four appeared as if they had heard nothing and didnt give any response at all. Shiao Chen noticed this but wasnt affected and walked to the end of the line with no expression. Since you are all here today, I have something to tell you. Alchemy Taoist glanced at them all, emotionless, then he said, Im going to the back mountain for a Closed-Door Cultivation to break through to the Gold Core Realm. Do not bother me with trivial things. During this time, the elixirs needed by the Sect will be handed over to you. Master, youre ready to advance to the Gold Core Realm? A man in front appeared to be surprised and asked. I got some inspiration during recent cultivation which made me more confident about forming the gold core. Alchemy Taoist smiled. Successfully forming the core would not only greatly improve his power but also prolong his longevity to five hundred years. He could also enter the rank of advanced cultivators from then. Thinking of this, sophisticated and tactful as he usually was, Alchemy Taoist couldnt help being a little excited. Congratulations, Master! Duan Huaming congratulated him sincerely at the moment. If his Master became a Gold Core Cultivator, then all of their status in Luoyun Valley will naturally be improved. Master, please rest assured. The elixir supply will go smoothly as long as we are here. The second young man standing on the left-side said reverently. Good then. Alchemy Taoist nodded gently then pointed at Ji Yuewu and said, Your junior sister just crossed the threshold. But I cannot afford the time to teach her due to the closed-door cultivation. It is easy in terms of cultivation; however, in terms of alchemy, she may need your help. Who would like to teach Yuewu for a period of time? Master, as the eldest brother, it is duty-bound for me to do so. I would like to teach the fifth junior sister alchemy during this period. Duan Huaming lowered his head a little, then he looked at Ji Yuewu, some avidness flashing by in his eyes. Hardly had Duan Huamings voice faded away, the young man standing behind him chuckled and stepped forward. Master, our eldest brother is at the crucial point of breaking through the sixth level of Qi Refining. In my opinion, hed better focus on cultivation and make a breakthrough early. Therefore, it is the same that I teach the fifth junior sister alchemy. Li Yuedu, the second disciple of Alchemy Taoist, looked like in his early twenties. He was graceful bearing and charming with brocade clothes, exhibiting the air of a noble childe. Duan Huaming frowned slightly with a bit of dissatisfaction flashing in his eyes. But he smiled gently, You are right, brother; however, according to your current alchemy level, Im afraid that this task is beyond your capability. Im afraid you are wrong, my brother. Although I am at the first grade of alchemy, I laid a foundation which is solid enough to teach our fifth senior sister. Brother, you should spend more time cultivating to break through the bottleneck. Shrewdness shining in his eyes, Li made no concessions, even a little bit. Chapter 14 - Passing the Duck Chapter 14 Passing the Duck Ostensibly, they were in a harmony, but secretly Duan Huaming and Li Yuedu looked ferocious at each other. Liu Junru was one of the original four disciples of master Alchemy Taoist. She said with a smile, Well, there is no need to quarrel. It would be better to give me a chance, and its more convenient for Ji Yuewu. As you see, I am at the initial level of alchemy with a good foundation, and I am not in a hurry to break through the bottleneck of cultivation. So, I will teach her. Ok? She smiled and took Ji Yuewus arm, saying to her, What do you think? Ji Yuewu took a glimpse of the two senior brothers, words coming from her delicate lips, Thanks sister Liu for instructing me. Duan Huaming and Li Yuedu looked at each other and retreated at the same time as Ji Yuewu gave her answer. Alright. This is settled then. But you still have a junior brother. We Elixir Valley is renowned for alchemy. So even though Shiao Cheng is my nominal disciple, he must learn it. Does any one of you would like to take some time to teach him? Huaming, what about you? asked Master Alchemy Taoist. Duan Huaming showed a bit reluctant after hearing masters words, replying in a reverent tone, Master, I am busy with breaking through the late-stage bottleneck of Foundation Establishment. I am afraid I have no time to teach him. Please think twice, my dear master. Master Alchemy Taoist nodded slightly with a thoughtful glimpse on Duan Huaming, then he turned to Li Yuedu. Li Yuedu declined rapidly, As Brother Duan said, I am at the initial level of alchemy and not qualified for teaching him. A little bit of dissatisfaction flashed by in Alchemy Taoists eyes, and he was clear about what they thought. But both two had their reasons, and master Alchemy Taoist knew that he couldnt force something that didnt come naturally. Master Alchemy Taoist, please leave me alone. Said Hei Shi, the third disciple who was always unapproachable in the daily life. There was no way that he would offer to help. Liu Junru rolled her eyes, then smiled, Master, I have already promised to teach Yuewu martial arts. If I have to take responsibility for teaching another person, it may delay my cultivation. You may not shove this on me. Standing at the end of the line, Shiao Chen watched his senior sisters and brothers pushing back and forth, then he said with a wry smile, Master, you dont need to worry about be. What the senior brothers and sisters said are reasonable. Besides, I am dull in aptitude, so please dont delay their cultivation for my sake. Its all right for me to learn from ancient books and cultivate by myself. Hearing what Shiao Chen had said, the Master meditated for a while, and nodded slowly in approval. Actually, he knew that with Shiao Chens qualifications of cultivating, it was difficult for him to make a difference in alchemy. All my disciples could get a herbal garden to cultivate in Luoyun Valley. Although you are only my nominal disciple, I will make an exception of giving this qualification to you today. You could follow your eldest brother to the Spirit Resources Loft and find one for yourself. The Master said so due to a little guilty. Thank you so much, Master! Shiao Chens face beamed out of delight, and he bowed hurriedly and respectfully. Well, I will go for a Closed-Door Cultivation from now on. And you all could leave now. The Master waved his hand with his eyes closed, and all disciples got out of the room slowly. Sister Yuewu, although Ill be busy breaking through the bottleneck, if you have any difficulty in alchemy or cultivation, you could consult me. And I can certainly give you some help. Duan Huaming stood outside the Elixir Valley and said to Ji Yuewu with a warm smile. When Li Yuedu heard that, she smiled and said, Senior Brother is right. You can also ask me if you have difficulties. Ji Yuewu nodded slightly, looking indifferent. It seemed that she turned a blind eye to the enthusiasm of these two people. She suddenly turned to Shiao Chen, saying, Shiao Chen, if you have any difficulties in the future, you could come to me. Ji Yuewu spoke too suddenly that she drew everyones attention to Shiao Chen. Both Duan Huaming and Li Yuedu looked a bit jealous and surprised. So was Liu Junru. She didnt understand why this junior sister who was beautiful with a high-level spiritual root would pay special regard to Shiao Chen, a man with no spiritual root. Thank you, Yuewu sister. Shiao Chen noticed the hostility in both Duan Huamings and Li Yuedus eyes. He couldnt help smiling bitterly in his heart and thought he might be remembered by the two. Well, I have to hurry back to teach Yuewu, my junior sister to cultivate. Please pardon our leave, senior brothers. Liu Junru took a gloating glance at Shiao Chen then led Ji Yuewu away. Senior brother, I have to leave, too. Li Yuedu took an unnoticed glimpse of Shiao Chen, coldness flashing by his eyes. He then cupped his hand smilingly and left. Duan Huaming looked at Shiao Chen with an expressionless face, an indiscernible chill flashing by in his eyes. He said quietly, Now that the Master has granted you the right to own a garden, then come with me. And without looking at Shiao Chen, he turned and went out. Shiao Chen forced a wry smile. Although he did not have spiritual root, his mind was excellent. He naturally understood the reason for this and cannot help but secretly sigh that beauty was beastly. The words of the ancients were indeed true! Spirit Resources Loft was the place where Luoyun Valley allocated the cultivation resources. Such an important place was not to be neglected, but was guarded by three elders of Luoyun Valley who had reached the late period of Foundation Establishment. However, the three elders, who were bent on cultivation, seldom took care of ordinary affairs. Most of the affairs in the loft were left to several disciples. Junior Duan, its quite a surprise that you have time to come here today. Haha. We havent seen each other for over ten days on end. You have reached the peak of the sixth level of Qi Refining, and it looks like your advancement to the seventh level is just around the corner! Shiao Chen and Duan Yueming entered the Spirit Resources Loft. Far away, a chubby man came up with a warm smile. The strange thing was not only did he lack the nimbus aura that a cultivator usually had, but he also looked philistine like a worldly merchant. Senior Ma, you flatter me too much. I am busy in training these days. And it is hard to say whether I can break through the bottleneck. Duan Huaming smiled and cupped his hands rather politely. He did not dare to make light of Ma Yun who looked mediocre. After all, it was said that this person had already reached the eighth level of Qi Refining, and he might build the foundation successfully at any time. They finally got to the point after exchanging several greetings at the door of Spirit Resources Loft. Senior Ma, I come here today to take the Junior Brother, Shiao Chen, to apply for a herbal garden. Although Shiao Chen is just a nominal disciple, the Master has made an exception to give him this right. Duan Huaming smiled and said. Hearing this, Senior Ma was in a bit of a daze. His gaze fell on Shiao Chen , scrutinizing him for quite a while. Then he smiled, So I see. Its junior brother, Shiao Chen, the disciple newly accepted by the fifth Martial Uncle. In that case, come with me, and choose a herbal garden at the second floor. Saying that, Senior Brother Ma led them up the stairs to the second floor. Chapter 15 - The Deserted Herbal Garden Chapter 15 The Deserted Herbal Garden On the second floor, it seemed a little empty only with a few tables and chairs in the hall. Against the stairs was a large scroll painting hanging on the wall. Senior Brother Ma came to it. As he waved his hands with a spell, a glimmer of light flashed by and then the painting began slowly unfolding. There were some words densely marked on the scroll. Senior Brother Ma cast another spell, and then most areas of the scroll faded away, leaving only a few small ones sparkling. Junior Brother Shiao Chen, these are the ownerless herbal gardens of our sect. Now that you have the privilege granted by the Fifth Martial Uncle, you can choose any one of them to be your own. Said the Senior Brother Ma, stepping aside smilingly. Shiao Chen cupped his hand, then walked slowly to the picture and looked at it carefully. At this very moment, Duan Huaming laughed suddenly, and said, Junior Brother Shiao Chen, even though you are the nominal disciple of the Master who gave you the right to have a herbal garden, definitely your cultivation will stop at the period of Qi Refining without a spiritual root. And Im afraid your attainments in alchemy are also extremely limited. So I think it would be better that I choose it for you in order not to waste the cultivation resources of our sect. After hearing this, Shiao Chen stiffened a little. He thought it finally came. He took a deep breath and then slowly turned around. Serenely he said, All right, please. Senior Brother Mas eyes swept over Shiao Chens body. Instead of despising him because of Duan Huamings words, he looked at Shiao Chen with appreciation after seeing his calmness. I think this one is not bad, although it has been abandoned for a while. There should be a lot of medicinal herbs left behind. It should be able to take shape if Brother Shiao Chen get some spiritual herbs seeds and take good care of them after a certain time. Duan Huaming pointed to the most remote corner of Luoyun Valley, where there was a pinkie-sized place marked with Deserted Herbal Garden in very small fonts. Shiao Chens body tightened, clenching fists under the sleeves. But the next moment, he regained his composure. He knew he must be the one to lose if he fought with Duan Huaming with his current status and abilities. You are right, Senior Brother. In that case, I will choose this one. Said Shiao Chen expressionlessly. Having not expected that Shiao Chen would stand such difficulty, Duan Huaming slightly lifted his eyebrows. If Shiao was unconvinced and quarreled for it, certainly he would have numerous means to let him suffer. But now he had to suppress his temper temporarily because he had no reason for it. Ha ha, Junior Brother Shiao Chen, you are really a sensible man. In that case, Senior Brother Ma, please mark this herbal garden under his name. Duan Huaming smiled slightly, with some complacency in his eyes. He thought, no matter how, he gave Shiao Chen a lesson this time. Hope Shiao Chen was clever, or he would have plenty of means to make this guy suffer. Senior Brother Ma looked at Shiao Chen with more appreciation. He thought that Shiao Chen, who could take temporary setbacks, would be a big shot in the future. After being busy for quite a while, the garden which had been wasted for many years was officially owned by Shiao Chen. Junior Brother Shiao Chen, cultivate harder. Our Elixir Valley is not only superior in alchemy; the cultivation speed of all the fellow disciples are also quite fast. Do not hinder us and be the butt of the joke. Duan Huaming rebuked in a superior position while leaving with undisguised disdain in his eyes. Shiao Chen stood expressionlessly, but his fists were tightly clenched together. Then he immediately felt so frustrated that he had no spiritual root, it meant he couldnt become a mighty cultivator all the life. How could he wash away the humiliation he had suffered today without enough strength? After leaving Spirit Resource Loft, Shiao Chen returned to the Elixir Valley and collected some seeds of spiritual herbs and alchemy books from the warehouse. Maybe the Alchemy Taoist thought that he owed Shiao Chen a little bit. So he was quite generous in allowing Shiao Chen to collect all kinds of seeds in the warehouse. Putting everything in order, Shiao Chen moved toward the deserted herbal garden. Though psychologically ready for the barrenness, he was stunned by the sight of this herbal garden located in the small valley. The reason why the herbal garden was suitable for planting spiritual herbs was that the soil contained the nimbus. However, here weeds and tiny rocks had swallowed up the garden, and the nimbus in the soil was paltry. He was curious about what the senior brother who took care the herbal garden had done to destroy the herbal garden into ruin. Shiao Chen took a deep breath and walked to the valley without any expression. Half a quarter later, he tramped all over the little valley. At the moment, as clam and tactful as Shiao Chen usually was, his face turned extremely gloomy. This herbal garden had been abandoned for a long time, and most of the nimbus in the soil had already dissipated. He was uncertain whether the seeds of spiritual herbs planted in the soil would survive or not. What a sinister trick the Duan Huaming had used! Shiao Chen did not know how long it would take him to simply restore the rank of this herbal garden. The insidious intent of Duan Huaming almost destroyed all Shiao Chens prospects of alchemy. Duan Huaming, one day, I will certainly impose all todays mortification that Ive borne on you! Shiao Chen stood amid the valley with a sullen face for quite a while but then he gradually recovered his composure. And then, without any word, he went to the stone house at the corner of the valley. When everything was in order, Shiao Chen sat down with his legs crossed on the futon. His mind gradually settled as still water. At the same time, he began to circulate his inner energy through the Plants Growing Scripture. For a moment, wondrous thing instantly occurred. The nimbus filled the air seemed to be pulled by an unknown great force, and flooded into his body at the speed of more than a hundred times faster than ever before. Shiao Chen suddenly opened his eyes and was shocked by the sudden change. He was just practicing the Plants Growing Scripture as usual, why did this change happen? A determined look flicked across his capricious face. Then he closed his eyes again. This time, he applied the method of inner vision before he ran the Plants Growing Scripture, paying attentive attention to the circulation of nimbus in his body. Nimbus entered veins from Dantian, running slowly, and the external nimbus begun to be absorbed into the body gradually. Everything seemed to be normal. Shiao Chen frowned slightly and wondered about the authenticity of the crazy inrush of nimbus just now. Was it an illusion? But he could feel the nimbus had obviously increased. How to explain it? At that moment he felt a sudden fluctuation in his soul. The familiar feeling came again, and the nimbus filled in the air rushed towards him with a startling rapidity. This time, Shiao Chen had prepared for that, so he paid all the attention to his soul instead of stopping cultivating. The Gold Seal that melted into his soul emitted faint golden glow, which erupted the weird sucking force. The nimbus that flooded into the body, however, was sucked away by it, and Shiao Chen only gained a little. But even so, in that short time, the volume of his Spiritual Energy had already increased. Although Shiao Chen opened his eyes with a little confusion, he was more surprised. As long as he owned this Gold seal, whether he had spiritual root or not, his cultivation will definitely speed up to an unimaginable level! He clenched fists tightly and felt more confident than ever. Duan Huaming, for todays humiliation, I will make you pay it back a hundredfold in the future! The next day, Shiao Chen walked slowly out of the stone cottage, he could hardly hide his delight. This gold seal was more powerful than he had imagined. It was only one night. His tiny nimbus got pinkie-sized, Spiritual Energy diffused in his Dantian, making him feel radiant and fresh all over. First stage of Qi-Refining Period! In just one night, Shiao Chen was able to achieve such a level, which, if publicized, would astound all the cultivators! Even those who possessed the saint spiritual root would never have such a terrible cultivation speed. This gold seal was absolutely Shiao Chens greatest secret. Once exposed, such a magic treasure would absolutely make all the cultivators covet, and he would die without burial! Shiao Chen looked extremely solemn. This should be kept only to himself, even those closest to him should not be told. If he had stayed in crowds, Shiao Chen would have feared that someone might notice his unusual behavior. But this place was a deserted herbal garden at the edge of Luoyun Valley where even the outer disciples would not come. Therefore, his safety was greatly increased. Shiao Chen scoffed, Duan Huaming would absolutely be angry and spit blood when he knew that he gave Shiao Chen a great help accidentally. For two days, Shiao Chen had been cultivating in the stone cottage and never stepped out of the valley. In the stone cottage, Shiao Chen slowly opened his eyes, and a bright light flashed across his eyes. Peak of the first stage of Qi Refining! Shiao Chen clenched his fists tight and smiled. But then he frowned, looking a bit hesitant. Although I own this gold seal, there is absolutely no problem with the cultivation. But if someone discovered that I reached the peak of the first stage of Qi-refining in such a short time without spiritual root, itd be a trouble. Shiao Chen was in distress, thinking that it would be easier if he could have a cultivation method of hiding his cultivation. When this thought came to him, there suddenly emerged countless tiny runes on the surface of the gold seal which had integrated with his soul, and on the edge of it was covered with all kinds of mysterious and abstruse patterns, exhibiting a sense of age and nobility. Facing such an unexpected turn, Shiao Chen was taken aback and then looked at it carefully. The scrawl runes on the gold seal looked like tadpoles, glimmering faint golden light that seemed extremely mysterious. Soul Muddling Scripture! Although Shiao Chen didnt know why he could read this scrawl script, the next moment, he was firmly attracted by this cultivation method and completely immersed his mind in it. Half an hour later, Shiao Chen opened his eyes, which were full of joy! The Soul Muddling Scripture was a cultivation method of refining the soul and it had the ability to conceal his cultivation. This just solved difficulties in front of Shiao Chen. He was absolutely ecstatic. Chapter 16 - The Fickleness of Human Nature After recalling the method, Shiao Chen made sure that there were no missing errors and he nodded in satisfaction. Then, he closed his eyes and started cultivating. Five days later, Shiao Chens eyelids trembled and then he opened his eyes. Suddenly, a wonderful feeling filled his heart. It seemed that his senses were infinitely more sensitive than before. He could feel everything within 33 square meters, even a leafs falling. It was Divine Sense! He felt surprised and happy about his change. It was an ability only possessed by practitioners at the fifth level of the Qi Refining. However, he was only at the peak of the first level of Qi Refining and got the skill of Divine Sense which indicated how incredible Soul Muddling Scripture was. Just thinking of the skill and the concealing effect of Soul Muddling Scripture was immediately activated. The breath of Shiao Chen suddenly weakened, and finally stayed at the early stage of Qi Refining. Shiao Chen nodded his head with satisfaction and smiled out of delight. He did not know the effect of the concealment. However, he thought that if others did not pay much attention to him, he should not be noticed. Shiao Chen pushed the stone door open and walked out. Looking at the deserted herbal garden, his face was covered with gloom. Although the restraint for being the disciple of Alchemy Taoist was quite small, he could not escape the semi-annual alchemy assessment. Should he fail it, he would be expelled. Shiao Chen had only been the disciple of Alchemy Taoist for a short time. According to the rules, he neednt to attend the first alchemy assessment. However, he must take the alchemy assessment a year later. Duan Minghua must be secretly hoping that he would be kicked out of the sect a year later. Shiao Chen sneered, but then walked out of the valley after pondering for a while. Liu San is in charge of picking 50 Spirit-purifying Fruits from back mountain within one month and youll get a low-rank spiritual stone after completing the task. Hu Wei is responsible for collecting water from the spirit canal from back mountain in one month. The water is for the use of various herbal gardens. And youll get a low-rank spiritual stone after completing the task. Sun Ce is in charge of the kitchen firewood in one month, and youll get half a low-rank stone after completing the task. After getting the tasks, the outer disciples were in a hurry to finish those tasks. They worked very hard every month and had little time to practice. So, they could not afford to waste a second. After completing the monthly routine, Liu Tao hurried to the inner room. Recently, he had reached the peak of the sixth level of Qi Refining. And an elder of the sect implied that if he could reach the seventh level of the Qi Refining, he could be the core disciple of the sect. So, he was busy cultivating. Senior Liu. Just then, a familiar voice came from outside. He paused for a moment and quickly thought of the identity of the newcomer. A trace of impatience flashed across his eyes. But then he put on a smile and greeted, Junior Shiao, long time no see. Come in please. Shiao Chen walked in but Liu Tao was just sitting in a chair, said, Junior Shiao, please take a seat. Why do you come here today? Shiao Chen signed in heart and thought it was the human nature. The information that he got a discarded garden must have spread all over the sect. Liu Taos attitude was obviously more indifferent than before. Oh, I need some help. You must know that the garden I get have been deserted for a long time. So, I want to borrow some people from Senior Liu to clean the garden. Well, Eyebrows knitting together, Liu Tao looked a bit troubled and said slowly, Junior Shiao, its not that Im not willing to help. Im afraid no disciples are free. They have their own missions. Looking at Shiao Chen, Liu Tao pained for the Wind Walking Talismans and Fire Ball Talismans that he gave to Shiao Chen before and behaved even more tepidly. He originally thought that Shiao Chen was quite favored by the Master of Elixir Valley. Now he knew Shiao Chen was a mere nobody. Hearing that, Shiao Chen put on an upset expression, gritted his teeth, and said, Youre right, Senior brother. But I guess there must be some people available. I have a Spirit Quenching Elixir that was bestowed by the Master, and Im ready to offer it to my senior brother. Shiao Chen looked a bit reluctant but then reached into his storage bag to take a verdant pill, and put it on the table. The Spirit Quenching Elixir! Liu Tao was quite surprised and hurriedly took it in hands. Ascertaining the authenticity of the pill, he beamed with delight. The Spirit Quenching Elixir could help to purify the spirit, which was of great benefit to cultivators at Qi Refining. Having been busy cultivating all the time, he was in urgent need of such a pill to help him improve. Aha. Its very kind of you, Brother Shiao Chen. Ill accept it, because I need it indeed. Wait a moment, Ill arrange twenty disciples to help you right now and clean up the herbal garden within half a day. Apparently, Lius attitude turned politer and more enthusiastic after receiving the spiritual pill. Watching Liu Tao leaving in a hurry, a faint of sneer crossed his face. The fickleness of human nature among practitioners was more obvious than in ordinary beings. The Spirit Quenching Elixir was one of the lower spiritual pills of the dozens of pills that he found in Black Ghosts storage bag. Shiao Chen would never put on an air of wealth. Otherwise he would be blatantly asking for blackmail. Whats more, he claimed that this spiritual pill was given by the Alchemy Taoist. Presumably this Liu Tao did not have the courage to verify it. Shiao Chen felt naturally relieved. At noon, when the 20 outer disciples finished their work and left, the whole valley turned brand-new. Weeds and gravel were all cleared, the ground soil was also turned over. Shiao Chen nodded his head with satisfaction. He took the spiritual seeds from the storage bag and planted it carefully one by one. With a jade hoe the size of a palm in his hand, Shiao Chen carefully dug a small hole in the ground about five fingers deep, planted the seeds of calming grass in his hand and covered the soil. Not until he pressed the soil with forty percent of his strength did he feel relieved. Spiritual herb planting was a tricky business, with strict requirements for tools, soil, and even the strength for pressing the soil. If something went wrong, it was likely to waste seeds. After four whole hours, Shiao Chen finished planting only a small half of the valley. Indeed he worked slow. Well, Im afraid I cant finish it till dark. Looking at the large vacant lot left, Shiao Chen could not help but force a smile, leaning heavily against a stone wall behind him. Dong! A dull noise came from behind him and Shiao Chen was surprised. It was a sound he was not unfamiliar with. He turned quickly and looked at the smooth stone wall in front of him. Then knocked slightly on the wall. Dong! Dong! It was hollow! Realizing this, Shiao Chen looked curious. No one would pass by such a remote herbal garden, but still Shiao Chen looked around carefully to ascertain that no one was there. Then he took a spiritual tool from the storage bag and knocked on stone wall. Chapter 17 - Secrets in the Depth of the Mountain Chapter 17 Secrets in the Depth of the Mountain When the spiritual force was injected, the spirit sword became so sharp that it could insert into the cliff at a slight movement. Stirring gently with both hands, Shiao Chen easily cut off a piece of rock about half a mans size. Shiao Chen put the stone aside and looked at the dark cave in front of him. Some hesitation appeared on his face, which then turned into a firm look. He took steps towards the cave. The light in the cave was extremely dim, and Shiao Chen could only see the road ahead though he had channeled the weak spiritual force in his body to his eyes. So he had to feel his way forward. After about thirty or forty meters into the cave, Shiao Chen suddenly stopped. Moving his hand away from the stone wall, he twiddled his fingers and felt a bit of moisture. He couldnt help feeling surprised and muffled, Does that mean there is a subterranean river here? He went on for about another thirty meters, the air dampened. When he turned a corner, he heard the sound of running water. At the same time, a very faint fragrance of herbs came with it. Huh? The smell of Jade Lotus? Suddenly Shiao Chen looked shocked. He had stayed in the Elixir Valley for a few days. Though he did not learn any alchemy skills, when helping the lay disciples to sort out the elixirs, he did remember some precious herbs, in which Jade Lotus was one of them. No, the fragrance of Jade Lotus is slightly sweet. Though this smell is very similar, it is slightly acerb. It seems like the smell of some kind of weed. Shiao Chen smiled and shook his head. Jade Lotus was very precious, and it could be used to refine more than ten precious elixirs. How could it be seen everywhere? But at this moment, Shiao Chen was unable to control his curiosity and stretched his neck to look ahead. It was so dark that he could not see clearly at all, so he went on walking towards the source of the water flow. Gurgling, gurgling, gurgling The closer he got, the stronger the fragrance of herbs was. Besides Jade Lotus, the aroma of the top-quality spiritual herbs such as Iron Vine, Golden Grass and Polygonum Multiflorum also pervaded the air. With just a deep breath, one might feel refreshed all over. Shiao Chen couldnt help fastening his pace. When he walked to the end of the stone cave, he found that it was a dead end. But the faint sound of clear flowing water came just from behind this stone wall. Shiao Chen reached out his hand and knocked on the stone wall. Bang! Bang! Fortunately, the stone wall is not thick. Shiao Chen was a little relieved. He reached into his storage bag and took out the spirit sword again. With spiritual power infused in, he wielded his sword to the stone wall with all might, immediately creating a hole that could accommodate one person to go in. As the stone fell, a bright light shot out of the stone cave. Shiao Chen blocked his eyes with hands and squinted inward. But before he could plunge his head into the cave, an utterly intense fragrance of herbs came instantly out of it. Cough! Ahem!!!!! Inhaling only a small bit of it, Shiao Chen immediately coughed so violently that his face reddened. The fragrance was so intense that it seemed to be a mixture of dozens or even hundreds of spiritual herbs that were sealed and fermented for decades or even centuries. Although Shiao Chens face reddened with intense coughing, his dark eyes were full of rapture. Although he suffered quite a bit from the strong aroma, he was extremely sure that in the grotto in front of him grew dozens or even hundreds of spiritual herbs that were absolutely not young! Because when he inhaled that herbal fragrance a moment ago, although it was mottled, the blast of acridity could not be shielded at all! Poison Hemlock! The corners of Shiao Chens mouth cocked, showing a cheerful expression. This smell was absolutely given off by the highly toxic herb that could kill people at a breath! And this pungent flavor was much stronger than the hundred-year Poison Hemlock Shiao Chen had seen in Elixir Valley. It might be inferred that it must have grown for ages! Shiao Chen waited for a while and calmed the ecstasy in his heart. When the herbal fragrance got slightly dissipated, he covered his mouth and nose with his sleeve and stepped into the cave. The light fluorescence on the stone walls around him made him feel uncomfortable for a short time. When his sight returned normal and he could see clearly, Shiao Chen was shocked with mouth wide open. The grotto behind the stone wall was about 333 square meters, and the surface of the stone wall was covered with bizarre crystals of light white color. The slight ray of light was from the crystals. A crack was there above the cave, from which water flew down to the ground. After an unknown number of impacts, the bits of sand and mud carried in the water formed a delta of about 66 square meters in the grotto, on which numerous species of spiritual herbs grew wildly. The water flowed slowly over the delta, and then went into a little pool behind it. This pool should have been connected to the underground river as the water was extremely clear. However, it was so dark and bottomless that he could not know how deep it was. As Shiao Chens eyes slowly swept around the stone cave, he closed his eyes tightly in a hurry and took a dozen deep breaths. Only then did he squelch the impulse of screaming! Polygonum Multiflorum that was two hundred years old! Golden Grass that was three hundred years old! Honeysuckle that was four hundred years old! Iron Vine that was three hundred years old! Looking at the various spiritual herbs growing like weeds in this grotto, Shiao Chen almost had a feeling of being in a dream! After a long time, he slowly calmed down. With a slight frown, he could not help showing some hesitation. Why do so many herbs grow in the depths of this mountain? How can they survive in this place? It was important to know that the cultivation of spiritual herbs was extremely complicated and it required attentive care of cultivators to make them grow and thrive. Apparently, no one had ever stepped in here, so it was odd indeed. But just at the moment, Shiao Chens gaze fell on the bizarre crystals on the stone wall. His expression changed a little, and then he closed his eyes slowly, slowly activating and practicing Plants Growing Scripture in his body. The next moment, he opened his eyes in shock. After quite a while, two words jumped out of his mouth, Spirit vein! In this grotto, the nimbus was much abundant than that in the outside world, and even more intense than that in Alchemy Taoists medicinal garden in which spiritual herbs were planted! Under such a context, only one thing could explain for this, that was, beneath the stone cave hid a small spiritual vein! This spiritual vein was no means large, just a few meters in size at most, otherwise it must have long been noticed by cultivators in the sect, leaving no chance for Shiao Chen. In this case, the crystals emanating fluorescent on the walls could also be explained. They must have been long eroded by nimbus and gradually transformed into what they were like at the moment. In hundreds or thousands of years, they might even become true spirit stones. But even if the reason for the survival of the spiritual herbs was found, where did the seed of them come from? Was it possible that they had been created out of nothing? Shiao Chen glanced over the grotto, and then stopped abruptly. He walked quickly to the pool and stared at the clear water with a sharp gaze, as if he were looking for something. A moment later, his eyes suddenly lit up. He put his hand into the water, grabbing a blue and slightly flat seed in his hand. Looking at the seed, Shiao Chen suddenly remembered that there was only one flowing water running down from the mountain in the whole Luoyun Valley, and it happened to flow through some place not far away from his herbal garden. For such a fact, the water used in all the medicinal gardens of the sect was from this source of water! Shiao Chen looked silently at the seed in his hand, then a smile slowly crept over the corners of his, which quickly spread to his entire face. He murmured, I am so lucky! This is definitely my opportunity! In Luoyun Valley, the spring water was channeled to all medicinal gardens. In this way, the seed of mature spiritual herbs occasionally fell into the water and were washed away. Then the water carrying the seeds flowed right through a crack in the mountain and into the grotto, where there happened to be a small spiritual vein. Such a coincidence gave birth to a medicinal garden hidden in the grotto for an unknown time! After half a day, Shiao Chen reluctantly followed the same way out. Although this deserted medicinal garden was very remote, and few people passed by, Shiao Chen still put the stone back in its original place just in case something would happen. Then he randomly arranged some rough stones outside. Not until he was certain that the cave would not be noticed did he nod with satisfaction. It was supposed to be an abandoned place, but nature has tricked people. Who would have thought that such a great opportunity is hidden in this deserted medicinal garden! Duan Huaming meant to frame me, but unexpectedly he just sent me a great opportunity! Shiao Chen looked up and smiled. Things in the world were wonderful. If it were known by Duan Huaming, he would be so incensed that he would literally cough up three liters of blood and die at the site. After a while, Shiao Chen regained composure and said to himself, Although the medicinal garden is very remote, some simple prohibitions should be placed outside the valley to avoid accidents. Even if it cannot prevent people from entering, it will be sufficient to forewarn me. Alchemy Taoist was very good to him, a nominal disciple. Although Alchemy Taoist did not teach him in person, he had not been stingy with all kinds of elementary jade books. Formation Basics was just one of them. Shiao Chen made up his mind and hurried back to the stone room in a hurry. He took the jade book from the storage bag, and put it on his forehead, trying hard to meditate its profoundness. Chapter 18 - Trying Alchemy for the First Time Chapter 18 Trying Alchemy for the First Time He cultivated dedicatedly in silence the whole night. On the second day, Shiao Chen raised his head which was slightly swollen and tired. He shook it helplessly. The tactical formation was extensive, profound and all-embracing, and it could not be learned overnight. Fortunately, he only chose some simple ones that were psychedelic to block out the sight. After a nights study, he learned to lay out two tactical formations that were comparatively of low class. Mirage Formation, the consumption of which was quite low, was able to automatically generate light white fog to block out ones sight after being carried out. Forewarning Formation, as its name suggested, did not have any offensive or defensive function, but it could give an early warning in a timely manner. After three hours and seven or eight failures, Shiao Chen managed to deploy the two tactical formations outside the valley. After installing two spars, a white mist was rising. Not until now did Shiao Chen looked satisfied. After returning to the stone house and leaving most of his belongings behind to give the illusion that he lived here, Shiao Chen entered the medicinal garden in the depth of the mountain. Putting Alchemy Basics aside, Shiao Chen deliberated it over several times in his heart. After making sure that there were no mistakes, he started his alchemy trials. In his first attempt, he chose the Spirits-gathering Pill, a kind of spirit pill suitable to be used during the Qi Refining period. It was of first level, low grade, and the materials used were comparatively simple. Go! Casting a spell with his hand, Shiao Chen channeled a little spiritual power into the furnace, where a heat wave immediately rose. He carefully put the materials into the furnace in sequence as recorded. Soon, a faint medicinal fragrance was released. Shiao Chen felt quite happy, but then a muffled noise from the furnace made him stupefied. Opening the medicine furnace, Shiao Chen sighed helplessly at the dark brown powder. No doubt, the first trying of alchemy ended in failure. Lifting his spirit, Shiao Chen soon cleaned up all the herb residues and began the second attempt. He put the Hygrophila Polysperma in first. When the grass-blade turned into liquid he put in the Dry-stern Flower, and finally the Heather. This time, Shiao Chen was very careful. The fragrance of the medicine in the furnace became more and more intense. Now it was the time finalize the pills. If this period went smoothly, the pills would be refined well. Then again, a muffled noise came out of the furnace. Shiao Chens look changed with it. The second alchemy failed. Shiao Chen looked a little somber. He calmly cleaned up the residues before starting the third trial. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure! After eleven consecutive failures, Shiao Chen sat on the ground somewhat dispirited. Maybe he did not have much talent in alchemy refining. There was still the last copy of herbs. Shiao Chen had planned to give up, but still threw the herbs into the furnace and perfunctorily directed some spiritual power into it. Then he closed his eyes to meditate. As he was now at the peak of the first level of Qi Refining, his many attempts of making Spirits-gathering Pill had consumed most of his spiritual power. He operated the Plants Growing Scripture, and the rich nimbus from the outside immediately flooded into his body. Shiao Chen sighed and turned his attention to the gold seal that emanated dots of light. What material was the gold seal made of was unknown. Unexpectedly it could blend directly into the soul of the cultivators. Shiao Chen had never heard of such a thing before. He extended his divine sense carefully around the gold seal, without noticing anything unusual. This gold seal is in my soul, it should not be harmful to me. I just might as well integrate my divine sense into it to see if anything would happen. Any other cultivators would not be so presumptuous before thoroughly mastering the gold seal. For if the divine sense was hurt, it would have been a hundred times more difficult to recover than a physical wound, and the process would be most painful. But Shiao Chen had just stepped in immortality cultivation for a short period, so naturally he did not think so much about it. Just like mingling of water and lotion, Shiao Chens divine sense went into the gold seal without any obstacles at all. Every movement of wind and grass within a radius of 166 meters around him was visible in his mind. Every floating micron-spot fluttered in the air like a feather. That should be nimbus. Shiao Chen became a bit excited. After his divine sense entered the gold seal, it was magnified for five times. This might be a kind of unparalleled ability of the gold seal! The divine sense was taken back slowly from all around. Shiao Chen scanned the furnace with his divine sense. Suddenly, his eyes became focused and brightened. Now, with divine sense, he could see clearly all the changes in the medicine furnace. In his eyes, it was no longer a fusion of drugs, but a more essential being C medicinal efficacy! Alchemy was created by cultivators who continuously tried and probed via many years of trial and experiment. By combining the power contained in various kinds of spirit herbs, they refined various effective elixirs. But even the best alchemist in the world, or the man whose cultivation achieved Mastery, would never notice the changes of medicinal efficacy in spiritual pills. The ability Shiao Chen owned now already exceeded the understanding of the cultivation world! From now on, any spiritual pill was no longer a challenge in front of Shiao Chen. As long as he had seen the finished product, knowing how to combine the medicinal efficacy, he was able to formulate his own materials and have them refined according to the example! Tong! A noise came out of the furnace. With no one in control, alchemy failed as expected. Shiao Chen opened his eyes, paying no attention to it. He was excited in some way. He took a few deep breathes to calm down. In an instant he took out a Spirits-gathering Pill from the storage bag. Then he scanned the pill with his divine sense and instantly he understood the combination of the medicinal efficacy. After carefully scrutinizing it for several times, Shiao Chen slowly withdrew his divine sense. The herb residues inside the furnace was quickly cleaned up. Shiao Chen waved his hand to input a bit of spiritual power, then the furnace again sent out bursts of heat. Shiao Chen opened the furnace and threw in all the materials needed for making Spirits-gathering Pills. Since he was able to perceive the change of the medicinal efficacy, he could made some change later. Naturally, he did not have to worry about the sequence of placing the herbs any more. When herbs entered the furnace, they soon turned into traces of medicine juices and blended together. Shiao Chen did not dare to be careless, and his divine sense was wholly integrated in. Then he began to rearrange the herbal potency according to the combination of medicinal efficacy of the Spirits-gathering Pill he just saw a moment ago. Faint fragrance of pills came out of the furnace, and at this moment, it became more intense. Suddenly, Shiao Chen, whose eyes were originally closed, suddenly opened his eyes and shouted in a low voice, Complete! In an instant, the fragrance of pills in the furnace suddenly became so strong. Shiao Chen opened the furnace carefully and several round pills were lying quietly in the furnace. He made it! Ecstasy burst out of Shiao Chens heart suddenly. He took out a pill from the furnace and held it in his hand. After carefully comparing it with the finished one for quite a while, he was sure that indeed it was exactly the same as the one owned by him. With the help of gold seal, the alchemy of elixir was no longer difficult for Shiao Chen. Whats more, there was such a wonderful secret garden here, in which grew all kinds of spiritual herbs.. With all these opportunities, Shiao Chens cultivation in the future was immeasurable! Gold Coreor even Nascent Soul was not impossible as long as he was given the time. Thinking of this, Shiao Chen was trembling with excitement. Half a day later, Shiao Chen calmed down and looked meditatively at the Spirits-gathering Pill in his hands. Although the Spirits-gathering Pill has been successfully refined, there are still some error combinations of medicinal efficacy when scanning with divine sense. Are they necessary for refining pills? Or it means that this is a flaw in the pill? If it can be corrected, what will it be like? Will the grade of the pill be promoted? Any kind of pill was divided into three grades of high, middle and low as well as the top grade existed only in legends. But in todays cultivation world, cultivators mostly took pills of low grade. The middle grade pills were extremely scarce, since the rate of successfully refining them was extremely low. As to the high grade and top grade, he had never heard of their existence. Anyhow, the materials for refining Spirits-gathering Pill were not unusual, so Shiao Chen soon collected several copies and put them in front of him before he started to refine pills again. This time when combining the medicinal efficacy, after completing the fixed part, Shiao Chen began to decompose and recombine the garbled medicinal efficacy. As time passed, Shiao Chens face became a little pale. He closed his eyes, with fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. Tong! There came a noise from the furnace. Shiao Chen opened his eyes at the same time, his face looking gloomy. The divine sense needed for separating the garbled medicinal efficacy was several times more than that needed for simply combining it. A moment ago, Shiao Chen had carefully decomposed the most part, but because the divine sense was consumed too much, some mistakes took place, messing up the medicinal efficacy. Naturally the refining failed! It seems that I am still too rash and impatient. With the present strength of my divine sense, if I want to clean up the deranged efficacy in the pill at one time, it would be like reaching for what is beyond my grasp. Shiao Chen forced a smile and then sat on the cushion with his legs crossed. The experiment could only be continued tomorrow since his divine sense had been consumed too much today. The next day, Shiao Chen opened his eyes and resumed his energy. After a nights meditation, the spiritual power in his body became more replete. It seemed that his breakthrough to phase two of Qi Refining would not be far. Cleaning up the herb residues in the furnace, Shiao Chen again put in a copy of materials needed for refining Spirits-gathering Pills. When the pills were ready, Shiao Chen began to decompose the medicinal efficacy again. However, this time, he kept a close eye out for his divine sense and withdrew immediately when he decomposed nearly a half. Opening the furnace, he saw the dozens of Spirits-gathering Pills whose color, fragrance and appearance were greatly enhanced. Shiao Chen beamed with delight. Middle grade Spirits-gathering Pills! Sure enough, his conjecture was correct. If he continued to decompose the deranged combination of medicinal efficacy, then the high-grade and even the top-grade pills would no longer be difficult for Shiao Chen. Shiao Chen carefully put a dozen of middle-grade Spirits-gathering Pills into a jade bottle and stored it in a storage bag. There was a bit rumination on Shiao Chens face. With the help of gold seal, his cultivation speed had become extremely amazing. At this moment, together with the almost rigged alchemy means, his cultivation pace would certainly increase at quite a leap with the help of the spiritual pills he refined. For quite some time after that, Shiao Chen had been refining spiritual pills. When his spiritual force and divine sense were used up, he swallowed pills and meditated for cultivation. In this way, his cultivation pace quickened by leaps and bounds, progressing extremely fast. Chapter 19 - Sect Fair Through his continuous experiments, he found that with the power of his present divine sense he could at most refine elixirs for cultivators at Foundation Establishment. Decomposing effects of elixirs to improve their grade was beyond his capability. Besides, refining elixirs for cultivators at Foundation Establishment would consume too much power of his divine sense and it was much more cost-efficient to refine elixirs for Qi Refining, so Shiao Chen only refined over 10 elixirs for Foundation Establishment in case of need when he broke through and he used all time left to refine Spirits-gathering Pills and other elixirs for Qi Refining. With the increased times of refining elixirs, the divine sense and time used in refining elixirs kept decreasing, which also helped accelerate his speed of cultivating. As a nominal disciple, Shiao Chen was appreciated by Alchemy Taoist to some extent due to his composed personality, but without spiritual root, plus long-time absence from others eyesight, gradually, he, a nominal disciple, seemed to have been forgotten by all. But it was within this half a year that Shiao Chen remolded himself, just like a caterpillar broke the cocoon and became a butterfly. He officially stepped on the road of cultivation. In the stone house, Shiao Chen, who was cultivating with eyes closed, suddenly opened his eyes. Some halo seemed to appear on his face but disappeared instantly. He sent off his divine sense in all directions. And taking the herb garden on the hillside as the center, nothing within a radius of over 330m could escape his perception. The seventh level of Qi Refining! Shiao Chen clenched his fist forcefully with a slight smile on his face. During the half a year, he kept eating all kinds of elixirs for Qi Refining. His cultivation had been improving at high speed and finally reached the seventh level of Qi Refining! Such a cultivation speed even surpassed that of those so-called genius of big sects. Go! Shiao Chen paralleled his fingers and shouted in a low voice. Suddenly a spiritual sword was up and flew around him for three times, and then slowly stopped in front of him. Shiao Chen nodded with satisfaction. This was a high-grade spirit tool, belonging to Black Ghost before. Now after being tempered for half a year, it finally could move as he wanted it to. Shiao Chen controlled the sword and played for some more time, and then he reluctantly put it into a storage bag. With his present cultivation, he could fly by steering his sword, but he didnt want to expose his power, or big troubles would come to him. Although Im at the seventh level of Qi Refining, I do not have any attacking incantations and cant exploit my power to the full. So, it seems a good time to practice some attacking incantations. Shiao Chen contemplated with a thoughtful look that the Plants Growing Scripture he was practicing had a threshold so low that it didnt have any magical power. After half a day, Shiao Chen walked out of the herb garden on the hillside and slowly went out of the valley after covering the entrance of the cave carefully. The Mirage Formation and the Forewarning Formation were still running and there were no traces of force entrance. Shiao Chen nodded satisfactorily, replaced two spiritual stones with little spirit power left and then went out of the valley. Half a year before, when he joined Luoyun Valley, he was just a normal kid without any magical power. Half a year later, he got the gold seal, with which he learnt the formidable techniques of refining medicine. From then on, he could do whatever he wanted to! When thinking about the changes happened in the half a year, Shiao Chen couldnt help but smile faintly. Luoyun Valley was not very big but had a large number of disciples, so it was impossible for the sect to provide everyone all things needed for cultivation. In this case, a Sect Fair among disciples formed gradually. On the first and fifteenth day of every month, disciples who wanted to attend the Sect Fair had to hand in one spirit stone as admission fee and then they could get a black gown which could block the perception of others divine sense. After all those present at the fair were not all acquaintances or good friends, and no one would like to be targeted secretly by others. Although they belonged to the same sect, there were fights among disciples for treasures on the sly. Shiao Chen arrived at the Sect Fair, handed in a spirit stone to the disciple in charge with a vacant expression and walked in with a black gown. This black gown was really magical for Shiao Chen tried to get his divine sense through it but failed. He was only at the seventh level of Qi Refining but with the power of the gold seal, his divine sense was no inferior than that of a cultivator at the preliminary level of Foundation Establishment. Therefore, he relaxed to some extent. Hey guys, its time. It seems that we are all that attend this Sect Fair today. So, I will throw a sprat and be the first one to introduce goods. There came a husky voice. Clearly, he changed his voice for fear of being identified. All people at the Sect Fair would do this so no one was surprised. I have five Fireball Talismans, one spirit stone each. After this, he took out five deep yellow talismans from his storage bag. Shiao Chen raised his head and found that they were surely the same as the one given by Liu Tao. This first grade Fireball Talisman being triggered by spirit power could give a strike like that of a cultivator at the fifth level of Qi Refining. Shiao Chen just gave it a glance and turned away. Now he was at the seventh level of Qi Refining and this kind of talisman was not attractive to him at all. But not all disciples had the same cultivation as him. Cultivation at the fifth level of Qi Refining was powerful to some extent among disciples of Luoyun Valley, because after all the majority of them were at the second or third level. And even direct disciples who could reach the fifth level of Qi Refining should at least have talents above the average. Therefore, lots of people wanted to exchange Fireball Talisman. However, there were many others like Shiao Chen who were not interested. Not surprisingly, these people were real aces who turned their noses at it. The exchange of the Fireball Talisman was finished very quickly. And then another person stepped forward. One low grade spirit tool. Only exchange for spirit stones and elixirs. The highest bidder gets it! A spirit tool! It could only be widely used by cultivators at Foundation Establishment. And it was rare for one at Qi Refining to have a spirit tool. After seeing clearly that a campilan tulwar like spirit tool was circling around the speaker slowly, disciples of Luoyun Valley were so excited that they started to bid and mark it up. 15 low grade spirit stones! 20 low grade spirit stones! I bid 30. Do not compete with me! This spirit tool is mine! Bah, wanna use 30 spirit stones to exchange for a spirit tool? So inexperienced and ignorant! I bid 50! After bidding for some time, there were only 2 people still marking up the price. 200! These are all I have. Although the speaker spoke under her breath, judging from her petit figure, she was a woman for sure. Hesitating for a while, she added, This spirit tool is very important to me and I will add three pieces of Heart-soothing Powder in order to exchange for it. Heart-soothing Powder was also a spirit herb for cultivators at Qi Refining. It could soothe the nerves and improve the effects of cultivation when used. But its grade was really low, even lower than Spirit-gathering Pills and could be barely classified into the first grade. Chapter 20 - All-embracing Palm Attacks I also bid 200 spirit stones, plus 2 Spirit-gathering Pills. The other bidder hesitated for a while and said slowly. This price was also the highest he could give. If his rival kept marking it up, he had no choice but to give up. Hey, does this junior sister want to keep bidding? If not, this spirit tool will be his. The owner of the spirit tool said with a smile on face. What he could get from this exchange made him very fulfilled. I will add one Spirit-refining Pill. If this senior brother marks it up, then this spirit tool will be his. The girl said this while biting her teeth. Meh, it seems that I do not have the luck to own this spirit tool. Its yours, junior sister. The other competitor forced a smile and stepped aside. The girl joyfully exchanged with the owner. She played with it for a while, then put it into her storage bag and left in a hurry. Shiao Chen looked at the shadow of another leaving figure, frowned slightly and hesitated for a while. But then he kept still with a vacant expression. During the quarter followed, many people took out their goods to exchange with others. But Shiao Chen kept frowning until now he didnt get any information about attacking incantation. Did he have to go back empty-handed? At this time, a man in the corner who had been silent said suddenly, I have some remaining chapters of a book. I found it accidently in an ancient cave but couldnt read and understand the words on it. But I can guarantee that these remaining chapters are quite something. If any one of you could decode its content, it will definitely make your life different. For exchanging this book, only elixirs are accepted. Shiao Chen raised his head and saw some faint yellow pieces of paper in that mans hand. His body stiffened a little bit but returned to normal instantly. However, instantaneously his face hidden under the black gown was no longer vacant but full of joy. All-embracing Palm Attacks! The words on these remaining chapters were the same as those in Soul Muddling Scripture inscribed on the gold seal. Although the words were like tadpoles, they were ancient and elegant as if they were made by the nature. With just one glance, one would know that it was by no means ordinary. Shiao Chen was determined to get these remaining chapters. Judging from the cover, the book should have certain incantation in it. And since he got the Soul Muddling Scripture, Shiao Chen knew deeply that books written in such ancient words were all marvelous without exception. These remaining chapters seemed extraordinary, but no one could identify the words in it and only elixirs were accepted for exchange. So, if it couldnt be decoded, then it was a big loss. So, the crowd looked at each other and for a while no one bid for it. 10 Spirits-gathering Pills and these remaining chapters are mine! Just at this point, these words were suddenly heard from the entrance. Senior Brother, Chu Kuang! It is said that Brother Chu Kuang has reached the eighth level of Qi Refining. He doesnt take the Foundation Establishment Pill to establish his foundation for the sake of dealing with the competition in half a year. However, it is said that Brother Chu Kuang is so powerful that even cultivators at the preliminary level of Foundation Establishment can barely defeat him. Why does Brother Chu Kuang come here? He bids 10 Spirits-gathering Pills for these remaining chapters. It seems that they are really something. Shiao Chen lifted up his head and looked at the man who walked in from the entrance. Even though he seldom went out, he also had heard of this so called strongest young man among Luoyun Valley. Chu Kuang was about 22 or 23, in clothes of coarse linen and with a huge sword on back, having a domineering imposing manner. As he walked towards the crowd, there was a strong visual impact for all. Although he didnt wear the black gown, no one seemed surprised. Obviously, this was not the first time he had done so. Brother Chu Kuang! Everyone cupped his hands and saluted to him except Shiao Chen and a few others who didnt make a move but just gave him a glance. 10 Spirits-gathering Pills for these remaining chapters. Chu Kuang ignored the crowd, went straightly to that disciple of Luoyungu and said this to him. Shiao Chen frowned slightly. The best choice for him at this moment was to keep a low profile. The more attention he attracted, the more likely it was to expose his identity. If it was known that he, a person without spiritual root, could reach the seventh level of Qi Refining in just half a year, his good days would come to an end. However, intuition told Shiao Chen that All-embracing Palm Attacks was extremely important. If he missed it, he must be really regretful. With frowned eyebrows, he slowly stepped forward and lowered his voice, Wait a moment. I bid 20 Spirits-gathering Pills for these remaining chapters. A total silence ensued. Even those who ignored Chu Kuang before looked at Shiao Chen with surprise. How dare he compete with Brother Chu Kuang! Was he courting death? At this point, the crowd all looked at Shiao Chen with gird, thinking where this stupid and reckless guy came from and how dare him show off here. Chu Kuang turned around after hearing these words, suddenly gave off great power and stared at Shiao Chen without a blink. Although he didnt say a word, it was enough to terrify those who were mentally unstable and with low levels of cultivation. Shiao Chen remained expressionless. Since he decided to compete for it, he would not back off. He looked straight at Chu Kuang like an island in the sea, standing erect and unshakable without even the slightest change of his breath. Chu Kuang was surprised and gradually became more serious. He originally thought that Shiao Chen was just a reckless boy. However, after this trial, he understood that the person in front of him was definitely a master, otherwise he had no way to keep his calm under the power he imposed. 35 Spirits-gathering Pills! Chu Kuang opened his slightly thick lips and said in a depressed voice. 50! Shiao Chen showed no sign of giving up. During the past half a year, what he had refined most was Spirits-gathering Pills. Even if he ate them every day when mediating, there were still hundreds of pills left in his storage bag. As for the number of elixirs, there was no one in Luoyun Valley could compete with him except his Master, Alchemy Taoist. Chu Kuang looked sullen. Hesitating for a while, he said with hands folded in front, I dont who you are, but since you can take out so many elixirs, I guess you must be a disciple of the Elixir Valley. Im on friendly terms with your senior brother Duan Huaming. Besides, these remaining chapters are useful to me. I bid one Small-restoration Pill and 30 Spirits-gathering Pills. Junior brother, please give it up and stop competing with me. If it were some ordinary people, Chu Kuang might have already been impatient and beaten him down. But now he couldnt see Shiao Chen through and had some scruples. That was why he still pleaded with tactful words. Im sorry but these remining chapters are also very useful to me, so I cant give them up. Shiao Chen snorted in his heart. If Chu Kuang mentioned another person, Shiao Chen would have some scruples. But he would deal with Duan Huaming sooner or later, so there was no need to save face for him. One Spirit-nourishing Pill and 50 Spirits-gathering Pills. Spirit-nourishing Pills were used for restoring spirit power for cultivators at Foundation Establishment. Even for Shiao Chen, he had only refined over 10 pills. Hearing this, the crowd couldnt help gasping in astonishment and looked at Shiao Chen differently. In Luoyun Valley, he dared not to give face to senior brother Chu Kuang and Duan Huaming. This kind of things had never happened before. Who this guy was? How dare he act so arrogantly? Chu Kuang knitted his eyebrows tightly, suddenly turned around and walked out of the fair. Soon he disappeared from their sight. After Chu Kuang left, everyone stared at Shiao Chen bluntly which kind of exhausted Shiao Chens patience. He said in a cold voice, Since there is no one competing with me, lets exchange. You bid the highest price, then this is yours. The owner of the remining chapters said lightly. Touching the remining chapters of All-embracing Palm Attacks, Shiao Chen felt happy in his heart. But it was not time to read it and the current priority was to leave here immediately. Shiao Chen put these remining chapters into his storage bag and scanned around secretly only to find that many of their eyes flickered greed when looking at him. He sneered in the heart and turned away directly. Meantime, another five or six people left just after him. After getting out of the Sect Fair, Shiao Chen swept behind him with his divine sense. Then he laughed grimly and walked in a really fast speed towards one direction. Ahem, where is he? I saw clearly that he was here. How could he disappear all of a sudden? He cant just fly away! Be quick to search the way ahead and dont let him escape. The five or six of them seemed utterly discomfited and went forward in a fast speed. Behind a cluster of grass a dozen miles away from where these people were, Shiao Chen smiled complacently. With the help of the concealing function of Soul Muddling Scripture, how could these small potatoes find him. He stood up, inadvertently glancing at a certain place behind him, and then flew away in a fast speed. Right after he left, the air of the place where he glanced at jittered. Then a person walked out of the air. That was Chu Kuang. Could he see through my tricks of Invisibility? The glance Shiao Chen gave before he left seemed to gain an insight into his heart, which made Chu Kuang really shocked. But after hesitating for a while, he still leapt into the air and tailed behind Shiao Chen prudently. During his flying, Shiao Chen sensed someone was following him. He couldnt hep but sneer and abruptly changed his direction towards the deserted mountain behind Luoyun Valley. Ok, there should be on one here. I can finish him here. Shiao Chens gaze looked sharp and cold but that disappeared transiently. Right at this moment, sounds of fighting were suddenly heard from the ground. Aha, where could you hide now? This spirit tool has been marked by me, so no matter how far you run, I can always catch you! What do you want? We are all disciples of Luoyun Valley. If you dare to hurt me, the sect will not let you go easily. A woman reproached, but there were obvious panic and frailness in her voice. Oh, Im so scared! Actually, this place is deserted and even if I kill you here, who knows Im the murderer. But dont worry. Before killing you, I will give you an unforgettable sexual experience. Shiao Chen frowned. He never expected to run into such kind of things. While he was thinking about it, those on the ground discovered him. Brother, please save me! This man disregards the fraternity of the same sect and wants to kill me. Chapter 21 - Killing the Enemy with Divine Sense Shiao Chen now had his own business to mind and didnt want to meddle in others affairs. But when he was hesitating, a sudden surge of spirit power came behind him. Humph! Shiao Chen snorted quietly and dodged to the side abruptly. Then a campilan tulwar like spirit tool appeared and slammed down from no where Hem, I didnt expect you to be capable enough to get away from what I have set up for you. But since you have known my plan, then there is no way for you to leave here safe and sound. Shiao Chen looked down coldly, only to find that a man, in black gown and with a mole at the corner of his mouth, held a campilan tulwar like spirit tool and stared at him with a murderous look. This man clearly wanted to take his life with that hit; and Shiao Chen almost couldnt constrain the thought of killing him. However, thinking about the person tailing him, he frowned slightly and kind of held that thought back. Well, young man, you can only blame your bad luck for coming to this place at this exact time! Seeing the hesitation on Shiao Chens face, the man felt more assured and instantly rose from the ground with his spirit tool in hand. Although this place was deserted, there were still chances of being discovered by others; and if that happened, he would die a tragic death. Sharpness and coldness flashed through Shiao Chens eyes. This man was at least at the seventh level of Qi Refining and had attacking incantations. If they fought, Shiao Chen wound be defeated before long. And by that time, he would be in big trouble. Just fight! Shiao Chen made up his mind decisively and cruelly. His divine sense broke out, turning into a sharp cone that shot straight to the man in black. Sense-stabbing Awl! Included in Soul Muddling Scripture, it was a preliminary divine sense attacking method, with other two advanced formsSense-killing Awl and Destruction Wave. It was said that the latter one, if mastered fully, could wound immortal cultivators of None Descending heavily. But without enough power, Shiao Chen could only use Sense-killing Awl once per time. With his present divine sense, magnified five times by his gold seal, even cultivators at the preliminary stage of Foundation Establishment would be wounded heavily if attacked by surprise. He originally prepared to use this to deal with the man following him, but now he had to use it in advance. Otherwise if entangled with this man, he would have to face much bigger trouble. Hum! Divine sense attack made no sound, but the body of the man in black shook abruptly and some light green light suddenly appeared, surrounding him. Meantime, Shiao Chen also felt that his divine sense seemed to have hit on the cotton, giving him a complicated feeling. Divine sense attack! Shiao Chen must a cultivator at Foundation Establishment! the man in black suddenly looked horror-struck and kept begging, I was as blind as a bat to offend you. Which Uncle Master are you? Im the direct disciple of Kui Shuizi. Uncle Master, for the sake of my Master, please spare me this time. At the fifth level of Qi Refining, one could split the divine sense from his body. But if one wanted to attack with divine sense, he had to reach Foundation Establishment! Shiao Chens eyes became sharp and cold, thinking that this man had to die or he had no way to intimidate the man following him; and, if so, he would be dangerous. Go to hell! A low shout came under the black gown. With the mad attacks of the Sense-stabbing Awl, the green shield of that man in black instantly gave off dense clacking sounds and was immediately covered with cracks. Ah, you cant kill me, or my Master will definitely avenge for my death. The man in black shouted with terror. Seeing Shiao Chen had no plan to stop the attack, he became brutal and malicious, If you kill me today, what awaits you will be the ceaseless hunting down of Master Mo Li. Another cracking sound came! A jade wore by the man in black broke abruptly and then the green shield. The Sense-stabbing Awl impaled his body. The terrifying look on the mans face gradually disappeared. But when he was dying, a black light suddenly flew out of his body and shot into Shiao Chens body. This accident made Shiao Chen sullen on the spot. Scanning his body with divine sense, he found a weird black rune in his soul. It must be a special mark that could be perceived by Mo Li so as to find who killed his disciple. This made Shiao Chen even more sullen. Thank youThank you for saving me, Uncle Master. Lin Yaoer said with a terrified look. This Master in front of her was so brutal and killed the man in black in a blink of eyes. She was startled, worrying if he would kill her in order to button up her lips. All right, its over. You can leave now. Shiao Chen said while waving his hand. He deliberately changed his voice into that of a middle-aged man about 30 years old. Lin Yaoer felt so lucky and happy after hearing this and prepared to leave after saluted to him reverently. Wait! Shiao Chen said all of a sudden. Hearing this, Lin Yaoer was startled, but still turned around docilely and looked at the Uncle Master wretchedly. Shiao Chen hesitated for a while. If he had extra power, he didnt mind killing this girl. After all, letting her go would greatly increase the chances of exposing himself. But using Sense-stabbing Awl consumed too much of his divine sense and it was hard for him to accomplish such a mission now. Besides, if the man tailing him caught a glimpse of his real condition, he would really be in danger. So eventually, he decided to let this girl walk out of here. This spirt tool is what you have exchanged. Take it away with you. Lin Yaoer was in a trance and then felt so grateful. She again reverently saluted to Shiao Chen and put that campilan tulwar like spirit tool into her storage bag. Uncle Master, please rest assured. I swear to Internal Demon that I wont tell what happened here to anyone else. Watching the girl left, Shiao Chen relaxed to some extent. The reason he was so gracious was that he wanted the girl to be so grateful that she would promise to keep this secret. But he didnt expect this girl to directly swear to Internal Demon, which really relaxed him. Internal Demon was very efficacious for cultivators. If one went back against his words, he would surely end up being obsessed and ruined. Shiao Chen stood there for some time and until Lin Yaoer had walked far away enough, he turned around and said slightly to the vacant land about 10 meters from him, How much longer will you keep watching, friend? Do you really want me to ask you to come out? After some airwaves, Chu Kuang came out with an awe-stricken face, reverently saluted and said, Uncle Master, Im Chu Kuang. Shiao Chen looked at Chu Kuang without saying a word and didnt expose even a breath of his. But doing this only made him more inscrutable. Gradually, a layer of fine sweats emerged on Chu Kuangs face. Uncle Master, please dont blame me. I follow you out of good intentions. I can also swear to Internal Demon that I will never impart what happened today to anyone else. Uncle Master, please forgive me. Shiao Chen, with a vacant expression on his face, made no comments about what Chu Kuang said; instead, he just stared at him emotionlessly. Chu Kuang kept sweating on his head and pleaded again, Uncle Master, the reason I follow you is definitely not vicious. Im just curious about these remining chapters, so please, please do spare me this time. Oh, is that so? Shiao Chen said in a plain voice, without any changes in his tone. Chu Kuangs face whitened. Seeing Shiao Chen did not seem to believe what he had said, he continued decisively, I know a little about the words in the remining chapters of All-embracing Palm Attacks, but what I know is limited. Half a year ago, I accidently got an ancient map handed down from time immemorial and it was guessed that it could lead to the adobe of a certain cultivator in ancient times. I have tried to explore deep into it, but dont have the power to get to its end. Thats why I care so much about these remining chapters and followed you here. I just want to make sure if you really can recognize and understand this type of words. Chapter 22 - The Tenth Level of Qi Refining After hearing this, Shiao Chen was shocked. A treasure map in tadpole words was definitely extraordinary. Thinking for a while, he said slowly, Youre right. I do know something about this type of words. Are you asking me to explore the adobe of an ancient immortal with you? Yeah, otherwise with my cultivation, I have no way to get the treasure inside it. I just hope you Master could leave some stuff to me when we make it. Chu Kuangs face was so pale, but he insisted on finishing this. Shiao Chen kept silent for a while and then responded slowly, I have to consider it for some time. If you will, wait me here five months later and I will give you my answer. Ok, five months later, I will wait for you here, Uncle Master. Chu Kuang said reverently with his face lit up slightly. Shiao Chen nodded, then got off the ground and flew to the distance. Watching the disappearing shadow of Shiao Chen, Chu Kuang kept changing his expressions, and murmured, This man can attack with his divine sense, so he should be a cultivator at Foundation Establishment. One suspected cultivator at Foundation Establishment and two cultivators at the eighth level of Qi Refining should be enoughDemon Lord His voice kept decreasing and finally became obscure. After quite some time, Chu Kuang left by riding his light shield. Shiao Chen swept behind him with his divine sense for several times to make sure no one was following him, and then he landed in a forest. He got off that black gown, put it into his storage bag and then went directly to the herbal garden by riding his light shield. With the right incarnation and gestures, a road appeared among the fog outside of the valley. And after Shiao Chen walked in, the road disappeared like nothing had ever happened. Shiao Chen checked carefully and after seeing those intact dead leaves on the ground, he nodded satisfactorily and picked them up. It seemed that no one had entered this valley while he was out. Hesitating for a while, Shiao Chen gave up the idea of casting a defensive spell in the valley; otherwise, as a nominal disciple, he took so much trouble to protect himself, which might be counterproductive to bring too much unnecessary attention. After entering the herbal garden, Shiao Chen took out a Soul-nourishing Elixir from his storage bag and ate it to help restore his divine sense. Then he sat down, closed his eyes and started to meditate. Every two hours, he would open his eyes, ate another elixir and then kept meditating. After 10 hours, Shiao Chen restored all divine sense consumed with the help of large quantities of elixirs. It was only he who could ate so many elixirs so freely. It would be impossible for anyone else to restore the divine sense without sitting and meditating for three to five days. The tadpole words mentioned an adobe of an ancient cultivator! Aha, Im afraid it wont be that simple. But five months later, I stand a good chance of establishing my foundation successfully. By that time, I have the say about going or not. The top priority now is to practice the All-embracing Palm Attacks so as to have more means of saving my life when in danger. The fight today made Shiao Chen realize his deficiency. If he hadnt overawed Chu Kuang with his imposing manner, he would probably get into a deadly combat. Shiao Chen took out the remining chapters of All-embracing Palm Attacks. It was silky but its texture was neither silk nor paper. He tried to rip it but failed even though he really had put forth some strength. Shiao Chen couldnt help but marvel at the miraculous technique of ancient cultivators. Shiao Chen Opened the book and studied it with all his hearts. He rose his head slowly after 4 hours with joyful expression on his face. Although these were only some remining chapters of All-embracing Palm Attacks, the content was extremely magical. If he could master it, Shiao Chen had faith in defeating cultivators at the preliminary stage of Foundation Establishment, and in escaping successfully from fights with a cultivator at middle stage of Foundation Establishment. As for cultivators at latter stage of Foundation Establishment and those who had reached the Complete, hed better stay far away from them. After pondering it in mind for several times and making sure there were no mistakes, Shiao Chen started to practice the first magical realm of All-embracing Palm Attacks. Several days later, behind a forest about over 150 kilometers away from Luoyun Valley. One Finger Devourer! Shiao Chen looked solemnly and shouted in a low voice. The spirit power in his body ran quickly to his arm, flowed in his meridians and gave off an air of danger. A finger of his left hand pointed up to the sky and a bright black light suddenly burst out of it like a sharp sword pointing at the sky, so arrogant and domineering. Go! A bright black light shot out; it was so powerful that even the space fluctuated wherever it passed through. Like a dull thunder, it hit a huge green rock about 10 meters in diameter over 33 meters away and cracked it into pieces, causing debris splashing and snapping old trees nearby. Its power was quite formidable. The face of Shiao Chen was slightly pale and he took out several Spirit-gathering Pills from his storage bag and swallowed them. With the help of these pills, he looked much better. Although the One Finger Devourer consumed lots of spirit power, its strike force was so mighty that it could equate to the full-might hit of a cultivator at preliminary stage of Foundation Establishment. One Finger Devourer almost consumed half of my spirit power. In matter of life or death, I can use it. The double attacks strike force could be equal to that of a cultivator at middle stage of Foundation Establishment. But afterwards, Im afraid that my spirit power should be exhausted, and I will be trampled upon at will. Therefore, I cant use it until the most critical moment. Half a day later, a bright rainbow-like light flew out of the forest and towards Luoyun Valley in a fast speed. The first realm of All-embracing Palm Attacks COne Finger Devourer C was preliminarily mastered. If he wanted to reach the second realm C Clouds and Rains Creator, his cultivation had to be at least above Gold Core. As for the third realm CSky Ripper, there were only part of it left. So, the second realm was the zenith of these remining chapters of All-embracing Palm Attacks. After returning to Luoyun Valley, Shiao Chen devoted himself fully into meditating, hoping to establish his foundation as early as possible. In accordance with conventions in the cultivation world, anyone, with cultivation above the eighth level of Qi Refining and with spiritual root above average, could establish his foundation by taking Foundation Establishment Pills. But Shiao Chen knew himself well. As an ordinary person without spiritual root, the reason that he could reach the seventh level of Qi Refining in such a short time was that he could eat large numbers of elixirs to forcefully build up his power. Therefore, compared with others, it was much harder for him to establish foundation successfully. That was why he didnt plan to establish his foundation at eighth level of Qi Refining but waited until he reached the tenth level! In the view of cultivators, they could establish foundation at the eighth level of Qi Refining. In this case, the ninth level was rare and as for the tenth level, it hadnt appeared for thousands of years. And Shiao Chens goal was to reach the tenth level! Swallowing pills, meditating, swallowing pills again, and then meditating Shiao Chens life was extremely dull. Apart from the occasional suspension of cultivation to refine elixirs when he ran out of them, he had never left the futon. But cultivating so crazily really paid off. His speed of cultivating was shocking. He only took half a month to reach the eighth level of Qi Refining, about a month to the ninth level and just two months to the tenth level! He only took three and a half months to upgrade from the seventh level of Qi Refining to the tenth level, a speed that, if spread away, would definitely drive all cultivators crazy. This day, Shiao Chen slowly opened his eyes and faint luminescence flashed across his face. He seemed to be more composed with a sense of detachment in his eyes. Marginal benefits of medicinal pills decline as the level increases. Im now at the 10th level of Qi Refining, which seems to be the cap for the pill benefits to play. Its of little use taking more. And next, I need to get prepared for Foundation Establishment. A sense of excitement arose on Shiao Chens face. Who would ever imagine that the boy without spiritual root could reach the 10th level of Qi Refining in about just half a year! Foundation Establishment Pill. The thought followed. About nearly half a day, Shiao Chen left the herbal garden again and headed to Elixir Valley. Though he was a master in alchemy, he could not make a pill out of nothing. What was more, to his disappointment, there happened to be no Foundation Establishment Pills in the storage bags he plundered. Thus, he was out for a Foundation Establishment Pill or at least he needed to know its efficacy composition. Elixir Valley was a vital place in Luoyun Valley, for it was the only place for pill production. Though Alchemy Taoist was just at the late-stage of Foundation Establishment, he was respected and befriended by others, including the Chief Master who was at the middle-stage of Gold Core. Alchemy Taoist was not keen on taking disciples and until now had only five disciples including Shiao Chen, a nominal one. However, lay disciples recruited to take care of herbs and manage gardens amounted to about a hundred. Now, Alchemy Taoist was trying to break through to the next stage, Gold Core, which inevitably greatly improved the status of Elixir Valley. Wang Erma was supervising about a hundred of his subordinates who were busy drying harvested herbs stored in the warehouse. Occasionally, rebukes from Wang Erma were heard, which made him awe-inspiring. Be quick! Move, move, move! Get the remaining herbs out and dry them in appropriate places. Be careful. These are materials for Spirits-recovering Pills. You certainly cant afford the reimbursement once damaged. Are you blind? Those are Cryptostylis, which are different from these. And if exposed to the sun, they will lose their medicinal value. Get these back as soon as you can. After issuing orders for a while, Wang Erma found his mouth went dry. He turned around, sat beside the stone table, poured himself a cup of water, and drank it. Seeing his subordinates busy executing his orders, he got a little bit complacent. If it were not for his wisdom to attach himself to Senior Brother Duan, there was no way for him to get the position as a leader. Shiao Chen walked slowly into Elixir Valley. As a nominal disciple of Alchemy Taoist, he was allowed to get in and out of the valley at any time. Seeing the busy scene in front of him, a faint smile arose on his face. He was once one of them. Identifying an acquaintance passing by, Shiao Chen smiled and said, How come our supervisor drying herbs himself. I remember youve said that you need to remain dignified as a leader. So how come the transformation occurs suddenly. Wang Bin was happy and a little surprised to see Shiao Chen. Having heard Shiao Chens words, he was a little embarrassed. He managed a smile and said, It is you, Brother Shiao Chen. I havent seen you for more than half a year. Things have changed for long. Im no longer the leader. The Elder puts Senior Brother Duan in charge before his closed-door training. And Brother Duan didnt think I did well. Though Wang Bin pretended that it was no big deal, Shiao Chen still could see something from his eyes. Is it because of me? Shiao Chen asked with a deep voice and sullen face. Em, Brother Duan once spoke ill of you and I couldnt help retorting him with a few words. He was irritated and replaced me with a sycophant. Speaking of this, he got a little bit indignant. His words put Shiao Chen in an even worse mood. However, before he could say anything, there came a sharp reprimand. Wang Bin, do not talk to irrelevant people when you are doing your job. Or I may assume youre not interested in taking your job any more. All right, if you mean it, pack your things up, get your ass out of here and be a lay disciple. Despite difficulties, there are plenty of disciples fighting their way for a place in our Elixir Valley. Speaking in an arrogant tone, Wang Erma apparently recognized Shiao Chen. He knew that Shiao Chen was a nominal disciple of Alchemy Taoist and was much more superior to him. However, as the saying goes, one who wants to beat a dog needs to know who its master is. He was sure that Shiao Chen wouldnt be at odds with Senior Brother Duan. Shiao Chen, in his mind, was just a boy happened to have good fortune and was easy to be dealt with. Hearing the reprimand, Wang Bins face got pale. If he was driven out of the valley, his life ahead would be doomed. Shiao Chens face became sullen. He suddenly turned around and said lightly, Irrelevant people? Open your damned snobbish eyes and take a good look. Im the nominal disciple of the master and who the hell do you think you are. How dare you bark in front of me. Though without releasing his power, as Shiao Chen was now an overmatch at the 10th level of Qi Refining, invisible tension was posed. Wang Erma nearly knelt down with his heart missing a beat. Hehe, I wonder it is who that dare to stir up troubles in our Elixir Valley, and it turns out to be you, my junior brother Shiao Chen. Though your cultivation stage remains the same at the first level of Qi Refining after half a year, your temper gets worse. A voice with scorn came to Shiao Chens ears. He turned around and found Duan Huaming and Ji Yuewu were coming near from the inner yard. Shiao Chen took a glimpse of Duan Huaming, who reached the 8th level of Qi Refining in just a bit time over half a year. Not bad talent. However, they were still a world apart compared to what Shiao Chen got. Then he glanced at Ji Yuewu, amazement flashing by his eyes. The 7th level of Qi Refining! He himself only managed to reach the 10th level with the help of the gold seal and endless pills. However, she was able to do this solely based on her talent without external support. She certainly got an excellent spiritual root! Shiao Chen was startled but remained poker-faced. And then he greeted smilingly, Sister Ji, I havent seen you for a while. How have you been? Glancing at Shiao Chen, Ji Yuewu was surprised to find that he was composed, neither cringing nor arrogant. Though not talented at all, he seemed to be a mystery, shrewd and scheming. His once rash act of walking right into her suddenly occurred to her. A faint blush came into her cheeks, but she controlled the emotion quickly and answered insipidly, Im fine. Thanks for your concern. Duan Huaming was irritated by Shiao Chens disregard and gnashed his teeth in anger after seeing the blush flashing across Ji Yuewus face. In the past six months, Ji Yuewus progress astonished the whole Sect. The Chief Master met her in person and named her as a core disciple. Besides, she had an extremely pretty face, and then was naturally recognized by four branches as the Top One Beauty in Luoyun Valley. She also enjoyed a reputation as a fairy on earth. Duan Huaming had been trying to get her attention but failed all the time. Now a burst of resentment came out of his heart for Ji Yuewu acted like a little girl in front of Shiao Chen. Wang Erma, whats the matter? How can you ever irritate Brother Shiao Chen? Chapter 23 - Conflicts This day, Shiao Chen slowly opened his eyes and faint luminescence flashed across his face. He seemed to be more composed with a sense of detachment in his eyes. Marginal benefits of medicinal pills decline as the level increases. Im now at the 10th level of Qi Refining, which seems to be the cap for the pill benefits to play. Its of little use taking more. And next, I need to get prepared for Foundation Establishment. A sense of excitement arose on Shiao Chens face. Who would ever imagine that the boy without spiritual root could reach the 10th level of Qi Refining in about just half a year! Foundation Establishment Pill. The thought followed. About nearly half a day, Shiao Chen left the herbal garden again and headed to Elixir Valley. Though he was a master in alchemy, he could not make a pill out of nothing. What was more, to his disappointment, there happened to be no Foundation Establishment Pills in the storage bags he plundered. Thus, he was out for a Foundation Establishment Pill or at least he needed to know its efficacy composition. Elixir Valley was a vital place in Luoyun Valley, for it was the only place for pill production. Though Alchemy Taoist was just at the late-stage of Foundation Establishment, he was respected and befriended by others, including the Chief Master who was at the middle-stage of Gold Core. Alchemy Taoist was not keen on taking disciples and until now had only five disciples including Shiao Chen, a nominal one. However, lay disciples recruited to take care of herbs and manage gardens amounted to about a hundred. Now, Alchemy Taoist was trying to break through to the next stage, Gold Core, which inevitably greatly improved the status of Elixir Valley. Wang Erma was supervising about a hundred of his subordinates who were busy drying harvested herbs stored in the warehouse. Occasionally, rebukes from Wang Erma were heard, which made him awe-inspiring. Be quick! Move, move, move! Get the remaining herbs out and dry them in appropriate places. Be careful. These are materials for Spirits-recovering Pills. You certainly cant afford the reimbursement once damaged. Are you blind? Those are Cryptostylis, which are different from these. And if exposed to the sun, they will lose their medicinal value. Get these back as soon as you can. After issuing orders for a while, Wang Erma found his mouth went dry. He turned around, sat beside the stone table, poured himself a cup of water, and drank it. Seeing his subordinates busy executing his orders, he got a little bit complacent. If it were not for his wisdom to attach himself to Senior Brother Duan, there was no way for him to get the position as a leader. Shiao Chen walked slowly into Elixir Valley. As a nominal disciple of Alchemy Taoist, he was allowed to get in and out of the valley at any time. Seeing the busy scene in front of him, a faint smile arose on his face. He was once one of them. Identifying an acquaintance passing by, Shiao Chen smiled and said, How come our supervisor drying herbs himself. I remember youve said that you need to remain dignified as a leader. So how come the transformation occurs suddenly. Wang Bin was happy and a little surprised to see Shiao Chen. Having heard Shiao Chens words, he was a little embarrassed. He managed a smile and said, It is you, Brother Shiao Chen. I havent seen you for more than half a year. Things have changed for long. Im no longer the leader. The Elder puts Senior Brother Duan in charge before his closed-door training. And Brother Duan didnt think I did well. Though Wang Bin pretended that it was no big deal, Shiao Chen still could see something from his eyes. Is it because of me? Shiao Chen asked with a deep voice and sullen face. Em, Brother Duan once spoke ill of you and I couldnt help retorting him with a few words. He was irritated and replaced me with a sycophant. Speaking of this, he got a little bit indignant. His words put Shiao Chen in an even worse mood. However, before he could say anything, there came a sharp reprimand. Wang Bin, do not talk to irrelevant people when you are doing your job. Or I may assume youre not interested in taking your job any more. All right, if you mean it, pack your things up, get your ass out of here and be a lay disciple. Despite difficulties, there are plenty of disciples fighting their way for a place in our Elixir Valley. Speaking in an arrogant tone, Wang Erma apparently recognized Shiao Chen. He knew that Shiao Chen was a nominal disciple of Alchemy Taoist and was much more superior to him. However, as the saying goes, one who wants to beat a dog needs to know who its master is. He was sure that Shiao Chen wouldnt be at odds with Senior Brother Duan. Shiao Chen, in his mind, was just a boy happened to have good fortune and was easy to be dealt with. Hearing the reprimand, Wang Bins face got pale. If he was driven out of the valley, his life ahead would be doomed. Shiao Chens face became sullen. He suddenly turned around and said lightly, Irrelevant people? Open your damned snobbish eyes and take a good look. Im the nominal disciple of the master and who the hell do you think you are. How dare you bark in front of me. Though without releasing his power, as Shiao Chen was now an overmatch at the 10th level of Qi Refining, invisible tension was posed. Wang Erma nearly knelt down with his heart missing a beat. Hehe, I wonder it is who that dare to stir up troubles in our Elixir Valley, and it turns out to be you, my junior brother Shiao Chen. Though your cultivation stage remains the same at the first level of Qi Refining after half a year, your temper gets worse. A voice with scorn came to Shiao Chens ears. He turned around and found Duan Huaming and Ji Yuewu were coming near from the inner yard. Shiao Chen took a glimpse of Duan Huaming, who reached the 8th level of Qi Refining in just a bit time over half a year. Not bad talent. However, they were still a world apart compared to what Shiao Chen got. Then he glanced at Ji Yuewu, amazement flashing by his eyes. The 7th level of Qi Refining! He himself only managed to reach the 10th level with the help of the gold seal and endless pills. However, she was able to do this solely based on her talent without external support. She certainly got an excellent spiritual root! Shiao Chen was startled but remained poker-faced. And then he greeted smilingly, Sister Ji, I havent seen you for a while. How have you been? Glancing at Shiao Chen, Ji Yuewu was surprised to find that he was composed, neither cringing nor arrogant. Though not talented at all, he seemed to be a mystery, shrewd and scheming. His once rash act of walking right into her suddenly occurred to her. A faint blush came into her cheeks, but she controlled the emotion quickly and answered insipidly, Im fine. Thanks for your concern. Duan Huaming was irritated by Shiao Chens disregard and gnashed his teeth in anger after seeing the blush flashing across Ji Yuewus face. In the past six months, Ji Yuewus progress astonished the whole Sect. The Chief Master met her in person and named her as a core disciple. Besides, she had an extremely pretty face, and then was naturally recognized by four branches as the Top One Beauty in Luoyun Valley. She also enjoyed a reputation as a fairy on earth. Duan Huaming had been trying to get her attention but failed all the time. Now a burst of resentment came out of his heart for Ji Yuewu acted like a little girl in front of Shiao Chen. Wang Erma, whats the matter? How can you ever irritate Brother Shiao Chen? Chapter 24 - Foundation Establishment Pills Seeing his patron came, Wang Erma immediately felt courageous. He at once narrated what had happened exaggeratedly and pleaded aggrievedly, Brother Duan, please do justice to me, otherwise who will obey my orders in the future? Duan Huangming immediately changed into a stern look, glanced at Wang Bing sullenly and ordered coldly, So absent-minded when working. If you damage any of these spirit herbs, even killing you cannot compensate the loss. From this day, you are expelled from Elixir Valley. Now pack all your things and get out of here. Brother Duan, I was on good terms with Wang Bing in the past. And today we just had a few small talks. Do you really have to wring his neck for so little a thing? Shiao Chen looked gloomy and argued slowly. Ah, brother Shiao, it is not that I want to let you lose face, but it is my duty. Before his closed-door cultivation, our master asked me to manage all affairs in Luoyun Valley. If there is any mishap or accident, it is all my fault. Therefore, this is final. Say no more, brother. Duan Huaming thought he had gained the upper hand and couldnt help but felt pleased. What if I disagree with you? Shiao Chen said expressionlessly. Duan Huaming squinted his eyes and said with a cold face, Im afraid you do not have the qualification to disagree, brother. With the two giving tit for tat, the atmosphere gradually became depressed. But all of a sudden, Shiao Chen smiled slightly, turned around and said to Wang Bing, You just go to the Outer Sect and focus on your cultivation. Trust me, you will be back soon. Wang Bing nodded gratefully. Although he didnt think he had any chance to come back, it was quite generous of Shiao Chen to argue for him. Wang Bing left, and so did those outer disciples around. At last, only Shiao Chen, Duan Huaming and Ji Yuewu were there. Thinking that he was a notch above Shiao Chen and also showed his capability in front of Ji Yuewu, Duan Huaming couldnt help but feel complacent to some extent. He smiled slightly and said, Brother Shiao, why do you come back to Elixir Valley instead of cultivating in the herbal garden? Shiao Chen just gave Duan Huaming a glance. If not that he couldnt expose his real power now, he would have already killed Duan Huaming. But now he could only answer plainly, I just come back to borrow a Foundation Establishment Pill from Elixir Chamber. Since Brother Duan is here, it does spare me the trouble of reporting this. Brother, please accompany me to get that elixir. There was an Elixir Chamber in Luoyun Valley. And Alchemy Taoist stored lots of elixirs there for his disciples to use for reference when necessary. This was the purpose of Shiao Chen journey. A Foundation Establishment Pill? Astonishment flashed through Duan Huamings eyes. The Foundation Establishment Pill was second grade elixir, which was the hardest to refine for it needed as much as 13 types of spirit herbs. Although these herbs were not precious but they had low rate of forming elixirs. Even if Alchemy Taoist refined it in person, he also only stood a 50-50 chance of making it. As the first disciple of Elixir Valley, Duan Huaming had already reached the second stage of Alchemy and could refine some elixirs for cultivators at Foundation Establishment, but he just couldnt succeed in refining the Foundation Establishment Pill. Until recently after he broke through the eighth level of Qi Refining, he wanted to try again. So, he came to Elixir Chamber today to get a Foundation Establishment Pill to use as reference. But he didnt expect to run across Ji Yuewu here. She was well-recognized by the sect as a rare genius in hundreds of years, who not only progressed fast in cultivation but also had great talent in Alchemy. She reached the second stage of Alchemy in a short time over half a year and was planning to refine Foundation Establishment Pills now. The two of them were the aces among the younger generations of Luoyun Valley. It was no surprise for them to try to refine Foundation Establishment Pills now, but Shiao Chen was just an ordinary person without spiritual root and what he owned was just a deserted herbal garden. It was hard to say if he had stepped over the threshold of Alchemy. How dare he thinking about refining Foundation Establishment Pills? With this thought, Duan Huaming showed some taunt on his face and even Ji Yuewu, who was standing aside, looked shocked, but just for a sec. Brother Shiao, you are surely extraordinary. Even if you do not have spiritual root, you are endowed with great talent in Alchemy. Since you have confident in refining Foundation Establishment Pills now, Im sure you will make a great coup and rank top at the alchemy assessment of our sect several months later. But unfortunately, our master only stored three Foundation Establishment Pills in Elixir Chamber for us. Some time ago, Brother Hei Shi took one and the rest were borrowed away by me and sister Yuewu today. So, it looks that you have to wait for some time. Duan Huaming complimented, but the mocking in his tone was very obvious. Shiao Chen frowned slightly. Without a Foundation Establishment Pill to use as reference, there was no doubt that his plan would be disturbed completely. If so, please pardon me for leaving now. Shiao Chen said this without any hesitation. Since he couldnt get a Foundation Establishment Pill here, he had to figure out other means to get one. Wait a minute. Brother Shiao, if you are really in an urgent need of a Foundation Establishment Pill, I can lend mine to you and let you use it first. Ji Yuewu made the offer suddenly. Ignoring the sullen face of Duan Huaming, she took out an elixir out of her storage bag straight away and threw it to Shiao Chen. Shiao Chen caught it with his hands, scanned it with his divine sense and then looked kind of excited. Hesitating for a while, he said with his hands folded in front of him, Sister, thanks for your generosity. I will surely return it back to you in three months. After that, Shiao Chen turned around and strode out of there. Sister Yuewu, why did you lend your Foundation Establishment Pill to him? Shiao Chen is nothing but an ordinary person without spiritual root. How could he have the ability of refining Foundation Establishment Pills? Brother Duan, I have some other things to do and gotta go now. Besides, please address me as Sister Ji. Ji Yuewu interrupted Duan Huaming and said this indifferently. She then left directly neglecting his sullen face. Duan Huaming looked stiff and got completely pissed off after Ji Yuewu had walked far away. At last, he snorted and left with a scowl. In the herbal garden on the hillside, Shiao Chen held the Foundation Establishment Pill in hands and infused all of his divine sense in it to analyze how the efficacy of spirit herbs was combined. 13 types of spirit herbs were needed in order to refine a Foundation Establishment Pill. The complexity of their combination was over ten times as complicated as that of pills for Qi Refining like Spirit-gathering Pills and Spirit-refining Pills. Not until Shiao Chen started to feel a dull pain in head did he finally manage to get the hang of how efficacy of those herbs was combined. After swallowing several elixirs, Shiao Chen kept recalling the combination while absorbing the effects of those elixirs. Until he was sure that nothing was left out, he finally devoted himself fully into meditation. After two hours, Shiao Chen opened his eyes with his energy and spirit power all back at their peak. Shiao Chen nodded satisfactorily and laid all ingredients prepared before in front of the alchemy furnace. Shiao Chen waved his hand to send some spirit power into the alchemy furnace and solemnly put one spirit herb after another into it. He then infused all this divine sense into it to prudently track the changes in the efficacy of those herbs. With the passing of time, the aroma of herbs was so strong that it was about to transform into elixirs. But right at this time, a thud came from the furnace without warning, indicating the refining this time was a failure. Chapter 25 - What a Tough Way Toward Foundation Establishment! Chapter 25 What a Tough Way Toward Foundation Establishment! Shiao Chen slowly opened his eyes where a touch of depression could hardly be held in. A slightest deviation of the control over his Divine Sense had led to the failure of the whole alchemy process. Closing his eyes to rest for a while until his mind was re-stabilized, Shiao Chen quickly cleaned up the dregs and started the alchemy all over again. This time, Shiao Chen couldnt be careful enough and didnt make any mistakes from beginning to end. After an hour, a strong medicinal fragrance came out of the elixir-refining furnace. With trace of joy showing up on his face, Shiao Chen opened the furnace, finding a dozen of Foundation Establishment Pills were lying there. He picked up one of them and examined with great care. It was exactly the same as the one he already possessed. Shiao Chen nodded with satisfaction and put the rest together in the jade bottle. Mastering the technique, Shiao Chen was able to refine medical pills much quicker. And by the time when night fell, all the 30 packs of materials were used up. Except for one pack failed during the process, the rest 28 packs of materials were successfully turned into 400 Foundation Establishment Pills. Looking at the four large bottles of Foundation Establishment Pills, Shiao Chens face burst with exultation. Presumably, even those core disciples from the major sects had never seen so many Foundation Establishment Pills once for a life time. Shiao Chen hesitated for a while and put three bottles into the storage bag. Three hundred pills are enough for me to build the foundation. The rest 100 could be used for further refining so that I might get pills of middle and even top grade, which will sure exert better effect for my cultivation. Ten hours later, watching, in front of him, the nineteen Foundation Establishment Pills with much better gloss and fragrance, Shiao Chen also felt a little bit grudging for the pills wasted during the refining. Although he had reached the tenth level of Qi refining and his divine sense had greatly enhanced, the difficulty of further refining was beyond his expectation. Only after several rounds of consecutive failures did he succeed. Still, after one hundred trials, he only obtained 19 pills, a success rate of merely 20%. Shiao Chen sighed and carefully packed up the 19 middle-grade Foundation Establishment Pills. Swallowing a few, he closed his eyes and began to meditate. Having refined Foundation-establishment Pills and then further purified them, Shiao Chen had consumed much of his divine sense and spiritual power, so even though he swallowed several elixirs, it took more than six hours for him to completely recover. Shiao Chen took out another Foundation-establishment Pill and swallowed it. In an instant, the cool and tame spiritual power within his body began to turn violent and desperately rushed along his meridians all over the body again and again. As the medical effect was absorbed, the spiritual power grew stronger and also became purer. Shiao Chen closely guarded his spirit by not intervening in the inside changes and just letting it be. An hour later, the almost boiling spiritual power within the body gradually subsided. Shiao Chen opened his eyes, wearing a twinge of self-deprecation on his face. Usually, for a person of middle-level talent, foundation could be established after reaching the eighth level of Qi Refining; but sadly for him, foundation was still not built even though he had reached the tenth level and taken many Foundation Establishment Pills, a proof of his poor aptitude. Fortunately, Shiao Chen was well-prepared for this, so he quickly calmed down after self-ridicule. Carefully examining himself from the bottom to the top, he found that although the foundation-establishment failed, the spiritual power in his body had enhanced quite a bit. This seemed to be attributable to the effect of the elixirs. Shiao Chen collected himself and took one more Foundation Establishment Pill. With the first experience, this time he assimilated the pill faster. Shiao Chen opened his eyes, swallowed another one and continue to absorb it. Shiao Chen took the third Foundation Establishment Pill. As the elixir was absorbed, the boiling spiritual power seemed to have undergone some changes. Shiao Chen was delighted to himself, Did I make it? After the pill was completely assimilated, Shiao Chen slowly opened his eyes and attentively felt the changes in his spiritual power. At this moment, the volume of spiritual power expanded once again, and also became purer than before. At the same time, his divine sense got more powerful than before. Shiao Chen opened his eyes but could hardly pull out a smile. Although he made a breakthrough, he definitely did not manage to establish a foundation. What was his current stage of cultivation? The eleventh level of Qi Refining? It seemed a level never heard of. Shiao Chen contemplated for a while. Though he did not succeed in building the foundation, his cultivation was ceaselessly increasing. If this enhancement could last to the maximum, he could naturally enter the next phase of cultivation. He collected himself and took one more elixir, thinking resolutely to himself, I have more than too many elixirs. If one is not enough, Ill swallow ten; if ten is not enough, Ill swallow a hundred. I can take as many as it takes to build the foundation! For two consecutive months, Shiao Chen secluded himself for cultivation. Days passed by in repeated elixir-taking, meditation and elixir-refining. Twenty-five elixirs taken, Shiao Chen had the feeling of breakthrough for a second time, but the foundation still wasnt built. And temporarily he defined the current stage as the twelfth level of Oi Refining. Sixty-four elixirs taken, he made the third breakthrough; the foundation-building failed, and he reached the 13rd level of Qi Refining And then 157 elixirs taken, the forth breakthrough; foundation-building failed, and he reached the 14th level of Qi Refining By the fifth breakthrough, foundation-building failed again, and he reached the 15th level of Qi Refining Shiao Chen opened his eyes, which were full of unyieldingness. The refining of this middle-level elixir only made the spiritual power inside him purer but never increased the volume. Alas, it seems Ive reached the ceiling of Qi Refining. But why cant I establish the foundation? This was his tenth attempt, and no progress was made in his spiritual power after nine Foundation Establishment Pills of low-grade were absorbed in a row. Therefore, Shiao Chen decided at once to give up and swallowed a middle-grade pill, but the effect was still greatly limited. Cudgeling his brains, Shiao Chen looked somewhat painful. Although the 15th level of Qi Refining was reached, no breakthrough was made. Did he get this extraordinary alchemy technique just to find out his cultivation should stop at Qi-refining period? Shiao Chen was never prepared to yield so he used the Qi concealing technique learned from Soul Muddling Scripture to stabilize his cultivation at the seventh level of Qi Refining. Swallowing a Disguising Pill, he walked out of the valley. Disguising Pill was a kind of unorthodox pill made of costly materials. Its function was to change the takers appearance for six hours and could be taken again every other hour. However, it was far from flawless. Anyone with cultivation more than a big realm beyond the taker could easily see through the disguise. Luckily, Shiao Chen had made it to the 15th level of Qi refining at this moment, a stage no weaker than an average cultivator in terms of either spiritual power or divine sense, so he didnt have to worry about being recognized. The only capable person Chief Master had been guarding for Alchemy Taoist who was in his closed-door cultivation of breaking through the Gold Core Realm, so Shiao Chen could put his heart at rest. Coming out of the herbal garden, Shiao Chen sprang into the air. Although no spirit tool was used, he was extremely rapid. In less than a quarter, he landed some distance away from the Books Pavilion of Luoyun Valley, a library where stored tremendous number of books and records on every aspect of cultivation. Above the pavilion there was a strong spell restriction which prohibited people under Foundation Establishment flying. Although Shiao Chen was able to do so, at the point he did not want to attract any attention, so naturally he would not do anything stupid. Chapter 26 - In Search of the Root Cause Chapter 26 In Search of the Root Cause Seeing Shiao Chen coming near, the two direct disciples guarding the library scanned him immediately with their divine senses and became submissive. They saluted to and greeted him, Senior Brother. Without an expression, Shiao Chen nodded and said nonchalantly, I want to go inside. One low grade spirit stone per hour for the first floor, two for the second, and for the third, entrance is only possible with Chief Masters warrant. And one more thing, Senior Brother, all things inside are not allowed to be taken out. The direct disciple on the left said with respect. Nodding yet slightly hesitant, Shiao Chen took two low grade spirit stones out of his storage bag and gave them to the disciples, I will be in the first floor for four hours. The choice was made because the Disguising Pill could only last for six hours. Though feeling a little bit strange, the two disciples still handed a jade token over to Shiao Chen deferentially. With this, Senior Brother can stay for four hours. Remaining poker-faced, Shiao Chen nodded and walked directly into the library. Which branch is this Senior Brother in? He is not an acquaintance to me. And its weird and a waste of spirit stones for him to just get into the first floor. Its none of your business. The security system is not triggered, which is enough for us to know he is not a spy but a disciple of our Luoyun Valley. Maybe, he used to be absorbed in closed-door training. You can tell from his cultivation, the 7th level of Qi Refining. And its his choice to decide which floor he will be in. All we need to do is just to take spirit stones. Its not wise to be curious. Yes, Brother. I will keep it in mind. Continuing talking in whispers for a few more sentences, they looked up and saw envy in each others eyes and then quieted down. It was the first time that Shiao Chen had been here in the library, a three-story building. The first floor was for anecdotes and was seldom visited by disciples. The second floor was for cultivation methods and incantations. It was a place where direct disciples could find suitable manuals. As for the third floor, there stored top-level manuals and invaluable written cultivation experience of previous achievers. Only a few in the valley had the right to go inside. However, Shiao Chen didnt come here this time for cultivation methods but for possible clues of why he couldnt get through to the next level of Foundation Establishment. Therefore, he started to thumb through the jade slips immediately after a few breaths. During the four hours, the library was visited by quite a few disciples. Upon entering the library, they were surprised to see that there should be one disciple concentrated in reading jade tablets in the first floor. Despising him in heart, they thought he was just ignorant enough to stay in the first floor. All in the valley knew good things were in the other two floors. Despite their thoughts, no one came near reminding him about it, for they paid to read here not to meddle with things. Things before eyes changed suddenly and Shiao Chen was directly transferred to the entrance of the library when time was up. He looked up, gave back the jade token, and left in a rush with his head down. Though he learnt a lot, it was still a mystery why he couldnt break the bottleneck. It seemed that he needed to wait for four more hours to take another Disguising Pill and went inside again. With nobody else in sight, Shiao Chen gradually hided his existence and sat behind a giant rock quietly, waiting with his leg crossed. After the pill efficacy was gone, Shiao Chen waited for two more hours to take another pill and then headed directly to the library. This time, he became a black-faced youth. Handing over three low grade spirit stones, despite their astonishment, Shiao Chen again bowed his head and read, trying to find clues. Time flied. Suddenly, Shiao Chen raised his head, threw the jade token to the guarding disciples, and rushed out. The pill efficacy was gone just the moment he was out of the sight of the guarding disciples. Shiao Chen hided himself again and waited for another two hours. He then turned into an ordinary youth by swallowing another pill and went straightly to the library. Outside the library, the two guarding disciples glanced at each other in astonishment and saw through the doubt in each others eyes, He is the third one asking to stay in the first floor this day. Are these guys all for possible treasures hidden there? A few days later, rumors came out. It was said that hidden in the first floor there were manuals recording the cultivation experience and methods of a former achiever at Gold Core. The manuals were placed by the Sect deliberately, waiting for someone with luck. Whats more, some claimed that there was someone who did get and practice one of the manuals and ended up with multiplied strength. They said with certainty as if they saw it with their own eyes. Therefore, the first floor of the library turned out to be such a popular spot that endless direct disciples flocked to it, hunting for manuals. And there happened to be disciples who accidentally found several top-grade manuals hidden in the anecdotes, which in turn brought a greater fame to the first floor. Of course, this was a later story. Shiao Chen was unaware of their wild guesses. Extensive reading of hundreds of jade tablets was finally paid off. Shiao Chen got what he wanted. He read the found tablet carefully with his divine sense for a long time and raised his head, indulged in thoughts. Spiritual root? According to the tablet, the probable reason behind my bottleneck lies in the absence of a spiritual root. How can I fix it? Shiao Chen read it over and over again but failed to find anything more. There was still time left. Shiao Chen continued reading dozens of jade tablets. Still no clue at all. Since the pill was about to lose its efficacy, Shiao Chen had no other way but to go. Im lucky enough to be able to figure out the root cause. It would be greedy of me if I still want a solution. Shiao Chen said in a self-mockery tone with a slightly bitter face. However, he shook his head and picked himself up immediately, I am now with in hand the rare cheating device of gold seal. Its not convincible that I would be trapped by this. He identified the direction by a glance, lifted himself up into the air, and disappeared soon without a trace. Sister Yuewu, you are the most diligent one among us. How come you stop cultivation today? Liu Junru asked. Though with a little bit envy in her heart after seeing the admiration in the two brothers eyes, she was not jealous at all, for Ji Yuewu deserved it. Well, you seem to be disturbed, Sister Ji. Whats bothering you? How about speaking it out? We might be able to help you. Li Yuedu asked, showing his appropriate concern. The words were neither straight forward nor abrupt. Duan Huaming agreed with him by nodding repeatedly. In a daze for a second, Ji Yuewu recovered quickly and said lightly, Nothing. Cultivation is laborious, and I just want a day off. Im not preoccupied. Despite her words, she couldnt help thinking about Shiao Chen. It had been nearly three months, and as promised, it was time for him to come and return the Foundation Establishment Pill he borrowed. Chapter 27 - Act in a Dominant Way Chapter 27 Act in a Dominant Way Oh, I see. The three of them looked at each other and saw puzzlement in each others eyes. Obviously, they didnt buy the excuses Ji Yuewu gave them. But Ji Yuewu didnt care and looked as calmly as before. Ah, I have been trying to refine Foundation Establishment Pills recently and all my hard work pays off. Yesterday I refined a Foundation Establishment pill successfully. Duan Huaming seemed really proud of himself. He took out a Foundation Establishment Pill from his storage bag and put it on his hand while kept glancing at Ji Yuewu. A Foundation Establishment Pill! I really didnt expect this. Since you can refine it all by yourself, youre surely about to become a third-class alchemist! said Liu Junru admiringly. She was really shocked at first. Li Yuedu also congratulated him but the embarrassment on his face kind of revealed that he might have forced that out. However, what disappointed Duan Huaming was that Ji Yuewu just congratulated him plainly without changing that clam look on her face, not even a little bit. Didnt she know how incredible it was for a young man like him to refine Foundation Establishment Pills successfully? Right at this time, a person walked into the hall slowly. He seemed surprised at seeing so many people there and then saluted calmly, Senior brothers and sisters. Ji Yuewus eyes lit up and even the coldness on her face melted a little bit when she saw Shiao Chen. But she just nodded slightly. Although Duan Huaming and Li Yuedu were not to each others taste, they did admit that both of them were qualified to purse Ji Yuewu. But how dare Shiao Chen, a crap without spiritual root, approach Ji Yuewu? This really pissed them off. As for Liu Junru, she never gave a glance to Shiao Chen who was just a crap without spiritual root for her. I heard from Brother Duan that you are digging into the refining of Foundation Establishment Pills, which really made me admire your progress in cultivation. You are not cultivating today. Does that mean you also succeed in refining Foundation Establishment Pills like Brother Duan? A glimmer coming into his eyes, Li Yuedu said with a meaningful smile. Ji Yuewu frowned slightly at this but she didnt say anything. However, she did look at Shiao Chen with some expectations. Shiao Chen also frowned slightly, but he had to hide his capabilities and bide his time to figure out how to solve the bottleneck of establishing foundation without attracting unnecessary attentions. Therefore, he just replied causally, It is extremely hard to refine Foundation Establishment Pills. Besides, Im not talented enough and my purpose is to get to know it. So naturally, I did not make it. I come here today to return the Foundation Establishment Pill I borrowed as promised. Although she knew it was an extravagant hope, Ji Yuewus eyes still dimmed and she slightly sighed in her heart. Somehow, she always felt that she couldnt see through Brother Shiao, and the image of him would come into her mind every now and then, especially after the encounter last time. Alas, it is surely destined. Since it is so, there is no need to think too much about it. Shiao Chen did not miss the changes in Ji Yuewus eyes. Hesitating for a while, he took out a Foundation Establishment Pill from his storage bag and handed it to her. Then he took one step back and said, Thank you, Sister Ji. Now I return the pill I borrowed. After this, he turned around and left straight away, ignoring the gird of Duan Huaming and others. Bah, as I said, Sister, lending your Foundation Establishment Pill to him just delays your own cultivation. He can succeed in refining Foundation Establishment Pill? Hilarious! Duan Huaming wore a disdainful expression, as if Shiao Chen could never catch up with him even after another one hundred or even thousand years of cultivation. Li Yuedu had the same feelings. How dare such kind of small potato covet sister Ji! What an uppity bloke! Liu Junru smiled for a while and she seemed delighted by Shiao Chen getting away in embarrassment. Lets call it a day. Im kind of tired. Brothers and sisters, please pardon me and leave me alone, said Ji Yuewu insipidly with a cup of tea in hand. She seemed not in a good mood. Duan Huaming and others knew her personality well enough. Hearing this, they just stood up and took leave. After the three of them had walked far away enough, Ji Yuewu opened her hand and a round milk white Foundation Establishment Pill with a light halo lay on her palm. The corners of her mouth slid upwards, evolving into a breath-taking smile. She said to herself, A middle-grade Foundation Establishment Pill. It seems that the three of them are really as blind as bats for they have failed to see any clue of this. Shiao Chen, how many secrets have you kept from others? Im really curious about that. Oh, Im really short of experience and not clam enough. I failed the test of life so easily! While flying away, Shiao Chen sighed with a regretful look. Giving Ji Yuewu a middle-grade Foundation Establishment Pill undoubtedly let out too much information. If she wanted to dig into it, the secrets Shiao Chen made so many efforts to hide would probably be discovered. And if the news spread out, the consequences were unthinkable. Forget it. Weal and woe have already been destined; whats done cant be undone, so it is no use regretting now. If the information gives away, then it means I have trusted the wrong person and the worst scenario is that I have to leave this place. But I dont believe Ji Yuewu is such kind of person! Shiao Chen changed into a firm look, sped up and went directly to Elixir Valley. Emm? Shiao Chen frowned slightly, pretended that he didnt notice the two shadows coming near him and kept flying forward. Shiao Chen, stop! Two domineering voices came from behind him. Shiao Chen turned around expressionlessly only to find Duan Huaming and Li Yuedu were in a very threatening manner while Liu Junru behind them looked excited and kept glancing at Shiao Chen with pity. Ho! The three of them took back their light shield at the same time and stood in his way. Shiao Chen frowned again, but still he landed on the ground and said modestly with hands cupped in front of him, Brothers and sisters, Whats the matter? A feeling of disdainful welled up in Duan Huamings heart. What he hated most was Shiao Chens calm and collected manner. A humble creature without spiritual root dared to pose a posture of talking to them as equals. How blind and reckless! I will come straight to the point. We do not have so much time to waste on you. Shiao Chen, youd better keep some distance with Sister Ji. She is extremely talented in cultivation and alchemy, and shes even chosen to be a core disciple of Chief Master. She is so noble that shes not someone an ordinary person without spiritual root like you could covet. If you still want to stay in Luoyun Valley comfortably, then youd better do what I tell you. Otherwise, you know the consequences! Li Yuedu stood aside with a cold face. Although he didnt say anything, his gaze was extremely cold whenever he looked at Shiao Chen. Liu Junru watched all of this with a meaningful smile, seemingly amused. Im a nominal disciple of the master, but we are equals. Since Im not your servant or slavery, on what basis do you give this order? There is someone coveting Sister Ji, but Im afraid its not me. Shiao Chen smiled coldly. At this time, with the help of the gold seal, his cultivation surged up to the fifteen level of Qi Refining shortly. He could kill Duan Huaming with just one hand and that was where his confidence came from. Chapter 28 - The Small Cliff Market Chapter 28 The Small Cliff Market But what Shiao Chen said just gave the three of them the impression of being reckless. Duan Huaming and Li Yuedus eyes suddenly became sharp and cold with subtle killing intent flashing by. As for Liu Junru, after being shocked for a while, she looked at Shiao Chen with surprise and seemed to have never expected that a guy without spiritual root dared to talk to Duan Huaming like that. After all, among the young generation of Luoyun Valley, Duan Huaming not only had remarkable cultivation but also reached the peak of second-class alchemist who could refine Foundation Establishment Pills. There were few people who dared to contradict him. Good! Excellent! Duan Huaming was so enraged that he laughed with sharpness flashing through his eyes. Then he directed his overwhelming spirit power at Shiao Chen. Shiao Chen looked at Duan Duanming expressionlessly and said indifferently, Right or wrong, killing fellow disciples will be expelled from the Sect, permanently! This is the rule laid down by our founder. Do you intend to break it, Brother Duan? Hearing this, Duan Huaming stiffened a little bit. Although his face was still so sullen, the surging spirit power was taken back gradually. He looked around and found that his actions had attracted the attention of many disciples of Luoyun Valley, which really startled him to some extent. Not to mention whether he would be punished if this was known by elders of the Sect; if Ji Yuewu knew this, the image he had made efforts to maintain would collapse and he would have no chance of winning her heart. Bah, dont you think I have no way to deal with you. Shiao Chen, you dare to disrespect me like this; I will surely let you pay the price during the Sect Tournament. Duan Huaming smiled coldly and even a determination of killing flashed through his eyes. And then he turned around and left by riding his light shield. So reckless! Li Yuedu gave Shiao Chen a cold glance, like the far above God looking down at mans world. With a hum, he also turned around and disappeared by riding his light shield. Liu Junru gave a wired look at Shiao Chen, and said with a smile, I admit that you really get a nerve, but I have to tell you that Im afraid in no time all people in Luoyun Valley will know you disrespect Brother Duan. I hope when the Sect Tournament comes, you can still be so arrogant and stubborn. With another charming smile, she also left. The Sect Tournament. Shiao Chen frowned slightly. In order to assess the cultivation of disciples of Luoyun Valley, there was an assessment per year. All disciples, outer and direct disciples alike, should participate in it. Those with big progress would be awarded; otherwise, they would be punished. And after the assessment, the Sect would set up an arena for disciples to solve their conflicts. Although the rules stipulated that all fights mustnt lead to disabilities and deaths, it was acceptable to beat others up to the extent that they had to lie on bed for about half a month. It stood a good chance that Duan Huaming planned to humiliate Shiao Chen on the arena. Hem, Duan Huaming is an extremely narrow-minded and shortsighted person. How dare he has the intention of killing me! Duan Huaming, youd better stay away from me, or I will kill you even if I have to expose my power. Coldness flashed through Shiao Chens eyes and then he flew directly to Elixir Valley on his light shield. If Shiao Chen could establish foundation, with the gold seal in hand, there was no need to take risk to explore the ancient cultivators adobe. However, facing the bottleneck of establishing foundation, he could only shift his hope to this. After all, ancient cultivators were omnipotent and perhaps he could find solutions to solve his bottleneck there. There was not much time left before the date he appointed with Chu Kuang. It was impossible to breakthrough in so short a time; therefore, Shiao Chen could only turn to the second best choice C refining lots of elixirs. After all, elixirs were something that could save life in the nick of time. Spirit-gathering Pills, Soul-refining Pills and other pills for the preliminary stage of Qi Refining were almost useless for Shiao Chen. Foundation Establishment Pills could help restore his spirit power to the maximum, but absorbing their efficacy took too long; and once used, the spirit power would surge forward and even to the point of getting out of control. Obviously, it was not fit for using during a combat. After thorough reflection, Shiao Chen finally decided to refine Soul-nourishing Pills. This pill, used to restore spirit power for cultivators at Foundation Establishment, was kind of fit for him. Most important of all, refining Foundation Establishment Pills was just a piece of cake for him after his divine sense had been strengthened. Shiao Chen took out his alchemy furnace, left everything else aside and started to refine elixirs madly. Soul-nourishing Pills would definitely be enough because he planned to refine hundreds of it. Soul-restoring Pills, used for the quick recovery of divine sense, were also vital for Shiao Chen. So he intended to refine dozens of it. Top Blood Jasper Cream, specially used for treating wound of the body, which enjoyed a reputation of managing to set a fracture as it was as long as the lambs didnt break off completely. Cultivators before reaching Gold Core had extremely fragile body, and death was hard to avoid when injured mortally. Therefore, such vital pills were definitely needed. Just refine17 or 18 bottles of it in advance. Shiao Chen also refined lots of other farraginous elixirs like Detoxifying Pills, Breath-suspending Pills, Fasting Pills and Disguising Pills. He put them all into his storage bag for unexpected needs. In the course of refining elixirs, Shiao Chen got out of the valley once and found the rumor had spread all over the Sect, which said that he was disrespectful to Duan Huaming, so Brother Duan, who was in anger, decided to fight back and planned to kick Shiao Chens ass after the Sects assessment. Shiao Chen just snorted at it and got back to the valley to continue refining elixirs. If Duan Huaming didnt want to live any longer, he did not mind lending him a hand. Preparing all elixirs needed took Shiao Chen almost half a month. But if it were some other alchemist, it would be impossible to refine all the elixirs without a year or so. Shiao Chen swallowed some elixirs and sat down to meditate. When he opened his eyes again, both his spirit power and divine sense were all at their peak. Ive got enough elixirs and its time to get something else to save my life. Shiao Chen pondered for a while, then put away all the elixirs and left Luoyun Valley prudently without being detected by disciples on patrol. Every cultivator needed a unique thing in cultivation to help build up spirit power and make breakthroughs. Therefore, markets for cultivators to exchange, buy and sell things emerged at the right moment. Of course, markets for cultivators, even the lowest ones, would set up a maze to remain under cover and prevent mortals from getting into it. Only cultivators could get in and out of it. The Small Cliff Market was a low-level market nearest to Luoyun Valley. Those exchanging there were mostly low-level disciples of various cultivating families or sects. Of course, at times, one or two down and out cultivators at Foundation Establishment would come in hope of finding some good stuffs there. This day, a light shield abruptly appeared outside of a bare valley and a fine young man was standing there. Is this the Small Cliff Market? This young man was Shiao Chen. He hesitated for a while and soon concealed some of his power to make it equal to that of a cultivator at the seventh level of Qi Refining. After this, he waved his hand to throw out a spirit incantation and then walked into the valley. Like walking into the water, the air rippled and then all kind of din and noises just poured in. Chapter 29 - Exchange for Talisman The tendon of the first-class spirit beast C Qing Feng Snake. Essential in refining a magical bow. Only three low grade spirit stones are needed. Guys, do come and have a look! All kinds of storage bags with novel and elegant designs and huge space. Just one low grade spirit stone each. Looking for someone to tutor me in cultivation! If I can make breakthroughs and reach the third level of Qi Refining in a month, I will pay five low grade spirit stones. Shiao Chen was kind of taken by surprise and then shook his head. This was the first time he came to the market for cultivators only, but he never thought that it almost had no difference with the secular one. Since he was already here, then he planned to stroll around and, perhaps, could find himself some good stuff. With this thought, Shiao Chen began to wander slowly around various booths. Senior, wanna buy some Purple-golden Grass? Its the main ingredient for making Spirit-refining Pills. Its what you need now. Besides, they are cheap C 20 grass for a set and one low grade spirit stone per set. Night Fragrant Grass! It can soothe the nerve and repel insects. Scatter some of its dry powder over your residence, and you will surely yield twice the result with half the effort when cultivating. At this one booth, a young man about over 20 years old was flatteringly recommending various precious spirit grass to Shiao Chen, like that if he didnt buy some, he would surely suffer a significant loss. This really amused Shiao Chen. Even the unattended spirit grass growing in the deserted herbal garden were much better than these on the booth, let along those growing in the hidden cave. Shiao Chen walked leisurely and took about over one hour to travel through the whole market, but he was still empty-handed. He smiled bitterly, shook his head and walked directly to the end of the market. Senior, what can I do for you? The guy in charge of accounting asked tensely and cautiously since he had already perceived how mighty Shiao Chens power was. Although Shiao Chen had concealed some of his power, his visible power was equal to that of the seventh level of Qi Refining. Otherwise, he would have been scolded and called names since he had looked for so long but bought nothing. Im wondering how many spirit stones I should pay if I want to get a booth here. Shiao Chen asked directly without beating around the bush. One low grade spirit stone for every eight hours. Any time less than eight hours will be viewed as eight hours when calculating the price. But senior, if you want to rent a booth here, I can give you a 70% discount. answered the guy reverently with an expression saying that I was doing you a great favor. Shiao Chen shook his head, casually threw a spirit stone to him and walked out with his number plate. There was no need for him to take such a small advantage since he not only had a great many elixirs, but also was very rich because he got hundreds of spirit stones from those dead people. Since the market had been open for a long time and booths at great locations were all taken, Shiao Chen just chose a booth at the corner and he didnt really care about the location. He just casually placed seven or eight jade bottles on his booth and then closed his eyes to have some rest without peddling his stuff. An hour later, a young man with a perplexed look came to Shiao Chens booth and inquired, Senior, what are these pills? Spirit-gathering Pills, Soul-refining Pills, Spirit-guarding Pills, Small-restoration Pills, Big-restoration Pills and Top Blood Jasper Cream. Shiao Chen said these seven names in one breath even without raising his head. The young man took a deep breath, dared not to believe it and seemed startled by Shiao Chens words. After some time, he inquired prudently, Senior, may I take a look? Please. Hearing this, the young man looked so forward to it and opened one jade bottle cautiously. And right at the moment he lifted the lid a refreshing aroma of pills spread around rapidly. Its true! These really are Soul-refining Pills! The young man was so excited. He put down the jade bottle reluctantly and inquired prudently, Senior, whats the price of this bottle of Soul-refining Pills? Five low grade spirit stones per pill. answered Shiao Chen without looking up. To be frank, the price was quite reasonable and even a little bit lower than the market price. Besides, pills were always hard-to-get but sold well. They were rare in low level markets and once they made their appearance on markets, people would rush to buy and late-comers had to go back empty-handed. Therefore, their price normally would be 30% higher than market price. Hearing this, the young man looked so delighted and said without hesitation, I want three! Fifteen low grade spirit stones were all he had, but buying three Spirit-refining Pills with them would definitely wake him up from his dream laughing. After all, with their assist, he stood a great chance in breaking through the bottleneck he was facing. After he put fifteen spirit stones on the booth, Shiao Chen put them into his storage bag and said casually, Help yourself. The young man was shocked. There seemed to be hundreds of pills in the bottle, if he took more than threeHowever, thinking about the power Shiao Chen showed, he gave up the thought instantly and completely, just took three Spirit-refining Pills and left in a hurry. After fifteen minutes, a girl discovered Shiao Chens booth, got two Spirit-gathering Pills and left wild with joy. Gradually, all people at the market knew that a senior set up a booth at the east corner of the market selling elixirs in really low prices. Instantly, the whole market was invigorated and millions of low-level cultivators rushed to him. At this moment, Shiao Chens booth had been surrounded by so many people who all looked at those big elixir bottles fervently. Senior, I want to buy three Small-restoration Pills. I want to buy two Spirit-refreshing Pills. Senior, I do not have any money. However, could you award me two pills if I keep you companied tonight? All kinds of inquiries just kept coming. Shiao Chen frowned slightly. With his aim achieved, he wasted no more time and coughed with spirit power to silence all those around. From now on, all elixirs are not for sale but for exchange. Anyone wanting elixirs should use talismans to exchange for them. Talismans, lots of talismans, were the aim of Shiao Chens journey. Since he couldnt improve his power enormously in a short time, talismans, which could have relatively strong attacking power whenever a little spirit power was infused, of course became a short-cut in enhancing his combat capabilities. In addition, the elixirs he sold out were those left behind from his former cultivation, which were almost useless for him now. And it was fairly cost-effective to use them in exchange of things to guard his life. After Shiao Chens words, a weak voice was heard from the crowd, Senior, do you have any requirements for the talisman? Does talisman of any grade work for you? There is no requirement and talismans of all grade work for me. Hearing this, a young man about 17 or 18 years old came forward from the crowd. Senior, I have one hundred Fireball Talismans, all refined by myself. I want to exchange for two Spirit-refining Pills with you. A gale of laughter burst out after the young mans words. Hahaha, Fireball Talisman is the lowest talisman, which could only attack with power of the third level of Qi Refining. How could you suggest using such crap in exchange? One low grade spirit stone could exchange for ten Fireball Talismans; accordingly, one hundred Fireball Talismans are worth ten low grade spirit stones. But in my view, one hundred Fireball Talismans cant even exchange for half of a Spirit-refining Pill! Thats right. Low grade Fireball Talisman is easy to make but elixirs are hard to get. You are too reckless. You cant bear the consequences if you annoy the senior! Chapter 30 - Kill a Cultivator at Foundation Establishment Facing all the sneer, the young mans face reddened, and he looked at Shiao Chen fearfully. If not that he got stuck in cultivation and couldnt make any breakthroughs for a long time, how dared he to act like this. Senior, that was just my wishful thinking. How could it be possible for you to want this kind of low-grade talisman. I will leave right now. Wait, said Shiao Chen, who gave him a glance and added, Leave the one hundred Fireball Talismans behind and take two pills from the bottle. These words silenced all and then the market was in an uproar. That young man was full of joy and excitement. He put down that one hundred talismans without hesitation, prudently took two Spirit-refining Pills from the jade bottle and left with heartfelt delight. Since even the trashy Fireball Talisman worked for the exchange, plus one successful case, elixirs sold like hot cakes. Senior, I also have tens of Fireball Talismans and more than ten Earth Ripping Talismans, Body-binding Talismans and Diamond Talismans. I want to exchange for three Small-restoration Pills. Senior, I have talismans including Kui Water Gold Needle Talismans, Explosive Fire Talismans and Swamp Talismans. And I hope to exchange for two Spirit-gathering Pills and one serving of Top Blood Jasper Cream. After over one hour, the elixirs on Shiao Chens booth almost lessened by half, but the talismans in his storage bag added up to over one thousand, which made him very satisfied. One lowest grade Fireball Talisman could only attack with the power of the third level of Qi Refining, but what if one hundred of them were used at the same time? Even cultivators of Foundation Establishment, if hit, would be badly wounded if not dead. If used well, it could save his life. Ahem! A hum was heard among the crowd, which overawed all present with mighty spirit power and divine sense. Then the market was like being pressed the mute button, so quiet that even the sound of a falling needle could be heard. A path appeared among the crowed and an insidious man over 30 years old, wearing black clothes, came in big strides. Standing in front of Shiao Chens booth, he looked at the elixirs displayed with fervency. A cultivator at Foundation Establishment! Shiao Chen panicked inwardly but instantly clamed himself down. Although he failed to establish foundation, his power was fully reinforced and rather pure. In fights, he was not necessarily weaker than cultivators at the preliminary stage of Foundation Establishment. Senior, do you want to exchange for some elixirs? Shiao Chen asked modestly with hands folded. The man in black hesitated for a while and said slowly, I have talismans that those small potatoes have definitely no access to. With some complacency flashing through his faces, the man in black took out a blood-red talisman, which seemed like burning, from his storage bag. Judging from the dense and complicated patterns, it was surely quite extraordinary. Fire Explosive Talisman. Once spirit power is infused in it, explosion surely happens. Its attacking power equals to that of a cultivator at the preliminary stage of Foundation Establishment. How much would you pay for it? Eagerness appeared in Shiao Chens eyes. Fire Explosive Talisman was classified as second grade talisman with fairly strong attacking power. With it, he would have one more means to keep himself safe. Three Soul-nourishing Pills. Pondering for a while, Shiao Chen took out three pills from his storage bag. Their rich fragrance suddenly spread out, which indicated clearly that their grade was much higher than those on the booth. The Soul-nourishing Pill could help improve the cultivation of cultivators at Foundation Establishment, which made the people around look more covetous. Mania also flashed through the eyes of this man in black and without hesitation he said, Deal! After carefully taking over the three Soul-nourishing Pills from Shiao Chen, the man hesitated for a while and continued, I also have one high-grade Water Needle Talisman, which, once used, can release thousands of water needles. With it, you can even hold back a cultivator at the middle stage of Foundations Establishment. I will exchange for it! Shiao Chen said promptly. However, since the man had already gotten some Soul-nourishing Pills, Shiao Chen, with some thought, took out five Soul-replenishing Pills and handed them to the man in black. Sense-restoring Pills! The man in black clearly knew a lot about elixirs. Looking really joyful, he checked prudently, nodded to give consent to the deal and then put the high-grade Water Needle Talisman onto Shiao Chens hand. Shiao Chen checked carefully, And, after making sure nothing went wrong, he nodded with satisfaction and put it into his storage bag. Senior, do you have any other talismans to exchange? I will surely give you reasonable prices. Shiao Chen looked at the man in black quite fervently. The man hesitated for a while and shook his head. Right at this moment, Shiao Chen put on a trace of properly managed disappointment in his eyes. This was seen by the man, who smiled coldly in the heart and walked away in big strides. After another 15 minutes, Shiao Chen got two hundred more talismans, waved his hand and announced, So much for today and off you go. Still lots of people didnt get the chance to exchange for elixirs they wanted, but the power Shiao Chen showed was the seventh level of Qi Refining, which overawed them and made them dare not to complain. At last, they had no choice but to leave slowly and reluctantly. Of course, there were people dodging eye contacts, who left without getting far away enough. Shiao Chen smiled coldly in his heart, simply packed up his things and flew away with a flash of green light. After leaving the Small Cliff Market, Shiao Chen flew in a moderate speed. Having flown for about several hundred kilometers, he found the space in front of him twitched and then a man appeared and stood in his way. Shiao Chen gave him an expressionless glance and said calmly, Friend, what do you want to do? We have closed the deal and why are you standing in my way? The man in black laughed sinisterly and answered evilly, Haha, my purpose is very simple. Be sensible and give me back the two talismans I exchanged with you before and offer me another dozens of elixirs. Then I may consider to show mercy on you and let you walk out of here safe and sound. In his view, Shiao Chen was definitely the lineal disciple of a certain big sect, otherwise he couldnt have so many elixirs at just Qi Refining. Therefore, he didnt show any malicious intentions at the market. And now he showed himself because he had made sure that Shiao Chen was totally by himself without any secret protection. Thinking that he probably could get some good stuffs again this time, he just couldnt hold back that greed in his eyes. Shiao Chen showed fear at the right moment and posed his body in a posture like that he was trying to flee back. Aha, let me give you a little piece of advice: Struggle no more, for it is not only in vain but also will make you suffer more. The man in black said confidently. Although he was just at the preliminary stage of Foundation Establishment, killing a cultivator at Qi Refining was dead easy. Go die! The man in black opened his mouth and a sharp red light shot out and went straight to Shiao Chen, which was his spirit tool that had been nourished in his body. Even though he was fighting a cultivator at Qi Refining, the man in black still used his spirit tool to hit with all his might in order to make sure he could kill his foe instantly, which showed that the man in black was extremely prudent. If it was someone else, he would surely make it. But unfortunately, it was Shiao Chen that he was attacking. Now! After the man in black opened his mouth and took out his spirit tool, he thought that Shiao Chen was a dead person and let his guard down to the lowest point. And right at this moment, Shiao Chen suddenly restored his sanity and ended his show of acting like panic-stricken. The man was shocked, but before he could react, he felt his divine sense being pierced through by sharp iron cone and the next moment he spit out blood so forcefully that it even formed a bloody fog. After a wobble, he fell to the ground. The power of the spirit tool lessened greatly after the death of its owner. With a buzz sound, it tried to flee away. Shiao Chen waved his hand expressionlessly, drawing that red spirit tool to his palm after it gave a plaintive whine. A middle grade spirit tool! Shiao Chen felt very happy and excited in his heart, but it was not the proper time to prob into it. Therefore, he just attached two Restrictive Talismans on it and put it into his storage bag. When Shiao Chen landed, the man in black, due to fatal injury to his divine sense, had already fallen on the ground and died. Shiao Chen did not feel guilty about this. If not for his evil thought of killing Shiao Chen, how he could end up like this. Shiao Chen took this mans storage bag, scanned coldly behind him and then with a snort left on a light shield. Minutes later, several people appeared not far away from where Shiao Chen had stood. Pale and fearsome, they looked at each other and couldnt help but swallow involuntarily. Shiao Chen could kill a cultivator at the preliminary stage of Foundation Establishment in an instant, which meant he definitely had some of his power concealed! Besides, the warning glance he gave before he left told them that he had already found them tailing him. Thinking that they were just one step away from death, they couldnt help but feel blood frozen and fled away. Without being discovered by others, Shiao Chen got back to Luoyun Valley. After prudently checked the spells outside the valley, he nodded satisfactorily and entered the herbal garden on the hillside. He first classified all kind of talismans he had collected. The power of a single talisman was small, but if tens or even hundreds of them were used together, even cultivators at Foundation Establishment probably dared not to confront it directly. Later, he took out the two high grade talismans exchanged with that man in black, played with them for a while and then put them away carefully. Then he took out a storage bag, which originally belonged to that man in black. With a wave of hand, Shiao Chen broke all spells on it and then poured all things in it out. After emptying the storage bag, Shiao Chens eyes brightened. Despite how bad the mans character was, he was the wealthiest cultivator at Foundation Establishment Shiao Chen had even seen. In the storage bag, there were hundreds of low-grade spirit stones and even several middle grade ones. Shiao Chen gladly put all of them into his own storage bag. Except that red middle-grade spirit tool, there were three more spirit tools, one middle grade and two low grade. Shiao Chen took over them all. Although elixirs were a great fortune for others, for Shiao Chen, they were of little value. With a causal glance, he didnt find any high-grade elixirs, so he just put them aside carelessly. At last, what was left were some talismans and two jade boxes. Shiao Chen checked these talismans carefully and he found another three Fire Explosive Talismans and Two high grade Water Needle Talismans, which were really happy surprise for him. The things in jade boxes were stored so carefully by the man in black, which meant they were obviously very precious. Shao Chen couldnt help swallowing and opened one of them cautiously. A weird talisman came into sight. It was called weird because it was not like any other talismans with complicated patterns but rather simple C several lines formed a lively picture of a needle like thing. Shiao Chen took it in hand and sensed it, but he didnt find anything unusual and couldnt even perceive any turbulences of spirit power. Even so, Shiao Chen got a hunch that it was definitely quite something. Therefore, he put it back into the jade box prudently and put it away. After opening the second jade box, there were two jade slips, one green and one milk white. Shiao Chen took up the green one and put it down after looking at it for a while. There was an incantation named The Wave Origin of Real Water, which was a small top-grade cultivation scripture, but it was of little value for Shiao Chen. Shiao Chen took up the other jade slip and put it on his forehead, the words of Formations and Talismans came to sight; this slip was about how to lay out formations and transform them into talismans. Shiao Chen was so pleased because although the Formation Basics he got from Alchemy Taoist also involved some explanations of formation talismans, but the content was relatively simple. Though useful for beginners, the formations in it were just plain ordinary. However, Formations and Talismans combined both and was more fit for Shiao Chen. After an hour, Shiao Chen took his divine sense back from the jade slip and put it away carefully. The content of formations and talismans was extensive and profound. It was not late to went deep into it when he got sufficient time. Chapter 31 - Desolate Mountains In the next few days, Shiao Chen kept swallowing pills and meditating. Although he could not make a breakthrough, the spiritual power within his body once again became a bit more solid, and the consumed divine sense also restored even with slight enhancement. Around mountains at the back of Luoyun Valley was a peripheral forest where human trace was rarely detected. However, that was not the case for this day. Four young men stood on an open lot, two in each group standing at a distance, seemingly in a climate of distrust. Chu Kuang, my junior brother, we have arrived as agreed. Why are we not leaving? Under the old tree, the twin brothers asked out of vigilance. Di Qiu, my senior brother, take it easy. Just wait for a moment. Chu Kuang took a glance at the twins and said in a calmingly low voice. However, a bit of anxiety and restlessness sprawled out of his eyes. Is it true that in addition to we brothers, Chu Kuang also invited others to go together? The Di brothers took a look at each other and their faces could not help but turned at bit sullen. Chu Kuang hesitated for a while, and then explained slowly, This journey to explore the adobe of ancient cultivator is a tough task which, Im afraid, is beyond us four, even though I think Im fully prepared. So I have invited another one to assist us. However, you can rest assured. For one thing, Im not sure he will come or not. For another, although he is not a weak cultivator, he definitely cant make an opponent against neither of us nor you brothers. You can put your heart at rest, my senior brothers. On hearing this, Di Qius and Di Shuais faces turned a bit relaxed, but still refused to look the other two in the eye, appearing to be secretly planning something that no one could know. Having observed this, Chu Kuang sneered at them inconspicuously, and then closed his eyes to maintain his spirit. The young man near him, who had been meditating cross-legged and never talked, now stretched the corners of his mouth, showing some coldness. The time has come. Though I dont reach the realm of Foundation Establishment, I can make it with more care. Shiao Chen muttered to himself. Then he took off heading straight out of the valley. Before getting outside, though, he was careful to use a little trick at the entrance of the secret herbal garden to put the stone he had chopped off back. Assured this would not be found out, he left with satisfied nodding. Shiao Chen carried out Qi concealing technique to stabilize his cultivation at the 8th level of Qi-refining period. In the black gown obtained at the exchange gathering, he headed straight for the agreed place after leaving herbal garden. Looking from far away at the four people waiting on the ground, Shiao Chen frowned slightly and then landed. Oh, my friend, you finally came. Chu Kuang said with a flash of joy in his eyes. Being the first one to have detected Shiao Chen, Chu Kuang immediately stood up to greet him. The cultivation of all these four was revealed by their perception of Shiao Chens approaching. Chu Kuang, with the highest cultivation, was the first to stand up, and then the silent man behind him raised his eyebrows slightly. The Di brothers were the last to detect the rapid approaching breath. Shiao Chen indiscernibly took a sweeping glance at the four people. Due to the huge gap of cultivation, they didnt notice Shiao Chens screening. Shiao Chen nodded to greet them. This is Wu Wanli, our senior brother; these two are Di Qiu and Di Shuai, also senior brothers. May I ask how to address you? Chu Kuang smiled and looked at Shiao Chen, demonstrating his willingness to treat him on an equal footing. Shiao Chen made little of Chu Kuangs attitude. He folded his hand to greet everyone, You can call me Liu Yun. Then he sat down cross-legged. Chu Kuang, who could make his way to be the first person in the young generation of Luoyun Valley, undoubtably possessed a high cultivation and a sharp mind, so it was no wonder that he could deduct Shiao Chens cultivation by all the suspicious hints since that day. Shiao Chen was by no means caught by surprise. Wu Wanli nodded slightly to Shiao Chen before closing his eyes again. However, Di Qiu and and Di Shuai were quite dissatisfied seeing that Shiao Chen wore a black gown and didnt plan to show them his real look, but they were sophisticated enough not to show it on their faces and just looked a bit indifferent. When everyone sat down, Chu Kuang waved to set a simple spell of soundproofing, and said, You probably already know something about the adobe. Lets sort things out in advance. The treasures we get from this adventure will be evenly distributed. Please do follow my command, otherwise you have no one to blame amidst all the trials and tribulations. The Di brothers nodded slightly. Apparently, they had already known something about it. Shiao Chen frowned a little and said slowly, The adobe of ancient cultivators is full of dangers, which I suppose are far beyond our cultivation. Dont worry, brother Liu Yun. I have explored the adobe once. I dont dare to say that I know it all well but Im aware of the danger of it. Otherwise, how dare I go there risking my life? Chu Kuang said with a shimmer of confidence in his eyes. Shiao Chen was a little shocked but still nodded, indicating no problem. Okay, if thats the case, then lets go. Chu Kuang took the lead to fly up high in the sky and quickly got out of sight after deciding the direction. The Di brothers and Wu Wanli followed closely, and Shiao Chen was the last one. After leaving Luoyun Valley, the four immediately speeded up. In merely one day, they were at least ten thousand miles away. At this point, they entered the region of Desolate Mountains. There were hundreds of thousands of isolated mountains where demons and beasts were rampant. At the periphery, there were first-class demons whose cultivation was equivalent to the Qi-refining period. The closer to the center of the region, the higher cultivation the monsters had. As the legends went, at the very core of the Desolate Mountains, there were even demons of fifth-class, a domineering presence equated with human race of None Descending Realm. Slowing down, Chu Kuang was the first to land on a mountain followed by the others. The adobe of the ancient cultivator is right here situated at the middle of the mountain, but its in the depths of the wilderness with all kinds of rampant beasts and demons, some of which are indeed no weak ones. Therefore, we have to be careful and discreet in case accidents may catch us by surprise. Chu Kuang looked solemn and even used the technique of Confidential Sound Transmission. He was truly being serious and cautious. Shiao Chen and the other three nodded, indicating that they understood. Chu Kuang walked in the front to blaze the trail; the Di brothers and Wu Wanli followed in the middle and Shiao Chen at the rear. They cautiously carried out techniques to climb the mountain. The mountain was hovered by extreme silence which made the caws and roars from now and then even more gloomy and frightening. High above the sky, flocks of bizarre birds with beaks like iron hooks constantly flew by. Wait. Chu Kuang hummed. His eyes fixed on a clearing covered by piles of dead leaves in front of him; his face turned pale and sweat oozed out on his forehead. Hold your breath; dont make any sound. Shiao Chen and the others also felt the anomaly here. It seemed that after entering this place, they did not hear any sound. Even in the sky there was no trace of demons or beasts. Everything seemed very weird. All of a sudden, a strange noise came from the sky. Shiao Chen and others looked up. Two birds with iron hook beaks and inky feathers were fighting up in the sky. One was suddenly knocked down by the other and rapidly fell a few feet. The one that had the upper hand screamed complacently in a harsh voice. Suddenly, however, it recognized the place, and, with fears in the eyes, turned around to fly away straight to the sky so quickly that it even showed no interest in beating harder its defeated opponent. At the same time, the defeated bird that just landed at the height of the treetops screamed with fear, struggling to flap its wings and trying desperately to leave this place. Chapter 32 - Multiple Suspicions At this moment, an astonishing scene took place. Not far ahead, a yellow-brown serpent-like thing suddenly sprang from the thick pile of leaves. It opened its giant mouth, revealing several hideous fangs, and seized the weird bird at once. The bird was torn up by its sickle-sharp claws in a blink and swallowed into its stomach. After swallowing the strange bird, this horrible monster of dead-leaf color gradually calmed down. Upon the shake of its body, everything recovered to the original state. It concealed itself again quietly under the fallen leaves. Shiao Chen and the others took a glance at one another, swallowing nervously while detecting everyones fright. Their scalps began to tingle as they imagined what the consequence would be if they had walked over. Although the speed of the multi-feet monster moved extremely fast, Shiao Chen was still able to see it clearly. Its whole yellow-brown body measured more than thirty meters long with dense rows of thin shining feet sharp as sickles under the belly. Each foot was nearly one meter long and dark-blue in color, indicating that it was obviously hypertoxic. At the thought of how rapid the monster flew to the bird, Shiao Chen felt a tremble all over him, recognizing there could be no escape if he had been captured by the monster. By everyones eyes, Chu Kuang was the one struggled to keep calm and said, This monster is extremely fast and meanwhile highly toxic, a brute indeed. However, its natural five senses are insufficient, so it can only decide preys location by hearing. Therefore, as long as we remain silent, it cannot notice us. Besides, its no clever thing and will return to its den for dormancy after enough feeding, and this, I suppose, is the time to pass through this place. The crowd nodded. Shiao Chen blinked his eyes but said nothing. As they had presumed, four hours later, the horrible monster swallowed another two preys that had set their feet here by mistake, and then, wiggling its gigantic body, left away. It was not until making sure the monster was more than far away did Shiao Chen and the others carefully resume their journey. On the following trip, formidable demons and monsters showed up from time to time but luckily by Chu Kuangs lead, they were able to pass through the place safe and sound. Only for once at the territory of a tri-color striped leopard, Di Qiu got into a little trouble but fortunately no serious wound was made to him before getting rid of its chase. Oho! We finally arrived. Here is the entrance to the adobe of the ancient cultivator. The inconspicuous stone cave in front made Chu Kuang feel relaxed. Seeing his expression, Shiao Chen pondered for a while. Overwhelmed by joy, the two brothers Di Qiu and Di Shuai apparently did not notice this. As for Wu Wanli, he just stood behind Chu Kuang, making no remarks for others to figure out his thoughts. Chu Kuang my junior brother, I wondered why you never mentioned the danger of this journey up front? We almost lost our lives. Di Qiu looked gloomy. Although the wound on his left arm was bound up, blood still constantly oozed out. But for his quick reaction, he might have been the dinner for the leopard. Hearing this, Chu Kuang immediately turned sullen and retorted in a cold voice, Though the journey is full of risks, no dangers would have happened to you if you have followed my instructions. But for your greed to take the spirit tool on the ground, how would the leopard be alerted? You asked for it. How can you blame me? Let me make this clear. There will be even more dangerous situations, and you shall all lost your lives if you dont follow my lead! You Di Qius face turned red, and a mix of shame and anger flickered in his eyes. Fine. I quit! Di Shuai, are you leaving with me or staying here? Leaving? No way you can get out of here without my lead. Pray not to become dinner for monsters. Chu Kuang snorted, cold-faced. Noticing the fact, Di Qius face turned pale at once, and his imposing manner went weaker. Shiao Chens face changed as well, fixing his eyes coldly on Chu Kuang. Come on, guys. We made great effort to get here. What are we fighting for among ourselves before discovering any treasure? Lets meet half way and go on exploring the adobe of the ancient cultivator together. Wu Wanli suddenly laughed to make both of their face saved. Di Shuai pulled his brother and said something into his ear. The two sides were finally settled down. Chu Kuang knew his words was inappropriate, so he bowed to Shiao Chen, Please dont be bothered by what I said. I meant no harm. Our goal has been searching for treasures. Once we find any, we will leave this place together. Shiao Chen made no comment but his eyes turned gentler, saying, Itd be best if you do as you say. The five people ostensibly resumed harmony. Chu Kuang led the way in the front followed by Wu Wanli, Di brothers and Shiao Chen. As for their real thoughts, no one could ever know. The cave was pitch-dark inside, but fortunately everyone was prepared to equip themselves with a moonstone in their hands. Their moving was slow in the darkness. After about three hundred meters away, an empty karst cave appeared in front of them. They were faced with seven black holes leading to no-one-knows where. Only one of these seven paths is right. I have explored this place no less than a dozen times and was almost killed before I finally found the passage to the next place. However, after arriving here, all is for us to explore. Chu Kuang said and strode straight to one of the holes. Shiao Chen and the others followed closely. Nothing abnormal occurred on the way, and the five people arrived safely in a hall about thirty meters in size. There was nothing in the hall, and on the opposite wall were three portals which were shining in blood-red. No one knew where it would lead to. Scattering on the ground were skeleton pieces as if madly torn up by someone. This hall is the deepest place I have entered. By estimate, only one of the three portals is safe. If the wrong one is chosen, Im afraid what happens to us will be exactly the same as the bones on the ground. Shiao Chen nodded and channeled his spiritual power to eyes, so his vision became much clearer in the darkness and saw clearly the blurred inscriptions on the portal. The words were as smooth as tadpoles like a masterpiece by heaven and they were exactly the words on the gold seal. Death! Impasse! Ruin! The three blood-colored runes seemed to exude some kind of spooky power. Just one look at them made Shiao Chen become so violent that he wanted to destroy everything he saw. Siao Chen suddenly closed his eyes and meditated on Soul Muddling Scripture. It was quite some time later before he suppressed this violent impulse. Liu Yun my friend, do you have any idea on whats happening? Chu Kuang asked, a bit nervous. They only felt the sudden burst of violence from Shiao Chen but could not figure out the reason for it. Be careful not to see the three characters on the portal, because they will negatively affect your spirit and mind. Shiao Chen said and his voice still sounded fearful. Hadnt been for the fact that his divine sense, by virtue of Soul Muddling Scripture, far exceeded that of the same level cultivators, there was no way for him to get through this crisis so easily. It was very likely the possessors of the skeletons on the ground were killed by this weird seduction from the runes. These three portals are inscribed respectively the words Death, Impasse, and Ruin. Which one should we choose? I believe Impasse suggests the portal would lead to a dead end. We can roll this out first. Then Death and Ruin. An old saying goes: Confront a person with the danger of death and he will fight to live. Why not choose Death? Chu Kuang said calmly with brilliance shining in his eyes. Emmm The Di brothers displayed their obvious hesitation, not knowing which to choose. Wu Wanli still remained silent. He didnt say a single word after his attempt to quiet the quarrel happened before. Shiao Chen looked at Chu Kuang with vigilance, but he didnt have to worry about being found out in his black robe. Since Chu is so confident, then we choose Death. Okay. The Di brothers nodded suggesting agreement. Joy sprawled from the depth of Chu Kuangs eyes. Though he was careful to hide it, Shiao Chen was able to discover it and became even more alerted. Crack! Crack! As the crowd walked slowly along the hall, creepy sound of skeletons cracking up under their feet could be heard. Chu Kuang led the road in front and carried out a spell to silently open the closed portal, Death. What appeared in front of everyone was a corridor installed with lunar stones and luminous stones, a sharp contrast with the dim hall. No oncoming spell traps happened. Everyone felt a little relived and set their feet into it. An unusual quietness hovered over the corridor. A few distance later, a half skeleton appeared in front of them. This half skeleton had been cut into two pieces at the waist and left in a pose of struggling to crawl outside. On the ground were deep and shallow finger prints that the body carved with his fingertips, indicating its desperation to escape from this place. The five people looked up, finding out the finger prints lasted at least a hundred meters. Based on the perseverance and severe wound, it must be a cultivator of high level, at least Foundation-Establishment period. A broken sword was left beside the skeleton. Chu Kuang picked it up, and said after a while of examination, A spirit tool, and the grade is not low. This person is at least a mid-stage Foundation-Establishment cultivator. The sudden appearance of the half skeleton casted a layer of gloom on everyones mind. The road ahead seemed much more depressing. Going forward for another two hundred meters, one more half skeleton appeared. This half was the part below waist, a perfect match with the former one. The most terrifying thing was the traces and gullies spreading in the corridor. A ferocious fight must have taken place here. The crowed became even more depressed and continued to forge ahead. After a dozen meters, two sets of statues showed up at each side of the corridor. They were stone-armed guards holding gigantic swords in their hands. Though having undergone years of erosion, their over six meters height and vacant eyes on the solemn faces were still terrifying. Only after several rounds of examination and making sure nothing was abnormal did the five people feel relaxed. After several hundred meters, more and more skeletons were found on the ground. The traces of fight became more obvious and the statues denser. The stone-armed guards were even replaced by silver-armed ones. No one knew the indication. The creepier was that no hint besides the cracked stone pieces on the ground was left as to who was the murder that had killed them all. Chapter 33 - The Puppets What the hell is this place? Its damned spooky! Di Qiu muttered. His face turned pale as he saw more and more skeletons scattering on the ground. Apparently, he was terrified to the extreme. Shiao Chen also appeared a bit frightened with caution teemed in his eyes. He grasped firmly dozens of low-grade talismans in his hand in case any incidents might happen, he would not hesitate to react at any time. Although Chu Kuangs face also became slightly pale, no fear could be detected from his eyes, looking quite calm. Secretly noticing this, Shiao Chen indiscernibly pulled a distance from Chu Kuang and began to put on more guard against him. Launching forward for another hundred meters, there were fewer skeletons on the ground, only one in every dozens of meters. However, the ever more intense traces of fight in the cave made everyone even more stressed. Chu Kuang my junior brother, this place is more than weird. Do you think we can get treasures on our cultivation? Why not we retreat for now and wait until we are sure as shooting to make it? Di Qiu said, looking scared by the traces and cavities by flame or swords in the cave. He could not help flinching a bit because after all they had to have the life to enjoy the treasures. Hearing his words, Di Shuai demonstrated a bit of joy on his face, and said in approval, That makes sense. Chua Kuang my junior brother, wouldnt it be better that we retreat before having a sophisticated plan? Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Our cultivation, by its very nature, is against heavens will. How is it possible to achieve anything without great perseverance and sufferings? Chu Kuang was still calm and unconvinced; traces of coldness sprawled out along the corners of his mouth, And today you already know the location of the adobe. What if you came back with others to usurp the treasures? At this point, there is only stepping forward and no pulling back. Surely, I will not stop you if you want to leave, but you should consider whether you have the ability to get out of here. You These words turned Di brothers faces into gloomy dark. Shiao Chen remained silent and cold-eyed. Up to this point, they were already holding a wolf by the ears. The only option for him was to forge forward step by step with as much caution as possible. Look! There is another skeleton in front. By Wu Wanlis voice which swarmed with surprise, obviously he discovered something. Chu Kuang and others ceased the quarrel to hurried over. The skeleton remained intact, and its color seemed a little crystal like that of a distinguished jade stone buried deep underground. A faint aura of majestic dominance disseminated from within the skeleton, delicate as it was but enough to take the breath of all the five people present. At this moment, even the ever-calm Chu Kuang was terrified. His voice trembled, Gold CoreGold Core Cultivator! Everyone took a look at one another and saw the indefinite fear from others eyes. What kind of incredible threat was hidden here that even an overmatch of Gold Core perished here? Shiao Chen made quite an effort to suppress his shock and fixed his eyes on the skeleton. It was in the poise of sitting, facing up to the sky, against the wall of the corridor. Its arms crossed but oddly, the thumbs were pointing right to some point in the cave. Shiao Chen stopped looking at the skeleton and contemplated in secrecy for a while shortly before recovering to a normal look. Storage bag. Here is a storage bag! Di Qius surprise tone awakened others whose eyes, at the sight of this inconspicuous bag, shimmered with some desire. The bag belonged to a cultivator of Gold Core Realm, so the things inside surely excited people by mere thinking. My friends, I suggest all the items in this storage bag be evenly distributed. For things cannot be distributed evenly, compensate the person missed out with spars. What do you think? Chu Kuang said slowly. His eyes almost burst with fever, but he managed to withhold the thought to arrogate all within the bag. Agreed. Others nodded after thinking for a while. Chu Kuang swallowed nervously and carefully cast a testing spell. After making sure there was no danger, he reached out to the storage bag. Scanning it with his divine sense, he was at once stunned and quickly become wild with excitement. Crash! Chu Kuang opened the storage bag. And as the things inside were poured out, they quickly piled up like a hill, occupying half of the corridor. Spars, elixirs, spirit tools, jade slips, and talismans, giving out dazzling brilliance that stunned the five people. Shiao Chen was also astonished, a flash of zeal shimmered in his eyes. Supposedly, there were more than ten thousand spirit stones, among which more than one hundred pieces were top-grade stones. The various spirit tools plus the many elixirs, jade slips and talismans, altogether would be worth at least ten thousand spars! This wealth, far from modest even among Gold-Core cultivators, imposed such a battering shock as one could imagine on these rookies of Qi-refining period. WealthWe are filthy rich The Di brothers repeatedly muttered to themselves as if having lost their minds. An hour later, the pile of treasures was divided by the five people. Although trapped in potential danger at the moment, Shiao Chen could not help but appear unconceivably satisfied. The Di brothers were even more excited with faces flushed in scarlet, crying determinedly in high spirits for a thorough exploration of the whole adobe. This is just the beginning of the harvest, and as long as we work together, there will be more treasures waiting for us later. Chu Kuang said with fever on his face, which, however, faded away and turned to fright after a slight shake of the entire corridor. Shiao Chen and others all had the grim sense of foreboding and turned around slowly, finding out a pair of scarlet eyes staring at them. The owner of them was exactly the statue armed in golden stone armor at the inner wall of the corridor! Damn it. I woke up puppets. Havent these things consumed all their energies and fallen into eternal sleep? Chu Kuang was panic-stricken and drew back swiftly, the calm in his eyes disappearing in a split second. Shiao Chen and others did not dare to take any risk and also retreated immediately. As if sensing the breath of Shiao Chen and others, the puppets completely regained consciousness as the scarlet in their eyes becoming more and more brilliant. Whoa! Whoa! Two low-pitched roars burst out from the mouths of the puppets and the scarlet eye holes exuded a radiance of blood-thirsty. A wave of spirit pressure was emitted from the two puppets and firmly locked Shiao Chen and the other four. Chu Kuang sensed that the spirit pressure was at the early stage of Foundation-establishment period and became relieved a little bit. This is the puppet guarding the adobe. By estimate, they should have run out of spiritual power and fallen into dormancy, but I have no idea why these two would wake up. Luckily, though they wake up, their strength has reduced to the early stage of Foundation-establishment period. Otherwise, two Puppets of early stage of Gold-Core period can easily kill us all. Gold-Core Puppets! Even Shiao Chen could not help but take a deep breath. Gold-Core period! What a powerful existence! How could someone actually create such horrifying power and make it into puppets! Possessing such formidable ability, ancient cultivators were indeed terrifyingly invincible! Naturally, the death of the Gold-Core cultivator was easy to explainhe must have been killed by these two powerful puppets. Chapter 34 - Treasures in the Stone Wall Guys, the power of the two puppets equals to that of two cultivators at preliminary stage of Foundation Establishment. Although they dont know any incantations, they are strong, do not fear death and feel no pain; therefore, its quite intractable to get rid of them. We must spare no efforts and kill them as soon as possible to avoid bringing up unexpected troubles, said Chu Kuang with a solemn expression, showing his brutally murderous intentions. Do it! After this, Chua Kuang took out a huge sword of about half-meter long from his storage bag and slammed down forcefully accompanied with an incantation. The huge sword burst out millions of golden lights abruptly, its sword light shooting straight towards those two puppets. Wu Wangli looked serious and unknowingly had a long and narrow flying sword in hand, which was almost as thin as the cicadas wings. Go! With a solemn shout, the flying sword suddenly went forward so quickly like a light. As for Di brothers, because of practicing the same scripture, they took action at the same time and made joint attacks, bursting forth formidable power. Shiao Chen blinked his eyes and a mighty force broke out. With a wave of hand, tens of densely packed red fireballs appeared, lining up like a chain of pearls. The scorching temperature instantly drew all of their attentions. The pupils of Chu Kuang and others constricted violently, and they were shocked by the power of Shiao Chen. Boom! Boom! Boom! The Fireball Incantation, as the preliminary incantation of Luoyun Valley, could be learned in Book Pavilion by almost all disciples. However, the one used by Shiao Chen had a destructive power no less than the full might of a small top-grade incantation. The attacks of Chu Kuang and others did hurt the two puppets but were obviously no match with that of Shiao Chen. Consequently, the two puppets roared and shifted all their anger to the most menacing people C Shiao Chen. My friends, you go first. Ill hold them back here. Shiao Chen shouted in a low voice. In the meantime, he gave off a much stronger force and cast some incantations with his hand. Then over ten fireballs were formed and flew straightly towards the two puppets in a fast speed. Hearing this, Chu Kuang and others were dazed for a second; and although shock flashed through his eyes, Chu Kuang said seemingly sincerely, Brother Liu Yun, you only have to hold them back for minutes and do not confront the tough with toughness. Well go first, but we assure you that if we find any treasures, well definitely keep your share aside for you. After this, the four of them looked at each other and rushed into the tunnel without hesitation. Before leaving, the Di brothers gave a weird glance at Shiao Chen, thinking that this man had higher cultivation than them but knew nothing about scheming; and the most likely outcome of him confronting the two puppets was that even if by luck he could kill them, he would be badly wounded and had no choice but to withdraw from this treasure hunt. Something unusual flashed through Shiao Chens eyes. After he made sure with his divine sense that those four people had walked far away enough, Shiao Chen abruptly stepped back for about tens of meters, took out a handful of talismans from his storage bag and threw them out. Boom! Hundreds of fireballs appeared from nowhere. Although one single fireball had little power, hundreds of them could wound even puppet at the preliminary stage of Foundation Establishment. After the Fireball Talismans, another idea crossed Shiao Chens mind. He again took out a bunch of light blue talismans from his storage bag. With a rustling sound, a harsh cold wind blew across. Then over ten icy waterballs dashed forward, following the fireballs closely. Boom! Boom! Boom! Red lights kept flashing in the eyes of the two puppets and the huge swords of them were placed in front of their bodies to protect themselves. Even so, they were still badly wounded under the attack of hundreds of fireballs, and moreover their stone bodies gradually became fiery red due to the scorching fire. Right at this time, over ten roaring waterballs came at the two puppets as sudden as lightning. After the scorching fire, the temperature dropped abruptly. The rapid transition from extremely hot to extremely cold wounded the two stone puppets fatally. Go die! Shiao Chens eyes became cold and sharp, and with a wave of hand two huge swords made of spirit power brandished down. One cracking sound! And then another! The already very fragile bodies of the two puppets had no power to defend under the attack of the two huge swords. Consequently, they instantly broke into pieces and fell on the ground with the red light in their eyes dimming gradually. Shiao Chen was satisfied with the result. After using the Fireball Talisman, he got inspired and threw out Waterball Talismans. And the result was unexpectedly good. The two puppets had turned into pieces. Shiao Chen stepped forward, gave off two strands of spirit power with a wave of hand to form swords and broke up their heads. Then two fist-sized spirit stones with soft halo appeared. Could these be the high-grade spirit stones? Shiao Chens eyes brightened up. Since they could provide spirit power for puppets at Gold Core, they were definitely high-grade spirit stones! Although these two spirit stones had clearly released most of their spirit power, their value was much higher than middle-grade ones. Shiao Chen took out a jade box from his storage bag and put the two high-grade spirit stones in it. He again rummaged through all pieces of the puppets carefully to make sure that nothing valuable was left behind. Then he sat down with legs crossed. After swallowing two Spirit-nourishing Pills, he closed his eyes to meditate. After all, in the ancient cultivators adobe, having sufficient spirit power at all time could gain more chances to safeguard himself. One hour later, he absorbed all potency of the pills. Shiao Chen opened his eyes and some sharpness flashed through. At the moment, he was back at his peak and his spirit power was even enhanced under the potency of the pills. Standing up and coming up to the remain of the cultivator at Gold Core, Shiao Chen, with some blinks of eyes, took out the spirit tool he just got, infused spirit power into it and waved it toward a certain place in the tunnel. Once the spirit tool hit the stone wall, Shiao Chens face lit up. The stone wall seemed plain normal, but its texture was much softer. After about 15 minutes, feeling the resistance through his spirit tool, Shiao Chen was excited and tempted. He reached down and took out a storage bag. Probing it with his divine sense, Shiao Chen couldnt refrain himself from smiling. There were over three hundred middle-grade spirit stones, over twenty thousand low-grade spirit stones, one top-grade spirit tool, two high-grade spirit tools and dozens of middle- and low-grade ones. But there were no traces of spirit pills and talismans. With some thought, Shiao Chen got it that the senior must have used up all of them in fending against those two puppets in their heyday. He went through the storage bag for some more time and didnt find any other good stuff except several unknown materials. How could it be not here? Shiao Chen seemed puzzled. He gave another glance at the hole he had dug on the wall, put away the storage bag and continued digging with that spirit tool. Gr, gr, k, k, grk The clear sound of digging resounded in the tunnel. The wall was made of an unknown but rather hard material. Even if Shiao Chen kept infusing spirit power into his spirit tool, his digging speed was incredibly slow. Could it be taken away by those who had been here before? With this thought, Shiao Chens face became sullen. Thwack! A clang sound was heard. The sullen face of Shiao Chen changed into a joyful one. And Shiao Chen sped up. An hour later, looking at the small silver sword in his hand, Shiao Chen smiled satisfactorily although it had broken into parts. Cultivators at Qi Refining could only use low-grade and middle-grade spirit tools and cultivators at Foundation Establishment could use high-grade or top-grade spirit tool, but cultivators at Gold Core would use magic weapon. Magic weapon was one level higher than spirit tool. Except in extreme cases, even the power of lowest grade magic weapon was well above that of a top-grade spirit tool. This was the difference between levels. And what Shiao Chen found was the magic weapon belonging to the owner of the skeleton. Although it broke into parts, its valuable was still immeasurable. Though he still didnt find any way to break through into Foundation Establishment, judging from what he had gained now, this journey had not been made in vain. Shiao Chen took out several pills from his storage bag, swallowed them, closed his eyes and started to meditate. With a cold smile at the corner of his mouth, he thought that since there were people willing to carve out a way for him, he surely had his chance to reap the harvest at the end. In a fabulous garden far away from this tunnel, Chu Kuang and other three people were meditating with eyes closed. The restriction here is so mighty that Im afraid, if triggered, even cultivators at Gold Core have to take time and energy to cope with it, which has already taken into consideration that the power of the restriction has been reduced by 90% or more over all these years. If in its heyday, the restriction could even kill cultivators at Nascent Soul with ease. Although as pale as sheet, Di brothers seemed very excited because the more dangerous it was, the more treasures they would find at last. Please rest assured, brothers. The restriction here is kind of mighty, but with your cultivations in restrictions handed down in your family, as long as we take care, we will surely get out of here safe and sound. I just worry about brother Liu Yun and dont know how hes doing, said Chu Kuang with something complicated flashing through his eyes. Well, Brother Chu Kuang, you are surely a true man. But in my view, Brother Liu Yun should be fine; otherwise, he wouldnt volunteer to deal with those two puppets by himself. Therefore, what we should do now is to help reserve his share if we find any treasures. Di Shuai said with a smile on face and cunning in eyes. Hope so. Chu Kuang nodded and said no more. Moments later, they stood up and continued to break the restrictions at other places. At this time, Wu Wanli opened his eyes and said with a rather pale face, My friends, please go first, I will surely catch up after my wound is under control and in a stable situation. Wu Wanli was badly wounded when they broke the restriction, so they didnt doubt it. Instead, they just hesitated for a while, told him to take care and went on with their expedition. After a short time when Chu Kuang and Di brothers could no longer be seen in the restricted area, Wu Wanli abruptly opened his eyes and some icy coldness was exposed via the lifted corner of his mouth. In the tunnel. Shiao Chen was sitting and meditating with eyes closed, but suddenly he opened his eyes, wearing a rather mocking expression. With some hesitation, he forced himself to spit out some blood and his face became pale instantly. Meantime, his spirit power was brought down so quickly that in no time it was at its lowest point. Acting like he was badly wounded, Shiao Chen sat on the ground shabbily with legs crossed, pretending he was healing his wounds. Minutes later, sounds of footsteps were heard and then Wu Wanli appeared and swept Shiao Chens condition with divine sense. Although there were delight and excitement in his eyes, Wu Wanli asked with a deeply concerned face, Brother Liu Yun, are you ok? Im so anxious and worried about leaving you here to fend against those two puppets at the risk of your own life. Are you badly hurt? Do you need my help in healing your wounds? Chapter 35 - The Demon Behind Shiao Chen opened his eyes, pretending to be vigilant but relaxed after he recognized it was Wu Wanli. Then he said bitterly, I thought that with my cultivation I was able to get away from those two puppets, and I never expected that I would end up like this. Although I managed to kill them, my spirit power has been consumed by 80% or 90%. With the left spirit power and the wound, Im afraid that I cant continue this treasure hunt with you guys. Now my spirit power is exhausted, but I can restore it with some meditation and then heal my injuries. So, Brother Wu, please dont bother. Shiao Chen looked really tired, which seemed like that these words consumed the few energies left. Oh, are you really ok? I think Ill just lend you a hand to end your suffering. Wu Wanli felt assured, wore a spurious smile, and showed his murderous intention. What do you mean? Shiao Chen fumed furiously. Wu Wanli seemed rather fervent and answered excitedly, Maybe you havent realized that we have met before, at that exchange meeting. I traded some remaining chapters for some elixirs with you. And your elixirs are really something, which helped me break through my bottlenecks and reach the eighth level of Qi Refining. So, now how about letting me keep your storage bag for you? Youyou are with Chu Kuang! What is this place? What are you up to? Why do you bring us here? Shiao Chen smiled coldly in his heart, thinking that Wu Wanli and Chu Kuang had planned it all out, and probably what Chu Kuang said before about the adobe of this ancient cultivator was also just some excuse. Even though he had puzzled this out, Shiao Chen still pretended to be very terrified, an excellent actor. Wu Wanli seemed to feel that Shiao Chen could no longer cause any threats to him, and he couldnt help becoming complacent and said with a laugh, Hahaha, since you are dying and your soul will be pulled away and refined by me, leaving you no afterlife, its not a big deal to tell you something in case you die with an everlasting regret. Three years ago, Chu Kuang and I were just two plain ordinary direct disciples in the sect. With low-grade spirit roots, Im afraid we have to hover over the third or fourth level of Qi Refining for our whole life. But we refused to accept it, so we applied for a chance to go out and gain more experiences. We were just two neglected direct disciples and who cared about whether we lived or died. However, during that year, we made a narrow escape, ran into this cave and met our master. Wu Wanli seemed obsessed, with admiration and respect in his eyes. And he continued, Master is so perfect and invincible. It is with the help of master that we get the power we have now. In the past three years, we kept using the treasures given by master to lure cultivators here to break the restriction and weaken its power. And now, the power of the restriction is very weak and master can break free very soon. Since you have known so much, I think you can die willingly and peacefully now. Wu Wanli said with a cold smile. With his patience frittering away, he channeled his spirit power to his hand and swatted the head of Shiao Chen without any warning. Youre right. Since I have known so much, you surely must die, willingly and peacefully. After this, Shiao Chens eyes burst out a dazing divine light. Then a formidable spirit power burst forth from inside his body, which targeted Wu Wanli with its icy cold murderous intention. You are not wounded! You cheated me! Wu Wanli was so frightened. Under the murderous intention of Shiao Chen, he even felt that his spirit power was frozen. Mater, save me! In the moment of life and death, Wu Wanli shouted loudly all of a sudden. A weird turbulence happened and Shiao Chen was alerted to the highest point instantly. Then a sudden pain was felt in his brain. Divine sense attack! Shiao Chen was shocked. However, before he could make any reaction, the Gold Seal which had kept still since it got into Shiao Chens divine sense suddenly gave off faint golden light. And with a miserable groan, Shiao Chen restored his sanity. That was close! The divine sense intruding into Shiao Chens brain was not very mighty but stiffened Shiao Chens whole body and numbed his will to defy it. If not for the sudden outbreak of the Gold Seal, he probably had died on the spot. But right now it was not the proper time to probe into it. Shiao Chen looked at Wu Wanli who was still and dull. It seemed that he still couldnt understand how Shiao Chen could survive the attack of his invincible master because master had even put so many cultivators at Foundation Establishment to death with ease. One Finger Devourer! Almost losing life enraged Shiao Chen so badly that he used his most powerful trick, which could also kill Wu Wanli at the soonest to avoid causing any other dangers. With this trick, the spirit power in Shiao Chens body ran madly to the veins in his wrist and rotated crazily there. Then a virtual hand of pure spirit power gave off chilling power and came down on Wu Wanli. Run! When he perceived the power of Shiao Chens One Finger Devour, Wu Wanlis face abruptly turned pale and he dared not to have any thought to fight back. Spitting out some blood, he just multiplied several times his escaping speed, trying madly to get away. Shiao Chen smiled coldly by lifting one corner of his mouth. Although his face was pale, Shiao Chen still had adequate spirit power. The trick One Finger Devour indeed consumed lots of spirit power, but he was at the fifteenth level of Qi Refining, so it was still in his acceptable range. Therefore, although he saw Wu Wanli trying to escape with some secret tricks, he was not even a little bit worried. You really think you could escape? Seemingly to verify these murmurs, there was a weird suction coming from the virtual finger of spirit power which forcefully sucked in the spirit power in the outside world. This made Shiao Chens trick even more overwhelming and chased Wu Wanli in an increasingly fast speed. Its impossible to run away! Wu Wanli was panic-stricken. He knew that if he used his secret tricks, his escaping speed was no slower than that of a cultivator at middle stage of Foundation Establishment. This was why he dared to come back to check what had happened between Shiao Chen and the two puppets for he was sure that even if those two puppets didnt die, he could also get away safe and sound. However, as the One Finger Devour behind him kept increasing its power and speed, he felt that he had been targeted by Death. Therefore, Wu Wanli suddenly turned around. He was a decisive person. Since he got no chance to escape, he knew the earlier he faced the situation, the better; otherwise, he would surely lose all chances to save his life after his enemy became strong enough. Demons Scripture of Moon Shouting! Wu Wanli shouted abruptly. The next moment, his handsome face twisted, and the sounds of bones bursting could be heard. Clearly, he was in great pain. Ow! Ow! Shouting unhuman words, Wu Wanli, before the disbelieving eyes of Shiao Chen, grew millions of black flakes in no time and even got ferocious bone spurs on places like back, elbows and knees. At the same time, his power rose sharply, which was approximate to the preliminary stage of Foundation Establishment. Ow! After the shape shifting, what stood in front of Shiao Chen was a demon covered with black flakes, having bone spurs on elbows and wearing a green face and ferocious fangs. Chapter 36 - Restriction-Breaking Demonic Technique! Shiao Chens face changed. What Wu Wanli carried out was exactly the demonization of demonic cultivator, so it was no wonder his power could soar in such a short period. At this moment, One Finger Devourer came roaring! The demonized Wu Wanli had lost most of his insanity, but he growled out of instinctive sense of danger, and a layer of pitch-dark frog suddenly burst out surrounding him like a thick protective screen. All in silence, the One Finger Devourer fell on the dark frog. And in the fearful eyes of the demon, it began to shake violently and finally it was swallowed by the Finger. After absorbing the dark frog, the formerly crystal finger turned ink-black, demonstrating an even stronger dominance and giving out mighty demon spirit. Boom! After a pounding bang, a sudden wave of gravel powder rose in the corridor, obscuring Shiao Chens sight; but scanning the place with his divine sense, he got a clear view of what had happened. There appeared a pit of over three meters in diameter and half a meter in depth in the formerly smooth corridor. Wu Wanli had shaken off his demonization and passed out with wounds all over his body. However, it was his very carrying out of demonization that had saved his life from the One Finger Devourer. After the dust settled down, Siao Chen slowly walked to the hole, waved to seize Wu Wanli in his hand, and closed his eyes to forcibly enter, by divine sense, Wu Wanlis mind to carry out Soul Dementing Technique. After some time, Shiao Chen slowly opened his eyes where a strangeness flashed by. Wu Wanli was already dying, so after forced soul dementing by Shiao Chen, there was no way he would return to life. Taking off the storage bag and dropping his body in the hole, Shiao Chen meditated for a moment and walk ahead with a sneer on his face. Far from here in the depths of the ground, a painful sigh came through. A moment later, a seducing and charming laughter went off, An interesting little buddy this time. Killed my demon slave and use your life to pay off. Hahahaha The laughter was pleasant and touching but with infinite coldness of bloody-thirst. Within the garden, Chu Kuangs face suddenly turned gloomy. Just now, he had lost his sense of Wu Wanlis spirit and there was only one explanation, that was, he had been killed. How is it possible? Even if Liu Yun was killed by the two puppets, Wu Wanlis strength was way enough to keep his life. How could he be killed? Chu Kuang foreboded an upcoming crisis. His eyes looked so dismal that they were foretelling killing. Chu Kuang my younger brother, what happened? The Di brothers exchanged glances, detecting nervousness in each others eyes. Chu Kuang sneered to himself, and answered poker-faced, Nothing. Speed up and continue to break the restriction. What a robust xenogeny from the wilderness! It has a body of over sixty meters, twice the size than the recorded Millipede Demon. It must have undergone some mutation. At this moment, the millipede demon with sickle-sharp feet that Shiao Chen and the others had seen before was growling from now and then. Its titanic body spiraled around like a serpent. At this moment surrounding it were three people standing in the air. One was a skinny old man with green eyes like zombies, and he was gazing with all zeal at this millipede demon like it was the apple of his eyes. Another was a flush-faced middle-aged man like a worldly plump businessman. Smile was on his face, but no warmth could be found in his eyes. The last person was gray-haired old woman with a gloomy face as if the whole world owed her something. By the formidable dominance from them, they were all Gold-Core Cultivators! Were not yet to reach the depth of the Desolate Mountains, but already met with such wilderness xenogeny and countless demons and monsters on the journey. I suppose there must be some hidden secret. The plump middle-aged man frowned and said slowly with mild smile on his face. Lets just go ahead and explore it, but now please help me deal with this millipede. I thought that only in the depth of the Desolate Mountains could I rape something. How lucky I am this time! The zombie-like old man licked the corners of his mouth; a flash of green shimmered in his eyes and coldness gave off from all over him. The old woman frowned slightly, showing a bit of impatience, Corpse Rider, take away your corpse smell and quickly knock down this thing. This skinny old man turned out to be a corpse-cultivator. Hearing her words, he didnt get mad. An explosive of pure corpse spirit burst out from him and plunged to seize the millipede. Hovered by ear-deafening bellow and earthshaking corpse spirit, the forest was shortly turned into a hellish place. In a while, the Corpse Rider joyfully put his hand on the millipedes head; and after flashes of dark light, the titanic body of the millipede withered visibly and drops of green blood were absorbed into a jade bottle. Pow! The body of the millipede turned into ashes. Looking at the full bottle of green essence blood, the Corpse Rider complacently smiled, sending out a sound more than harsh. Lets go. Ive been sensing something weird. Go on exploring and we may find more. The three glowed of transporting technique and slowly flew forward. Shiao Chen walked out of the corridor and was greeted with a small single-plank bridge. The bridge was 11.1 meters and pitch-black all around. Its material seemed like wood. The river below flow in low pace, and swirls were made as waterflows crashed on the gravels on the riverbed. Really, it is exactly the same as recorded in Wu Wanlis memory. The person coming out of the corridor will immediately enter a secret realm. All in front of me is illusion created by the restriction. If I want to enter the next level, I have to break the restriction. Shiao Chen frowned a bit and was hesitant. The priority of his journey was to find the approach to Foundation-Establishment, but at the moment nothing was achieved. Therefore, though knowing the road ahead would be thorny, Shiao Chen would never quit halfway. His gaze sweeping over the bridge in front of him, Shiao Chen couldnt help but sigh. The ancient cultivators restriction indeed had a well-deserved reputation. At first glance, it was impeccable. But for his knowledge in advance, he could have been trapped. He closed his eyes and closely screened the whole space with his divine sense. After quite a while, Shiao Chen opened his eyes in a sudden and walked to his left, right, front and rear respectively in special footwork. Nothing changed. The bridge was still pitch dark and the water clear. His tight body slowly relaxed, and a layer of sweat appeared on his forehead. It seems that Ive laid the right wager. This place is the starting point to break the restriction. Shiao Chen smiled. The restriction was so powerful as to kill almost everyone trying to break through that Shiao Chens divine sense, which was no weaker than that of a Mid-stage Foundation-Establishment cultivator, could only figure out partial clues. The four steps risked Shiao Chens life. Any misjudgment might have triggered the restriction and blasted him into ashes. Shiao Chen looked up and his face turned grave. Although the beginning was smooth, there were still nine steps yet to reach the bridge. The distance, from Shiao Chens perspective, was full of peril; one mere error could take his life. He raised his left foot and took a step forward. In a blink, everything changed. In front of him was an abyss of inferno with raging flames and burning heat. Waves of rolling fire were trying to reach out as if to swallow him in a second. The horrible heat came head-on, instantly tearing up Shiao Chens spirit shield surrounding him. The scorching heat immediately soaked his clothing in sweat. In his eyes, however, reflected perseverance and determination. He moved forward two steps in a row and walked directly to this abyss of inferno. The moment flame was to touch his body, everything disappeared all of a sudden, as if the abyss of raging inferno had never appeared. Shiao Chen looked up and found himself standing in a world of snow and vast whiteness. Coldness came out from within his body and the sweat produced just now was frozen into ice in a split second. Even the spiritual power within him moved slowly and difficultly. Boom! Like a roar from heaven, the whole snowy world trembled fiercely. Shiao Chen was amazed by waves of rolling snow confronting him and tried to collect himself to forge ahead for one more step. He seemed to walk into a pool of water, stirring up countless ripples. As the ripples trembled, the snowy icy world dissipated. A greyish space appeared in front of Shiao Chen. There was a shadow of man in black, holding a dark sword. Though fake as an illusion, the terrifying sharpness of the sword madly came forth as if to tear up the sky and earth, making Shiao Chens hair prickled with fear. Hiss! As the man in black with a black sword looked up, two flashes of sword light flew by. His eyes were so dark without any other color as if they were able to absorb everything in the world. The hand was raised, and the sword lifted up and cleaved down. The shadow moved extremely slow but was enough to arouse unlimited terror within Shiao Chens heart. A life-and-death crisis took complete seize of him. The shadow was illusive, but the sword intent was real! Shiao Chens pupils violently contracted. He took a rapid while steady step to the left, then backward, then left, and left, and finally three steps forward to lean sideways. The sword stopped right in front of Shiao Chen, nearly touching his nose. The man in black dissipated after releasing a sword intent. Shiao Chen seemed to have detected a sense of relief from him. Could a mere product of a formation have its own consciousness? Shiao Chen felt a bit confused. In a while, the greyish space in front of him broke into countless pieces like a shattered mirror and presented before was exactly the bridge over the flowing stream. It seemed nothing had changed except for he launched a few steps forward. Only two steps away from the bridge. Shiao Chen slowly looked up, staring at the place where the sword in the illusion had swept over, and his pupils contracted fiercely. The pitch-black bridge suddenly began to shake violently, and the water below the bridge kept rolling up, but the weirdest part was that no sound was made as if the scene happened in a picture. You could view but not hear it! Shiao Chen smiled, knowing that this illusive formation was about to break. As expected, the black bridge and the rolling water became more illusory, and eventually disappeared. Shiao Chen felt dazzled, and then stood up steadily, landing on the ground. Chapter 37 - Enchantment A scroll painting drifted down two steps away. In the painting, there was a pitch-black single-plank bridge which seemed to be neither made of gold nor wood. Limpid water gurgled under it. Right in front of it there stood a comely teenager around seventeen with his eyes closed. Beneath his feet was a giant ravine whose length and depth were beyond measurement, and piercing sense of sword constantly leaked from the ravine. Though a little bit surprised, Shiao Chen caught the scroll painting. Suddenly, an unexpected beam of light burst and a warm white jade bead came to Shiao Chens hand when the light faded away. A teleporting site for one person appeared in the very place where the bridge disappeared with a hollow in the center. Shiao Chen came to the site directly after a slight hesitation and put the bead into the hollow. After a slight discomfort of seeming to be torn apart, Shiao Chen opened his eyes and was astonished. Hehe, little boy, your elder sister, I, have waited here for you for long. My friends, I think we may have encountered a possible huge treasure this time, a plump middle aged was startled and said slowly after seeing skeletons everywhere in the lobby and the three uncanny doors on the opposite site. The three glanced at one another and saw through the same excitement in the one anothers eyes. From all that they had seen, this place was probably the abode of an ancient cultivator whose strength was way above them and beyond imagination. Treasures were highly probably lying ahead waiting for their further exploration. Ancient treasures, medicinal pills, and cultivation methods were going to be readily available! Even the old gloomy-faced woman couldnt resist the sense of excitement arising in her eyes. After a green light flashed successively in his eyes, Corpse Rider was suddenly attracted by and then stared at the three doors. Road to Death! Road to Impasse! Road to Ruin! Red lights suddenly came out of the ancient words after the stare and into the eyes of the Corpse Rider as sudden as lightning. All at once, the Qi circulation of the Corpse Rider became a total mess. The power and pressure of the Gold Core were released frantically without control and reservation. A killing intent inside the Corpse Rider featuring testiness, gloom, and cruelty desperately sought its way out and made it. Friend Corpse Rider! Corpse Rider! With their faces becoming serious suddenly, the plump middle aged and the old woman quickly distanced themselves from Corpse Rider and stayed alert. Corpse Rider roared and the green light in his eyes instantly brightened up, with some eerie bloody redness added. It was such a pair of eyes that at the sight of which ones inner violence could be easily brought out. Friend Jin Hua, take care! It seems that our friend Corpse Rider is occupied by something wicked, the plump one said with a sullen face. With a second thought, he became terrified. He just experienced a narrow escape. They three were all at Gold Core, but the Corpse Rider was occupied without a sign. Corpse Rider used to be a dead body of a cultivator which happened to be rested on a ley line of Yin and was lucky enough to get its own consciousness and intelligence with the nourishment of Yin Qi arising from it. The Corpse Rider therefore owned a strength much higher than his peers at the same stage. However, it was his power that the wicked was keen on and he was possessed without any sign. The old woman nodded slowly and was somewhat disturbed. Moving backwards slowly, the two released their complete power together, trying to suppress that of the Corpse Rider. Sensing the pressure posed by the two, Corpse Rider growled subconsciously, took two steps back, ran into the door of Road to Impasse, and disappeared with billowing Yin Qi around him. Seeing the Corpse Rider left with their own eyes, though relieved, the two were still with sullen faces. Friend Liu, shall we continue our exploration? the old woman asked with a gloomy face. Though the Corpse Rider was away, feared of unknown, she still stayed alert by slowly circulating the Qi inside her body. The plump cultivator indulged in thoughts for seconds and replied with a smile reappeared in his face, If we leave now, can you say that you are leaving without regrets? Hearing the words, the old woman nodded slowly and said, In this case, I suggest that we two continue the exploration together. However, just in case, we both have to swear that no betrayal before exit, otherwise, the betrayer would be haunted by Internal Demons. I agreed. It shall be done, the plump cultivator nodded with less alert. After completing their oaths, they initiated guard shields separately with Qi and walked prudently towards the road to survival which was the only road not travelled by people. Shiao Chen was stunned by the charm of a woman for the first time. Compared to what she had, even that of the top one beauty in Luoyun Valley, Ji Yuewu, was a world apart. Her skin was like congealed ointment; her shoulders were shaped as if by carving; and her figure was tall and slim, and wonderfully enchanting. She was an extraordinary beauty by nature with a broad smile. A glance at her watery eyes was enough for one to indulge in without the willingness to wake up. The gold seal in Shiao Chens divine sense trembled slightly. Shiao Chen stung a little bit, regained consciousness, and became alert all at once. It was super weird to have such a beauty here in this place now. You are confusing me with someone else. We havent met before. Therefore, its absurd for you to say that I am the one you are waiting here for long. Shiao Chen took several steps back stealthily and became more vigilant. He had scanned the beauty with his divine sense a moment ago, and only startled to find nothing. To the beautys surprise, Shiao Chen regained his consciousness in such a short time. She giggled and said, You are such a heartless little devil! Youve just beaten my little cutie, the demon slave, to death. And you are denying it now. With tears in eyes, she seemed to be aggrieved and pitiful. Shiao Chen was stunned for a moment yet shocked later. He retreated swiftly. In the twinkling of an eye, he took plenty of talismans out of the storage bag and threw them to the beauty without hesitation. Waving her sleeve at will, she changed the direction of the fire and water balls all at a sudden, and the balls exploded against the void. Shiao Chen was shocked and raised his speed dramatically again. Hee-hee, what a quick response! However, dont ever think you can run away. I planned to kill you for revenge since you killed my demon slave, but now I changed my mind. What about this, I show you mercy and you devote yourself and be my demon slave? the mysterious beauty said with a tone of negotiation. Her eyes and brows were as beautiful as those painted in a picture. When she talked, her bright eyes looked right into you, which softened your heart. What she had done enchanted you and you couldnt help but indulging in. Looking into her eyes, Shiao Chens alert fell apart quickly, and his retreat speed therefore declined sharply. Be her demon slave and guard her with all my heart even at the expense of eternal suffering and reincarnation exclusion. A crazy thought occurred to his mind and grew strong quickly as time went by. Though Shiao Chen spared every effort to suppress it, but it just couldnt be controlled. Finally, Shiao Chen gradually accepted the thought subconsciously. Come here to your elder sisters side and follow my steps. I will bring you to much better places. The mysterious beauty suddenly became a soft sweet elder sister with a pure sense of simplicity. Shiao Chen was further indulged in with less struggle in his heart. Chapter 38 - Something Weird Weng~! At this moment, the Gold Seal in Shiao Chens Soul suddenly trembled, humming. The sound was extremely slight, almost inaudible by others, but for Shiao Chen, it was no less than that of ear-deafening bells and drums. The sound, as if coming down from mountain peaks, waked his dormant Soul in a second. Boundless terror sprawled out from Shiao Chens eyes and his speed of flying skyrocketed. Um? The mysterious woman was apparently caught by surprise that Shiao Chen had been able to resist her charm. Hem, I planned to play with you for longer. Since youre so reluctant and unappreciative, dont blame me for being ruthless. I shall so absorb and torture your Soul that it will never be able to enter the Reincarnation. The womans temperament changed from that of a meek girl next door to that of a callous overbearing queen. Her eyes were frosty and murderous, under the impact of which the entire space was rampant with bitter wind and intention to kill. A mature beauty, next-door sister or domineering queen, this mysterious woman didnt just have a heavenly beautiful face but also a fickle temperament. However, Shiao Chen was not a bit attracted to her. Rather, targeted by this cold murderous intention, what he could feel was creaking and cracking of his Soul as if he was to be frozen in a minute. The murderous intent was so far from fake that Shiao Chen would never doubt that what awaited him was a lethal blow. By the spirit pressure from the woman, there was no way he might survive it. Shiao Chen forced a bitter smile but his eyes displayed determination. Even if knowing he was sure to die, he would never give up! Try best and let heaven determine life-or-death! Suddenly, Shiao Chens spirit surgedhis full potential was triggered in the moment between life and death. The fifteenth level of Qi-Refining was released unsparingly. The spiritual power unleashed almost reached that of a middle stage of Foundation-Establishment cultivator. Again, surprise shimmered in the eyes of the mysterious woman who then managed to recover the cold face quickly. The killing intention didnt reduce a bit. She raised her slim hands and an invisible power was condensed. Exposed in the horrible power, Shiao Chens face became pale and bloodless in an instant. Hem! Suddenly, the mysterious woman frowned and snorted. Her face darkened all of a sudden. Damn it. Ive been sealed for so many years. How will I allow you to stop me from leaving here? The sound was as cold as ice frozen for thousands of years, emitting undissipated climate of massacre. Her icy eyes swept over to Shiao Chen and then she waved a black light straight to him. The black light was something unknown, but it broke through Shiao Chens spirit shield and plunged into his body in a blink. Shiao Chen felt a darkness in front of him and instantly lost all consciousness before falling to the ground. The woman still put on an expressionless face, and as she waved her slender hand, Shiao Chens body flew up by a strong power, hit the wall behind, and completely immerged into it after stirring a wave of ripples. After doing this, the woman looked up and the coldness in eyes nearly oozed out. In a snort, she disappeared. This is the last restriction, the breakthrough of which will furnish the key to entering the next floor. Everyone displayed excitement, though something strange were in their eyes. Chu Kuang my younger brother, is it true that, as you said, after breaking the restriction here, we can directly reach the core of the Ancient Cultivator Adobe? Di Qiu asked slowly, something flashing in his eyes. Chu Kuang sneered indiscernibly and nodded poker-faced, Of course its true. All will be clear after we break the last restriction. The Di brothers looked at each other, something abnormal shimmering in their eyes, and nodded slightly without being noticed. Di Qiu sat cross-legged to restore the divine sense he had used while Di Shuai was vigilantly poised to protect his brother. Chu Kuang could not help sneering at them but wasnt much irritated. He too sat in the meditating position to restore spiritual power. After four hours, the Di brothers returned to their peak strength and continued to break the restriction. Chu Kuang was standing dozens of meters away behind the two. The heavenly magnificent yard seduced ecstasy crawling from the depth of his eyes. Break! An hour later, the Di brothers growled and continually carried out spirit spells on the illusive yard created by the restriction. The spells, like stones throwing into water, generated waves of round ripples on the illusion of the yard. As they increased, the ripples continually extended and the illusion of the yard turned more and more obscure. Finally, merely an isolated door was left in front of the three. In the door was a greyish space leading to somewhere they didnt know. The Di brothers exchanged a glance and, as their faces changed, simultaneously drew back their hands and turned around. The restriction had been completely cleared up. Supposedly, the last door left required not much spiritual power to break. Chu Kuang was able to tell it though he knew little about restriction. Why do you stop? Chu Kuang put on a cold face and asked in a low voice. Di Qiu, lifting the corners of his mouth, sneered, Nothing. Its just we think its sure better the treasure is divided by two rather than three. What do you think? As the words were delivered, the murderous intention of the Di brothers undisguisedly broke out and closely locked Chu Kuang up. Chu Kuang could not hold back his mocking anymore and nodded approvingly. You are right. Dividing by three is of course not better than I take over them all by myself. You can die now. On the words, endless demonic spirit exploded out of Chu Kuangs body. His eyes were full of ruthlessness, and dozens of spirit spells were carried out in one wave. You asked for it! The Di brothers fulminated ragingly. Both of their cultivation reached the eighth level of Qi-Refining, so they were more than confident to kill Chu Kuang right here. How come a tiny firefly think its more brilliant than the moon. Hah, and how dare you two try to combat with me? Blood thirst flashed by in Chu Kuangs eyes. Two beams of dark light flew toward the Di brothers before they noticed. Ow! Ow! Two surprised screams of anger came over. It turned out that the Di brothers were now closely packed up by two ditch-black light. Upon the touching between their spiritual shield and the light, erosion took place madly. Demonic technique. You are a demonic cultivator! The Di brothers faces turned pale and their eyes were swarmed with terror. Please show your mercy on us. We promise never to tell anyone about what happened today. Please take into account our effort in breaking the restriction. Please spare our lives. Chu Kuangs face was cold, and he mocked, Who do you think I am? A three-year old kid? But since I do have to owe the credit of breaking the restriction to you, I will allow your Souls to enter the Reincarnation. At the triggering of Chu Kuangs divine sense, the black light overwhelmed the Di brothers in an instant and their spirit shields were immediately broken into pieces. In extreme terror, the light touched their bodies, immediately eroding their bodies into two dark skeletons. Chu Kuang sneered and waved his hand. The two dark lights got back and immersed into his body like they were living things. Picking up the two brothers storage bags, Chu Kuang waved out spiritual power and the door disappeared immediately. A drawing scroll swayed down slowly from midair. In the scroll, there was a heavenly magnificent yard, in the front of which was a tailed monster with black scales all over and jarring bones at its legs. Under the monster lay two pitch-dark dead bodies. Chu Kuang showed no surprise and held the scroll in hand, watching it turn into a black jade bead. Passion flickered in his eyes, Chu Kuang put the jade bead into the Transport Formation before him without hesitation. Dark light flashed by and he disappeared in a wink. Damn it. What the hell is this place? So many ghosts haunt here. The old woman looked gloomy and a bit scared. The creation of so many ghosts suggested a raging massacre by the host of the place. The plump man also looked depressed. No action could be observed but any ghost that came near him less than three meters had all been killed. Close examination would reveal faint but dense gold light shining around his body, easily piercing through any ghost that dared to approach him. Jin Hua, my friend, we need to speed up in order to save spiritual power. The old woman slowly nodded and the two finally began to take action. Once Gold-Core cultivators carried out techniques, it was indeed earthshaking. The hundreds of ghosts surrounding them were killed in an instant. Lets go! Light of Flying exploded over them and their speed soared several times all of a sudden, heading straight forward. However, after only a moment, the two were once again surrounded by numerous ghosts, and their speed was also sharply dragged down. Even more dreadful was that high-level ghosts were among them. The cultivation of these high-level ghosts were equal to that of a Foundation-Establishment cultivator though not enough to hurt the two people, they must be discreet. Bang! Bang! The plump cultivator displayed harshness, and the three-meter-long gold lights surrounding him spread out in a second, sweeping over to the space within thirty meters like a furious storm. In a while, the gold light returned to him, but its gold color faded a bit. The plump mans face turned pale, obviously the attack had consumed much of his spiritual power. He took out an elixir from his storage bag and swallowed, then he got a little better. Thwack! Thwack! All demons and ghosts within hundreds of meters that were ferociously waving their claws and paws froze. At the center between their eyebrows appeared a golden slim hole. Gradually, their bodies disappeared. Im intrigued to figure out what secret is hidden here that so many ghosts are needed to guard this place. Having killed all the demons and ghosts, the plump man snorted and rushed forward by light. The old woman thoughtfully blinked, and then followed up in silence. The next moment after being controlled by the mysterious woman, Shiao Chen recovered to consciousness; but since the woman was too powerful to escape from and at the moment there was no risk of losing his life, he decided to let the mysterious woman send him into the restriction. Then he could buy some time to find a way to escape. Lying on the ground, Shiao Chen suspended his breath, and after quite a while when he was sure no danger lurked, he slowly opened his eyes. Presented before him was a heavenly magnificent yard fully sealed-off with no doors, and at the moment, he stood right within the yard. Shiao Chen looked vigilant, standing still and careful not to take any step. He convened into a line his divine sense which was powerful enough to equate with that in middle stage of Foundation-Establishment period. Scanning the whole place for a while, he frowned because not a bit vibration of spiritual power was detected. Wasnt it a place created by the Illusive Restriction? Chapter 39 - Ghosts Shiao Chen, with knitted brows, took out a low-grade Fireball Talisman from his storage bag. Although he had used over two hundreds of it, he still had plenty. Go! When infused with a little spirit power and thrown forward, the Fireball Talisman immediately inflamed and turned into ashes without making a sound. In the meantime, a fireball of the size of a grownups fist appeared out of thin air. Go! Shiao Chen pointed at a certain place ahead, and that fireball abruptly dashed toward the courtyard wall. Although Shiao Chen was confident about himself, to be prudent, right after sending out the fireball he still conjured up a spirit shield in front of him and held loads of talismans in hands. Boom! Undeterred, the fireball exploded on the courtyard wall, only leaving a scorched mark on the wall. It seems that this is very likely where that woman lives. Who on earth is she? Wu Wanli and Chu Kuang call her master. Could she be the owner of this adobe? Shiao Chen knitted his brows tightly. If it was so, he was really in danger. Id better leave here; the earlier, the better. At that time, the woman didnt try to overwhelm me with her spirit power, but she was still so enigmatic that I was subdued instantly even though my divine sense equals to that of a cultivator at middle stage of Foundation Establishment. If not for the gold seal, Im afraid that I would have been trampled upon at will. Judging from this, I can tell that this woman definitely is at or even above the Gold Core! Shiao Chen looked serious, swept through this courtyard with his divine sense and moments later walked directly into the inner yard. Go! The old woman looked extremely surly. Facing over ten ferocious ghosts, she looked really vicious and venomous. Just go die! Right at this moment, her hands as dry and rough as the bark of a one-hundred-year-old tree suddenly came to life, moved swiftly and flexibly like dancing butterflies, and cast one abstruse incantation after another. Her obscure and mighty spirit power became better controlled and steadier as the old woman kept changing her hand movements; meantime, a formidable power was building up gradually. When an evil spirit turned into a ferocious ghost, it almost owned the power of a cultivator at Foundation Establishment. Although it had feeble intellect, it also knew that now was the life-or-death moment. Hiss! All evil spirits raised their heads and roared in a voice so low that couldnt even be heard by human beings, but the old woman became much more solemn and said hurriedly, Brother Liu, please lend me a hand. After I finish this trick, I can take these evil spirits down with ease. Ok! The plump Taoist was kind of short of breath and had some wired redness on face, but he knew it was definitely not the right time to retreat. Therefore, he took out a total shineless black gourd from his storage bag. The gourd was just a little bit more than 3cm long with a short verdant vine. This was not a man-made magic weapon but one created by nature. Almost all such magic weapons had formidable magic power, but the pity was they could only be used once, which meant once used, they lost all their power. Reluctantly, the plump Taoist gnashed his teeth and threw the gourd up while murmuring something. Then he pointed at a certain place with one finger and growled, Go! Then a strand of spirit power came out from his finger and got into the black gourd, which enlarged abruptly to from 3cm to about over 3m long in no time after absorbing the spirit power. Crack! One crisp sound was heard. The mouth of the gourd and that short verdant vine shed off, revealing its black mouth with strands of black smoke overflowing. And the black smoke gradually surrounded the two of them. Magic creation of the nature C Black-gold Soul-protecting Gourd! The old woman was first shocked and then said gladly, I have never expected you have such a good stuff. With it, if you and I work together, we really stand a good chance of getting through more doors even if they are guarded by Ghost Kings. Sister, please take them down as soon as possible. The Black-gold Soul-protecting Gourd can only fend off part of the divine sense attack, so we should try our best to avoid consuming too much power by these low-level ghosts, said the plump Taoist with a solemn expression. He looked through these ferocious ghosts and couldnt help showing some of his worries. Hearing these words, the old woman became serious and nodded slowly. From the plain ghosts of the lowest level to the ferocious ghosts with the power of cultivators at Foundation Establishment, who knew what the hell they would come across later. The Ghost King with the power of a cultivator at Gold Core? Or the Ghost Emperor at Nascent Soul? If it was the former, they mighty defeat it with the help of the Black-gold Soul-protecting Gourd, but if it was the latter, theyd better flee as far and as quickly as possible. With increasingly fast hand movements, the old woman finished her incantation and strands of pure Yin Qi were circling around her in a fast speed. Go! After finishing the incantation, her spirit power poured out like the breaching of the dyke and her face abruptly became as pale as sheet. Nobody knew what kind of skill the old woman had been practicing, but her actions made the surroundings so ghostly and chilly that it seemed like she was the Ghost King at Gold Core. With the shout of the old woman, a black huge ghosty claw of about tens or even hundreds of meters just appeared out of blue and dashed straight forward. And along the way all ghosts getting in touch with it instantly broke into pieces, turning into strands of pure Yin Qi. On contrast, that ghosty claw turned so black and shiny which kept moving forwards with overwhelming power. It was surely a magic move of Gold Core that deserved to take so much time because the black ghosty claw had already killed over ten ferocious ghosts in front of them and was still raging forward deep into the cave overwhelmingly. The Road to Death full of stone puppets has been cleared by that little bloke; the other slave of mine is about to arrive and the Road to Survival has been half opened by those two humans at Gold Core. Now let me lend you guys a hand to break the Spirit and Divine Sense Exterminating Formation with Three Deadly Roads which has been constraining me, as soon as possible. But before that, I have to make some troubles to stop the puppets from coming here in case they may disrupt my grand plan. Deep underground, in a spacious palace, the mysterious woman Shiao Chen had met before was sitting on a jade plate with legs crossed. And the jade plate was inscribed with wired bloody-red stripes that were twisting, wiggling and sometimes even pulsing just like veins in the human body. Bah, although I fell prey to your vicious plot that year and gave you the chance to seal me here, you definitely didnt expect that I could finger out how to break your restriction. My body is still constrained here by your seal, but my divine sense has already broken free. Now the restrictions and spells in this formation used to prevent me from getting away are helping free me. The woman wore a cold expression and closed her eyes gradually. But suddenly she frowned tightly like suffering from great pain. And gradually a shadowy figure was separated from her body and solidified slowly just like a real person who looked exactly the same like the woman on the jade plate! Hahaha, the show is about to start! The woman gurgled with an enchanting face and disappeared with just one move. Chapter 40 - Treasure-Taking (1) Roaring! The Road to Impasse was the core of the Spirit and Divine Sense Exterminating Formation with Three Deadly Roads. Anyone who entered, even cultivators at Gold Core, would be killed and shredded in an instant by its restrictions. But right now, a bony man with red and green lights flashing through his eyes was flying forward quickly as easily as walking on firm ground. Hahaha, little guy, there is no need to rush forward like this. How about you stay and have a talk with me? In the blink of an eye, that mysterious woman emerged among some ripples and stood in the mans way with a smile. Roar! The man was the Corpse Rider possessed by some unknown evil spirit. But now the evil spirit seemed terrified and even panic crept up on its stiffened face when it looked at the woman. But suddenly, as if sensing something, it howled frantically and went at the woman so quickly that only some shadows of it could been seen. Hahaha, with most of your soul being removed, you are just a half-witted fool. If not that I have to buy myself some time to set off the restriction, I will never talk to a mean creature like you! How interesting that the thing your master left behind will be used on you now. Just enjoy yourself. After saying this, the woman instantly changed into an icy cold and pitiless expression. She gave another unmerciful glance at Corpse Rider who was still struggling in the restriction and then vanished from sight. Roar! Boom! In the Road to Impasse, there was nothing but the roars of the Corpse Rider and the mighty outbreak power of the activated restriction. Violet-cored Grass with Twelve Leaves and Misty Lotus with Ten Leaves of ten thousand years! With constricted pupils, Shiao Chen became extremely excited. With great caution, Shiao Chen got closer to the small herbal garden with a radius of about ten meters. And even Shiao Chen with so calm a deposition was kind of shocked and dazed. Violet-cored Grass was a rare spiritual herb in the world of cultivation. It grew only one leaf every one thousand years and the potency of grass with less than three leaves was very limited which was even no match for that of other equivalent herbs of just one hundred years. However, if the grass grew for ten thousand years, with great changes in its potency, it became the most precious herb that ever known to man, because no matter how badly a cultivator was hurt, as long as his soul wasnt in the wheel of reincarnation yet, this grass could bring him back to life. Misty Lotus, the miraculous creation of the nature, was a solidified lotus for half of the day and a lotus made of mist for the other half of the day. It grew one leaf every two thousand years; it was called Precious Misty Lotus if it got ten leaves and Lotus Seat with twelve leaves. Misty Lotus could refine ones spirit and marrow so as to remold ones body and improve the quality of spiritual root! That is, even one with just low-grade spiritual root would become a genius so talented that could only be seen once in a blue moon. But Shiao Chen was kind of disappointed. If he had spiritual root, even the most inferior one, he could give it a stunning makeover with the help of the Misty Lotus. At that time, establishing foundation was just a piece of cake and there wouldnt be so much trouble ahead. Shaking his head and putting those unrealistic thoughts aside, Shiao Chen licked the corners of his mouth and made up his mind that since he had run into such treasures, then there was no reason to let them slip. After carefully checking the spirit shield enveloping the herbal garden with his divine sense, Shiao Chen relaxed to some extent. He believed that mysterious woman must be quite confident about the safety of this place for the shield didnt have any attack capabilities and could only prevent the leakage of herbal potencies and gather nimbus of the nature. Even so, Shiao Chen still prudently put his hand on the shield and gradually let out a strand of spirit power through his palm. Crack! The spirit shield broke but the two spiritual herbs of ten thousand years were untouched. Instantly intense herbal fragrance diffused. With just one breath, Shiao Chen felt he was already back at his peak. They surely lived up to their reputation of the most precious herbs ever known to man! Prudently, Shiao Chen took out two jade boxes from his storage bag and used some spells to put those herbs in. Then he attached seven or eight talismans on the boxes to prevent any leakage of potencies. After all this, Shiao Chen finally seemed satisfied and continued to walk deep into the garden. Dame it! What kind of treasure on earth does he have? How could he break free from my restrictions? You dared to take away my treasures! Young man, this isnt over yet. Ill get even with you soon or later. The woman on the jade plate suddenly opened her eyes with coldness and sharpness flashing through. Sister Jinhua, hurry up and do something. The Ghost King is so mighty that I barely can hold it off. The plump Taoist called for help with an extremely terrified face. Streaks of blood dripped down at the corner of his mouth and his eyes were full of terror and rage. The color of that Black-gold Soul-protecting Gourd kept dimming down and the black smoke surrounding them was so thin that it seemed it would disappear at any time. Outside of the black smoke, three pale, tall and strong Ghost Kings was enraged and hit the black smoke with one ghosty trick after another, making the plump Taoist even more anguished. The old woman looked really solemn. Ghosty fog circled around her dry face with strands of chilly Yin Qi circling her skin, then spreading about, and finally forming wired patterns. Judging from it, what the old woman practiced was ghost controlling and now she was using her magic tricks to control ghosts. After some time, she seemed to be suffering from a growing pain and gradually, a fierce looking ghost face emerged upon her forehead, which kept twisting itself like a living thing and roaring in low voice. Freeze! The old woman shouted solemnly and immediately the twisting ghost face disappeared but some black smoke in front of her still kept twisting, which transformed back into that ghost face moments later. The old woman sullenly took a bite of her finger and then put the bleeding finger into the mouth of that ghost face. Seeing this, the ghost face was so wild with joy that it quivered with surprise and greed. It opened its mouth widely and sucked the old womans finger forcefully. Instantly, her blood and spirit power flooded out and her breath weakened. After three times of sucking, the ghost face finally satisfied and opened its mouth after making some harsh quacking sounds. Now due to the large quantity of blood and spirit power it had sucked in, there were streaks of blood mingling in its black smoke and formidable power gradually emanating from it. The old woman quickly pulled back her finger, took out some pungent pills from her storage bag and swallowed them. At once, her reduced power rose suddenly and sharply and she was back at her peak in no time with unusual rosy cheeks. Clearly, those were some forbidden pills with great side effects. Go! The old woman said with one finger pointing forward. Then the ghost face made some more quacking laughing sounds, got through the black smoke with a blink of the eye and rushed directly to the three Ghost Kings. Roaring in low voice, the three Ghost Kings seemed really terrified and they separated from each other. Each with two ghostly fire in their hollow eyes fixed on the ghost face rolling with blood, they kept roaring and growling. Brother Liu, average Ghost King has the same cultivation as us. And these three Ghost Kings are by no means weak, but their souls seem to have been taken away, or they wont give me the time to finish my secret incantation. The old woman looked better and seemed rather confident in the magical power of that ghost face. The plump Taoist nodded lightly, swallowed some elixirs taken from his storage bag and said with heart still fluttering with fear, Just now I clearly perceived there were at least seven Ghost Kings, but with some unknown reasons only three of them appeared here. Nonetheless, we are safe for now. Sister Jinhua, your power is so formidable especially the overwhelming tricks in controlling ghosts that the ghost face alone could defeat the three Ghost Kings. At the end of these words, the plump Taoist kind of put his guard up. The old woman smiled bitterly and said, Brother Liu, its not that easy. The ghost face was the spirit of a Ghost King I accidently subdued when it was badly wounded. I have refined it with some secret methods, but every time I use it, it needs to suck lots of my blood and spirit power. I can only use it once in a month, or I will be hurt and even controlled by the spirit of the Ghost King. Hearing this, the man let his guard down a little bit as the woman indeed weakened after the trick, although he didnt buy her whole story. Since Sister Jinhua has beat off the three Ghost Kings, I think wed better get out of here as soon as possible. I totally agree with you, Brother Liu! Looking at each other in the eyes, they conjured up their light shield at the same time and flew deep into the cave. Although the three Ghost Kings kept roaring, due to the attacking of the ghost face, they had no choice but to see the two get way right under their noses. - Shiao Chen prudently looked at the small tree of no more than 1 meter high in front of him. And there were baby-like, green fruits on it, giving off light unusual fragrance. Baby-shaped Fruit! Baby-shaped Fruit, magical creation of the nature, was shaped like babies and green in color. If mortals ate it, they feared the hell not and could kept their memory intact for three Samsara; and if cultivators ate it, their divine sense would rose sharply, saving them the trouble of hundreds of years hard cultivation. Thinking of what the ancient books in the Book Pavilion said about Baby-shaped Fruit, Shiao Chen looked at the tree quite fervently. But he didnt rush to get it recklessly; instead, he infused spirit power into his eyes and then looked at the Baby-shaped Fruit tree. As expected, he found a green, needle-like mini snake of less than 3.3cm settled on the third branch of the tree. Baby-shaped Serpent! It was born with the Baby-shape Fruit tree, fatally poisonous, killing people under Nascent Soul with just one touch! Shiao Chen became very cautious because it was precious only if he lived. He carefully set up a spirit shield surrounding his body, took a jade box out of his storage bag and with some hesitation threw a fireball which fell down over ten meters away from the tree. Abruptly, the seemingly sleeping Baby-shape Serpent opened its eyes, which was needle-hole sized and full of icy coldness, and in no time firmly targeted Shiao Chen standing tens of meters away. Under such circumstance, Shiao Chen had a strong sense of crisis with cold sweats all over his forehead. And suddenly, the snake arched its tiny body, and with one flashing of a green light, it was right in front of Shiao Chen, breaking that spirit shield in a blink of the eye. With a sting on the hand, Shiao Chen felt like being acupunctured, but then he paled abruptly and fell to the ground with stiffened body. The Baby-shape Serpent aside kept its body up-right with sneer and chill in its eyes. Chapter 41 - Treasure-Taking (2) But all of a sudden, before it noticed, a black shadow abruptly came over and enclosed it in a wink. Shiao Chen was more than busy with his hand and kept taking out from the storage bag dozens of seals and talismans, sticking seamlessly layer upon layer until no tremble was felt. He took a relieved breath and wiped off cold sweat on his forehead. His fear lingered because but for the purification of the Gold Seal against toxin, chances were that he must have died this time. So it seems that not all recorded in ancient books is one hundred percent true. How come the Baby-shaped Snake is both rapid and highly toxic? Shiao Chen smiled in bitterness and shook his head. It was indeed out of luck this time. Looking at the jade box in his hand, he carefully put it into the storage bag. There must be some time when this Baby-shaped Snake would be useful in the future. Looking at the withered baby-shaped fruit tree, Shiao Chen collected the fruits in the shape of human baby while excitement leaking out of his eyes. Along this journey, he had collected more than dozens of kinds of herbs that had come into existence for over ten-thousand years, the names of many of which, though, were even unknown, one thing for sure was that they were of unquestionable value and preciousness. Damn it. Even Baby-shaped Fruits have been taken away. Within the jade plate, the woman opened her eyes, resentfully biting her teeth, The fruit of all my numerous years of wholehearted culture is all usurped by the little bastard! Hem, just wait and see. I shall rip off your skin and torture you to the end of time! No one knew why the woman should display shyness and flushed a bit out of either anger or surprise. The natural reaction added feminine beauty to her, for a moment, she even seemed unparalleled in the whole world. The eyes mixed with both irritation and shyness, especially, seemed able to drive people crazy for her. The fluorescence floated over her body was scattered, and the bloody scratches on the jade plate quickly shined in weird scarlet, heading straight to her. The mysterious woman bit teeth and closed her eyes, trying to empty her mind and enter into the state of No-Wave-Ever. Then the greenish light gradually calmed down and once again fended off the bloody scratches on the jade plate. The balance was regained. Awwww! Awwww! In the earthshaking roar of rage, gravels were instantly shattered into falling ashes by the ferocious sound wave. In the Road to Impasse, the possessed Corpse Rider now recovered to his original form, which turned out to be a psychic zombie with a pale face and sharp fangs. However, his size swelled many times to a strong seven meters high out of reasons no one would know. In addition, with the change of his shape, the spirit pressure giving out from within the body also soared, reaching unexpectedly the middle-stage of Gold-Core. Though some wave was not stabilized, the strength had hiked several times for sure. At this moment, he growled from time to time and kept striding forward. Although the restriction here had been all triggered and rushing at him, this monster seemed very familiar with it. Its gigantic body reacted quite nimbly in taking every proper step to avoid harm brought by the restriction. As for some weaker attacks, he ignored them and walked straight ahead. The robust body of zombie shielded him from the weaker attacks, which, even if hit on it, turned to merely rings of little harm. That being said, rushing cumbersomely all the way through the restriction, the zombie was full of dense scars on the body. Green blood-drops was dripping on the ground, leaving ditches of erosion in various sizes on stones. SealMasters orderIntruderKill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! This monster kept murmuring and at last, only the terrifying Kill could be heard. Kaboom! Although the restriction was extraordinarily powerful, the monsters reckless rushing made the rapid journey not a bit dragged down. Watch out! The Ghost King is to blow himself! The plump Taoist showed slight scare. He quickly took out a thing from the storage bag and tossed it before himself, forming a semi-transparent shield. Even so, he still continued to set up several spirit shield in front of him and at the same time hurriedly moved toward the depth of the mountain cave. The words turned the old womans face grim at once. With a touch of begrudging in her eyes, she bit her teeth and, in black light over her body, suddenly speeded up to follow the plum Taoist. Boom! A bang of violent explosion came over, and countless boulders flew up like leaves. The rolling air waves were as if about to tear up the sky and caught up with the two people in a second. Terror oozed out from the eyes of the plump Taoist because his semi-transparent shield was squeaking against the contact with the air waves and after just a few seconds, it cracked in his horrified eyes. Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! All of the spirit shields before him were penetrated through. As a powerful crash forced into his chest, the plump Taoist spitted quite a mouthful of blood and was thrown backward, disastrous. Feeling the violent fluctuations coming from behind, the old woman did not hesitate to take out from her storage bag a pale bone piece as big as her finger. She filled it with spiritual power and then quickly threw it backward. The bone piece was so strange that it swelled up immediately after leaving her hand and became a giant bone shield enough to cover the old woman. Regardless of the bone shields inconspicuous appearance, it lasted much longer than the plump mans spirit shield. This provided more than enough time for the old woman to take proper reaction. She took out four or five talismans and threw out after filling them with spiritual power. The talismans instantly began to burn once leaving her hand and appeared behind her as shields of all colors. Kaboom! Air waves rolled in, and all the shields in front of the old woman also broke. She fell near the plump Taoist. It was not until a quarter later that the smoke caused by rolling air waves slowly subsided. The cave was expanded as if by some brutal forces. The space within about three hundred meters were much stretched. Fortunately, the mountainside was solid enough not to collapse. Otherwise, what a joke it would be that two Gold-Core cultivators should not be killed by self-explosion of the Ghost King but rather by the smashing of huge rocks! The plump Taoist and the old woman took a look at each other and could make out the luck the other felt. The self-explosion of a Ghost King is so powerful, not a bit lesser than we Gold-Core cultivators explode our gold cores. Luckily, we reacted fast or Im afraid we may have died here. Horror lingered on the plump Taoists pale face. His breath was still unsteady, apparently having been hurt greatly. Damn the Ghost. It exploded itself. Otherwise, if it fell into my hand, I would surely torture it to the utmost! The old womans face was resentful and even grimmer. Chapter 42 - Treasure-Taking (3) The plump Taoist knew that she was begrudging the spirit of the Ghost King that had wasted in the explosion, but he did not a bit care about this, Lets take a rest to restore our spiritual power before going on ahead for exploration. The old woman slowly nodded. Arriving here, both of them were not only heavily hurt but also consumed great amount of treasure. Leaving this place right now would never cover their lost. The two sat on their knees a few meters apart from each other. Each held a mid-grade spirit stone to absorb spiritual power from. The place was not safe for healing by swallowing elixirs, so they chose to use spars to restore part of their spiritual power so that their wound could be temporarily suppressed down. After an hour, the two opened their eyes at the same time. Their spiritual power had restored much, nearly enough to suppress their wound, so they looked much better. Lets go. The two looked at each other and set up a few layers of spiritual shields in front of them, then carefully flew forward. WhatWhat the hell is this thing? Even a person as calm and collected as Shiao Chen was stunned and his face turned purple in a second. Shiao Chen passed through the courtyard and collected a few spirit grasses before getting before the house. Though there was no restriction on the door, Shiao Chen was still astonished upon the opening of it. The layout of the room seemed to suggest one of a girls. Faint aroma was floating in the air. Several underclothes were hanging on the hanger. The thin fabric swayed as he opened the door. Anyway, Shiao Chen was merely a young fellow that had been strictly disciplined by his father. He had never seen a scene like this, in which a red stomacher embroidered in blue threads with pink flowers and a pair of loving birds, attracted most of his sight. Cough! Cough! Shiao Chen struggled to cough twice, feeling the increasing heat in his face. Who had anticipated such a scene in a place dangerous like this? Get out of my room! Watch out! I shall kill you! Kill you! Annoyed, shy, and lost all her dominance, the girl screamed hysterically after being left alone and waking to the fact that she had been humiliated by someone. By certain secret spell, the sound of the mysterious girl was suddenly sent over into Shiao Chens ears. Shiao Chen was shocked, but having figured out it was the girls sound, he scanned closely this place and left after he was sure there was nothing valuable. The girl remained silent after shouting out her claims. Shiao Chen left her alone and headed straight to other rooms. As early as he had broken the shield of the first spirit grass, he knew he would be detected by the girl. Since she didnt come in to stop him so far, she must have been detained for other things. Therefore, he had to make the best use of every minute to search this place and flee from here by all means. Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! I shall not forgive you this easily! Never! In the jade plate, the girl bit her teeth. The all-round fickle temperament all disappeared, leaving only shyness and irritation. Thwack! On the road to impasse, the last restriction was destroyed by the gigantic zombies brutal power. In its raging roar and a surge of thick corpse air from its body, the zombie was sent to the teleporting formation under its feet and its whole body faded away. Found it! The old woman showed a bit of joy and looked at the plump Taoist. The two examined for a while and were sure no crisis was hidden in the teleporting formation. They jumped into it, and, as a light beam flashed by, disappeared in an instance. Chu Kuang carefully put the last piece of bloody-red spar in his hand into the Formation, which immediately gave off weird scarlet light that later on caved into the deep beneath the ground, leaving no trace of abnormalities to be found. Even a Gold-Core cultivator screening with divine sense wouldnt discover anything. The Formation has set up, master. Im about to visit you. Weirdness shimmered in Chu Kuangs eyes. He sneered, stood up trying to find the right direction, and then flew away by light. Spirit beast egg! Shiao Chen shouted with surprise. The place was full of crisis and the strength of the mysterious girl was fathomless, so this spirit beast egg, well-protected by her, must be something extraordinary. Coming into Shiao Chens view was a spirit tree whose name he had no idea of. The tree was no taller than a man, but had extremely dense branches which intertwined with one another and spiraled upward forming a natural nest. It furnished a sound support for the half-a-meter sized spirit beast egg with abstruse patterns that sent out its distinction at a single glance. Shiao Chen carefully released his divine sense, reaching out toward the spirit beast egg, but strangely, an unknown force tried to push it off. Shiao Chen was not shocked but rather joyful because this egg, able to reject his divine sense which was no lesser than that of a mid-stage Foundation-Establishment cultivator, must be conceiving a powerful Spirit Animal. If he could help the incubation and tame the spirit beast, it would do great good to his future journey. Shiao Chen knew that strength gap between different cultivators lied in not only cultivation, divine sense or spirit tools, but also in spirit beasts whose power could never be underestimated. In the cultivation world, there were a lot of disciples of major sects that had signed agreement with powerful spirit beasts since their birth. Therefore, even many of them were not powerful enough, they could still beat up their rivals with the help of spirit beasts. Shiao Chen licked his lips, and after a little contemplation, took out a middle-grade spirit tool from his storage bag. This was a middle-grade shovel-shaped spirit tool that he obtained after killing Wu Wanli. Now it was the best to use. He held it in his hand and input into it spiritual power. Though not having been refined, the spirit tool still gave off dazzling glow over it. After his divine sense reached underneath the ground and confirming the location of the spirit tree roots, he quickly waved the spirit tool. Collect! Shiao Chen carried out a spell, taking over the huge egg and the spirit tree nest under it. He put them in a new storage bag and picked up carefully. Although Shiao Chen had no idea of the spirit tree, he intuitively knew it had something to do with the huge egg, so he had decided to take it away along with the egg. After packing them, Shiao Chen continued to search through the room. Making sure nothing important was missed out, he left. What is this place? It seemed not like the adobe of an ancient cultivator, but rather a prison. The old woman looked grim. They killed all the way here via the teleporting formation, but this place was nothing like an adobe. The vast hall was set up with all kinds of restrictions and fatal formations, a scene freaked them out. Lets explore it. Even if this is the place where the ancient cultivators are repressed, there must be treasures left. If were lucky, there will be unexpected gains. The plump Taoist said slowly, his voice in zeal. On hearing the words, the old woman was a bit surprised, but on a second thought, she was reminded of the recent hearsay rampant in the Beihua State of the cultivation world. Zeal also showed up in her eyes. It was said that three months before, several Foundation-Establishment cultivators had broken into one of the ancient ruins. After rounds of crisis and fights, only one of the cultivators reached the destination. However, the place was not the adobe of an ancient cultivator, but one sealing a notorious ancient demonic cultivator. Though no one could know what had happened, the last cultivator turned into a demonic cultivator and his cultivation soared to late Gold-Core period. He had obtained a spirit toolDevil Streamer, powerful enough to confront an aggressive old Nascent Soul, an event for a time shaking the entire Beihua State of the cultivation world. If the same might happen hereThe two looked at each other and at once passion were fired in their eyes. They stood at the edge of the main hall, hesitated for a while and set up many layers of spirit shields. The plump Taoist looked serious. He tapped his forehead, then a round bowl-shaped magic weapon appeared. Radiating with golden light, it shielded the man within it. A Buddhist magic weapon! The old woman said to herself, a bit deterred. She stepped backward, her body glowing a layer of dark light. This time, the plump Taoist was the one that was a bit daunted by this dark light. Both of them stepped aside for a distance out of vigilance and then walked slowly into the hall. Jiuwu Evil-Locking Formation! Senlo Soul-Tearing Formation! God-Destruction Formation! Just a dozen meters ahead, the plump Taoist and the old woman saw these not yet triggered formations, and their faces turned pale. These were merely the ones they could identity; the more others were what they had never seen or heard of. However, by the abstruse patterns on the formations, their power must be extremely terrifying once triggered. What the hell is this place? There are so many powerful formations set up. Provided we trigger any of those accidently, even we Gold-Core cultivators would die here. The two were too cautious to let their divine senses reaching out more then ten meters in an effort to avoid any potential crisis. Ouch! Help! As the old woman set her feet on the ground, a subtle wave of spiritual power rushed over. Her faces changed in a second and then she disappeared from the hall. The plump Taoist was also deterred, but he showed no intention to help her. Instead, he rapidly stepped backward, terror sprawling all over his face. The old woman, possessing various spells and a cultivation up to the peak of early Gold-Core period, was immediately swallowed by restrictions without even the slightest ability to resist. Surely, he could not help feeling scared. Since the old woman had been swallowed by the restriction, the plump Taoist was even more meticulous. Every time he encountered a restriction, he would stop for a while to crack it with great caution, not daring to be a bit negligent. What is this? Having just broken a hidden formation, the plum Taoist was immediately attracted to a thing falling shortly before he could wipe off the sweat on his forehead. Jade Slip! The plump Taoist narrowed his eyes. Hesitating for a while, he drew the jade slip into his palm with spiritual power and tapped it on his forehead. After some time, he suddenly opened his eyes which almost burst with surprise and ecstasy. Elixir Room. Shiao Chen was expectant. The mysterious girl owned so unfathomable cultivation and origin that she was even able to plant 10,000-year spirit herb. Therefore, he was sure about to obtain a lot in the elixir room. Chapter 43 - Trap Shiao Chen pushed the door and went inside. Coming into sight was a huge medicine furnace, the material of which was unknown. It was a 3.333 meters high tripod with dense patterns on the surface, a close gaze at which was dazzling. Shiao Chen was a bit shocked, and quickly moved his eyes away. Shiao Chen randomly took a medicine bottle from the shelf and waved to peel off the seal around the mouth. A strong fragrance of medicine came out if it. Only one deep breath of the medicinal fragrance made Shiao Chens Soul increased immediately. Fourth-grade elixirDemon Repelling Pill! Gazing at the pill that was as big as an infant fist, Shiao Chen almost burst with ecstasy. He opened all of the seven jade bottles, astonished in an instance because there was one pill in each of thema total of seven! Altogether there were eight grades of elixirs corresponding to the eight realms of cultivation. This fourth-grade Demon Repelling Pill was an amazing one since ancient times. So far, the prescription had long lost. Its function was to help a top Gold-Core cultivator break through to reach Nascent Soul period, specifically, safeguarding the cultivator against outer demons. It increased the success rate of reaching Nascent Soul as much as ten percent! Ten percent was far from little because the pills medicinal effect was already tremendous, which made it a precious treasure in the entire cultivation world. Now Shiao Chen got seven of them at a time, which, if spread out, was sure about to induce snatching by a swarm of Gold-Core cultivators and even primary Nascent Soul older monsters. Shiao Chen took a deep breath to calm his mind. He quickly laid a restriction over the jade bottle to prevent the pill fragrance from leaking out, and then carefully put it into his storage bag. Right in front of the shelf stood a square wooden table on which laid two jade slips. Shiao Chen screened them with divine sense and then collected them into his storage bag. Recorded on the two jade slips was the elixir-refining experience of an ancient cultivator. Though of little help for Shiao Chen, it would be much more precious than any other spirit tools for alchemists. However, what excited Shiao Chen was the elixir prescription recorded. Only by a simple browse, he had found the names of dozes of ancient elixirs using at different cultivation levels. With these prescriptions, as long as he collected enough raw materials, he was confident to be able to make these pills. By then, his cultivation shall surely skyrocket. Apparently, this place is not the adobe of an ancient cultivator, but rather like a place for sealing. The unfathomably powerful girl is too fickle. Id better get out of here as soon as possible. Shiao Chen made up his mind, but just at this moment, a ferocious humming came over and the ground under his feet was slightly shaking. Shiao Chens face turned gloomy in an instant. Although he had no idea of what happened, the subtle spirit wave reaching him made him cold from head to toe at once. Even he, whose cultivation was no lesser than that of a Foundation-Establishment cultivator, had felt the earthshaking horror, the cultivation of the people fighting right now spoke for themselves. Gold-Core cultivators! Shiao Chen felt a bit frustrated, and his face showed a bit of worry. I must leave here as soon as possible. Any delay may trigger crisis! Shiao Chen made up his mind and then promptly walked outside. However, before leaving, he hesitated a little, took out an empty storage bag and carried out spells to collect the medicine furnace before quickly heading outside. Mine! The Demon Lord Heritage is mine! The plump Taoists eyes were crammed with zeal, and his face turned purple out of excitement. He carried out several spells in a row. Having consumed the spiritual power inside, he swallowed an elixir and sat cross legged for a while to absorb the medicinal effect. Then he stood up to break the restriction. Illusive Formation! Break! The gruesome ghastly scene before him instantly faded away when he found himself still standing in the hall but a step forward. However, the plump Taoist was not a bit surprised by all this. He took two elixirs for spirit restoration and again sat in the meditating position, waiting for his spiritual power to be restored. Hem! Taoist Liu, since youre not willing to help me, the good to be gained will belong to me only. By the time I achieve the cultivation of Demon Lord Heritage, I shall refine you by myself into a Puppet! At the moment, the grim-looking old woman was at a mountain top. The mountain, extremely steep, was as high as dozens of thousands of meters with roaring wind sweeping among peaks that kept hitting on her face like a knife. The old woman was discernibly cautious. Even though she knew all the scenes in sight was illusion created by the restriction, she was still astonished by the ancient cultivators marvelous skill of casting spell restrictions, which could even cloud her divine sense. She closed her eyes for quite a while and then opened them up suddenly. After a mere step forward, she fell onto the foot of the mountain. With constant wave of her hands, spells went straight into the mountain, stirring ripples. As I expected, though the restriction is of great power, years of erosion has exposed many of its weak points, which now constitute no difficulty for me! The old woman looked cautious, and as she quickly carried out spells, the towering mountain in front of her gradually faded away like an illusion. What an excellent idea, my lord, to give the two people jade slips and mislead them into believing that this place is the heritage of the Rogue Demon, so that they fought so hard to break the restriction. By the time the outer restriction is completely broken up, you will regain your freedom and travel freely around the world! Chu Kuang said, bowing a bit. Looking at the girl sitting cross-legged in the jade plate, his face was respectful and his eyes were shimmered with fervor. All is attributive to their greed. In the jade plate, the mysterious girl slightly opened her eyes and said calmly. Chu Kuang frowned, and then said slowly, But the guarding monsters have broken most of the restrictions around the Road to Impasse. They will soon get here. Although the two outside are Gold-Core cultivators, Im afraid they are no match for the monsters. Ive got plans about it. You dont have to worry. The girl said, closing her eyes. Bursts of fluorescence radiated all over her, but the bloody-red patterns on the jade plate began to subsidize. Something weird flashed by in Chu Kuangs eyes. He retreated to the side, ostensibly respectful. The corner of the girls mouth curled up, revealing a smile, sneer or both. Boom! Boom! Boom! Dozens of fireballs fell near the outer shield of the courtyard. Shiao Chen frowned. Even though these fireballs were of minor damage, dozens of them in total indeed formed a power no lesser than a blow by an early-stage Foundation-Establishment cultivator, but the shield was not a bit shaken. One Finger Devourer. Knowing for sure that talisman tactic was invalid, Shiao Chen carried out without any hesitation his best skill, the explosion of which was enough to smash a middle-stage Foundation-Establishment cultivator. The spiritual power within his body flowed towards his arms, upon the reaching of which then quickly rotated along all meridians. A commanding spiritual pressure set off from his body. A spirit light shot out from his finger, and then reified into a spirit finger. The finger triggered turbulence in the outer spiritual power which then at once was absorbed by the former. As the absorbing augmented, the finger became more and more solid and even began to show finger marks on it like that of a real one. One Finger Devourer! Devour them all! Shiao Chen growled, his face turning pale. Chapter 44 - Spirit Corpse Got its Way Boom! The sound of collision was many times stronger than before. Slight waves were triggered at the point where One Finger Devourer crashed but then faded out quickly. Shiao Chens face suddenly became extremely grim, and he took out two elixirs and swallowed. Now that I cant break the shield to leave, I might just wait here. Determination flashed by in his eyes. Then he closed his eyes to refine the medicinal effect of the elixirs. Intention of killing could be detected from him from now and then. Its coming! In the bloody jade plate, the mysterious girl opened her eyes all of a sudden, which shimmered with cold-bloodiness. At this moment, roars suddenly rang through the entire hall, and a green-faced spirit zombie with tusks and a height of about seven meters appeared out of nowhere. Its spirit pressure of middle-stage Gold-Core period swept over in an overbearing manner. Roar! KillKillKillInvaders must die! With constant growls shooting out of its mouth, the spirit zombie dashed right into the restriction and disappeared. It was a vital moment for the plump Taoist to break the restriction. Rounds of spells were carried out and vigilance sprawled in his eyes. As the last spell shot out and the restriction before him faded out, boundless feeling of crisis arose in his heart. Hurry up! Without a second thought, the plump Taoist instantly drew back. In his vigorous shouting, he waved to set up three layers of spirit shields in front of him. A dry, skinny, dark-nailed hand, as long as a meter suddenly broke through from deep within the restriction and targeted right at the chest of the plump Taoist. Crack! Crack! The two outer layers of spirit shield resisted for a mere second and then cracked. Horror lingered on the plump Taoists face. But for his quick reaction, his guts must have been pulled out now. He swallowed two pills of elixirs to restore his spiritual power and again set up several layers of spirit shield. He tapped his forehead to summon up the bowl-shaped Buddhist spirit tool, which sent out a layer of faint Buddhist light that enveloped him. Roar! In the roaring, the figure of the spirit zombie slowly emerged, turning the face of the slightly plump Taoist into desperate embarrassment, Corpse Rider! This plump Taoist, the old woman and Corpse Rider were notorious among the independent cultivators. They had cooperated in murders and exploring secret lands for treasures, so they were familiar with each other. However, what terrified him was the spirit pressure emanating from Corpse Rider equated to that of a cultivator at middle-stage Gold-Core period. Why does this old zombies cultivation rise to a new level after he is possessed by some monster? The plump Taoist grumbled to himself. At the moment, he suffered a serious injury, which though was suppressed temporarily, his cultivation could only be given play to the primary-stage Gold-Core period. Kill! Growling, the Corpse Rider gave out smoldering corpse frog and in ceaseless crackling sounds, his body got even bigger to nearly ten meters, his tusks lengthened by several inches, and his nails turned darker. One sight of it would daunt anyone. In addition, the spirit pressure emanating from inside its body even reached the late-stage of Gold-Core period in merely a second. He cracked his Gold-Core and burned his soul! The plump Taoist shouted out of shock and quickly flew backward with dense terror teeming in his eyes. I have to leave here or I may die. Layers of thin sweat swelled over his forehead, and the plump Taoist continuously threw several spells backward, hoping that they could resist the looming of the Corpse Rider. After the broken of the Gold-Core and the incineration of the Soul, the Corpse Rider had obtained a cultivation as powerful as that of a late-stage Gold-Core cultivator. Roaring to the sky, it rushed right to the plump Taoist. Boom! Boom! Boom! The Corpse Rider never dodged to avoid the blowing spells coming toward him, but instead forced ahead by his mere flesh. Rounds of spells landed on its body, making noises resembling that of stones rubbing onto iron, but he was not a bit hurt. Run! Run! Run! The plump Taoists scalp tingled out of fear and desperately ran backward, only regretting he didnt have more feet to escape. The old woman looked at the empty magnificent hall in front of her, poker-faced. Along the journey she had broken many restrictions and gained much experience. Screening with her divine sense, she suddenly opened her eyes and carried out a few spells in a row, triggering dramatic turbulence of waves in the restrictions. However, all of a sudden, the old woman frowned, feeling something ominous. As the cultivation increased, the cultivator could receive forebodings for his/her future weal and woe. She was instinctively about to step back but a whirl suddenly appeared and swallowed her. The plump Taoist was pale-faced with traces of blood at the corners of his mouth and overwhelmed scare in his eyes. At the moment, chased down by the Corpse Rider and badly wounded, he felt signs that his suppressed wound was about to relapse. Damn it. Suppose my injury broke out, even if I could survive, my cultivation is sure to drop by a level. The plump Taoist threw several talismans back and once again bought some time to distance himself from Corpse Rider. During this short period, but for these high-grade talismans in his storage bag, he couldnt have held on for so long. However, at this exact moment, turbulence took place on the road just ahead, the formerly disappeared old woman just reappeared out of thin air. Please give me a hand, my friend, otherwise both of us will die here. Regarding her as his last chance of survival, the plump Taoist showed joy in his eyes, never feeling ashamed for his giving up on the old woman. In an instant, he sped up and flew to her. Upon her appearing, the already grim-looked old woman turned even grimmer at the sight of the Corpse Rider desperately chasing after the plump Taoist. Though nastily rolling her eyes at him, she knew at this moment there was no way for her to escape on her own. She had to choose between survival in cooperation and being killed in separation. Taoist Liu, my friend, lets kill this monster together! The two rose to their feet steadily and waved spells in an instant. The plump Taoist murmured spells, and the bowl-shaped Buddhist spirit tool over his head instantly burst out with Buddhist light, conjuring up a vivid miniature of Buddha floating behind him. In the brilliance of Buddhist light, Buddhist incantation hovered all over the space, demonstrating the solemnity and majesty of a real Buddhist. Go! On the reaching out of the Taoists finger, the mini-Buddha suddenly began to chant, Om Ma Ne Pa Me Hong! As this Buddhist devil-dispelling mantras coming into air, the Buddhist light started to converge, forming the six characters of ancient Buddhist incantations that fell onto the Corpse Rider. The old woman carefully took out a vivid skeleton miniature from the storage bag. After hesitating for a while, she bit on the tip of her tongue and spitted a mouthful of pure blood onto it. Absorbing the pure blood, as if alive with its own soul, the skeleton turned entirely bloody-red with a glimmer flashing across its eyes. Seeing this, the old woman hurriedly threw the skeleton into the air which immediately emanated bloody light in midair and swelled to the size of an adult when it landed. The bloody-red in its eyes deepened like two leaping spirit flames. The old woman pointed at the Corpse Rider and ordered, Skeleton Guard, kill him! Hearing that, the skeleton guard made out a soundless growl and dashed straight toward its prey. The Corpse Rider was originally a dead body of a cultivator which generated spirit and soul by chance, belonging to ghosts, so the upright brilliant Buddhist mantras for devil-dispelling suited best to bridle it. Moreover, the devil occupying the Corpse Riders body was also overawed by Buddhist incantation. Roar! The Corpse Rider groaned and smoldering frog of corpse, overwhelmingly stinky, was given off from inside his body, which then formed a three-meter hideous ghost over his head that immediately opened its mouth to swallow the Buddhist mantras. Having swallowed the Buddhist mantras, the ghosts face twisted in twinge. Beams of Buddhist lights penetrated out from its body, causing even the Corpse Rider to growl in pain with the corpse frog rolling all over. Fuck! The plump Taoists face changed immediately. He vomited a mouthful of blood, and his breath became faint at once. The Buddha miniature over his head was broken up like illusive bubbles and even the bowl-shaped Buddhist spirit tool whimpered, falling to the ground with cracks creeping all over it. Having consumed the Buddhist mantras, the ghosts figure seemed to become more solid. It opened its mouth, spitting out several sprays of pure corpse gas which rushed to entangle the skeleton guard. The skeleton guard was made from certain unknow material and seemed to have primary intelligence of its own. Watching the corpse gas coming over, the skeleton guard roared and brandished the bone sword that immediately burst out bloody brilliance. In an instant, the pungent smell of blood filled the air. Boom! The pure corpse gas was instantly smashed up by the bone sword. The Corpse Rider growled, and as the corpse gas gathered, more and more pure corpse gas set off to encompass the skeleton guard. The old woman looked gloomy because the skeleton guard was a treasure obtained by chance in an adobe of an ancient cultivator. The powerful guard, sparkling in weird bloody radiance, was able to tarnish spirit tools and damage divine sense. With this treasure in hand, she had killed several Gold-Core cultivators, one of whom even reached middle-stage Gold-Core period. However, at this moment, she didnt dare to take any risk because after all the Corpse Rider of current status had an overbearing cultivation of a late-stage Gold-Core cultivator! A stream of pure corpse gas was smashed and scattered into air, gradually wrapping the skeleton guard inside of it and attaching itself to the bones. Damn! The corpse gas can cut off my divine sense! The old womans face changed at once. She screeched and cast loads of spells trying to break up the corpse gas surrounding her skeleton guard. The skeleton guard quickly wielded the sword in its hand, preparing to retreat at any time. Roar! As the Corpse Rider screamed, corpse gas swelled out desperately to encompass around the skeleton guard, forming a gigantic corpse gas mass of over thirty meters in diameter. Sound of drastic turbulence constantly send out, which died off as time went by, but the old woman looked paler and more anguished every minute. Puff! Vomiting a mouthful of fresh blood, the old womans face suddenly turned ghastly pale as if losing too much blood. The sear of my divine sense has been erased! She took a look at the plump Taoist and found the same desperation in his eyes. Groans came out from the Corpse Riders mouth and the smoldering corpse gas dashed into his body, revealing the skeleton guard. However, at this moment, corpse gas was rampant around it, and its eyes were sparkling with green brilliance like a spirit ghost. Chapter 45 - Escape A late-stage Gold-Core period Corpse Rider alone was invincible for the two Taoists. Now there was this skeleton guard joining inThe plump Taoist and the old woman looked at each other, finding despair and unwillingness to die filling up each others eyes. Even though the two were much richer than an average Gold-Core cultivator, by now they were almost broke because they had run out of all kinds of spirit tools, elixirs and talismans. I have been cultivating myself for over three hundred years so far, having killed numerous and used all kinds of schemes and tricks to survive till this day. My old friends are all dead, so Im content to have lived by now. Therefore, even if I have to die today, I must die together with you monster! The plumps face suddenly turned into weird scarlet, and his originally dull eyes began to shine again like the last radiance before death. Wind fluttered his Taoist robe, giving out cracking and pattering sound. His spiritual power madly climbed up, not stopping until it reached middle-stage Gold-Core level. Feeling the overbearing spiritual power inside his body, he, with a sense of mightiness welling up in hear, demonstrated all bitterness on his face. After the Gold-Core Breaking and Soul-Burning, which though could furnish tremendous cultivation in a short period, what awaited him, once his spiritual power vanished and his soul burnt out, was thorough dissipation meaning he had voluntarily given up the chance to enter Reincarnation. Jinhua, my friend, although my current cultivation is at the middle-stage of Gold-Core, but I can hardly constitute a rival against this monster. If you retreat right now, youll also die without a doubt. After his Gold-Core was broken and his Soul burnt out, the plump Taoist took a calm glance at the old woman. As his spiritual pressure soared, he rushed right to the Corpse Rider. Alright. I will only live for several decades more. Taking into account my serious injury caused here and the much-consumed pure blood, Im afraid the life left would be even less. I might not be able to wait for the successful refining of Life-Expanding Elixir. The old woman murmured, resentment and grudge creeping out of her eyes. Monster, but for your popping up out of nowhere, I must have obtained the spirit elixir hidden here by the Demon Lord, which will greatly enhance my cultivation and life span with even a twenty percent chance to break through to the Nascent Soul Realm. All this has been ruined by you! Now I decide to give up my chance to survive and drag you to hell together with me! Endless coldness oozed out from the old womans eyes and infinite weird black flame emitted from all over her body. She looked extremely painful. Flame of Nothingness that burned the soul! A Secretive Cultivation of Ghost! The flame of nothingness gradually faded off while the breath around the old woman madly hiked with denser and denser resentment in her eyes. Taoist Liu, let me give you a hand! Boom! One late-stage Gold-Core cultivator versus two middle-stage Gold-Core cultivators, and both sides had broken their gold cores and burnt their souls to obtain more than overbearing power. During the fight, the collision of spiritual power even triggered waves of ripples in the illusive space, making the air distort. My Lord, they have been cheated into your trap. What should we do next? Zeal shimmered in Chu Kuangs eyes who, through the overhead light screen, had witnessed all that happened outside. Just wait! The girl also looked expectant, but she managed to suppress her excitement after taking a deep breath. Having been imprisoned for endless years, she determined not to be stopped by anyone at this critical moment of breaking the restriction. Anyone who stood in her way shall be killed! Shiao Chen sat cross-legged outside the shield of the restriction. He slowly opened his eyes, a fluorescent light flashing by on his delicate-featured face. His eyes were bright and dark, looking deep and bottomless. Both the spiritual power and divine sense within his body had been restored to peak status with the help of elixirs. Slowly standing up, Shiao Chen slowly mobilized all the spiritual power inside his body. He closely stared ahead, having clearly detected the sudden occurrence of three streams of overwhelming power even though he had no idea of what had happened outside. He was awed at the power which seemed to able to tear up the sky and shake the earth by a single wave of hand. Although I have attained a lot from this journey, its still unknown whether I can get out of here safe and sound. Shiao Chen held dozens of low-grade talismans in his left hand while in the right hand were three high-grade talismans obtained from the man in black at the Small Cliff Market. These would certainly buy him some time to escape. Boom! At this moment, a sudden sound of violent collision came over which was so powerful that even Shiao Chen, a cultivator with great divine sense and cultivation, got dazzled by it. Thwack! There came a crisp sound and a crack fitting one person appeared on the shield of the restriction. The rift was narrowing and about to close completely. Shiao Chen settled his sight and then set off by light, trying to get out through the crack. Boom! Boom! Boom! Having escaped from the predicament, before Shiao Chen had any time for excitement, the billowy spirit pressure coming toward him crushed hard on his chest, nearly making him vomit blood and pass out. Shiao Chen, terrified, set up several layers of spirit shied in hurry and summoned up protective spirit tools. Only after all this did he feel a little better. Looking up and bending forward, Shiao Chen found that several hundred meters ahead there were three figures emanating horrible spirit pressure fighting madly. Even though they were far from him, the waves caused by the fight were enough to astound Shiao Chen who kept retreating backward. The aftermath of this horrible fight, even the slightest touch of it, was enough to hurt him badly. I must leave this place right now. Go! Shiao Chen blinked. Seeing that the three did not seem to notice him, a rookie, Shiao Chen cautiously set off by light shield toward outside in a way as invisible as possible. Hem? The old woman frowned a bit. Unexpectedly, the fight with the Corpse Rider had opened a secretive land, in which though she knew not what might be hiding, the subtle aroma of elixirs coming out of the restriction crack did astound her, making her wild with joy. If that elixir really exists, probably I dont have to die today! The old woman exulted and felt relieved finding that the plump Taoist didnt seem to notice anything. However, at the moment, she detected by her divine sense Shiao Chens intention to leave. Knitting her eyebrows, she carried out an inconspicuous spell. A random blow by a Gold-Core cultivator could easily kill a late-stage Foundation-Establishment cultivator. Clearly, she intended to kill Shiao Chen. In the midst of escape, Shiao Chen suddenly sensed endless crisis. The moment he turned around, he saw a pitch-dark ghost claw targeting right at his back. Im done! Shiao Chen felt a sense of helplessness because a blow by a Gold-Core cultivator could easily kill him ten times in just an instant! However, at this moment, a faint voice of someone gnashing came over, How dare you offend me! Your life is mine! The voice was cold and ruthless. Immediately, the space distorted, and Shiao Chen disappeared the moment the ghost claw was about to fell on him. Chapter 46 - The Monster Race Shiao Chen was waiting for his doom with eyes closed when he felt a sense of being torn and everything went silent in a second. A soft and sweet voice greeted the ear, Little buddy, youre not behaving. How can you break into your sisters house without permission? Shiao Chen opened his eyes and his faced turned ghastly pale out of scare by the fact that the girl facing him smiled like a beautiful flower but her ruthlessly cold voice suggested her bare intention to kill him. Her sunny look and hearty smile made him even more horrified. Chu Kuangs eyes shimmered with strangeness and surprise, which then quickly turned into gloom. One wave of his hand and several streams of demon air shot out rushing, as if they had spirit, straight to Shiao Chens seven apertures on head. Chu Kuang shouted, Disrespectful ones should die! Shiao Chens face changed and when he was about to draw back, a powerful force seized him that he could not move a bit any more. Fright and astonishment took all over him. The mysterious girl frowned slightly, and then waved her hand. With no more movement, the demon air carried out by Chu Kuang dissipated in an instant. Her lips opened in an elegant way, saying, Keep his life for now. Death is too easy for him. My fault. Please forgive me my lord. Chu Kuang lowered his head in a hurry and demonstrated terror to show his respect, but in his eyes there were something flashing, seemingly to be plotting something else. The mysterious girl waved her hand to indicate Chu Kuang to step aside. Thinking for a while, she carried out a complicated spell and conjured up a mark sparkling in dark fluorescence in the air. Bound him! As the spell was chanted, the mark immediately flew into Shiao Chens forehead and disappeared. Although I dont know what tricks you used to escape my restriction, you wont be that lucky this time. The mysterious girl looked very confident, after all this mark belonged to top seal skill. Her cultivation, even though had been consumed much to almost the nadir, was enough to tackle with a rookie of Qi-Refining level. Shiao Chen felt a sudden bound around his body. His spiritual power within his Dantian, as if suppressed by certain force, couldnt be motivated any more. His divine sense was also sealed from emanating out of his body. Having observed all this, Shiao Chen looked grim at once. The mysterious girl didnt take one more glance at him and looked toward the light screen. Only by then did Shiao Chen notice via the light screen that three people outside were fighting. Though no noise was made, the outpouring of spiritual power along with spells by hand-waving astonished Shiao Chen. He couldnt help exclaiming secretively to himself that this was the strength of high-grade cultivators. Gold-Core cultivators were so amazingly powerful, let alone those of Nascent Soul level who must be omnipotent to shake the earth and overturn the ocean! For a time, Shiao Chen was so attracted to and immersed in this battle scene that he forgot he himself was in great danger. My demon slave, these two are losing ground. Start the Formation the moment they die. I shall use their pure blood and spiritual power to break the restrictions! The mysterious girl blinked with joy but said in a calm voice. Yes, my lord! Chu Kuang said, subtle passion fleeting by in his eyes. He then came forth to the mysterious girl. You animal! Even if we die, we will drag you together to hell! The plump Taoist and the old woman looked callous. The desperation of no chance to survive, along with their ruthlessness, made them all insane now. Explosion! Giving each other a glance, the two carried out certain secretive spells when their bodies began to swell in a weird way. At the same time, an extremely furious spiritual pressure burst out from them and swept over. Boom! Boom! ROAR! The two blew themselves, and simultaneously, the Corpse Rider gave out an agitated roar and emanated smoldering corpse gas to encompass himself, forming a corpse gas mass of about thirty meters. The two Gold-Core masters self-exploded after the broken up of their gold cores and burnout of divine senses, generating overbearing power that the smoldering corpse gas mass could hardly resist before breaking up like bubbles. Ah! Under the blast of the explosion, the monster screamed a few times. Cracks began to occur on his body, and through the slits burst out sprays of greenish blood shooting like arrows. His breath and aura even decreased by several levels. At the same time, in front of the mysterious girl, the light screen as calm as a mirror began to tremble violently and even the image in it turned vague. The earthshaking power seemingly able to destroy everything turned Shiao Chens face bloodlessly pale. Formation, start! The mysterious girl looked serious. Her fingers flew up and down like dancing butterflies and several spells were carried out in a row. Chu Kuang stepped forward, emanating a layer of refined demon air over his body, which under the guidance of the mysterious girls spell, suspended in the midair to form many abstruse characters in pitch black. These characters were as big as infant fists, twisting and turning, displaying a touch of ancient austerity and desolation. Shiao Chen was attracted and amazed at the characters because they were pretty much like those ancient tadpole characters. Go! The mysterious girl chanted, and dozens of pitch-black characters flashed away. Boom! A strange sound rang all over the hall, and with the mysterious girl as the core, a beam of dark light fleeted by through the entire sealed land and quickly converged at the center. Dark dense light instantly rose from the land within thirty meters and abstruse dark characters hovered seamlessly over the land, forming an abstruse Formation. At that moment, the spiritual blood and spiritual power floating in the air after the explosion of the plump Taoist and the old woman, as if induced by some power, insanely converged into the ground. After absorbing the blood and spiritual power of two Gold-Core cultivators, the Formation shined even brighter with a suffocating spirit pressure emanating from it. Roar! Roar! Roar! As the Formation began to function, the Corpse Rider whose body had been occupied by the monster growled in a voice full of fury and anxiety, but it stood daunted outside the black abstruse Formation, not daring to make any move. Heavenly Demon Formation is activated. Today this shackle sealing me for numerous years mush be broken up! Once I get out of this thing, millions of lives shall be taken to make a blood river. I shall kill every one of your families and sects and seal their souls to never enter Reincarnation! The mysterious girl suddenly rose up from the bloody jade plate. Her black hair floated in the air while there was actually no wind at all. The drifting dress made her like a fairy, but her cold-bloody and murderous face look made her like a Shura from the hell. Her slim fingers pointed upward, releasing her unyielding will to break through the restriction and fly into the sky. I will definitely return to the world! At the same time, in the Heavenly Demon Formation suddenly appeared a layer of greenish light shield on which streams of abstruse runes in dark-cyan continuously swam, exhibiting formidable power ready to explode any moment. Hem! Wish this Ban Formation to stop me? Dont overrate yourself. Only ten percent of its power is left. Poor little thing, break! The mysterious girl looked calm, but nobleness in her heart and soul could not held in, and under this nobleness, it seemed the sky and the earth were about to tremble. My ancestors living in ancient times, your descendent are requesting the most powerful strength you have distributed in the world. Please help me! With the falling of the cold sound, the flames in the Heavenly Demon Formation began to shoot vigorously, from which a double-horned, well-built gigantic figure appeared with a look seemingly to overlook everything in the world. Roar! After the figure appeared, it seemed to understand that it was trapped there. It growled toward the sky, silently, but its unyieldingness and relentlessness were enough to tear up the heaven and the earth, terrifying all. At the same time, on top of the strange greenish light shield, the characters began to converge, and in an instant a tall figure appeared. Stars and clouds floated in his eyes as if time fleeted by several ages in one mere second. This figure was more illusory compared to the gigantic one, but it too roared out of wrath. They started to fight right away. The two seemed to be arch enemies since the very beginning of the universe, so now naturally, they wouldnt stop the fight until either of them was dead. Wish to use a mere illusive shadow to stop me? Go to hell! Cold-bloodiness shimmered in eyes of the mysterious girl who waved her hand to release more smoldering demon air from Chu Kuang. Pitch-black runes appeared one after another and immersed into the demon shadow in a blink. With more runes blended in, the demon shadow became more and more solid. The raging flame burst out with the momentum to swallow the whole world. Chu Kuang, in the smoldering demon air mass, bowed his head, looking downward, and weird green light flashed by in his eyes. Just at this moment, the mysterious girl carried out the last spell, forming an austere rune. Go! The womans face was slightly pale. At this moment, her cultivation almost ran out as conjuring up all the runes indeed consumed too much of her energy. Chu Kuang screamed to the sky when the smoldering demon air mass suddenly turned to dark-green. Green light flashed out from his eyes, forming a green rune that integrated with the runes converged by the mysterious girl in an instant, which then blended in the demon shadow. Roar! Roar! Roar! The demon shadow roared to the sky and frowned its thick eyebrows. Pain difficult to hide sprawled over from its arrogant eyes. Traces of weird green lights flowed all over its body and quickly covered it seamlessly. In the grudging growls, the demon shadow became vaguer, and finally faded out between heaven and earth. After the disappearing of the demon shadow, the raging flame in the Heavenly Demon Formation also died out and so did the breath. Stop! The sudden change spared no time for the mysterious girl to react at once. She, shocked for a while, burst out murderous intentions from his eyes. And shrieking to the sky, she stretched her hand to smash at Chu Kuang. Puff! A mouthful of light green blood was spouted in the air, but the eyes of Chu Kuang were full of excitement. He dashed right into the restriction sealing the mysterious girl and disappeared. Puff! Watching Chus escaping, the mysterious woman spewed a mouthful of fresh blood and her face turned pale instantly. The monster race The girls eyes were icy cold, staring into the light screen where Chu Kuang was standing beside the Corpse Rider. Chapter 47 - Fierce Confrontation Now, the previous mighty monster at least at Gold Core became a docile pet sitting beside Chu Kuang, seeming to be awed by his presence. Jackass, if it were not for the foresight of his lordship, the plan would have been totally screwed up by you! Chu Kuang vituperated the monster while blood was seeping out from his mouth. It seemed that the beautys attack in a rage did great harm to him. However, Chu Kuang then turned around, smiled and said with a complacent face, Ha-ha, I bet you, dear Demon Lord, would never expect that your accumulated efforts in the previous endless days would one day be destroyed by me at once. My Lord foresaw you would get free today for long. Therefore, I was sent here in the mortal world with his power to beat you into ashes on behalf of him. With green lights flashing in his eyes and words muttering in his mouth, Chu Kuang turned back and casted his eyes on the monster. When the light leaking out of his eyes totally covered the monster as he muttered, he shouted in a short and low voice, Sacrifice! Boo-hoo~ the monster kept whining and couldnt help quivering with thick corpse gas arising from it, trying to defend itself from the erosion of the green light. Identifying its resistance, Chu Kuang frowned and then became vicious. He rebuked the monster in words unknown and by a wave of hand released a beam of black light which went inside the monster. After absorbing the black light, the monster suffered at once with its dry numb face twisted. Thick corpse gas around it was gradually dispersed, exposing itself to the green light. To Chu Kuangs relief, he finally controlled the monster. He was sent here by arcane methods with his divine sense and cultivation suppressed to Qi Refining under the law of the mortal world. But for the method taught by his lordship to control a puppet, he wouldnt have been so bold trying to kill Demon Lord by directly ordering the puppet monster to sacrifice its soul and fuel the phantom of Monster Ancestor. However, at this moment, a beam of black light flashed in the monsters eyes. For a second, the dullness in the eyes was replaced by smart and rejoice. It was such a transient change that no one ever spotted it. Im just lucky enough to get my own consciousness and intelligence in the ruin where an ancient ghost cultivator resided and gain an incomplete cultivation method which covers body-possession (A special skill to forcibly eliminate a persons soul and take up the body for use). Otherwise, I would inevitably be a dead man with soul dissipated. Besides, ha-ha, I have been wondering how to find a perfect body to exercise possession. And now Chu Kuang would be a perfect choice. His body must be in good condition since he comes from the immortal world and probably from the spirit world. Whats more, after taking over his body, his memory in his divine sense would be mine too. Im afraid any cultivation method from the spirit world in his mind would definitely start a new war between cultivators, but now these are all mine. Corpse Rider thought in heart. Now, the monster who originally took an upper hand was losing its edge in using the body, and Corpse Rider again became the master of his body. With inner viciousness hidden, Corpse Rider pretended cowardice and gradually took in the released corpse gas around but attacked at once upon the occurrence of a slight relief in Chu Kuangs eyes. With his giant dry corpse paws catching him tightly, a green light ball came out of his body and found its way into that of Chu Kuangs through the seven apertures in the head. Evil creature! What did you do! Chu Kuang was so familiar with possession that he was shocked and irritated by Corpse Riders move. His divine sense now was not strong enough to fight with that of the Corpse Rider, and if he was defeated, his consciousness would be gone forever and his body would be left occupied by others. Chu Kuang closed his eyes, sparing every effort to avoid successful possession. Thick corpse gas and green lights alternated, showing the fierce competition of the body control. After a quarter of an hour, thick corpse gas burst, and Chu Kuangs body was quickly dewatered with its influence. His once delicate body became a corpse for an instant. Needless to say, Corpse Rider was the final winner. Corpse Rider opened his eyes, with green lights flickering in them. Different from that in Chu Kuangs, the green was deep and thick, flashing like a will-o-the-wisp. Hee-hee, it is an unexpected blessing in disguise. With the strong monster body, I will inevitably become more powerful in the future. And with plenty of cultivation methods in head, road to Nascent Soul is just around the corner! Corpse Rider stretched his hands and feet, and then smiled for he was very satisfied with what he got. After scanning the restriction, Corpse Rider became excited. He now had in mind secrets about it after absorbing the divine sense of Chu Kuang and the restriction guardian. Demon Lord is no doubt a big shot in the upper world. If I were able to absorb her divine sense and take over his body, it would even be probable for me to ascend to the spirit world. He became more interested and overjoyed when this thought occurred to him. After searching the absorbed memories in detail, he was for sure that Demon Lord was in a super weak condition and if the phantom of Monster Ancestor was started, the Demon Lord would be killed. Thinking of this, Corpse Rider couldnt help lifting the corners of his mouth upward out of excitement. Sacrifice! Corpse Rider had been in the Cultivation World for hundreds of years. Prolonged survival experience taught him to be a vicious and decisive man. Now since he got a decision, he took actions at once. A burst of misty green lights in his eyes diffused. His dried body then inflated into a plump one with Chu Kuangs face restored and monster power manifested in haunted green light strands. At the same time, covered by the light, the previous body of Corpse Rider was refined into essence, blood, and power, shriveled as time went by and turned into ashes in the end. Go! Corpse Rider pointed his finger at the restriction. The refined substance seemed to be guided, penetrating right into the restriction and fueling the phantom of Monster Ancestor, which became more vivid and solidified with a cry into the air and the revolution of nebulas in its eyes accelerated. As a result, generations of samsara occurred in just a blink. Samsara and ruin! Corpse Rider shouted and then performed several spells by a wave of his hand. Infinite asterism suddenly came out of the phantoms eyes, and a spinning occult star atlas went down slowly. Though with regrets, the beauty in the jade plate was with a cold face, determined and fearless. It is a pity for me not escaping the death despite accumulated efforts in previous endless days. However, you need to pay enough price if you want my life! With brows tightly knitted, the beautys face became extremely pale. She bit her forefinger and a drop of blood shinning in black came out and floated in the air. Blood demon, show yourself! A burst of black lights came out from the floated blood. Endless fine and pure demon gas exploded, spun, and then formed a weird one-man-height black egg. Uncanny stretches crawled the entire surface of the egg. Loud heart beats could be heard, indicating that the life in the egg was strong and healthy. Chapter 48 - Fight between Monster and Demon Here came a crack! All at once, the egg was broken from inside. A figure walked out from the egg and all the fine black demon spirit was absorbed by it. It had red armor and long hair, surrounded by thick aura of blood. On the sight of it, ones blood got frozen instantly. After consuming all the demon spirits of the eggshell, the blood demon puppet raised up its head and roared at the phantom with a thicker bloodlust. After shedding the drop of essence-blood of the Demon Ancestor, the beauty turned extremely pale and weak as if she had been depleted of energy. Essence-blood of Demon Ancestor! Blood demon puppet! Outside the restriction, Corpse Rider got excited and couldnt move his eyes from the puppet. It shall be mine! It is mine! By absorbing the blood, his monster body could be refined into a supreme demon body which would be as strong as a magic weapon. Whats more, Demon Ancestors memory borne in the blood could assist him in becoming a paramount demon cultivator. By that time, nothing in world could stop him from doing what he wanted! The blood was inevitably a rare top-level treasure with remarkable effects! Phantom, go and devour! Staring at the treasure, Corpse Rider kept casting spells in a row. Blood demon puppet, scorch the space with your flames of blood! The beauty shouted in a low voice. And the puppet replied with a roar and swiftly went directly up to the spinning star atlas. Boom! After the puppet landed on the atlas, the power of the atlas declined dramatically. In just a brief span as if a thousand years passed in a snap of the fingers, the color of the diffused aura of blood on the atlas darkened, seeming to dissipate at any time. Great Demon Ancestor, your descendant here begs for your presence in my body. Please endow me with your power and invincible will! Noticing something, the beauty stood up and promptly there came an ancient indomitable will featuring a sense of vicissitudes. The will was so immense and overbearing that it was not influenced by the destructive samsara at all. Whats more, the heaven and the earth seemed to be trembling under its pressure! Hum! After its appearance, the will went directly into the beautys body. For an instant, her temperament changed completely and seven crescent runes with a looming presence came into being between her eyes. When she opened her eyes, immense sense of majesty leaked from her body. Though no spirit circulation in her was identified, overwhelming pressure was for real. It seemed that the world would fall apart by just a punch of her. Condense! Following the direction pointed by her delicate finger, the will was guided and then entered atlas. The darkened puppet brightened again, bursting out endless blood mist and condensing the aura of blood diffused in the air. The puppet was even more powerful and gradually took an upper hand in the fight with the atlas. Outside the restriction, sensing the arrival of the mighty will, Corpse Riders face turned extremely pale. An innate hostility arose, grew, and then haunted his mind, gradually turning into a torrent of wrath that unconsciously mobilized his monster strength. Kill him! Kill him! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! The eyes of Corpse Rider turned totally red as the innate thought grew stronger. He then lost the control over his body and his strength circulated in a fast speed. Summon the presence of Monster Ancestor with my body! Crazy shout went out of Chu Kuangs, now the Corpse Riders mouth. The voice seemed to penetrate through spaces and reached somewhere unknown. Boom! A tyrannical, uncanny, and brutal will fell as the shout came to an end. After its appearance, it roared at the beauty at once and then rushed into the Corpse Riders body in an outrageous way. Boom! The strength around Corpse Rider froze for a second and then burst outwards for about three feet like a blazing fire. His dark hair went green in a twinkling and his robe fluttered in the air without wind. With another roar which seemed to be from the ancient age, an overpowering primitive aura was imposed. Two giant shadows standing up to the heaven emerged and floated above the beauty and Corpse Rider respectively, confronting with and roaring at one the other. Different from that between Demon Ancestors eyes, what Monster Ancestor got were seven dots whose shape were just like that of the sun. Green lights twinkled as the dots spun. Infinite starlight came out of the Monster Ancestors eyes. With a roar, the starlight was shattered into dots and absorbed by the Monster Ancestor. Turning its head around and seeing the suppressed star atlas, Monster Ancestor roared again and the atlas gained its power in the roar. The stars within the atlas brightened up immediately, shining like suns. Bang! The two formidable wills battled against one another in the place where the puppet and the atlas were located. Though no spirit was involved, the space still twisted under the horrible pressure. Shiao Chen was now within the restriction but not influenced by the mighty power. However, the fight still stunned him. The immense pressure forced him to take cultivation seriously. The devastating power is produced by just two phantoms. A punch by the real body would then directly tear the world apart! Shiao Chen was obviously awed by the thought. Sensing his awe, the gold seal in Shiao Chens divine sense proactively gave out dots of golden light, which were extremely faint yet a sense of nobility arose from them. The very moment the faint light appeared, Shiao Chen clearly felt that the two pressing wills were bounced off. His feelings now were hard to be put in words. It seemed that he turned into the most noble man in the world, and all creatures should kneel down in front of him, begging for mercy. Whats more, it seemed to be an illusion for Shiao Chen since he saw both phantoms turning around and glancing at him with cautiousness. Shaking his head, Shiao Chen tried to get rid of these fanny thoughts but to surprisingly find that the restriction imposed by the beauty was broken. Needless to say, it was due to the gold seal. Though he was curious about what happened, it was not the right time for further study. His spirit and divine sense were back. However, based on the current situation, there was still no chance for him to escape alive. Scanning the puppet and the atlas with his divine sense, though the two were still neck and neck, Shiao Chen could tell that the puppet would fail in the end. You are indeed the Demon Lord from an upper world. However, you are close to run out of your power with the passage of endless years during imprisonment. And now what you rely on is the power from the drop of essence-blood of your Demon Ancestor. Well see how long it takes until your strength is drained. The seven dots between the Corpse Riders eyes spun with the Monster Ancestors will, manifesting the mighty force in his body. Corpse Rider felt that he could do anything with the power in hand. He was just unstoppable. Ill wait until your shield collapses. At that time, your soul and essence-blood of Demon Ancestor would all be mine. With these in hand, I could easily become a paramount demon cultivator. Nothing could stop me then. All things would be at my disposal! Ha-ha-ha-ha! If you are willing to give up resistance and proactively accept the devourment, I can guarantee your chances for samsara by letting a wisp of your soul go. Otherwise, what in front of you will be a total destruction without a slight chance for samsara. After finishing his speech, Corpse Rider smiled insolently. The power of the phantom over his head grew stronger. The phantom roared in low voice in a row with his eyes staring into the opposite phantom over the beautys head. Standing inside the jade plate, though with a pale face and unwillingness to yield, the beauty was fearless. The phantom over her head roared back with perseverance in its eyes. Enough price shall be paid before you have my soul! I will kill you even at the price of no chance for samsara. The beauty stared at Corpse Rider with madness in her cold eyes. The only thought left in her mind was to kill Corpse Rider. Pursue separation from the demon body for supreme demon power to kill this monster! The beauty made up her mind to perform her last shot. Her soul then came out of her body and floated in the air. Later, along with the performance of several spells, uncanny black flame arose on her body. With the burning of the body, endless fine and pure demon spirit sprung up and turned into ghost-like demon figures shuttling in the room in a swift and ceaseless way. Upon the touch of the demon figures, Shiao Chens blood froze for seconds and couldnt help indulging in fantasies. At the same time, the gold seal trembled with a faint golden light leaked out. Shiao Chen felt a lighter body and recovered himself. He was a little bit astonished by the effect. If it were not for the presence of the gold seal in his divine sense, there would be the devil to pay. I am forced to give up my body and even the chance to samsara. What I did is to ensure your death! The beauty stared at Corpse Rider in cold eyes and gathered demon spirits in her hands with just a wave. Go! By a wave of hand, the gathered fine and pure demon spirits found their way into the phantom over her head. The phantom then became vivid and concrete. It opened its mouth and sucked. Soon, the puppet was back in its original form, a drop of essence-blood, and then entered the Demon Ancestors mouth by its sucking. Strings of blood stretched on the phantoms body like meridians. After the body was densely covered with blood strings, a sense of smart seemed to occur in the phantoms eyes and the phantom seemed to become intelligent. The phantom of Demon Ancestor roared to the sky and marched directly to the phantom of Monster Ancestor in big steps. A sense of fear arose in Corpse Rides eyes. He was obviously terrified by the method the beauty used in exchange of power. He wanted to leave the battlefield now but failed, since the phantom of the Monster Ancestor confined his body. At the same time, the phantom kept draining spirit, essence and blood from Corpse Rider in a crazy way. And it inevitably grew much stronger. Boom! Punches of the two met in the air. Though it was two phantoms involved in the battle, bouncing space ripples showed the fierce confrontation that got ones blood frozen. No great magic was performed. They fought with each other in bare hands just like mortals. However, mighty power arising from the fighting told us that even the simplest confrontation of two big shots could not be underestimated. Chapter 49 - A Deal with the She-Demon Chapter 49 A Deal with the She-Demon Seeing the destructive fight, Shiao Chen instantly cast several all-round spirit shields outside his body, though he knew crystal clear that it was just useless if he was accidentally involved in the fight. Demon Ancestor, explode! With a sense of malignity flashing in the beautys eyes, the giant demon phantom with a pair of horns just ignored the coming fists and held the opposite phantom tightly. And then, a violent force inside the demon phantom exploded all of a sudden. Boom! Along with the bang, it seemed that the heaven, the earth, and everything between them were destroyed! Shiao Chen blacked out for a second and then fainted with blood shedding from the seven apertures in his head. It was long before Shiao Chen opened his eyes in a daze. Seeing the view in front of him, he was so astonished that he opened his mouth wide. Everything was in a ruin. Endless restrictions and formations were destroyed in the explosion. Whats more, the ground was turned completely upside down. Corpse Rider and the beauty were not found in his sight. And the blood-streak jade plate on the ground was torn into pieces. Eh, what is this? A ghost came to Shiao Chen view. It was close to transparent and seemed to disappear at any time. But for Shiao Chens careful observation, the ghost would not have been identified. It is her! To Shiao Chens surprise, the ghost was the soul of the beauty that survived from the self-explosion. Figuring out what the ghost was, Shiao Chen took several steps back to keep a distance since he saw with his own eyes that Corpse Rider devoured Chu Kuangs soul and took over his body. He was not going to repeat the same old disastrous story. However, the beauty opened her eyes suddenly. Though with faint soul, she remained fearless and lofty. Well, my dear friend seems to be afraid of possible possession. Be at ease, my friend. If I do want to forcibly possess your body, I would do it before you come to yourself. Though the beauty explained, she said in an ironic way. Shiao Chen was a little bit embarrassed for a second, but then said with a composed smile, Friend, the means in your head are endless and I have just experienced some of them. It is natural for me to be cautious. Seeming to be persuaded by the words, the beauty stared at Shiao Chen for a while, and said slowly, Ive underestimated you since youve survived unexpectedly from the fight between me and the monster. Shiao Chen smiled faintly without saying a word. The beauty slightly frowned, showing her dissatisfaction towards Shiao Chens attitude, and then said casually, No matter what happened, your survival manifests your luck. Id like to offer you a deal. What do you say? Avoiding direct eye contact, Shiao Chen said slowly, Oh, whats the deal? How about telling me about it? Let my soul reside in your body first, friend. Then you help me find several spiritual herbs and make a pill out of them. In return, I offer you a satisfying reward. With a hidden uncertainty, the beauty said slowly. She had no alternative but to offer the deal. Though her soul survived the self-explosion, the origin of her life suffered a huge damage. In addition, her survived soul weakened every second even though she had performed arcane methods to seal it. If nothing was done, she would perish in half a year, losing the chance for samsara forever. However, if her soul was allowed to reside in a cultivator, she would be able to be nourished by his spirit and soul. Furthermore, the weakening speed of her soul would be slowed down. She would buy herself at least another ten years to make the needed pill out. There were still chances for her to recover completely. Hearing the words, Shiao Chen became serious and then replied with a sullen face and a cold voice, It seemed that my friend takes me as a fool. You ask me to take in your soul. But if you are with evil intentions, the action, to me, is like bringing a wolf into my house. Shiao Chen refused the deal without hesitation. Besides, the beauty was cunning and her identify and the intention behind the offer were totally unknown. The beauty got furious on hearing the words. In her heyday, cultivators at Qi Refining for her were not worth mentioning. She could kill thousands of them by a wave of hand. However, under current situation, she needed to hold her horses to persuade Shiao Chen, Be at ease, my friend. I can take an oath that I shall be haunted by internal demons if I bear evil intentions in my heart. Besides, I can provide you with treasures that can help you greatly with your cultivation. An internal demon oath? Friend, you are with mighty power and endless cultivation methods. Your cultivation is beyond measurement and imagination. As far as I can see, the damage caused by an oath infringement is next to nothing. As for the treasures you have mentioned, though they might be of great benefits, but it is pointless if I cant enjoy them alive. Shiao Chen said and shook his head gently, but his rejection was evident. The beauty couldnt help becoming angry. However, what Shiao Chen said made sense. The oath for her was of limited influence. All right, what are your conditions? The beauty calmed down and asked after taking a glimpse at Shiao Chen. Friend, you are a ghost now. If you are willing to let me cast a restriction on one spiritual and one physical souls of yours, I will say yes to your offer. Whats more, you get my promise that the restriction will be removed and you will get the souls back after I complete what youve required. What do you say? Shiao Chen raised his eyebrows and said with a gentle smile. The beautys face turned sullen at the very beginning of Shiao Chens reply, and darkened as he continued. She snapped stoutly, It is impossible! However, she switched her emotion all of a sudden and said to Shiao Chen in a pitiful tone, Ahem, you see that my soul is greatly damaged and is going to vanish before long. As a friend, could you bear to see me gradually perish before your eyes? After saying these words, her eyes turned red with a pitiful look, on the sight of which, ones sympathy arose. When the beautys move was about to change Shiao Chens mind, he bit the tip of his tongue hard and came to himself. After-event fear occurred. The beauty had not only mighty power but also excellent temptation skills. Why should you use these indecent tricks, my friend? I admit my cultivation is not high at all, but Im determined with a firm mind. Moreover, if what you said were true, you would not have wasted time persuading me. Though astonished, Shiao Chen hid his feelings and said faintly with a poker-face. The beauty stopped her acting all at once on hearing the words. A sense of frustration arose. The cunning young man was immune to both soft and hard tactics. Damn it! It is impossible for me to recognize you as my master. Do you have another proposal? Pretending to be indulged in thoughts for seconds, Shiao Chen answered slowly, We sign a one-sided contract to live and die together, the Pain Reflection Covenant, and I shall be the dominator. Chapter 50 - A Rewarding Adventure The contract binding the two together was handed down from ancient times. Concrete principles about how it worked was unknown. However, no breach of contract ever occurred. Once a party signing the contract died, the other party would definitely die no matter how high the other partys cultivation level was. However, the one-sided covenant Shiao Chen mentioned was the inequal form of it. In other words, if Shiao Chens soul perished, the beauty would die. However, if the beauty died, Shiao Chen wouldnt suffer from any loss. The contract was, to some extent, a master-servant contract without specifying submission. The privileged party couldnt issue orders to the underprivileged one. The beauty frowned and was slightly hesitant on hearing the words, seeming to be considering the gain and loss of saying yes to the proposal. Friend shall get my proposal right. Signing the contract will do no harm to you as long as you dont bear evil intentions in your mind. Shiao Chen glanced at the beauty and said lightly. Humph, you are just a bottom-class cultivator at Qi Refining. You would lose your life at any time if you encounter a cultivator at a higher level. Those people can be found everywhere. And if you are killed, I would die with you. The beauty was unhappy to think of this. After all, if she signed the contract, she and Shiao Chen would be bound then. They shall live and die together. Shiao Chen replied lightly without any expression, Since we havent come to an agreement, I will leave soon. May god bless you and hope there will be someone coming here to save you. Goodbye for now and see you later. Finishing his sentences, Shiao Chen strode forward without hesitation. Despite favorable conditions, he wouldnt waste his time on them if safety was not ensured. WaitI say yes! The beauty stared at Shiao Chen directly with a cold face, thinking of peeling off his skin, plucking out his sinews, grinding his bone and then scattering the powder if she recovered, even if these could only be realized on the condition of degraded cultivation after her breach of the contract! Shiao Chen turned around with a poker-face and said, Since youve agreed, lets begin. The beautys stare was totally ignored by him. Fine! The beauty answered with her teeth gnashed and eyes stared. She then murmured in her mouth a segment of complex incantations. And Shiao Chen bit his finger and shed a drop of blood. The blood unexpectedly floated in the air. However, as incantations went, it was divided into two and went directly into the place between the eyebrows of Shiao Chen and the beauty respectively. Shiao Chen then felt a slight cold in his divine sense. He concentrated and saw in his divine sense that the half a drop of blood became a mini version of the beauty with her eyes closed, manifesting a successful contract signing. Once Shiao Chen died, his divine sense would vanish with the mini version of the beauty ruined. And then the beautys body and her divine sense would be destroyed thereby. The completion of the contract was a great relief to Shiao Chen. With the contract, the beauty was bound with him. Even though she might know his secrets later, she wouldnt disclose them for her own safety. Whats more, the beauty was mysterious and her power was beyond measurement. She was probably a big shot surviving the ancient times. She might know how to break his current bottleneck and help him break through to the next level of Foundation Establishment. In other words, with the guidance from the beauty, it could be much easier for Shiao Chen to upgrade his cultivation level in the future. Haha, since weve completed the contract signing, friend, you can come and reside in my body now. Shiao Chen said with a smile for he had realized his goals. The beauty stared at Shiao Chen into his eyes. However, she suddenly smiled and said in a soft voice, Chen, Im looking forward for your attentiveness and consideration since Im going to reside in your body for long. Then she winked at Shiao Chen and became a ghost which found its way into Shiao Chens body. Though she was just a ghost now, under her sudden deliberate act, Shiao Chen was tempted for seconds and then forced a wry smile after coming to himself. Weve achieved an agreement now. How about giving me the treasures youve promised? Shiao Chen asked in his divine sense with a faint smile. Oops, my soul suffered from a great damage. My memory was messed up. If you do require the treasures, I can first offer you a piece of cultivation method. However, if things go wrong, Im not going to be held responsible. The beautys giggle echoed in Shiao Chens divine sense and Shiao Chens face froze for a second. Hehe, theres no need to worry, friend. You wont die even if something goes wrong. There will be at most some minor changes of your body, such as a tail or a horn. Never mind. Wry smiles occurred in a row on Shiao Chens face. Though he knew the beauty said these on purpose, he still didnt dare to take risk. Since she had suffered losses in the deal with him, she wouldnt mind teaching him a lesson. After all, there was a long time ahead. Shiao Chen didnt take her words seriously. Im Shiao Chen. Whats your name? We will inevitably communicate with each other in the future. And I think you need a name for me to call you by. Shiao Chen asked with a light smile. Im Yu Ji. Bear it in mind, Chen. A sweet and soft voice came with a sense of weariness. Im tired and going to have a rest. Chen, Ill talk to you then after I wake up. Finishing her words, she fell into a deep sleep to convalesce. Yu Ji? Shiao Chen shook his head, not knowing whether it was a fake name, though he didnt care it at all. Check the place first and see whether there would be treasures left behind. Seeing the ruin in front, Shiao Chen was a little bit excited. The people once appeared here such as the plump middle aged, the old woman, Corpse Rider, and the beauty were all with super high cultivation level. Anything left behind by them would possible be a treasure. Shiao Chen then scanned the hall with his divine sense. Suddenly, he walked directly to a pile of debris with his face changed slightly. He cleared debris away with a wave of sleeve and found a broken gourd treasure. However, lots of bumps and hollows appeared on its surface. Apparently, it was greatly eroded. The spirit contained was gone and it became a waste. Though it was a pity that the treasure was completely useless now, it was still made of good raw materials. Shaking his head, Shiao Chen collected it and put it into his storage bag. In the next hour, Shiao Chen carefully searched the place and found remains of three treasures and several storage bags. The storage bags of the three Gold Core cultivators brought him not bad gains. To Shiao Chens surprise, the low grade spirit stones totaled almost a hundred thousand. It seems that all possible treasures have been identified. After carefully collecting the broken blood-streak jade plate under Yu Jis body, Shiao Chen scanned the place again with his divine sense and was about to leave. Hmm, it doesnt feel right. Whats this? Shiao Chens divine sense stung for a second after a random scanning. He became slightly cautious. After clearing debris away, there appeared a decimeter-level skeleton. It was complete, delicate, and mysterious with obscure blood streaks covering all over it. Unexpectedly! Shiao Chen stunned for a moment and became ecstatic. It was the treasure the old woman used to fight with Corpse Rider. He just didnt expect that this treasure was still completely intact after the fight. Shiao Chen held it in hand carefully, studied it in detail for a while, and put it into his storage bag. Though Shiao Chen found nothing after the skeleton, he was not disappointed. All in all, he was the biggest winner. Enough is as good as a feast. After about half a day, a light signaling the travelling trace rose amid mountains. The light slightly stopped in the air for direction identification and then headed to the horizon in a flash. Two days later, Shiao Chen landed in a mortal town hundreds of meters away. He didnt return to the Sect directly. Instead, he wanted to have some rest and sort out what he had gained first. Shiao Chen took a blue robe out of the storage bag and put it on. Though the robe was not eye-catching, it was rare and made of the silk produced by wild silkworms. With it on, one felt warm in winter and cool in summer. However, he forgot it was in which storage bag that he got this robe. Shiao Chen was born with a comely face and taught by his father on how to read and write since young, for he was weak and not suitable to practice martial arts. Thereby he was with a thick aura of bookishness. Whats more, he grew fast since his cultivation began and he looked like a young student at this moment. Entering the mortal town along the crowd and seeing the bustling streets, Shiao Chen stood alone in a daze. It had been long since he saw a lively scene last time. He spent almost all his time this year in closed door trainings. Walking into a restaurant at will and greeted by the pleasant food smell, Shiao Chen was surprised. He looked up to check the plaque and saw Immortal Reception House. The name was indeed impressive. The restaurant was very busy. It was just about the dinner time and the first floor was already full of guests. Shiao Chen then stepped towards to the second floor. Tables set on the second floor were not many. There were a few vacancies left. Shiao Chen chose a seat by the window. Dear guest, what do you want, meal or accommodation? Right behind our restaurant lies our inn. It is quiet and secluded, suitable for reading and writing. The waiter served Shiao Chen a cup of tea first and touted the inn, for Shiao Chen looked like a scholar. I want both meal and accommodation. Serve some light dishes and a bottle of good wine first. Shiao Chen smiled and said. He found that the restaurant did enjoy a favorable environment after his observation. Thinking of the commission he would get, the waiter beamed with joy and said, Please wait for a moment, dear guest, Ill go and fetch your dishes. Shiao Chen threw a piece of silver on the table with a smile. Fetching the silver quickly, the waiter was overjoyed and went away happily to get things done. Before long, all dishes were served and Shiao Chen began to eat. The dishes were indeed delicious and the wine was with a distinctive taste though not famous at all. A few moments later, there came a burst of noise from the head of the stairs, mixed with waiters flattering words. Dear guests, the second floor is indeed full now. Ive tidied up seats in the first floor. Therefore, I suggest you eating downstairs. There were dozens of youths climbing stairs with a woman in red cool cloth leading the team. She scanned the second floor with her long narrow eyes and was disappointed to find no vacancy was left. Chapter 51 - Troubles Came Right at this moment, a man standing behind this girl, who was in black and about 27 or 28 years old, comforted her, Sister, dont be disappointed. Just tell me which seat you want and Ill make it yours. Hearing this, the girl said excitedly, Really, Brother Wang Ziyang? But Id better just forget it. Daddy is not far behind us and if he knows, he will surely reproach me. The girl did feel pleasantly surprised, but at the thought of her stubborn father she involuntarily felt down. Wang Ziyang rarely had such a great chance to show off in front his beloved girl, so he definitely wouldnt let this opportunity slip away. Therefore, he said with a smile, Sister, dont worry. I wont use violence. But I do have ways to let them offer you their seats willingly, so just pick one. Hearing this, the girl in red beamed with pleasure on the spot. Her eyes swept through the second floor and stopped at a seat beside the window. Seeing this, Wang Ziyang smiled and said, Sister, please wait a moment and I will be right back. After this, he went directly to that seat. Shiao Chen had already known what was happening from the beginning of their conversation. After all, as a cultivator, he had mighty senses; therefore, even if he didnt intend to know what they were saying, their conversation had no way to hide from his ears. But it was none of his business and he didnt want to cause himself more troubles. However, watching Wang Ziyang walking directly towards him, Shiao Chen couldnt help but slightly frown his eyebrows. Yet, just for a second, he then relaxed and took a sip of the wine. Hey brother, are you willing to give up the seat to us? I will offer you ten ounces of fine sliver as compensation. Seeing Shiao Chen in a blue gown and without any weapons like a feeble scholar, Wang Ziyang felt relieved inside. He was so definitive when talking to that girl, but if he came across someone with high cultivation, who would neither listen to reason or bow to force, he would have to use some violence. If Master were not here, things would be much easier, like just throwing him out if he doesnt want to give up his seat. Wang Ziyang thought in his mind. He was almost certain that the man would take the deal for ten ounces of fine sliver were enough for him to have several meals here. No, I refuse. Shiao Chen said causally without raising his head or putting down his wine glass. What? Wang Ziyang was shocked and wore an unbelievable expression as if he didnt understand what Shiao Chen meant. I say I refuse to give up my seat to you. Clear? Shiao Chen said casually, then took up his chopsticks and ate some vegetables. Brother, you see, all your dishes on the table will at most cost you one ounce of fine sliver. But if you accept my offer, I will not only pay for them, but also give you another ten ounces of fine sliver. Just think logically. Wang Ziyang seemed kind of embarrassed. If he couldnt handle such a feeble scholar, he would be in great disgrace and how could he keep chasing his Sister in future? So, although he still sounded calm, he actually was threating Shiao Chen. Shiao Chen looked up, stared at Wang Ziyang calmly and said faintly, When I finish my meal, I will leave. But before that, even if you give me one thousand ounces of fine silver, I will not give my seat to you. Please leave now. Shiao Chen frowned. Wang Ziyang sounded so arrogant even from the very beginning that made Shiao Chen really dislike him. And now he dared to make threats, Shiao Chen was not in the mood of talking to him, so he bluntly refused him thoroughly. You Hearing this, Wang Ziyang was enraged and his sullen face kept changing expressions. Well, you are really interesting. You talked big before a girl and now you are refused. Why are you still here? Dont you feel shameful? Along with these words was some slight laughs. This voice was soft but still loud enough to be heard by all present on the second floor. Whowho is talking behind my back? Wang Ziyangs face reddened instantly and his relative handsome face was now badly twisted. And he stared at the direction of the voice fiercely. The speaker was a young man of about 17 or 18 years old and in fine clothes. He, with a white folding fan in hand, a jade-like face and a slight evil smile on the corners of his mouth, was really a Childe of this chaotic world. But he was too delicate that if he put on dresses, he surely would be a rare beauty. What? Are you planning to rob me of my seat since youve failed to make his seat yours? Fact is fact. How could you stop us from talking about it? With a clap, that young man opened his folding fan, wagging his head like a stubborn scholar. Hearing this, Wang Ziyang seemed even more sullen. He turned around, fixed his eyes on Shiao Chen and threatened in a low voice, Friend, I offer you 50 ounces of fine sliver, I think you can see how sincere we are and hope you could give this seat to us. Otherwise, you know, brigands and robbers appear from time to time in the neighborhood of this town and they may kill one or two people even in broad daylight. These words were blunt threats. Almost all people dining on the second floor were wealthy, but now their face changed abruptly. Shiao Chen raised his head, took a short glance at the man and said two words firmly, I refuse! Haha, Great! Brother, you are surely a real man, immune to bribery and indomitable before threats. Fantastic! Would you like to come and have a drink with me? That delicate young man invited, patting his folding fan and laughing loudly, which made him kind of degage. Shiao Chen looked at this man and strangeness flashed through his eyes. Then he slowly shook his head and relied, No, thanks brother. I have other things to do today and cant drink too much. So, pardon me, please. The delicate young man was not a bit enraged by the refusal and said with a smile, All right, thats ok. Seeing these two people talking, laughing and ignoring him totally, Wang Ziyang was overwhelmed with embarrassment and sharpness kept flashing through his eyes. Hem, come back! Right at this moment, a solemn voice of an elder came from the direction of the stairs. Over 10 people came up the stairs one by one and an old man with fine clothes took the lead, who with rosy checks and snow-white hair, imposed an overwhelming manner. Apparently, he was one standing long on the top. Yes, Master. Wang Ziyang put away all his anger and arrogance suddenly once he saw the elder. With another fierce look at Shiao Chen and that delicate young man, he walked hurriedly to stand behind the elder. Everyone, my disciple is too young and inevitably acts a little impulsively. Please forgive him if there is any irreverence. The elder saluted all on the second floor with folded hands and then told the obsequious waiter, Arrange 5 private rooms for us and bring all our food to the rooms. Yes, master, please just wait a moment. At the lead of the waiter, the well-dressed old man and his followers went down stairs, but before leaving Wang Ziyang glanced back maliciously. Shiao Chen smiled and didnt take it into heart. Now his cultivation equaled to that of a cultivator at the preliminary stage of Foundation Establishment. So, there was no reason for him to put a merely mortal man in mind. Cultivators didnt regard meeting their appetite an important thing, and this incident chilled Shiao Chens appetite greatly. So, shortly after, he walked down the stairs and went to the back yard after a waiter. Behind him, that delicate young man lifted the corners of his mouth slightly and some amazement emerged in his eyes while he looked at Shiao Chens back. Chapter 52 - Travelling Together Chapter 52 Travelling Together Childe, this is an independent two-story building with a yard. Whats more, it enjoys a lovely view and a quiet environment. What do you think? Nodding his head to show his satisfaction, Shiao Chen then sent the waiter away and walked into the building by pushing the door. Stepping into the building, Shiao Chen was greeted with a set of furniture with antique beauty and several thriving potted plants at corners of the hall. The plants were either exotic or rare, but the sight of them made one feel good. Just in case, Shiao Chen carefully scanned the building with his divine sense and found nothing abnormal. He then took a talisman out from his storage bag and threw it to the floor with force. A faint light flashed and the talisman disappeared. After all needed was done, Shiao Chen finally wound down and nodded his head. With a little bit excitement, Shiao Chen felt it was time to count what he had gained. He then took his storage bag off, put it upside down, and shook it. With a clatter of belongings, plenty of spirit stones, spirit tools, pills, and jade slips were scattered everywhere. Seeing what he had gained, Shiao Chen was a little bit complacent since rare people at Gold Core could earn a fortune like this. Take spirit tools for example, they were most valuable among all those things. Even a lowest grade spirit tool was worth hundreds of spirit stones, not to mention that a middle grade one could cost thousands of spirit stones and was often difficult to be purchased even with a high price. Shiao Chen counted his belongings carefully and found that until now he had gained a dozen of storage bags, among which four were even from cultivators at Gold Core. What was more, he also had more than ten spirit tools, among which three were at top grade. With a happy mood, Shiao Chen put other spirit tools away and left the three top-grade ones behind, planning to personalize one of them as his tool. The first one was a silk ribbon designed for women. According to Shiao Chens experiment, its size could change at its controllers will and it could effectively wrap the spirit tool of the enemy. Though it was a powerful weapon, apparently, it was not suitable for a man. The second one was a broadsword with a blood red body, at the sight of the flash of which, one seemed to hear screams and shouts from tortured souls. It was definitely a powerful weapon for a ghost cultivator. However, Shiao Chen pondered slightly and gave it up. He was a spirit cultivator and would be in big trouble if he was found using a weapon for ghost cultivators in the future. Shaking his head, Shiao Chen put the sword down and looked at the last one. It was an unobtrusive ring in black. Shiao Chens eyes twinkled with delight after his experiment. The spirit, once entered the tool, could be automatically turned into a fierce sense of sword with great power. Shiao Chen couldnt help but wonder what if a sense of sword exploded after his punch on his enemy. He wore it immediately with a smile since it was just an excellent tool to play dumb. Shiao Chen was satisfied with what he got though no suitable attack weapons were found. The ring gained from Black Ghost was at top high grade with a power no less than that of low top-grade ones. Thus, he was not going to personalize another spirit tool. Collecting the two tools left, Shiao Chen then cast his eyes on the spirit stones. Based on a rough calculation by the stones grade, low grade spirit stones amounted to about 180, 000 and middle grade ones more than one thousand. Plus, there were two self-use top grade spirit stones for the puppet. After checking the spirit stones he got, Shiao Chen took out a big special storage bag to pack them up. As for talismans, Shiao Chen got plenty of them. He searched among those scattered on the ground, picked up a dozen of high-grade ones, and packed them carefully. In terms of the rest low-grade ones, he just stuffed them in a storage bag. En, whats this? An old yellow talisman with a vivid little sword in just few strokes came to Shiao Chens eyes. It looks familiar to me. I seem to have seen it before. Shiao Chen frowned. Suddenly, a thought came to him and he took a jade box out from a storage bag. He opened the box and saw a similar talisman in it. The talisman was gained after he killed the man in dark outside the Small-cliff Market. It was a talisman with a simple flying needle on it. Though it was not exactly the same as the one catching his eyes, they did have a lot in common. They were with hidden spirits, simple strokes, antique colors, and not conspicuous at all. Shiao Chen had a feeling that the two talismans were not as simple as they seemed to be. He then kept both of them safely in the jade box. With regard to the pills, Shiao Chen kept those few for Gold Core safely and the remaining vast majority casually in a storage bag. Concerning the jade slips, more than twenty of them were found. Shiao Chen had indeed identified good cultivation methods after a quick review. He then collected them carefully in a jade box and put the box in a storage bag. After all these were done, Shiao Chen felt a little bit tired even his cultivation was comparable to those at the beginning of Foundation Establishment. He swallowed several pills and sat with legs crossed to absorb the efficacy and recover. Suddenly, a faint spirit fluctuation occurred. After detecting the change, Shiao Chen immediately released his divine sense to scan areas nearby. His divine sense could extend for about one hundred kilometers. He was now at level fifteen of Qi Refining with a divine sense stronger than average. Moreover, with the help of the gold seal, his divine sense was quintupled, equaling to almost that of a cultivator at the beginning of Foundation Establishment. He was sure that his divine sense wouldnt be perceived. Identifying the source of the spirit fluctuation, Shiao Chen frowned and was then indulged in thoughts, It is them. Could it be my false judgment that they are actually cultivators? After a second thought, Shiao Chen shook his head to temporarily let the doubt go. He would be back to his Sect tomorrow and such a little incident wouldnt exert great influence on him even if there were something wrong. Thinking of this, Shiao Chen again took several pills in and continued his cultivation. Even though he might not get enough strength to get through to the next level, at least he could refine his spirits. It was not until the next day before dawn that Shiao Chen slowly opened his eyes. A faint light flashed across his face and then disappeared. His eyes became darker and were just like bottomless calm waters. Shiao Chen stood up and walked out of the room. Though spirits in the mortal world were rare, he felt calm and peaceful seeing everything came back to life with the sun rise and vitality arose in tranquility. It had been a year since he embarked on the cultivation road. He was no longer the carefree teenager in the village. The past year had totally transformed him. He was now a cultivator, treading a long unknown path to immortals, trying to figure out natural laws of the world. At this moment, there came a squeak from a distance. Shiao Chen came to himself all of a sudden and again resumed his poker face. Seeing the figure under the bamboo grove, Li Xiaoyi was surprised and then said with a smile, Pal, you seem to have a good mood. You are such a tasteful person to get up early to enjoy the beauty of morning dew. Li Xiaoyi wagged his head along with his words, looking like a nerd. Though willing to reply his words, Shiao Chen remained composed and said with a smile, Good morning, friend. This person seemed to have performed an excellent cultivation method to hide his spirit flows, but still, Shiao Chen felt faint spirit flows on him. He was inevitably a cultivator. However, if he was reluctant to show his cultivation, Shiao Chen would naturally play dumb accordingly. The person impressed Shiao Chen favorably. Shiao Chen didnt feel him as a threat. Im Li Xiaoyi, seventeen years old. I come from Beihua State. Squinting his eyes, Li Xiaoyi said with a giggle. Shiao Chen. Shiao Chen glanced at him and told him his real name after a slight hesitation. Haha, I feel like were old friends at first sight. How about having breakfast and a free talk together? Though Shiao Chen just told him his name, Li Xiaoyi was not annoyed at all and offered his hospitable invitation. After a slight hesitation, Shiao Chen nodded with a smile, Ok. Li Xiaoyi was thrilled on hearing the reply and headed to the restaurant in the front yard together with Shiao Chen. Where will brother head to? Im just roaming around. How about we two travelling together in the next following days? After figuring out Shiao Chens age during breakfast, Li Xiaoyi then called him brother again and again with great enthusiasm. Shiao Chen tried to reject the proposal for several times but failed. He had no choice but to accept it. They were on intimate terms with each other. It would never come to others mind that they just met yesterday. Hehe, Im heading to Peng City. Its a long journey. Im afraid you cant bear such a long weary journey. Youd better stay and enjoy your happy days here. Avoiding direct eye contact, Shiao Chen randomly said a place with a smile. Ive heard of Peng City. Ok, Ill go with brother and see what Peng City have. Li Xiaoyi giggled and promised to go with Shiao Chen. On hearing his reply, Shiao Chen just smiled without showing any objection. Outside the city. Hello, everyone. The places nearby are not safe places. Numbers of brigands and mounted gangsters are frequent visitors of the area. They kill and rob. Since we are here together seeking for safety, wed better take care of each other. Once were encountered with troubles, please dont act like cowards. Ok, its getting late. Lets go. The old leading the queue seemed to be respected by others. The merchants and passers-by all nodded at his decision. The old was happy to see that everyone in the queue reached a consensus. The gangsters used to rob a single trade caravan or passer-by. Now in the queue there were five trade caravans and almost three hundred passers-by. The brigands wouldnt dare to rob them then. The old waved his hand and mounted the horse. They set off in a queue like a long snake. Brother, I saw the people we met yesterday in the queue. Im afraid they bear grudges in their hearts. Li Xiaoyi pouted his lips as a signal. Following his instruction, Shiao Chen indeed saw the old he met yesterday. The old was in another caravan with several youngsters standing behind him. And the Wang Ziyang now stared back resentfully. Shaking his head, Shiao Chen was reluctant to think over the issue though he doubted their identities, Lets go. Theres no need to take him seriously. Li Xiaoyi nodded with a giggle and headed to their caravan together with Shiao Chen. Half a day later. Shiao Chen was in a carriage, talking freely with Li Xiaoyi who sat in the opposite. There were two other people in the carriage. One was a servant of the trade caravan and another was a passer-by. Comment (0) Chapter 53 Breakthrough of Divine Sense I assume you two childes are on your first long journey since you havent prepared dried food. There are still several kilometers before we reach the next town. It would be excellent if we can reach the next town before nightfall. All these means that you will starve for a whole day, which Im afraid your childes noble body may not be able to bear, said the servant of the trade caravan, Fortune (name of the caravan). Shiao Chen was in a daze when hearing the words since one was able to fast for almost half a month at the cultivation level like his and if one reached Foundation Establishment, he could live without food. Shiao Chen then said with smile, Little brother, we two were too devoted in our conversation in the morning that we forgot to prepare any dry provisions. What shall we do now? Alas, I was just reminded of this. It seems that we are going to starve. Li Xiaoyi shook his head in a row with a sad face. Another man in the carriage was a timid middle-aged plain dealer. He smiled on hearing their words, You two childes can eat mine if you dont mind. I bring with me several servings. They are made by my wife, not so delicate. The servant rolled his eyes on hearing the words and thought the middle-aged was an idiot. He had noticed for long that the two came here empty handed. What was more, they were in good clothes and with great insights. He was meant to deal with them by mentioning this thing. He brought several servings too. The dry provisions cost him just several Qians (1). However, if the food were sold to the two, the prices would be much higher and he could earn the price difference. Now, his plan was destroyed by the middle-aged. He didnt feel good and said with a cold smile, The two childes were with noble birth. They feast every day. Youd better put your food away as soon as possible. Offering them pancakes which are made of coarse grains is just making a fool of yourself. Finishing his words, he turned around, managed a flattering smile, and took a hamper out from somewhere, Two childes, here are six dishes with chicken, duck, and fish included. They are still warm. How about trying them? The middle-aged blushed with shame. He tried to say something by opening his mouth. However, words failed him. Shiao Chen glanced at the servant, ignoring his words. Nevertheless, Li Xiaoyi got annoyed by the words though was with a calm face. He then said in a cold voice, To your disappointment, the pancakes are just what we need. As for your hamper, we dont like it at all and you can sell it to anyone who wants it. The servants face turned pale suddenly but dared not to retort considering the two were from rich families. He stayed for a while and then got off stealthily to promote his hamper in another carriage. Big brother, wed like to buy your pancakes with slivers. What do you think? Li Xiaoyi asked the middle-aged with a gentle smile. You dont have to pay. These are homemade and worthless. He was grateful and waved his hands continuously. Just take the silvers. We are not spongers. Seeming to be touched, Shiao Chen said with a smile. Brother is right. Were not freeloaders. Li Xiaoyi took an ingot of silver and threw it to the middle-aged, regardless of the fact that the price he offered could buy a carriage of the pancakes. The middle-aged was so excited that his lips trembled. He carefully put the sliver away in his underclothes and rushed to open the baggage on his back. With only a couple of pancakes left, he pushed all the rest to their front. In addition, he also offered some homemade drinks which were of unique flavor. Shiao Chen took a sip and bit the pancake. The mixed flavor was very special. Little brother, try this! The drink is good. En On hearing the words, Li Xiaoyi was startled, flushed, and hesitated. Well, it seems that my little brother is reluctant to drink with me. Shiao Chen pretended to knit his brows. No! Just a misunderstanding! I seldom drink. Im afraid brother would tease me for I might misbehave after I get drunk. However, since brother has invited me, Im ready to drink with you at any price! Li Xiaoyi caught the canteen and took a large swig with his head lifted. He coughed and flushed immediately once the liquid went down along his throat. Seeing his reaction, Shiao Chen laughed at him badly, He is just as beautiful as a girl. He would be a stunning beauty if he were dressed up. Shiao Chen thought to himself. Drinking, eating, and chatting, Shiao Chens frayed nerves were totally eased. He felt warm and comfortable. It seemed that his divine sense was enjoying a bath in the sunshine and about to be activated as every second went by. Shiao Chen felt that he was going to break through to the next level. Leaning against the carriage with a faint smile and hollow eyes, Shiao Chen seemed to enjoy the scenery along the road unconsciously. However, if someone could look inside him, he could find continuous changes occurred in Shiao Chens divine sense. The divine sense is strengthened and refined. Now its comparable to that of those at the late stage of Foundation Establishment. Shiao Chen came back to himself after quite a while and couldnt help becoming excited. Brother, what happened? Li Xiaoyi had been observing Shiao Chen and asked him immediately upon his excitement. Nothing. I was just indulged in my memory. Shiao Chen made up an excuse randomly. After all, he couldnt let others know what he had just experienced. Mounted gangsters. They are mounted gangsters! The people in front were in a panic and the situation was out of control. Screams coming from afar sent the whole queue into a total mess. En? Shiao Chen frowned, stood up, and looked far into the distance, trying to figure out what happened. He saw that guards of the five caravans were confronted with gangsters at the beginning of the queue. Occasionally passers-by assisted the guards with their weapons. After all, if they were not able to beat off the gangsters, all wouldnt end up well. Hundreds of meters away from the queue, hundreds of vicious gangsters came with rolling dust. Dont panic! Form a circle! Keep the carriages in the front, guards in the back, and the old, the weak, women and children in the middle. As a leader, though astounded, the old managed to remain calm and issue orders loudly. Servants and guards of caravans were experienced. They began to move after the initial panic. The gangsters proceeded in an extremely fast speed. They came near in just seconds. Stop! Along with a shout, hundreds of gangsters stopped immediately. They whistled one after another just hundreds of meters away. The shinning sabers were waved with a force and the queue was greeted with a sense of vicious killing intent. Lots of people in the queue turned pale. Im Gu Yun. Ive been traveling along this path for almost forty years. During the forty years, I get acquainted with numerous heads in this area and hand over agreed protection money annually without delay. Are there misunderstandings between us? Im here trying to work up the nerve to ask heroes in the opposite who the leader is and if can I talk to him. Wed like to turn in a thousand taels of silver to buy heroes some liquor. The old shouted to the opposite crowd at the beginning of the queue. Chapter 53 - Breakthrough of Divine Sense Chapter 53 Breakthrough of Divine Sense I assume you two childes are on your first long journey since you havent prepared dried food. There are still several kilometers before we reach the next town. It would be excellent if we can reach the next town before nightfall. All these means that you will starve for a whole day, which Im afraid your childes noble body may not be able to bear, said the servant of the trade caravan, Fortune (name of the caravan). Shiao Chen was in a daze when hearing the words since one was able to fast for almost half a month at the cultivation level like his and if one reached Foundation Establishment, he could live without food. Shiao Chen then said with smile, Little brother, we two were too devoted in our conversation in the morning that we forgot to prepare any dry provisions. What shall we do now? Alas, I was just reminded of this. It seems that we are going to starve. Li Xiaoyi shook his head in a row with a sad face. Another man in the carriage was a timid middle-aged plain dealer. He smiled on hearing their words, You two childes can eat mine if you dont mind. I bring with me several servings. They are made by my wife, not so delicate. The servant rolled his eyes on hearing the words and thought the middle-aged was an idiot. He had noticed for long that the two came here empty handed. What was more, they were in good clothes and with great insights. He was meant to deal with them by mentioning this thing. He brought several servings too. The dry provisions cost him just several Qians (1). However, if the food were sold to the two, the prices would be much higher and he could earn the price difference. Now, his plan was destroyed by the middle-aged. He didnt feel good and said with a cold smile, The two childes were with noble birth. They feast every day. Youd better put your food away as soon as possible. Offering them pancakes which are made of coarse grains is just making a fool of yourself. Finishing his words, he turned around, managed a flattering smile, and took a hamper out from somewhere, Two childes, here are six dishes with chicken, duck, and fish included. They are still warm. How about trying them? The middle-aged blushed with shame. He tried to say something by opening his mouth. However, words failed him. Shiao Chen glanced at the servant, ignoring his words. Nevertheless, Li Xiaoyi got annoyed by the words though was with a calm face. He then said in a cold voice, To your disappointment, the pancakes are just what we need. As for your hamper, we dont like it at all and you can sell it to anyone who wants it. The servants face turned pale suddenly but dared not to retort considering the two were from rich families. He stayed for a while and then got off stealthily to promote his hamper in another carriage. Big brother, wed like to buy your pancakes with slivers. What do you think? Li Xiaoyi asked the middle-aged with a gentle smile. You dont have to pay. These are homemade and worthless. He was grateful and waved his hands continuously. Just take the silvers. We are not spongers. Seeming to be touched, Shiao Chen said with a smile. Brother is right. Were not freeloaders. Li Xiaoyi took an ingot of silver and threw it to the middle-aged, regardless of the fact that the price he offered could buy a carriage of the pancakes. The middle-aged was so excited that his lips trembled. He carefully put the sliver away in his underclothes and rushed to open the baggage on his back. With only a couple of pancakes left, he pushed all the rest to their front. In addition, he also offered some homemade drinks which were of unique flavor. Shiao Chen took a sip and bit the pancake. The mixed flavor was very special. Little brother, try this! The drink is good. En On hearing the words, Li Xiaoyi was startled, flushed, and hesitated. Well, it seems that my little brother is reluctant to drink with me. Shiao Chen pretended to knit his brows. No! Just a misunderstanding! I seldom drink. Im afraid brother would tease me for I might misbehave after I get drunk. However, since brother has invited me, Im ready to drink with you at any price! Li Xiaoyi caught the canteen and took a large swig with his head lifted. He coughed and flushed immediately once the liquid went down along his throat. Seeing his reaction, Shiao Chen laughed at him badly, He is just as beautiful as a girl. He would be a stunning beauty if he were dressed up. Shiao Chen thought to himself. Drinking, eating, and chatting, Shiao Chens frayed nerves were totally eased. He felt warm and comfortable. It seemed that his divine sense was enjoying a bath in the sunshine and about to be activated as every second went by. Shiao Chen felt that he was going to break through to the next level. Leaning against the carriage with a faint smile and hollow eyes, Shiao Chen seemed to enjoy the scenery along the road unconsciously. However, if someone could look inside him, he could find continuous changes occurred in Shiao Chens divine sense. The divine sense is strengthened and refined. Now its comparable to that of those at the late stage of Foundation Establishment. Shiao Chen came back to himself after quite a while and couldnt help becoming excited. Brother, what happened? Li Xiaoyi had been observing Shiao Chen and asked him immediately upon his excitement. Nothing. I was just indulged in my memory. Shiao Chen made up an excuse randomly. After all, he couldnt let others know what he had just experienced. Mounted gangsters. They are mounted gangsters! The people in front were in a panic and the situation was out of control. Screams coming from afar sent the whole queue into a total mess. En? Shiao Chen frowned, stood up, and looked far into the distance, trying to figure out what happened. He saw that guards of the five caravans were confronted with gangsters at the beginning of the queue. Occasionally passers-by assisted the guards with their weapons. After all, if they were not able to beat off the gangsters, all wouldnt end up well. Hundreds of meters away from the queue, hundreds of vicious gangsters came with rolling dust. Dont panic! Form a circle! Keep the carriages in the front, guards in the back, and the old, the weak, women and children in the middle. As a leader, though astounded, the old managed to remain calm and issue orders loudly. Servants and guards of caravans were experienced. They began to move after the initial panic. The gangsters proceeded in an extremely fast speed. They came near in just seconds. Stop! Along with a shout, hundreds of gangsters stopped immediately. They whistled one after another just hundreds of meters away. The shinning sabers were waved with a force and the queue was greeted with a sense of vicious killing intent. Lots of people in the queue turned pale. Im Gu Yun. Ive been traveling along this path for almost forty years. During the forty years, I get acquainted with numerous heads in this area and hand over agreed protection money annually without delay. Are there misunderstandings between us? Im here trying to work up the nerve to ask heroes in the opposite who the leader is and if can I talk to him. Wed like to turn in a thousand taels of silver to buy heroes some liquor. The old shouted to the opposite crowd at the beginning of the queue. Chapter 54 - Evil Cultivator On hearing Gu Yuns words, a tall sturdy middle-aged man with a scary scar on his face hit the horses abdomen with his feet hard and rode out. Figuring out who the leader was, Gu Yun felt a sense of relief. He saluted to him with hands folded and said with a smile, Ah, its you, Ruler Ma. Now Im sure our conflicts today must be due to misunderstandings. Ruler Ma, how about issuing an order to let our heroes slightly step backwards and then talking in detail to remove our misunderstandings? Ruler Ma continued to move forward, while at the same time Gu Yun mounted on a horse of the caravan and went up to him. Brother Gu Yun, how come you yourself lead the queue? OK, since you are here, I will With a sense of viciousness coming to his eyes, Ruler Ma moved before his speech came to an end. Suddenly, Gu Yuns head was chopped off high in the sky along with a glint of cold steel and rolled down to the ground far away. You could still see the incredibility in Gu Yuns eyes. Blood sprung from his cut neck and his body stumbled a little before falling straight down to the ground. Gu Yun is killed! Ruler Ma killed Gu Yun even though they are acquaintances. Theres no way for us to ask for mercy. Run, everyone, or else you would be killed. Run! The queue was in a panic again since all in the queue had not expected that Gu Yun would be killed. Though surprised, servants and guards in caravans managed to keep calm though with pale faces. They knew they had to for if they ran like the passers-by, they would only die faster. Haha, brothers, go and kill. Old rules, hand over 30% of what youve robbed and the rest are yours. Ruler Ma waved his hand in high spirits, and the mounted gangsters behind him all rushed to the queue ferociously with shouts. Hehe, with so many gangsters coming near, arent you afraid, brother? Li Xiaoyi rolled his eyes and asked with a sly smile. Slightly raising his eyebrows, Shiao Chen said with a smile, Little brother seems to be quite composed. It couldnt be justified if I as an elder brother become panic in front of you, little brother. Brother is right. They glanced at each other and burst out laughing spontaneously. As for the middle aged in the carriage, he now looked ghastly pale and curled himself up tightly. Seeing the two talking and laughing, he couldnt help putting on a sad face, thinking in heart, The two are apparently not experienced at all. They are just standing by and watching the scene like a live show. However, the swords in the gangsters hands would kill us all! Uncle Master Xuan Zhen, gangsters are coming near. How about helping them a little? Asked by a sympathetic young man around eighteen. He was among several youngsters behind an old man with white hair and delicate clothes. Some youngsters resonated with him on hearing the words, while, some including Wang Ziyang, on the contrary, curled their lips. Shut up. Dont forget the reason why we are here. If we help those mortals, our identities would be revealed and the little witch would be alarmed and leave without trace. At that time, we would fail and be hunted down by Demons Sect forever! Dont help and stay here if you still want to seek revenge for your master and died brothers and sisters! Xuan Zhen said with a gloomy face and cold voice, totally different from the amiable image he presented yesterday. Youngsters became serious immediately. They lowered their heads with mouth closed. Seeing their reactions, Xuan Zhen showed his satisfaction by nodding his head. Thanks to the support of a mysterious person, they were able to know where the little witch was and get the magic weapon to hide their spirit flows. He once doubted about whether they were just a knife borrowed to kill the little witch. However, the profound hatred of Sect destruction haunted over his mind. He was not willing to think further. As long as he could kill the little witch and got the promised treasure, it didnt matter what would come later. He could just go far away and live in the shadow. In that case, the Demons Sect could still do nothing about it though it boosted massive influence and numerous master-hands. Thinking of this, Xuan Zhen slightly pulled the corner of his mouth and looked impassively at where Shiao Chen was located. Help! Dont kill me, rulers. This is all my property. Here you are. Dont kill me. Dont kill me. Though they were in a fast speed, the gangsters came and went in a pattern. Instead of running into the queue directly, dozens of gangsters taking the lead circled and joined together after seconds to chase after the escaping passers-by. In just a moment, they caught up with the already escaped passers-by a hundred meters away and killed them without hesitation despite their supplications. Blood sprung and a thick reek of blood arose. Apart from those slightly beautiful women, even the old, the weak, the rest women and children were all killed. Ruler Ma, our five caravans would like to hand over half of our goods and a hundred taels to ask for mercy. A leader of the five caravans said. Greeted with the thick reek of blood, all people alive got pale. Hehe, cut the crap. You can either go alive with all the women and goods left behind or die. With a cold smile and evident greedy face, Ruler Ma said firmly, leaving no room for negotiation. The leader putting forward the proposal got pale. In general, people in charge of caravans would spend almost all they had to purchase goods and sell them at high prices to where they were rare, earning the price difference. If they handed in all the goods, even though they could save their lives today, they would eventually end up in poverty. What was more, the women in caravans, apart from servants, were their wives and children. They would be so embarrassed to meet other people in the future if they said yes. Brothers, the gangsters are determined to kill us. Though we are no match for them, we cant stand still, doing nothing. Go and kill desperately. Killing one is sufficient, and killing two, you earn one. Risk it all! Kill one and count one! Want our goods and women? You need to save your life first for enjoyment. The men in caravans were mostly experienced with fights and blood. Now they were cornered and forced to fight viciously and desperately. With wide-open red eyes, they stared at gangsters tightly, like a group of wolves. Even though Ruler Ma had committed innumerable murders, he was still awed by them. However, thinking of High Priest, he gradually relaxed. Since you wanna die, I would certainly help you! Hehe, its a great pleasure for you to die in the hands of an immortal. Ruler Ma glanced at the queue loftily, turned around immediately, and shouted respectfully, Here comes High Priest! Awed by the introduction, gangsters behind Ruler Ma lowered their heads and repeated, Here comes High Priest! Gangsters was separated into two lines as a black sedan came near. The two sedan carriers were tall and sturdy. Their faces were unclear since they were hidden in black robes. At this moment, the sedan quivered and there came two bitter grunts of a woman. Wait for a moment. It wont be long. A young mans voice was heard. The sedan shook greatly as the groan grew more high-pitched. Even the gangsters now were afraid, all they could do was to bury their heads deeper. A moment later, along with two comfortable sniffs, the sedan stopped shaking and the groan ended. Bang! Suddenly, the curtain was opened. A dark shadow flew out from the sedan and landed at a distance. It turned out to be a naked body of a young woman. You can tell she was originally a comely woman. However, now bruises were all over her white skin and her private parts was soaked in blood. Her eyes were highly bulged. Apparently, she seemed to suffer from extreme anguish before death. The curtain was lifted again and there came a young man about twenty with cold eyes. He was barely counted as handsome. Though he came out with a casual smile, the crowd couldnt help getting goose bumps at the thought of what he had just done. High Priest glanced through the crowd and was satisfied to see several beautiful women, Youve done well this time. I will officially take you as my disciple and teach you the supreme cultivation method when I come back. Thanks a lot, High Priest, no, many thanks to master. Thank you, master! Ruler Ma was wild with joy and kowtowed in a row. This young man came to their base camp a month ago and defeated them all easily. The measures he took were just like that of the immortals. He stayed then and became High Priest. It was under his order that they robbed and massacred every caravan encountered. High Priest was not fond of treasures. What he needed was virgins. He used them for cultivation. Though his cultivation methods seemed to be cruel, Ruler Ma didnt care at all and thought whatever it took to become a cultivator like him deserved. Step down temporarily and Ill deal with these people. High Priest was a little bit complacent. Ruler Ma waved his hand to ask gangsters to step backwards. He once saw the mighty power of High Priests moves. It would be wise to keep a distance. Since you want to be diehards, it would be impolite for me not taking your spirits and souls. A black light flashed across High Priests face. All of a sudden, a decimeter-level black flag appeared in his hand. Go! A black light entered the flag followed the direction his finger indicated. The flag grew larger quickly against the wind and became a seven-meter one in just seconds. Though it was in the daytime, the place was full of chilly winds and sharp screams of ghosts. The flag was like a dark cloth on the first sight. However, looking at it closely, you would find that it was made of numerous scary faces of dishevelled women. Their mouths and tongues were bloody red and thick reek of grievance kept rolling out from them. Chapter 55 - Lust Bead My little cuties. Go and enjoy your feast. A vicious smile gradually sprawled High Priests face. He waved the flag suddenly with force and extremely cold eyes. Ghosts inside the dark flag all fought their way out and went directly to the queue. Help! Monsters! Ghosts! Run! They knew evil magic! Please spare my life, your immortal! Please! I beg you! We didnt mean to be offensive. However, no matter how badly they begged, as long as they were caught by ghosts, they were just so overwhelmed with grief and pain that they hardly wished to live. They screamed and their faces were twisted. Uncle Master, lets help them. This man is apparently an evil cultivator. Theres no way for us to stand by! The youngster mentioned it again with eagerness and angry eyes. Wang Ziyangs eyes turned cold on hearing the words and said indifferently, We are here just to kill the little witch. Be prudent in expressing your opinion, Nephew Zhang Yi. Now Wang Ziyang was considerate and composed. One could hardly imagine that just one day before, he got exasperated and acted in an innocent way. Brother Ziyang is right. Dont move. Lives of just hundreds cant be compared to the fulfillment of our revenge plan. Stay still. Its no big deal and I will kill the evil man for their revenge after I kill the little witch. And do remember in your hearts that killing the little witch is to save millions of common people. Weigh one thing against the other and you can clearly see which one matters! Xuan Zhen rebuked them ruthlessly with a sullen face. Hem, jackasses with useless soft hearts! If it were not for the great efforts invested in training you since young, I wouldnt bother to care! Hem, after I kill the little witch, I would pass the buck and hold you accountable. Its time for you to pay me back for my upbringing. The old suddenly became vicious and exchanged glances with Wang Ziyang. However, he soon resumed a cold face. Having women as nourishment! Flag with ferocious ghosts in! Evil cultivator! Shiao Chen became serious and said word by word with cold eyes. A killing intent grew rapidly within his heart. However, a man acted in a faster speed. You are such a scum. Its a shame to have you among our cultivators. Now Im taking your life! Li Xiaoyis face flushed with rage. Her eyes got cold and in just a blink she showed in front of the queue with a shining spirit tool in her hand. The tool then went directly to the High Priest. Cultivator! Surprised by Li Xiaoyis appearance, High Priest got panic and by instinct took out a spun gold handkerchief to defend himself. Bang! The loud sound manifested that Li Xiaoyis tool was with a rather high grade. Judging from its performance, it would be of top grade. Apparently, the handkerchief was no match for it. After a sharp jangle, the lights of the handkerchief were dispersed and the handkerchief fell to the ground directly. Cold sweat burst out and after-event fear occurred to High Priest. If the attack were with 30% more strength, he would be a dead body now. Black lights flashed across his body and he retreated backwards in a rather fast speed. Whats your name, friend? There seems to be no history between us. Why you attacked me all of a sudden? Hem, you want to sacrifice hundreds of lives for your own selfish desire. I wont agree! Li Xiaoyis face got cold. She threw the spirit tool in the air and it turned into a dragon around sixteen meters with horns in the head and no feet under its belly. It then winded its way to High Priest. Shaping was one of the exclusive powers of magic weapons. Since the spirit tool became a dragon, it meant that the spirit tool topped the top-grade tools and its power was comparable to that of low-grade magic weapons. Now Li Xiaoyi attacked with rage. All her cultivation burst out completely, indicating that she reached the beginning stage of Foundation Establishment. She would even be able to fight with those who were two levels higher than him with the tool in hand. Seeing Li Xiaoyi fought with all his power, High Priest was startled and rather scared. Ghost Streamer, explode! Confronted with emergencies, High Priest was rather determined and exploded the spirit tool without hesitation even though it was nurtured by his divine sense. The streamer was one of the best-known treasures among ghost cultivators. The original materials that made the flag were not precious at all. However, as the holders cultivation grew and the number of detained ghosts increased, it could be upgraded with new materials and would be of enormous power. Legend had it that a nonesuch master of diabolism once bred his Ghost Streamer with millions of ghosts that could fill the sky in just a wave. Though the flag nurtured by High priest was not good enough, still its explosion caused great damages. Ah! Ah! Ah! Scary faces broke one after another with creepy shrieks and turned into fine Yin Qi that swept all over. Since his spirit tool was totally destroyed, High Priest suffered from severe damage to his divine sense and spitted blood immediately. However, he was able to escape from the deadly attack with the streamers counterattack. We can talk, friend. Theres no need to fight with me for several mortals. You would gain a generous reward if you show me mercy. High Priest got pale. He was merely at level seven of Qi Refining. Though he was equipped with several treasures stolen from the Sect, he would finally be killed by Li Xiaoyi. Thus, he kept begging for mercy now. Li Xiaoyis face also got slightly pale. The explosion was of great power and left him with a tight chest. Cut the crap. Today I must kill you here! Li Xiaoyi became impatient since the two attacks he initiated were dodged. Inputting strength several times more powerful than before, the tool was turned into a dragon more than 33 meters long after a rather low howl. It roared to High Priest as if it were alive and tried to swallow High Priest with its mouth wide open. Even though I would die eventually, you need to pay enough price for my death! High Priest was cornered and became furious. He took a pink round bead out from his storage bag, The others dont know who you really are, but I do. You cant fool me. Since you are determined to kill me, I wouldnt let you end up well. With a sense of viciousness flashing in High Priests eyes, he threw the bead away muttering some incantations. Lust Bead, explode! Explode! Explode! Bang! Along with the sound, the pink ball burst open and pink gases with a sweet smell were diffused instantly. Most of the pink gases went swiftly to Li Xiaoyi and began to wrap her. And the rest continued its diffusion among crowds. Lust Bead! Li Xiaoyis face changed greatly, his eyes full of fright. Obviously, he heard of the ball before. Retreating backwards swiftly, he kept performing hand-seals. Saffron lights were released by an inconspicuous jade pendant on him as it swayed, protecting him in an all-round way. Chapter 56 - Li Affected by Lust Bead and Shiao Being Eloquent Oh, no! A scream came out from Li Xiaoyis mouth as the pink gases went directly through the spirit shield and into his body freely. A complex mix of feelings including tingling, itch, and feebleness struck Li Xiaoyi. These unprecedented sensations gave him a flushed face and tearful eyes. What was more, his spirit power even flowed with his emotion changes and his figure swayed in the air. Lust Bead! Its unexpected that this treasure would be used! Move now, and there are high chances for us to kill the little witch this time! The old man was overwhelmed by the surprise and thought they were close to victory if the treasure was really the Lust Bead. The Lust Bead was the most valuable treasure of the Lust Sect, one of the eight evil Sects. It was designed for cultivators. Once affected, cultivators power would be greatly reduced and the affected cultivators would feel nothing but sexual passions. If the cultivators were unlucky to be overwhelmed by the lust, they would lose their virginity and even be indulged in lust until death came upon them. The little witch has been practicing the Yin Scripture and she would suffer from great damages if she losses her virginity before Nascent Soul. And the man who gains her first night would have 80% of her cultivation. If I were the man, I would gain an extra life of 30 years and chances for me to get through to the Gold Core would be increased to 60%. Xuan Zhen got excited by the possibility and then shouted, Move! Powerful spirit power was released by Xuan Zhen along with the words and he went directly towards Li Xiaoyi in a light. After Xuan Zhen, Wang Ziyang stopped hiding his cultivation and he turned out to be at early-stage of Foundation Establishment. He also followed Xuan Zhens path in a light. In just seconds, several spirit waves occurred for the same purpose and went to the same direction one after another. The giant dragon roared and turned High Priest into minced meat and blood rain. With a flash, it uttered a sad cry and shrank back to its original form, a spirit tool. Since Li Xiaoyi was affected, and her cultivation was sealed to level seven of Qi Refining, she didnt have enough cultivation to maintain the dragon form of her spirit tool. Little witch, your Demons Sect once killed hundreds of disciples of our Qingling Sect. Now, its time for revenge. Blood will have blood! Xuan Zhen shouted in a rage. Yet, his cunningness and fright were hidden. He stopped tens of meters away from Li Xiaoyi and performed several hand-seals in just a wave. Xuan Zhens cultivation was revealed along with the wave and he turned out to be at late-stage of Foundation Establishment. Along with his move, strong power was released. Li Xiaoyis face got even paler. Since she was now affected by the Lust Bead, she would definitely lose once confronted with Xuan Zhen, a cultivator at Foundation Establishment. She had never heard of Qingling Sect before, but her father did exterminate lots of Sects which might include this mans. He came here for revenge. If she was in good condition, with the help of top spirit tools, she could even fight late-stage of Foundation Establishment. However, she was weak and unable to well control her body. Rumors about the Lust Bead suddenly came to her. She got extremely pale thinking of her fate once she was captured by these people. Ive practiced Disguise Scripture. How did he know my real identity? Li Xiaoyi wondered. However, several attacks stopped her thoughts. With great efforts, Li Xiaoyi managed to input her spirit power in the folding fan and threw it towards Xuan Zhen. The fan became a little dark black ape. It was with short and small fore limbs and sturdy hindquarters. It now raised on its hind legs with its red frightening eyes open. Seeing the attacks, it got excited and spouted light yellow smokes to wrap and eat them. Taking the spirit power in, it became more vivid with several sounds of joy. Spirit devouring monster, black ape! A sense of fear appeared in Xuan Zhens eyes. He was apparently frightened by the ape. However, he gradually came to himself, Little witch, if you have brought the monster itself here, we may have no alternative but leave. However, now it is just a phantom sealed in the spirit tool. I wont be stopped by merely a phantom! With a cold smile, Xuan Zhen slapped his forehead and there came a sliver torus in the size of a grown-ups fist. Go! Along with the shout, the torus grew larger quickly against the wind and turned into a circle with at least a three-meter radius in seconds. It was with strong power as you could tell from the spirit flows and went directly to the ape in a rather fast speed. Nephews, lets move together and help Brother Xuan Zhen kill the little witch. Wang Ziyang roared in a loud voice and took the lead in waving his spirit tool towards Li Xiaoyi. Several people around him heard his words and took out their spirit tools without hesitation. Though these people were not with high cultivation since the most powerful one among them was just at level eight of Qi Refining, their attacks together at the same time could also be a big trouble. Moo! A cattle-like deep roar came out from the apes mouth. It stopped the coming spirit tools with yellow lights released by its mouth. However, it was just a sealed phantom and only had less than ten percent of the power possessed by its physical body. Though coming attacks were stopped, it shook violently with a burst of miserable roars. At the same time, Li Xiaoyi was rather anxious as her face became enchanting with the loss of spirit power. Black ape phantom, explode! Though much unwilling, Li Xiaoyi still shouted to explode the tool. The ape changed completely with the words. Its dark hair turned red instantly and the already red eyes grew redder. His eyes were now like pools of thick blood, nearly liquefied. Jesus, retreat! Xuan Zhens face changed upon the situation, called back his spirit tool, and retreated swiftly backwards in a light. Bang! Though he reacted quickly, the explosion speed of the ape was still beyond his imagination. Mighty power approached his back, which turned his face pale and his blood spat. His fellows were now even more miserable. Except Wang Ziyang who narrowly escape the explosion, others failed to get their spirit tools back. The dark ferocious spirit power arising from the explosion invalidated their spirit tools and damaged their divine senses. Lights around spirits tools were now gone. The tools fell directly to the ground and stayed still after several gentle bounces. Poof! Poof! Poof! Since spirits tools nurtured by their divine senses were greatly damaged, these people couldnt help squirting blood and were dispirited quickly. Two of them even blacked out and died after they fell to the ground. Though several people were heavily damaged by the explosion, Xuan Zhen, whose level was at late-stage of Foundation Establishment didnt suffer from substantial damages. Plus, there was still a cultivator at early-stage of Foundation Establishment, Wang Ziyang, out there. Apparently, chances for Li Xiaoyi to win were rare. What was worse, she found that she was falling into a coma after the explosion. Now she subconsciously headed to a direction and blacked out after seeing a fuzzy figure. Seeing the flushed face in his arms, Shiao Chen was surprised to know Li Xiaoyi was actually a girl from their conversations. No wonder she is not accustomed to drinking wine. She is a girl! Shiao Chen touched his nose out of embarrassment and managed to lift corners of his mouth. Though he saw through the fact that she was a cultivator, he had no idea she was a girl. Now troubles came to him since she fell into his arms. Lifting his head, Shiao Chen locked the coming two people with a cold face. Littler bastard, it is you A sense of ferocity arose on Wang Ziyangs face. However, his speech was stopped by Xuan Zhen with a wave of hand. Little brother, the one you are holding is a demon cultivator who has done all kinds of evil things. How about handing her over to us? With hidden intention, Xuan Zhen took two steps forward and spoke in a sincere attitude. Shiao Chen frowned upon these words. He was reluctant to fight with a cultivator at Foundation Establishment if possible. However, the girl in his arms came to him and totally blacked out after seeing him for she trusted him. Now if he handed her over for personal benefits, he would definitely be haunted by inner demons, which might pose numerous hindrances in his way to a higher cultivation. Making up his mind, Shiao Chen raised his head and glanced at the two lightly, Id like to see what youll do to me if I refuse your proposal! Powerful strength burst from Shiao Chens body. Though the enemy was at late-stage of Foundation Establishment, he hadnt fought yet and it was still unknown who would win! A cultivator. Xuan Zhen was startled and felt strange since the power released by Shiao Chen was at Foundation Establishment while his cultivation told from his appearance was just Qi Refining. You got be kidding me! Its impossible for a cultivator at Qi Refining to release power of Foundation Establishment. Is it because that this man hides his real cultivation? Xuan Zhen was astonished by his speculation and then observed Shiao Chen carefully. Still, he was unable to see through Shiao Chens real cultivation and therefore misgivings arose. Friend, Im Xuan Zhen from the righteous Qingling Sect. This girl is a demon cultivator who is related to the extermination of my Sect. How about you staying out of my revenge today? Xuan Zhen came near as he spoke with power at late-stage of Foundation Establishment totally released. Righteous Sects? Shiao Chen lifted his head and sneered at them, You seemed to have hidden yourselves when gangsters came. Previously, you turned a deaf ear to the massacre of common people by an evil cultivator. Now, you take advantage of her perilous state and bully the weak. Hehe, well, well, you claimed you were from a righteous Sect. However, what youve done was not as forthright as a demon cultivator. Xuan Zhen turned pale hearing the accusations. Shiao Chens words were like a slap on his face, stopping him from justifying himself. Chapter 57 - Setting Up Traps and Killing Enemies Though he hides his cultivation level, the man could at most be at Foundation Establishment, for if not, he would kill us instead. So, A sense of viciousness flashed across Xuan Zhens eyes. Todays action was a last resort. If they still couldnt make it and kill the little witch, protection offered by the mysterious man would be invalidated. At that time, he would have no other choice but to die under unremitting hunting by Demons Sect! As a righteous cultivator, how should you abandon your belief and befriend the little witch, a demon cultivator! Ill kill you both for the good of all. Xuan Zhen released all his power with a ferocious face. Nephew Ziyang, how about we two joining hands together and killing this man as soon as we can! After his suggestion, Xuan Zhen called out the sliver torus again. This time, without hesitation, he frantically input all his spirit power in the torus, for fear that uncertainties might arise since the mans cultivation was unknown. As the inputted spirit power grew, the torus buzzed, glowed, and finally expanded into a large circle several meters wide. Go! The torus with great power went directly to the direction Xuan Zhen pointed at all at once. At the same time, not to be outdone, the middle-aged man also took his spirit tool out and attacked Shiao Chen. Wang Ziyang got excited on hearing Xuan Zhens suggestion. He couldnt wait to attack Shiao Chen with a small gold axe by muttering incantations in his mouth. Shiao Chen became serious. He was startled to see what Xuan Zhen and the middle-aged man got. If it were not for his strong divine sense, his power would be reduced by half under the enormous pressure posed by them. Though caught by their attacks from both sides, Shiao Chen remained composed and called out a little dark black sword by a quick tap on his forehead. The sword was gained from Black Ghost. Though it wasnt a high-grade spirit tool, it was with power comparable to that of a normal top-grade. Speedy! Nearly 30% of Shiao Chens spirit power was inputted and shiny black lights arose around the little sword. It suddenly grew bigger and bigger and a sharp sense of sword leaked out from it. Go. The six meters long and one-meter wide sword pierced the air and went swiftly to its target. Boom! Shiao Chen blacked out with a buzz in his ears after the crash between his sword and the torus. Though his cultivation was comparable to that of a cultivator at early stage of Foundation Establishment and his divine sense late stage, there were still little chances for him to win in terms of pure cultivation. However, there were no time for other thoughts now, for the attacks were coming. One Finger Devourer! Shiao Chen uttered a rather low voice due to discomfort since another 40% of his power was used. A sparkling and crystal-clear finger conjured up by spirit appeared. Since its appearance, spirits in the air were soon attracted and collected by it. The finger grew as spirits increased. And the pressure posed by its power was ever greater. What a strange power! If we leave it alone and let it grow, we would definitely be greatly damaged. Wang Ziyang was astonished and later fear came to him since the power of the finger was more than three times than that before. Go! With a thought in Wang Ziyangs heart, a sudden bright light came out of his spirit tool. It gained its speed immediately and collided with the finger. Bang! Another discomfort voice was uttered by Shiao Chen as blood was shed from his mouth. Previous crash between his spirit tool and that of Xuan Zhens had already damaged his viscera. What was worse, to fight with Wang Ziyangs spirit tool, the finger was generated by him in a rush. Now his face got pale as he was wounded again. Go to hell! Hearing Shiao Chens discomfort voice, Wang Ziyang was overwhelmed by joy and continued his attack. Now! A red light flashed across Shiao Chens eyes and he activated Soul-stabbing Awl immediately. Wang Ziyangs face changed upon Shiao Chens move. A sense of crisis arose in his heart. However, before he could do anything, he had already been stung by the awl. Ouch! Blood was ejected from Wang Ziyangs mouth and nose along with a scream since he suffered from a sudden divine sense shock. His body shook and fell to the ground directly. Nephew Ziyang! Xuan Zhen exclaimed and went to Wang Ziyang in a fast speed trying to catch his body for if Wang Ziyang fell from where he stood, tens of meters high in the air, he would definitely die! The spirit tool, One Finger Devourer, and Soul-stabbing Awl were all he got. All these were unexpectedly used by Shiao Chen in a row to kill Wang Ziyang. Because if the two both at Foundation Establishment cooperated with each other, he would inevitably die. Thus, Wang Ziyang must die. Humph! Shiao Chens face got extremely pale since more than half of his spirit power and divine sense were consumed. However, he took out a high-grade Fire Explosive Talisman without hesitation despite his wounded body and threw it to Wang Ziyang after inputting spirit power into it. No! Not far away, Xuan Zhen shouted in a sad voice. Wang Ziyang was one of the few remaining direct disciples of Qingling Sect. In addition, he was with a rather high cultivation level, Foundation Establishment. The loss of him made Xuan Zhens heart ache. The power of the talisman was comparable to an attack released by a cultivator at Foundation Establishment. When the attack was initiated, Wang Ziyang was conscious but unable to fully control the spirit power within his body since his divine sense was messed up. He managed to open a spirit shield but the shield was easily destroyed. He then was frightened to see the attack coming to him and finally reach him. Soundlessly, Wang Ziyang was devoured by fire. One storage bag and one spirit tool fell thereby. Leaving the fallen treasures alone without even sparing a glance back, Shiao Chen turned around, held Li Xiaoyi in his arms, and fled as far as he could. Little bastard, today I will pull your soul out, refine your spirit, and end your road to samsara. Xuan Zhens face twisted with a sense of viciousness. The original benign face with rosy cheeks was now gone. His heart was filled with killing intents. Pack up the belongings of your Uncle Master, go back to the encampment and wait for me. Ill come to you after Ive killed them two. After issuing an order, Xuan Zhen went tens of meters away in just a few breaths. During Xuan Zhens swift move, Shiao Chen took in several pills and got better after absorbing them. However, the damage of his divine sense couldnt be restored overnight. He now suffered from a bad headache and could even saw stars dancing before his eyes. Biting the tip of his tongue with force, Shiao Chen came to himself all at once and couldnt help complaining the situating in his heart after sensing the coming powerful force behind his back, Sooner or later, the power would reach me if nothing was done. I need to do something to save myself. Now I have no other choice but to get down to the ground and hide myself by taking advantage of the geography of the barren mountain. After a quick view of the mountain, Shiao Chen descended directly. Where he landed was a shallow mountain stream, around seven to eight meters deep. The mountainside beside the stream was sprawled with vines, right on which fist-size green fruits hang. Water gurgled across. Not far away from there was a low-lying part which was actually a pool. The water of the pool was so clear that you can see the bottom. Right inside it there were several carefree grass carp. Nevertheless, it was not the right time to appreciate the beautiful scenery. With a rough scan, Shiao Chen went forward swiftly. Chapter 58 - Fighting Enemy with Talisman Son of a bitch, where did you hide the little witch, be quick and tell me the place, maybe I will consider showing you mercy! However, when he came closer, despair struck him since he found nothing in Shiao Chens arms. He had chased after Shiao Chens spirit flow instantly without a second thought. He moved in a rush. If Li Xiaoyi successfully escaped this time, what he had planned would be totally ruined. All he could do left was to wait for his death even if he might manage to kill Shiao Chen. Haha, you old thing, you wont get what you want. Li Xiaoyi has run away when you are after me. Even I now have no idea where she went. Shiao Chen sneered at him deliberately in a loud voice. You, you Xuan Zhen nearly blacked out. His spirits almost went out of control all of a sudden and blood sprang to his head due to a sudden violent emotion change, which turned his eyes red. Little bastard, even though Im going to die, Id like to torture you when Im still able to. Id like to pull your tendons out and skin every inch of you. Id like you to beg me for killing you! Vicious words kept popping out from Xuan Zhens mouth. Shiao Chen was a little bit astonished and chilled to sense the deep hatred borne in Xuan Zhens words. However, now he had no other choice but to continue irritating Xuan Zhen, for Xuan Zhen was such a sophisticated man that he would know after a second thought the loopholes with his words. Heihei, youre just boasting. Catch up with me first if you want to kill me! Let me see what you get! Little bastard, go to hell! Without any doubt, Xuan Zhen got even more furious, which could be told from his spirit fluctuations. And his speed got even faster. Shiao Chen was shocked to see that the distance between him and Xuan Zhen was shortened to just around 60 meters in just blinks. Where are you going, little bastard! Suddenly, Xuan Zhen cast a hand-seal and a giant hand of spirit power went directly forward. Sensing the arising goose bumps, Shiao Chen took out dozens of talismans without hesitation. Various kinds of talismans including fireball, water needle and restraint talismans were involved. He just input his spirit power in and threw all of them out. Boom! Boom! Boom! Dozens of talismans were burnt at the same time and the power released thereby was great enough to horrify Xuan Zhen, who was forced to slow down and the giant spirit hand vanished the second it met the released power. Gaining several seconds, Shiao Chen took the chance immediately and ran away swiftly. All of a sudden, the distance between them was now widened to around 333 meters long. A sense of fury came across Xuan Zhens face and he continued his chasing. The two ran and chased. Every time when the distance was less than 60 meters, Shiao Chen would take out a handful of talismans and threw them backwards. The talismans were with complex drawings. An explosion of them together at a same time released a great power that did stop Xuan Zhens chasing each time. And the distance would be widened again. After the distance was shortened and widened for several times, Xuan Zhen lost his patience and was really irritated by the situation, but he didnt have any solution to it. The killing intent in his eyes was more and more evident as time went by and one could even sense the intent without looking at him. Chapter 59 Half a day later in a lush mountain forest, two lights flashed across one after another in a rather fast speed. They were just ten meters above the ground. Huge wind waves swept the forest as they went by. Shiao Chen took several spirit-nourishing pills out from his storage bag again and swallowed them all at once. A bitter smile sprawled his face since apart from that had been used in the Desolate Mountains, he had run out of around a thousand pieces of low-grade talismans that he traded in the Small Cliff Market in such a short period. All he left were just few high-grade ones. Sensing Xuan Zhen was getting ever closer, Shiao Chen got serious and managed a cold smile. Hmm, whats wrong? How come the little bastard not throwing talismans? When Xuan Zhen was just 60 meters away from Shiao Chen, he slowed down by instinct but unexpectedly no talismans came to him. He was just wondering what happened. Along the way, talismans taken out by Shiao Chen never seemed to be run out of. The number of the talismans by a rough calculation would be no less than a thousand pieces. Though these were low-grade ones, they all together still costed a large sum of spirit stones. Xuan Zhen even guessed that Shiao Chen might be a core disciple of a huge Sect. This little bastard has so many low-grade talismans. There are definitely high-grade ones in his hands, but he didnt use them. Whats his hidden intention? With a second thought, Xuan Zhen gradually slowed down and didnt go further. The old thing is indeed very cunning. However, despite his slyness, he is not going to be the winner as usual. Having identified Xuan Zhens misgivings, Shiao Chen immediately got corresponding countermeasures. After a while, Shiao Chen looked back frequently and seemed to be flurried. What was more, even his spirit flows were out of control. Could it be that the little bastard is actually helpless rather than playing dumb? Xuan Zhen went further and observed Shiao Chen carefully. Not surprisingly, he saw hidden happiness in Shiao Chens eyes. Though it was not evident, but Xuan Zhen still identified it. The little bastard really does plot something. However, this kind of plotting is not enough to deceive me. Sneering at Shiao Chen in his heart, Xuan Zhen performed a hand-seal stealthily and gradually came to Shiao Chen. Haha, old thing, go to hell! Shiao Chen kept looking back and suddenly threw three talismans backwards when Xuan Zhen was just 30 meters to him. Though the talismans hadnt burnt yet, the hidden violent spirit flows did reveal the possible power. Xuan Zhen suddenly concentrated and couldnt help being scared. The power released by the three talismans was nearly the same as a full attack made by a cultivator at middle-stage of Foundation Establishment. Fortunately, these talismans were not exploded immediately, or else he would be definitely heavily damaged. What a cunning bastard! He first pretends to be driven into a corner to make me less cautious, but later he would heavily wound me unexpectedly. And then he could escape without a slight hesitancy! However, Ive been travelling around for many years. The little bastard is no match for me in terms of experience and wisdom! With a cold smile, Xuan Zhen practiced the completed hand-seals immediately and his torus appeared again and became a larger circle with a radius about one and a half meters. He himself was totally guarded by the circle. Boom! Boom! Boom! The three talismans exploded and numerous water vapor were generated. However, the vapor suddenly changed into thin water needles about 3cm long. All these needles went backwards to Xuan Zhen. High-level water needle talisman! With sustained sounds of hits on the torus by water needles, the toruss light flickered and it quaked. Xuan Zhen hastily input his spirits in the torus and finally stabilized it. Little bastard, what else do you get! After water needles vanished, Xuan Zhen held his torus in hands and said to Shiao Chen with a ferocious smile. He walked further step by step towards Shiao Chen, who stood still and seemed to be petrified. Hearing this, Shiao Chen seemed to have just come to himself. His fear was so evident that you could see it from his face. And now he was caught fleeing. Chapter 60 - Demonization of Xuan Zhen Where are you going little bastard? Today Im going to torture you a million times. Rip up your skins and burn out your soul so that you will never enter into reincarnation. Xuan Zhen, with his surging speed, opened his arms wide and targeted right at Shiao Chen. At the same moment, he had already thought through numerous methods to torture Shiao Chen and to make him so painful that Shiao Chen would ask for death, but he wouldnt do as Shiao Chen wished. Yet, at this same moment, a sudden omen of danger rose from within his heart and made it skip a beat. When he looked up, he found the panic on Shiao Chens face had long gone. It was now replaced by sneer. In his hands were a pile of yellow talismans which, glistening with spiritual power, were cast right at him. Although with no idea of the level of those talismans, the strong sense of death forced him to pat on his forehead without hesitation to summon up an earth-yellow small shield in the size of a few inches. He desperately input his spiritual power into the shield, an action that instantly turned it many times bigger than the original size into a one-meter huge shield in a second. Boom! Boom! Boom! This was a small talisman with densely intertwined cinnabar texture which nearly formed a huge net. As the talisman exploded, an invisible light ring appeared, tightly binding Xuan ZhenTechnique of Great Binding. This talisman in burning red looked like, against the yellow paper, a cloud of leaping flame that roared ahead with waves of overwhelming heat. As it was suddenly lit up, a huge scarlet fireball as big as a human head appeared out of nowhere and thumped down with a bang before explodingTechnique of Great Explosion. Lines on the talisman silently gave out mild breath. The winding and turning seemed to carry softness. Oozes of vapers were liquified automatically around it. As the input of spiritual power, the light blue lines suddenly emitted luster in sky-blue color. Though it seemed mild and plain, the sharpness aroused chilling terror in ones mindTechnique of High-Level Water Needle. In order to kill Xuan Zhen in one fell swoop, Shiao Chen spared no resources he owned. All of the high-level talismans were thrown out. Though of various properties, they were more than enough to kill any Gold-Core cultivator once the power was integrated. In this regard, Shiao Chen was full of confidence. Witnessing Xuan Zhen fall into the explosion core with a shield in his hand, Shiao Chen stepped thirty meters backward to avoid collateral harm, but he didnt retreat too far away. This time, with the aim of killing this man, Shiao Chen had suffered heavy loss, so he was determined to make this trip fruitful. After all, Xuan Zhen was a late Foundation-Establishment cultivator as well as a survivor of a lately destroyed Sect, definitely a man with great wealth. Rumbling sound of explosion lasted for a strong quarter before it died away. The spiritual power between heaven and earth within miles around turned chaotic by this ferocious blast, and the earth-shaking boom could be heard hundreds of miles away. Damn! He is still alive! Shiao Chen screened with divine sense and infinite horror sprawled onto his face at once. Staying far away from the explosion site, he was still daunted by the overriding power from there. He never expected Xuan Zhens survival. After flame and vapor faded away, Xuan Zhens figure gradually appeared. The defense shirt of spiritual tool level on him was now worn out, hardly concealing his body, and the meticulously groomed hair bun was now shattered down. Black patches on his face was supposedly caused by the exploding fireball, making him look pitiful. As for the shield in his hand, a crack stemmed from the middle to cross the whole shield. If the strength of the explosion ignited by talismans increased by five percent, Xuan Zhen couldnt have emerged from the calamity. Little bastard, Ill kill you! Xuan Zhen was terrified this time because since his cultivation, he had never felt so near to death. The crazy explosion of the talisman kept echoing in his ears and horrible spiritual power was insanely tearing up his body as if at any moment he would be annihilated by it. The sight of the huge shield in his hand almost drove him to cry. That was Thick Earth Shield most treasured by his sect and only became his after the sect was crashed. For a decade, the shield had helped him through many life-and-death moments, but now it should be damaged by Shiao Chen. Rage. Roaring rage that seemed to be burning down heaven and earth made Xuan Zhens eyes bloodshot and triggered gusts of impulse to kill cruelly from deep in his heart. The unbound long hair was floating in the air even without wind, and the ragged gown rattled loud. Howl! He bellowed like an animal while endless dark smoke began to rise from his face, twisting and twining like hideous earthworms. His long hair turned weird scarlet, and dark purple blood vessels on his neck swelled and popped up. Demonization! Xuan Zhen, with moods running up and down drastically as he went through the life-and-death, demonized in an instant under endless resentment and rage. The demonization of a cultivator would go through infilling of demon spirit, burning out of spiritual power and divine sense, deprivation of divine intelligence and finally degradation to walking dead that desired nothing except for killing until annihilation. Shiao Chens pupils violently contracted, and his shield shimmered around him in a high frequency as he desperately ran outward. He never wanted to fight with a horrible monster completely out of its mind. Roar! Now Xuan Zhen had a distorted face with bloodshot eyes and slightly open mouth from which drizzled ceaseless drops of saliva, a look that made him a real monster. However, the pressure of spiritual power from him soared again, unexpectedly reaching the Final Complete stage of Foundation Establishment, also commonly known as False Core stage. The cultivation of a cultivator at this level couldnt be promoted further. To continue to enhance cultivation, he had to face the first challenge in cultivatingcore forming. However, the journey toward core formation was strewn with obstacles, requiring not only high cultivation but also great opportunity. Overcoming the obstacles promised the journey to Gold Core with more life of five hundred years, unlimited spiritual power and being enlisted as one of the high-level cultivators. Yet, failure meant annihilation of the body and the hundred-year cultivation by thunder punishment. Xuan Zhen, though reaching Fake Core stage at the moment, would at last be annihilated and forbidden from reincarnation because his current cultivation was gained through demonization. Since this person would perish in the end, Shiao Chen didnt want to mess with him. After all, now Shiao Chen was no match of Xuan Zhen whose power had skyrocketed. Yet, Shiao Chens intention to leave didnt mean Xuan Zhen also wanted the same. The very reason why Xuan Zhen was demonized was Shiao Chens interfering. But for this, now Xuan Zhen must have captured Li Xiaoyi and very likely have gained thirty-years more life, a guarantee towards the journey to Gold Core. But for Shiao Chen, he wouldnt have ended up like this. Therefore, at the sight of Shiao Chens leaving, the demonized Xuan Zhen, though having lost his mind, felt destined to kill him. With a raging roaring, Xuan Zhen gave off smoldering demon spirit, turning himself into a dark shadow and chasing right after Shiao Chen. Feeling the rampant intention of slaying behind, Shiao Chens face turned gloomy at once. His speed had been lower than Xuan Zhen who now got demonized with power soaring to the Final Complete stage of Foundation Establishment, Fake Core, and had even higher speed. Shiao Chen would likely to be chased down soon. Damn, although Xuan Zhen got demonized, lost his divine intelligence, and turned to a demon that knows nothing but killing, he is clear that Im the reason for his demonization. Im afraid though he is a demon now, he has a strong subconscious motivation to kill me and wont let it go until my death. Xuan Zhen was a cultivator of late Foundation Establishment level. Even if he is now demonized, his cultivation could support him for mad killing for many hours, too long for me to escape from his slaying. One Finger Devourer! Shiao Chen bellowed. As he pointed backward, a crystal finger made up of spiritual power appeared at once, falling down instantly upon Xuan Zhen. In movement, spiritual power was constantly absorbed, and the spiritual pressure of the Finger got more and more overwhelming. Kill! Kill! Kill! Growling came out from Shiao Chens mouth. Xuan Zhen didnt even try to avoid it. In rolling demon spirit, he made a punch which instantly formed a huge pitch-dark arm, slapping the Finger away in one wave. Boom! Violent thunder came over. Powerful as One Finger Devourer was, Shao Chens cultivation reached just the fifteenth level of Qi-Refining period, far weaker than the primary stage of Foundation Establishment. Therefore, the power combined by his cultivation and the Finger could only form a rival to a cultivator of middle stage Foundation Establishment. However, Xuan Zhen at present reached Fake Core stage and his cultivation was fueled up by demonization, so the Finger could resist him for just a moment before being shattered down into pieces by the pitch-dark arm. Shiao Chens expression turned even more distressful. At this moment, the distance between the two was pulled nearer as short as twenty meters. Kill! Kill! Kill! With continuous growl, Xuan Zhen started to spat out demon spirit which was as dark as ink and as if had divine intelligence of its own. It twisted and intertwined, forming weird faces one after another, man or woman, young or old, all looking extremely miserable. Whir! Whir! Whir! The rolling demon spirit turned into a huge face that aimed at swallowing Shiao Chen. Careful examination would reveal that this huge face was composed of many distorted faces that merged with one another and reshaped to form new ones, sending out bursts of chilling whining. Shiao Chens face was as gloomy and emotionless as still water. He suddenly turned around and tapped on his forehead to summon up the pitch-dark little sword, one he got from Black Ghost, that was as powerful as a spiritual tool of top-level. Speedy! Shiao Chen took a bite at his tongue and spat out essence blood onto the sword which, after absorbing its masters blood, began to buzz and gave out waves of blood brilliance as its power surged. At the same time, the spiritual power within Shiao Chens Dantian rushed out desperately. In a second, half of his spiritual power was infused into the sword. It also got bigger to a thirty-meter strong sharp sword that seemed to be able to prop up the sky. It took long to describe the process, but all happened in an instant. Shiao Chen made a hard waving, and a sword light thirty-meter long appeared out of nowhere, thumping down directly towards the demon face. Crack! As the sword spirit and the demon faces crashed into each other, Shiao Chen spat out a mouthful of fresh blood and his face turned pale immediately. In an instant, the demon face was dissipated into numerous micro faces to seamlessly wrap up the sword light. Each and every of the faces had its mouth wide open, tearing and devouring and swallowing desperately. Just in a second, the sword light was nibbled out and totally disappeared. Terror appeared in Shiao Chens eyes. He took out several elixirs and swallowed. Surprisingly, he forged ahead instead of stepping back, rushing madly to Xuan Zhen. Meanwhile, the rest of his spiritual power insanely flooded into the ring in his hand. With the spiritual powers infusing, the ring didnt display any change but looked even dimmer, a sight that, even though caught by others, wouldnt arouse their suspicion. The distance between the two was only twenty meters. At the moment, Shiao Chen rushed in the opposite direction in his flashing light shield, so in a second, he reached near Xuan Zhen, toward whom he took a hard shove with his fist. You only have an opportunity to rebirth when youre cornered to near death. Since he wouldnt be able to escape, Shiao Chen decided to fight head-on against Xuan Zhen. Probably, there was a chance to win back his life. Chapter 61 - Heavily Injured Though Xuan Zhen had demonized and nearly lost his mind, when Shiao Chen suddenly turned back and attacked, Xuan Zhen stopped with his little remaining instinct. However, just for a second, he was taken over again. Roars came out of his mouth and a palm covered with blazing fires went directly to Shiao Chens chest. Bang! Shiao Chen struck back, and his fist went through the coming fire and arrived at Xuan Zhens chest. A shining golden light burst like a sun and then went out of control immediately when his fist met the chest. Sharp senses of sword were sensed in the burst. The power brought about by the fist was extremely sharp that it seemed to be unstoppable. It was not until the fist went directly through Xuan Zhens chest in the end that it gradually disappeared. An extremely miserable cry was uttered from Xuan Zhens mouth, nearly half of Xuan Zhens body was torn apart by sharp senses of sword. However, it was the remaining Demon Qi haunting over his wounds that kept him alive, which unexpectedly made him more furious. A dark black hand fell as his emotion changed. However, Shiao Chen managed to lean his body and got the attack received by his shoulder. Sounds of fractures came one after another. However, black lights burst suddenly from his shoulder, defensing him from most of the attack. Still almost half of his bones and meridians went into pieces at once. Shiao Chen couldnt help squirting blood from his mouth and his body was thrown far away backwards by the power. Nut! You are totally insane. You should dare to fight with a demonized cultivator in such a close distance. If it were not for my support, you would be smashed into pieces! It doesnt matter if you want to die, but do not include me in your death plan unconsciously! Im in you and I want to live! A frightened and angry voice arose in Shiao Chens head after the narrow escape. However, the voice was to some extent weak. Shiao Chen now was suffering from an extremely weak condition with his travelling light shield trembled. It seemed that the light shield would disappear at any time. However, if the light shield was gone, he would fall from dozens of meters above the ground and definitely be a dead body as he was heavily injured now. Good to know you have awakened. However, I didnt expect to see you awake in such a condition. It seems that its a huge mistake for you to choose me as your host. Im sorry about the current situation, but I dont have spare power to remove the contract between you and me now. I wish I could live again and compensate you. Shiao Chen blacked out with the sunken shoulder. Blood oozed from his eyes, nose and mouth. His arms were twisted and hung over his body. He was now immersed in his own blood and seemed to be extremely weak. Yu Ji silenced for a while after hearing his words before her voice rose again, Death? How could it possible! Ive been through endless trials and tribulations. How could I finally die because of the little cultivator at Foundation Establishment! Shiao Chen couldnt help being optimistic and was eager to know her answer, Friend, could it be that you actually know how to survive the current situation? If Im lucky enough to escape death today, I swear by inner demon to help you return to your heyday. And I wont eat my words! There are two pieces of Dantian treasures in your storage bag. One is flying needle, and another is flying sword. Ill teach you incantations. After you have personalized the treasure with your blood, you can use them to escape. After finishing her words, Yu Ji couldnt help letting out a sign stealthily. It was not the first time that she came to herself. Earlier in the Fairy Reception House, she regained consciousness without being noticed by Shiao Chen and since then she had been observing him in the dark. Shiao Chen had saved Li Xiaoyi outside the town, fought with two cultivators at Foundation Establishment at the same time, killed one of them with his wisdom, and finally managed to escape. In addition, faced with the seduction of an extremely beautiful woman in the cave, he remained composed and even succeeded in leading Xuan Zhen there independently to protect Li Xiaoyi. What was more, though chances for survival were rare, instead of being panic, he turned around and tried everything to fought for the slightest chance to survive. And now, he was in great danger and about to die. However, he still thought of removing the contract between him and her to let her go. Though no words came out form Yu Jis mouth, her impression on Shiao Chen was gradually changed as time went by. However, all these were not even noticed by Shiao Chen. Now he was trying hard to remember the words occurred to his head. Fortunately, the method was not hard and in just seconds, Shiao Chen had already mastered it. Managing to keep conscious, Shiao Chen fetched a jade box out from his storage bag and right inside the box there were two pieces of talismans with simple strokes. He took up the flying needle, which was bought at Small Cliff Market and sprayed a mouth of essence and blood onto it. After all these had been done, Shiao Chens face got extremely pale and later his vision gradually blurred. Shiao Chens body had reached far beyond its limits. It was his indomitable will that kept his body standing and dragged his body here. His parents were still alive. How could he be so stone-hearted to let them experience the tragedy of losing their loved son! As for himself, he had gained incredible rare treasures and was about to embark on the cultivation road smoothly. How could he be willing to die before he had reached the summit of cultivation! Though numerous thoughts, especially the scene when he was cared about by parents, flashed across Shiao Chens mind in just seconds, in the end, only Ji Yuewus sad eyes and Li Xiaoyis struggling in the cave lingered. I cant die! How could I die! Furious anger arose, which cleared Shiao Chens mind for seconds. He tried to gather himself up and performed several hand-seals in a row on the flying needle Dantian treasure. The essence and blood on the treasure was totally absorbed after the performance of hand-seals. The talisman suddenly burst into flames and a decimeter-level needle appeared out from the fire. Though it was with an extremely small size, powerful pressure was imposed. Seeming to be awed by the pressure, though standing far away, Xuan Zhen started to escape immediately. Speedy! Shiao Chen had invoked the last remaining power in his body to control the needle. It was seen that the fleeing figure of Xuan Zhen suddenly stopped and the demon Qi around him shook before he fell directly to the ground. If looking at Xuan Zhen carefully, one could find two little red spots between his eyebrows and on the back of his head. It seemed that the needle went through his head and smashed his divine sense. Ensuring Xuan Zhens death, Shiao Chen relaxed and then totally blacked out with his head heading to the ground. Suddenly, a faint ghost of an extremely beauty appeared and lifted Shiao Chen to ensure a soft landing by just a wave of hand. Looking at Shiao Chen with complex feelings, Yu Ji signed slightly and gradually disappeared. It ached so badly! Not only Shiao Chens body but also his divine ached heavily with any single slight movement. The pain was so sharp that he nearly blacked out again. Shiao Chen managed to open his eyes. It was dark and seemed to be at midnight. He struggled to sit by himself with legs crossed. However, his back was attached with weeds by dried blood. A sudden move of separating them was like tearing skins apart from his body, which caused stabbing pain. Shiao Chen gasped and forced a bitter smile after checking inside his body with his divine sense. Nearly half of his bones were smashed into ashes. Meridians were torn apart. Dantian was drained. All in all, his body was a total mess. If it were not for the weak efficacy released deep down the bone marrow, he would definitely die. Lucky enough, he ate pills like candies in normal times and now the accumulated efficacy that was originally not absorbed was able to save him a life. Chapter 62 - Yu Jis Assistance Trying to regain a composed state, Shiao Chen forced himself to sit quietly and meditate. It took him about a quarter to hardly calm down since his body ached. It had been quite a while and now it was not until at dawn before faint refreshing spirits arose and circulated within Shiao Chens body. Shiao Chen opened his eyes and seemed to be relaxed. He then took several bottles of pills out from his storage bag with the newly generated spirits. As for the top treasure herbs above ten thousand years gained from the sealed place, he planned to make pills out from it to maximize its efficacy. With the help of pills, I would soon recover from injuries. Shiao Chen thought to himself, then he opened the restrictions around the bottleneck, pulled out several pills, and swallowed them in. Pills melted in the mouth and thick spirits burst. Spirits went directly to the most heavily damaged meridians Hmm! Shiao Chen grunted. His face suddenly turned extremely pale and his head was covered by small beads of sweat. Since he was seriously damaged before, words would fail to describe the pain generated along with the violent circulation of spirits. However, sensing he was getting better, Shiao Chen clenched his teeth and let spirits run freely within his body. It was after most of the injuries were cured before Shiao Chen was relieved from great pains and was able to sense the cool and pleasant feel endowed by the spirits. Without any move, Shiao Chen sat there still and kept absorbing the efficacy released by pills to regain his power. Then there came some stranger. Li Xun was a normal rogue cultivator. He was just lucky enough to get an incomplete jade slip talking about magic powers at his early age and later became a cultivator. During the past years, Li Xun cheated, stole and killed to gain his cultivation now, level five of Qi Refining. He was indeed someone among rogue cultivators. However, only he himself knew his cultivation was now stuck and would remain the same for the whole life if nothing special fell on him. Though Li Xun was with a humble birth, he dreamt big and had done a lot of things to achieve his goals. He often went to deep mountains and forests which were less travelled by people alone to seek for treasures that could improve cultivation. Though once faced with mighty monsters, Li Xun was lucky and succeeded in escaping every time. During all these trips, he did find some spirit herbs growing for incredibly long years. What was more, he happened to kill a multi-ear monkey who was heavily injured in a territory fighting. He traded its Neidan (internal core) for a bottle of spirit-refining pills (around 20) in the market. With the help of pills, Li Xuns cultivation was upgraded soon. Now he was at level seven. If he was able to break through to the next level, level eight, then chances would be high for he to be disciples in several big Sects. What was more, if he could gain a Foundation Establishment pill in the future, it was probable for him to seize the chance to become someone and a senior cultivator at Foundation Establishment. Just half a day before, he had sensed two powerful spirit flows in a fight. They were so powerful that they must be at least at the middle-stage of Foundation Establishment! When two tigers fought with each other, it was for sure that one of them would be heavily injured. If one was able to sneak into their battle field at a right timing, there were high chances for him to harvest something. After a second thought, Li Xun made up his mind and went directly to the source of spirit flows. During his trip there, the spirit flows of the two suddenly got intense and later vanished. Since traces of the mighty powers disappeared, Li Xun was unable to locate them. Could it be that they two died with each other together? Thinking of this, Li Xun got excited and was eager to check current situation there. The two would be at least heavily injured. Otherwise, there was no explanation to the doubt why traces of the two disappeared at the same time. If he was able to know where they were, he could kill them both and got two storage bags of them since they were badly injured. Two storage bags of cultivators at above middle-stage of Foundation Establishment were certainly great treasures. On thought of this, Li Xun was so excited that his body trembled. Shit! Here was definitely the source of spirit flows. How come there were no signs of a fight! Li Xun kept scanning the field with his divine sense with a sullen face, but found nothing. Could it be that the two left the scene after they were severely wounded? Li Xun was totally upset on thought of this possibility and his face was even more sullen. No, thats not right! Li Xun stopped for a second when his divine sense was scanning a certain spot before he was overwhelmed with joy. He then went swiftly forward to the point. After Xuan Zhen had been killed, the demon Qi around him dispersed. His body fell directly to the ground and was smashed into pieces. However, his storage bag remained intact in the blood. Storage bag! Li Xun was wild with joy. He grabbed it in hands directly despite of the fact that it was immersed in blood. He couldnt wait to open it with a hand-seal and blushed because of excitement after a brief review on what was inside. Oh my god! All these are mine! With the treasures in the storage bag, I will certainly make it to Foundation Establishment. If Im lucky enough to have some special opportunities, its not a dream to be a Gold Core cultivator! Except for detail-oriented philosophy and ruthless behavior, Li Xun also had a spirit root not bad (at least a top grade one). He learnt by himself and had gained his cultivation solely based on an incomplete cultivation method obtained accidently in his early years. Now he had in hand Xuan Zhens storage bag. It meant that almost three quarters of treasures remained in the Qingling Sect were all his. If he retreated now, there were high chances for him to be someone. However, seeing the figure sitting with his legs crossed over there, he was occupied with his greedy thoughts. This man must have a greater cultivation and treasures since he has survived the fight. If Im able to have his storage bag, road to Gold Core is just before my eyes! Though excited, Li Xun carefully put Xuan Zhens storage bag away before he slowly extended his divine sense to Shiao Chen and wrapped him with it. He planned to escape immediately once there should be accidents. However, everything went well. Messages sent back by his divine sense were that no spirit was found in the figure and the body seemed to be extremely weak and would vanish at any moment. Even God helps me! Its apparently that god also think Im a talent worth to be cultivated and sends me this opportunity. Though ecstasy struck him because Shiao Chen seemed to be extremely weak, he was still cautious for it was his carefulness that kept him alive for such a long time. Speedy! A totally red flying sword around ten centimeters came out of Li Xuns mouth. The sword was a low-grade spirit tool, robbed from a level eight Qi Refining cultivator after killing him. Since then, Li Xun had been nurturing it with his divine sense. The flying sword turned into a red line upon its appearance and went directly to chop Shiao Chens head. However, it was stopped by a white shadow besides Shiao Chen. She frowned at the line and stopped it by just a wave of her hand. Li Xun was surprised for the shadow appeared suddenly. By a second look, he found it was a beauty and got excited. He then said in a frivolous tone, It turns out that you are a ghost slave at less than five level of Qi Refining. How dare you stop me! Its such a pity that if I kill your master, you would die with him together. What about I break through to the next stage and help you build your body then? At that time, we can Yu Jis eyebrows were knitted. Killing intents were clear in her eyes. She shouted, How dare you! You clearly are unaware of the consequences of your act now! Consequences? Heihei, I will see who is exactly the one seeking death! A sense of viciousness arose in Li Xuns eyes. He practiced several hand-seals. The flying sword trembled and a brighter light burst out from it and went directly to Yu Ji. Seeing the attack, Yu Ji frowned and became serious. Her cultivation was almost lost when she was trapped in the sealed place. At first, she was at Gold Core, but after fights with Chu Kuang and Corpse Rider, her body was destroyed and her divine sense nearly dispersed. Now she was only at level five of Qi Refining. Though she was an experienced fighter, she didnt have enough spirits to invoke. Demon flame, rise and burn! Yu Ji said in a low voice. Demon Qi gathered after the incantation and turned into black flames. The flames were totally black and seemed to be cold. However, weird and disturbing voices kept emitting from it. Demon cultivation method! Li Xun was a little bit frightened with his eyes wide open. Demon cultivators possessed various kinds of unexpected measures and were always with a plan B. Most of their cultivation methods could invalidate spirit tools and damage divine senses. The flying sword was nurtured by his divine sense and he would be severely injured if the sword was damaged. After calling back the sword, Li Xun took a small prayer bead out from his storage bag. It was like an inconspicuous stone but with holes on both sides. It was a pity to use it, for Buddha power would decrease every time it was used. However, this concern was soon defeated by greedy thoughts. It was just like an investment and was done for the gaining of Shiao Chens storage bag. Go! After Li Xun input spirits in the bead, gentle Buddha lights were released and chants were heard. Images occurred as chants went. Even Buddha shadows were seen and at the same time, a strong Buddha power burst. The bead shook and went directly to Yu Ji. Buddha treasure! Yu Jis face turned sullen. As an evil cultivator, Buddha treasure greatly limited the power that can be released. If she were at her heyday, solving this was just a piece of cake. However, now it was a big problem. Switch demon flames, evolve demon ghosts and devour! Though startled, Yu Ji maintained a cold face. With just a point of her fingertips, the demon flames became a vortex with a decimeter level diameter. Demon ghost went out from the vortex one after another and went directly to the bead. What a demon ghost to a Buddha bead was like boiling oil to cold water. Once the one met the other, great reaction occurred. Demon ghosts kept uttering sad screams after entering the bead and were soon purified. At the same time, Buddha lights went darker. Though ghosts knew they would definitely die, they still rushed in like a swarm of hornets and crazily devoured before death. As ghosts were getting fewer, Yu Jis face turned pale and her power was greatly reduced. Chapter 63 - Killing A Snob With the weakening of Yu Jis breath, the several-feet wide dark whirlpool shrank and enlarged continuously, and the outpouring magic shadows became fewer and fewer. You look like a mantis trying to stop a chariot. You dare to stop me!? Li Xun laughed wildly and infused several spiritual powers into the bead. Supported by spiritual power, suddenly, the light of the Buddha bead came out and killed all the magic shadows. Crack! At the same time, the whirlpool suddenly trembled, then split into pieces, and disappeared rapidly, Yu Jis breath grew weaker, and her body became more illusory. Meanwhile, the bead suddenly flickered, falling on the top of her head, releasing bursts of Buddha light that enveloped her. Some painful complexion emerged on Yu Jis face. Under the Buddhas light, bursts of evil spirits constantly sprang up from her body. Her body became more and more illusory, as if it would evaporate at any time. Li Xun nodded with satisfaction. If he had not gotten the Buddha treasure by chance, it would have taken him a lot of efforts to clean up this ghost slave today. Now that nobody was in the way, it was time to harvest. Go! An order was uttered and the red knife flickered away quickly. Li Xun couldnt help smiling coldly. He even saw Shiao Chens head being cut off and blood gushing from his neck. But at next moment, his face became rigid and his eyes were full of fear. The red-fire flying knife stopped abruptly when it was three feet near Shiao Chen as if firmly bound by an invisible big hand. And Shiao Chen s closed eyes slowly opened at this moment with two cold gleams flashing by. A majestic spiritual power rose in his body like a waking giant beast, slowly releasing its own ferocity. Run! Seeing this, Li Xun did not hesitate to turn around and run away. Meanwhile, he took out a few talismans from the storage bag and pasted them on his legs. The speed of his escaping increased by triple rapidly. In Shiao Chens eyes, some coldness flickered, and he growled, Its impossible for you to escape! In escaping, Li Xun was gripped with fear when he heard these words. He escaped faster. But at this moment, he suddenly spewed out a mouthful of blood. His face suddenly turned pale as his divine sense imprinted on the spiritual tool had been completely erased. This man can instantly destroy the divine sense I branded on spiritual tools, which follows that the strength of his divine sense reaches at least the late-stage of Foundation Establishment! He is far more formidable than me. I am absolutely not his opponent. Id better run away as fast as I can! But right at this second, he saw a shadow suddenly flicker in front of him, only to find that Shiao Chen was blocking him. Daoist friend, please listen to me. I think there must be some misunderstandings between us. When I came here, I found that Daoist friend seemed to be in a coma after serious injury. I was trying to help you but I found a ghost beside you. I thought she intended to harm you, so I started to fight with her. There was absolutely no malice in my heart. My Daoist friend, please take my words. At this moment, Li Xun, who saw no hope of escape, began to apologize repeatedly, with sincere words and a look of grievance. Shiao Chens mouth was slightly warped with a slight sneer. He said lightly, Has Daoist friend finished it, then prepare to go to the hell. On Shiao Chens sneering, Li Xun was aware of crises. But before he had the chance to react, his body became suddenly stiff and a red dot showed up between his eyebrows. His vitality dissipated in an instant, and his body fell to the ground. After killing this person, Shiao Chens strong and powerful soul power instantly receded like the tide, his face suddenly becoming extremely pale. And he belched a mouthful of blood. Just now, he was at the turning-point of his recovery, but his insistence on interrupting the process of recovery and to kill the man aggravated the injury. An embroidery-needle-like magic weapon flew into his body and disappeared totally. In Dantian, the shape of Dantian Treasure was much more illusory than before, and possibility remained that it would disappear completely after being used for several times. Shiao Chen shook his head and he didnt look better until he took out several pills of pills. Then he landed on the ground and put away all the storage bags of Li Xun before he turned to Yu Ji. Thanks for Daoist friends help. Shiao Chen hesitated for a while and said so sincerely. If Yu Ji hadnt bought him some time, he couldnt suppress his injury to kill Li Xun and might have been killed already. Yu Ji looked at Shiao Chen with a slightly complicated look. After losing the spiritual power, the Buddha bead around her returned to their original insignificant appearance, floating quietly aside. I also have a question. Just now, my Daoist friend, you have no need to participate in the fight. As long as you put down the spiritual shield for a while, much of the injury inside your body can recover, why did you do it? Shiao Chen heard the words and paused for a few seconds before sincerely answering, You did your best to protect me, how can I not spare all my efforts to help you in return? My Daoist friend, you are my savior. In the future, I will do my best to help you fulfill your long-cherished wish. Upon hearing that, Yu Ji smiled so gently that as if hundreds of flowers were blooming together, beautiful and fantastic. She answered with a delicate smile, You are so smooth-tongued, little brother, that I were almost moved by you. Well, for the sake of your sweet words, I will give you something good. This Buddha bead is majestic, but that fool doesnt know how to use it. Just practice the method of blood-refining to refine it, and you will certainly get a lot of rewards. Yu Ji waved her hand, and the Buddha bead stopped in front of Shiao Chen, while she herself disappeared into Shiao Chens body after some chuckles. Yu Jis identity was mysterious and great. It was possible that Yu Ji was a mysterious existence that had survived from ancient times. Given by the fact that her vision was so high, and now that she attached great importance to this Buddha bead, it should be very extraordinary. Shiao Chen carefully took out a jade box from the storage bag and put the bead away. After pasting two talismans on it, Shiao Chen nodded with satisfaction. Now two days have passed, I still need to rush back as soon as possible. Has Li Xiaoyis toxin been cleaned up? Shiao Chen frowned slightly, but his injury didnt allow him to start immediately. Half an hour later, a blue and red gleam flew out of the mountains and then flew far into the distance after slightly discerning the direction. It has been more than two days. He hasnt come back yet. Has he Li Xiaoyis eyes showed some sadness, and her eyes couldnt help looking out of the cave. Now, although she had cleaned up her bodys Lust Bead toxin, much of her spiritual power had dissipated and her body was still extremely weak. Having stood for a moment, she returned to the stone platform and sat down. She looked in a trance as the figure of man involuntarily popped into her mind. They first met in Immortal Reception House. Back then, although Shiao Chens method of restraining Qi was extremely brilliant, she sensed the subtle fluctuation of the formers magic power through her special magic sensory weapon. She was a little curious, so she deliberately associated with him. Later, after getting along with Shiao Chen, her increasing curiosity induced by his mystique drove her increasing desire to explore more facts about him in depth. When she was in a panic, she chose to go to Shiao Chen unconsciously. After that, although she was nearly rendered unconscious by the Lust Bead, she roughly sensed the development of the matter. She felt somewhat stirred and complicated when she thought of Shiao Chen confronting with Xuan Zhen to save her. Chapter 64 - The Identity Jade Is Her Commitment Li Xiaoyi ran an eye over Shiao Chens face, and her lips could not help tilting slightly. She even didnt know why her mood was so cool. Elder Yan, Elder Mo, please stand up. We have already agreed that you dont have to greet me when we meet. If you do that again, I will ignore you. They landed on the ground. Li Xiaoyi came forward and pulled the two elders up, her face displaying a na?ve and ingratiating look. The gloomy face of the two old men melted into a kind smile when they heard her words. They looked at Li kindly and affectionately. My dear lady, because this time you left the sect secretly, our old bones were almost torn down by the sect lord. If we hadnt found you yet, both of us would have been punished. Elder Yan touched his beard and said it with a bitter smile. Hump! I bet he dares not! If he dares to punish you two elders, I must go back and pull out his beard, then run away from home and never go back! Li Xiaoyi said this with determination, wielding her small fists fiercely. Elder Mo was touched by her words, but he waved his hands and said, No, no, my lady, if you run around again, we two elderly men will really fall apart. Over the past half a year, we have traveled a lot to find you. We cant stand the toss any more. As for pulling out the beard of sect master, well, it seemed that this was not the first time Actually, as early as two days ago, they had already found out Li Xiaoyis traces. After learning that she was poisoned by Lust Bead, their hearts were filled with anxiety. However, at this moment, the two people found by careful observation that Li Xiaoyi was still a pure maiden and they were greatly relieved for knowing the fact. Their ladys spiritual root was of excellent quality, and Virgin Evil Power that she was practicing was the top skill of the Demons Daoism. There was no limit to her achievements in the future. However, if she ate the forbidden fruit before Nascent Soul Phase, she would not only lose a great amount of vitality, but it would be more difficult for her to cultivate in the future as well! At this moment, the man in brocade, who had kept silent all the while, shot a glimpse of Shiao Chens face with cold look. He said lightly, My cousin, I dont know whom this Daoist friend is? Although his emotion was intangible, some chilling light flashed across his eyes. After all, he had already known that Li Xiaoyi was still a virgin with the toxin of Lust Bead, but he didnt know the stranger accompanying with her, which made him quite uncomfortable. Cousin Guan, hes my friend. You neednt think too much of it. Li Xiaoyi frowned slightly at his words, but then turned around and said to the two elders kindly, Two elders, this is my Daoist friend Shiao Chen. On that day, I was sieged by the remnants of the Qingling Sect. Thanks to his help I could save my life. You should award him sincerely. Oh, thank you for saving our lady. The two elders nodded smilingly after exchanging a glance. Shiao Chen tensed up all over gradually. He felt as if he had no secret and was completely seen through under the sights of two men of Gold Core Level. Fortunately, the feeling did not last for too long. They just took back their sights and nodded slightly without being noticed. Sicne you saved our lady, we should express our appreciation for your kindness in return. We have no idea of what you want, please never mind telling us your requirement, said Elder Yan. Shiao Chen was stunned at the words and then shook his head, saying slightly: The reason for saving the young lady is that shes a congenial friend and I do not intend to get any reward for it. The goodness of two predecessors is appreciated in the bottom of my heart. Chapter 65 Shiao Chen did not hesitate to refuse their offer, which was obviously beyond their expectation. Although they were a little stunned, they felt gratified at his words. What a fool you are! I give you a chance to ask for reward. Why dont you want it? No matter what kind of magic weapon, skill, medicinethese two elders will give you as long as you ask for them. How can you refuse their kindness! Li Xiaoyi was anxious to chime in without waiting for the two elders to speak. She looked somewhat irritated at Shiao Chens stupidity for not seizing the opportunity. Shiao Chen teased as the warmth of her words softened his heart, Ive already received the reward. How can I be shameless to ask for more? But just after uttering these words, he felt a little remorse in his heart. As expected, Li Xiaoyi suddenly blushed when she heard his words. She gave him a fierce stare and then lowered her head deeply. This situation was observed by the eyes of the people of the Demons Sect and immediately evoked different reactions. Cousin Guans eyebrows slightly frowned as killing light flashed through his eyes. His palms in the sleeves of his broad robes were already firmly held together. Elder Yan and Elder Mo felt worried; somehow, their gazes towards Shiao Chen became unfathomable. As for those disciples, they were so surprised that their mouths opened wide. They never saw that their fair lady had ever shown so shy a look. For a second, they looked at Shiao Chen with admiration, but more with jealousy. Well, since this Daoist friend saved our lady, we must reward you. Elder Yan drew out a several-inch-sized jade pendant from his storage bag and threw it to Shiao Chen. This is a protective jade pendant in which a spiritual shield is sealed, which can withstand the full blow of cultivators below the Middle-phase of Gold Core. Please be careful with this weapon. Resist blow of cultivators below the Middle-phase of Gold Core! Shiao Chen turned to a serious face. He reached out his hands to take over the jade pendant after a little hesitation. He carefully put it in his storage bag, cupping his hands and saying, Thanks for your kindness. Now that Shiao Chen received his jade pendant, Elder Yans eyebrows stretched slightly and turned to Li Xiaoyi, My lady, Sect Lord requests us take you back to the Rolling Mountain Gate soon after we find you. Lets go now. Li Xiaoyi hesitated slightly when she heard these words and then nodded slowly. She had almost been killed for these days out. It also made her realize that the danger of Cultivation World was far too overwhelming for her to confront with a shallow cultivation of Foundation Establishment. Shiao Chen, this is my Identity Jade. If you have any problem in the future, you can go to Beihua State to see me. She sent out an Identity Jade with delicate fragrance of girls. Li Xiaoyis face got reddish and she took the lead in setting up the travelling light and flew to the sky. Cousin Guan looked at Shiao Chen with a sneer, and the sight of gloom and darkness showed in his eyes. He then turned around and left too. The two elders looked at each other, and shook their heads slightly. With a wave of their hands and a slight move of their feet, they led all disciples away. In the blink of an eye, these figures disappeared out of sight. Shiao Chen played with the Identity Jade with the girls body temperature remaining on it. He could not help feeling a little complicated. He shook his head and sighed, then put it in the storage bag. Discerning the direction for a moment, he flew away with a flash of light quickly. Two elders go ahead please. I have something to do right now. Ill join you later. With that said, Cousin Guan cupped his hands to Elder Yan and Elder Mo and left the group of Demons Sect by a flash of light. Chapter 66 - Humiliation from Guan Zhong Elder Yan and Elder Mo frowned slightly before they nodded upon hearing the words. Then they flew away like a beam of light and went forward again in the direction where Li Xiaoyi had left. Yet their voices were still around his ears from afar, Just teach him some lessons but dont hurt him. Senior Guans face changed slightly as he heard it, and his eyes flashed as well. He then nodded and sneered, transforming into a beam of light that rushed to the other direction rapidly. Elder Yan and Elder Mo looked at each other, both wearing somewhat complicated look in their eyes. As the daughter of the Demons Sect, there were just so many things that their lady couldnt control by herself. A reminding was all they could do. If that boy could become the Nascent Soul cultivator, maybe there would be some possibilities between him and their lady. But it was just like a dream for someone to cultivate into the stage of the Nascent Soul in a place like Beihua State where too few cultivating sources could be found. They both sighed and decided to leave it aside, flying faster in their light shield. Shiao Chen travelled by his light shield and it only took him one hour to return again to that city of ordinary people. But he didnt want to get down this time, so he planned to fly over the city after hiding himself with a spell. Yet a quite familiar and aggressive divine sense flashed by just at that moment and locked him tightly. Shiao Chens face darkened all of a sudden and his trace was revealed as he retracted his light shield. Although he saw himself as capable of competing with the cultivator in the middle stage of the Foundation Establishment, he never thought he could escape from the locking of the divine sense of a Gold Core cultivator. A streak of black light came rapidly from the edge of the sky and it approached him immediately. Then the light vanished and Senior Brother Guan showed up with a sneering face. May I ask why you go and return, and now you are blocking my way? Shiao Chen cupped his hands and said slowly. Now his body was super tense as he would definitely fight if anything went wrong. Although he was facing a Gold Core cultivator, he would never wait for death without fighting back. Senior Brother Guan sneered coldly and shook his head slowly, Although I dont know why you can have such great spiritual power when youre still in the Qi Refining level, it makes no difference to me. It is so easy for me to kill you like I smash an ant. After the words, an overwhelming spiritual power soared to the sky, and everything changed drastically. Shiao Chen bore the full brunt of the attack and his face turned pale immediately as a string of blood went down along the corner of his lips. In this ordinary city, many ordinary people didnt have a spiritual root at all, yet they all could sense the tyrannical power up there in the sky. Everyone trembled and collapsed to the ground. Today, Im going to show you what is the difference between chalk and cheese. Senior Brother Guan raised his hand slowly, and layers of dark light started to roll over his arm, where an earthshaking spiritual pressure gradually came out. Kill! The roar coming out of his mouth echoed in the whole sky like a thunderbolt. Alongside the roar, a streak of giant and dark sword qi which was as big as thousands of meters suddenly gathered in the sky, and it went straight to Shiao Chen like crazy. Bang! Walls, houses, pedestrians, everything under this spiritual qi was torn apart immediately and not a single trace was left. Moreover, a thousand meters long gully with unknowing depth appeared on the earth like a twisting scar. The whole city became a hell as they had nothing to fight back while facing this kind of overwhelming sword qi. Shiao Chen was knocked backward and spit a large mouthful of blood. His clothes were torn apart immediately as his blood gushed out of his body, and his face went extremely pale all of a sudden. The sword qi just passed by him and got him severely injured only with the side wave of it. It is as easy as killing those ordinary people to kill you! The distance between you and me is like the distance between the sky and earth. You shall never cross it! How dare you even think about being with Yier when you only have such a mediocre aptitude! I will spare your life today. Now, give out Yiers identity jade and get lost! Senior Brother Guan was like the god from above unleashing supreme majesty. He threw a glimpse at Shiao Chen with his eyes half-closed and said coldly. Shiao Chen kept bleeding and slightly panted, yet his eyes were full of unwillingness to give in when he looked at Guan. It is only because your cultivation is way much higher than mine. You have a higher level of cultivation just because you started earlier than I do. I can return that identity jade to you, but you should remember that one day Im going to revenge for all the humiliation I suffered today from you! The unwillingness in his eyes was gradually concealed and interacted into his bones and flesh till they were inseparable. He took out the identity jade and threw it to Guan. Senior Brother Guan took the identity jade and sneered when he saw Shiao Chen bathed in blood, Alright, Ill give you a chance. Remember, my name is Guan Zhong, and I am the third disciple of the Great Elder in Purple Sky Sect. If you think you are capable of doing so, just come and find me in the Purple Sky Sect in the Beihua State! With that, Guang Zhong sneered and disappeared immediately in the sky with his light shield. Guan Zhong! Shiao Chen stared at him with his sharp eyes as if he was a wounded wolf. He murmured the name so many times as if he wanted to remember it hard. Shiao Chen took some pills as he spat blood out of his mouth again. Then he turned around and left immediately with his blood spreading all the way. Luoyun Valley. Head bowed, Shiao Chen walked fast with his gloomy face. Although he had already used his spiritual power to control the wound inside, the sword qi of Guan Zhong was quite weird that it stayed inside his body and kept causing damage as it wandered through the meridians. If he couldnt get rid of it thoroughly, his body might have been left with some hidden disease. Yet right at the moment, a group of people came along and circled four people. They smiled and tried so hard to please the four. Shiao Chen looked up and saw they were coming towards him. Knowing that he couldnt get away so he frowned and cupped his hands, Greetings, Senior Brothers, Senior Sisters. The four people surrounded by others were the four disciples of Alchemy Taoist C Duan Huaming, Li Yuedu, Liu Yueru, and Ji Yuewu. Senior Brother Duan, who is this? Just then, a tall and straight young man in beautiful clothes asked with a smile. Duan Huaming sneered before replying slightly, His name is Shiao Chen, the nominal disciple Master got one year ago. He is Shiao Chen! A piece of trash that only gets to the second level of Qi Refining, how dare he offend Senior Brother Duan! He must be looking for death! Exactly. Now Senior Brother Duan has acquired the eighth level of Qi Refining, so he is the most outstanding among the young generation in Luoyun Valley. After this Sect ceremony, maybe he would take the pill and become a cultivator of the Foundation Establishment. And this kid is no match to him at all. Heehee, after the Sect ceremony, Senior Brother Duan will teach him a lesson and it must be a fantastic show. We shall all remember to watch it! A group of outstanding disciples among the young generation in Luoyun Valley didnt hide their despise against Shiao Chen and they kept on mocking Shiao Chen. Hmm, we are all from the same sect, I wont embarrass him that much. As long as he is willing to kneel down in public at the Sect ceremony and apologize, I will let everything happened before pass, said Duan Huaming as he waved his hand and his eyes were filled with the sneering look when he looked at Shiao Chen. Senior Brother Duan is so generous! No wonder he is the eldest disciple of the Alchemy Taoist, he is absolutely the most outstanding one. How lucky is this kid. I would definitely beat him up if I were in this case. Hearing that, people kept pleasing Duan with flattering words. Shiao Chen frowned slightly and straightened up his body. He didnt really like Duan Huaming at all, so now he didnt need to care about saving the other party any dignity as he was acting so obviously to insult him. Senior Brother Duan, you dont need to show me any mercy. Whatever lesson youre going to teach me, I will take it all. Shiao Chen said it with his calm voice. Silence! Hearing that, all felt astonished and their eyes were filled with disbelief when they looked at Shiao Chen. Is this kid crazy? He is asking for it. The Alchemy Taoist has cultivated the Gold Core successfully and become the second Gold Core cultivator in our Luoyun Valley. This kid could get a better reputation as his disciple. But he is so blind that he provoked Senior Brother Duan, now he might face a terrible ending. Exactly. The kid will definitely get a big humiliation from Senior Brother Duan on the day of the Sect ceremony. He deserves it. As a loser that only gets to the second level of Qi Refining, how dare he speak boldly like that! People like him need to be educated. Although people never stopped sneering, there was one person who was blinking her beautiful eyes. Ji Yuewu thought as her beautiful eyes fixed at Shiao Chens face, Arent you going to hide it anymore? Thats good because Im curious as well. How deep have you been hiding all this year? Ji Yuewu, a cultivation talent that wouldnt be found for centuries in the Luoyun Valley. She progressed at a shockingly rapid speed this year. Junior Brother Shiao, Master has cultivated the Gold Core successfully, so both the Sect competition and alchemy test are put off to be held in a month on the Core Formation Ceremony of Master. Id advise you not to plan any closed-door cultivation so as to attend the ceremony on time. The real number one of the younger generation in Luoyun Valley just spoke, although she didnt have a loud voice, she was able to attract everybodys attention. After all, with her talents, Ji Yuewu might form the Gold Core within a century. And then she could become as important as the ancestor of Luoyun Valley, so they had to treat her with respect. Thank you for update, Senior Sister. Shiao Chen will attend the ceremony on time in a month. I would like to leave if we dont have anything else here, Shiao Chen looked at this lady and cupped his hands. Then he strode away. Everybody, I have something to do today, so I am leaving now. Ji Yuewu said it slightly, conjured her light shield without caring about the astonishment of others present, and disappeared immediately like a fairy in the cloud. Chapter 67 - Spiritual Root Snatching Since he was one of the best among the young generation attracting great attention, these people naturally knew that Senior Brother Duan Minghua was chasing Ji Yuewu, and it was said that the Chief Master allowed it as well. Yet Ji Yuewu seemed to be not interested at all as she didnt care about him. And the way she treated Shiao Chen was pretty much like a harsh slapping on Duan Huamings face. Hmm, I have some matter to deal with as well, so please allow me to excuse myself. Li Yuedu sneered secretly. The Chief Master had thought that Duan Huaming and Ji Yuewu could make a perfect match. Since he himself couldnt join the competition, he would love to see Duan losing face at the moment. After that, many people left for varied excuses and the way they looked at Duan Huaming showed quite some implication. Shiao Chen, on the day of the Sect ceremony, I will let you pay for what you did even if I will get the punishment! When everyone left, Duan Huamings face went dark immediately and a shade of cruelty flashed through his eyes. In the herbal garden of Elixir Valley. Shiao Chen sat with his legs crossed. His face turned purple as the spiritual power was circulating crazily inside his body. It gradually besieged the sword qi remained inside of him, suppressed it and wrapped it to squeeze it out. Puff! Suddenly, a string of dark light appeared at the fingertip of Shiao Chen, and it left a deep hole as big as a thumb the moment when it hit to the ground. Shiao Chen opened his eyes slowly as a piece of grey shade flashed across them. He sneered, What a malicious trick. Had I not forced the sword qi out of my body, my Dantian would be broken and I would be totally destroyed. Guan Zhong, for todays humiliation, I will visit Purple Sky Sect and make you pay it back in the future! Shiao Chen stood up abruptly and a great power suddenly burst out from his body and swept across the air. After a while, Shiao Chen calmed down and was lost in thoughts, Although Ive learned so much from this trip, I still havent found the method to foundation establishing. And this is the top priority for me now. Shiao Chen believed that, as long as he could establish the foundation, he could make it at least to the middle stage of the Foundation Establishment with his profound spiritual power. Also, with his overwhelming ability of alchemy, he would improve quickly on his cultivation as well. Right, Yu Ji is so mysterious and maybe she knows about this. Shiao Chen had a thought and dived into the sea of his consciousness with his divine sense, Are you there, my Taoist friend? After a while, Shiao Chen was still very patient and Yu Jis lazy and seductive voice spoke up, I was just napping. So, what do you want from me now, little brother? Shiao Chen looked quite serious as he didnt care about Yu Jis flirting at all. He hesitated slightly and said, I was wondering if you know any methods to let people with no spiritual root establish the foundation. No spiritual root? Yu Ji sounded quite confused, but on a second thought, raised her voice all of a sudden, The one with no spiritual root is you, right? No wonder, your cultivation has achieved the 15th, oh, no, the 16th level of the Qi Refining stage. I thought you still havent started to establish the foundation because you wanted that reward of the heaven. Never did I expect that you dont have a spiritual root! Yu Ji sounded very surprised. Little brother, can you tell me how you have cultivated to this level? And how come you have such pure power? Shiao Chen hesitated a bit before saying with a flat tone, I wont lie to you, my Taoist friend, I really dont have spiritual root and it was all because of Masters mercy that I could be his disciple. As for how I managed to achieve this level, I think you will realize in the future without my explanation. Yu Ji was now staying inside of Shiao Chens body, so even if he didnt tell her about the gold stamp, she would realize it in the future. Then Shiao Chen briefly told her how he had got the gold stamp and the overwhelming alchemy ability. There is such a treasure in this world. Shiao Chen, my Taoist friend, can you take it out to show me? Yu Ji sounded so surprised. Given that she had witnessed a lot, something overwhelming like the gold stamp was new to her that even her tone became quite serious. Shiao Chen laughed bitterly and shook his head, The gold stamp has integrated into my soul and even though I can feel its existence, I still cant activate it. So Im afraid I have to let you down, my Taoist friend. Although Yu Ji felt quite disappointed, she never felt any abnormality while living inside of Shiao Chens body, so she believed in that. Hee hee, I never thought you would have such a big luck. And I was worried that there might be no one in the mortal world that could help me refine the pill. Now I realized that maybe there is no better alchemist than you in this world. Yu Ji giggled with her soft, sweet and seductive voice. Shiao Chens heart skipped a beat but he calmed down right after a bitter smile as Yu Ji was really good at flirting. He immediately changed the topic and asked, Since you already knew my problem, is there a chance for me to establish the foundation successfully? Yu Ji stopped for a while and spoke up again slowly, A man with no spiritual root can cultivate with the power of pills and other spiritual objects, but he can never reach the Foundation Establishment level! Hearing that, Shiao Chens face suddenly darkened. So his cultivation had to stop here? How could he accept that? The spiritual root is just like a seed, and a cultivators meditation for gathering the spiritual power is like accumulating the nutrition. When it reaches a limit, the spiritual root could evolve under the nurturing of this kind of nutrition and subsequently improve a cultivators level. But if you dont have a spiritual root, no matter how much you accumulate, there will never be any change to that seed. Yu Jis voice sounded like she was recalling and that made Shiao Chen look even more grave. So there is no other option? Shiao Chen kept asking. Other option? Yu Ji was struck hearing that, and she spoke up after almost a quarter when Shiao Chen was about to ask her again, There are millions of cultivators in the history, and there are always some masters who create their own way of cultivation. If you want to establish the foundation without a spiritual root, then there is a way. Thousands of years ago, some Demonist master created it, and it was called Spiritual Root Snatching. If you can find someone who has the same root and shares the same bloodline as you, and he has got a spiritual root inside, you can set a formation under my instruction to absorb all his vitality, blood, and flesh. Therefore, you might have 80% to acquire the spiritual root of him. With the spiritual root and your cultivation, its just a piece of cake for you to establish the foundation. Same root and blood, absorbing all his vitality, blood and flesh. Shiao Chen was stunned for a bit and shook his head slowly. He was the only child of his family and had no siblings at all. But even if he had, he would never have done such an unethical thing. Chapter 69 - The Bead and The Demon Bone After one day, Shiao Chen opened his eyes and a shining light shot out, and then his eyes went back to normal. Feeling a strong spiritual power flowing inside himself, Shiao Chen nodded with satisfaction. The mediation not only replenished his blood essence but also purified his spiritual power with the help of the elixir left in his body. When Shiao Chen just opened his eyes, the voice of Yu Ji was already ringing in his heart, Hurry up! Im starting to feel curious. Shiao Chen nodded slightly and took out something out of his pocket. It was the bead he got from Xuan Zhen with holes on both sides. This bead was very plain yet emitted a cool and refreshing sense when he held it in his hand. As he had learned a lesson from that time when he tried to cultivate the high-level Dantian Treasure, Shiao Chen bit the tip of his tongue and spit a mouthful of blood on the bead. Then his formerly rosy face turned pale again. The blood dropped to the bead and was not absorbed immediately. Instead, it covered the bead and wreathed on it continuously. Under the blood, the formerly plain-looking bead looked very strange and evil. Yet fortunately, while Shiao Chen was constantly throwing blood refining spells, the blood slowly merged into it. The bead gradually became as soft as jade and strings of pure Buddha power came out of it as well. In Sanskrit chanting and light of Buddha, it was like there were millions of shades of Buddha rolling and reciting the Sutra with their solemn faces. Looking at the bead, Shiao Chen slowly calmed down and cleared up all of his thoughts. Hmm! Just like what I expected, this bead is absolutely unusual! Although speaking with a calm voice, Yu Ji sounded a bit surprising. What do you mean, my cultivator friend? Are there any secrets in this treasure? Yu Ji went silent for a bit and said, If my feelings are right, the bead must be something really important to me. And if I absorb it, the wound in my soul can be relieved slightly. Shiao Chen was stunned and nodded afterwards. Yu Ji once saved his life, and since this bead was a benefit for her, Shiao Chen should refine it and give it to her no matter what. The Blood Refining Scripture could be seen as the key to advanced magic weapon refining. It took blood essence as guidance, plus the catalyst of secret methods, to refine magic weapon thoroughly at a very fast speed, so that the weapon would be connected to the mind of its owner and therefore easier to use. The blood refining was very easy, but there were 9,999 spell changes. According to the book, with blood refining, one could refine any kind of magic weapon beneath Spirit Treasures. But with Shiao Chens cultivation at the moment, he could probably only make 200 changes maximum. As spells were thrown out, Shiao Chen was getting more and more serious. He only used 179 spells to refine the last advanced magic weapon, but now the bead still had no reactions after he threw more than 150 spells on it. If it continues, his spiritual power and sense would be exhausted within a short period of time. No worries. Since I told you to keep going, I have confidence that you can do it. Just relax. Maybe she sensed the uncertainty of Shiao Chen, Yu Ji said calmly. Shiao Chen was quite relieved and moved even faster. Although the spells were extremely complicated, he didnt made even one single mistake. After the 197th spell was thrown out, the calm bead suddenly changed drastically. Among the thick Buddha light, strings of dark demonic Qi emerged and the whole bead changed from its soft jade look into darkness all of a sudden. Then the Buddha power evaporated as demonic Qi came out of it, which was extremely pure. Spell 198, Shiao Chens eyes went dark for a bit and the spiritual power from his Dantian was exhausted already, and there was only very little of it left inside his meridians. The demonic Qi was stronger above the bead and a roar was coming out of the rolling air. Spell 199, Shiao Chen had used up all of his spiritual power and now his face went completely pale all of a sudden. Since his spiritual power had all vanished, the bead changed totally as well. It was stretched from a globe into a dark bone which was three inches long and one inch wide, and it was just like the bone of a finger. A string of extremely violent demonic Qi burst out of it as more roars were coming out. Shiao Chens eyes went dark and he felt weak inside of his body, yet the bead was still not refined. Only one last spell left to finish the blood refining. Shiao Chens eyes were full of craziness as his fist pounded his chest like a drum, and a stream of blood was forced out of his body. My blood shall be the last spell, refine it! Shiao Chen breathed heavily as his face was full of pain. Yet his hands were still flowing like the wind, almost detached from reality. That surge of blood was split into 7 stream under the guidance of the spell and fell on that finger bone and was absorbed immediately. Vroom! The last spell fell down and the dark finger bone trembled all of a sudden. The demonic Qi on it was absorbed immediately and the whole bone was dark and matte as if a black jade absorbing all the lights. Yu Ji, fellow cultivator. I have finished the blood refining of this object. Please take a good look at it and see if this is what you need. Shiao Chen asked with an effort. His breathe was messy and his face looked a bit blue. Yu Ji paused for a bit and said again, It is exactly what I needed. Hearing that, Shiao Chens pale face showed a little smile and he said weakly, Thats good. I need to cultivate for a long while and you can just take it. Shiao Chen took some spirit-nourishing pills he prepared to cope with the current situation. The pills turned into strings of pure spiritual power and went into his vessels. Shiao Chens breathing calmed down, though his face still looked horrible. After all, he had lost a lot of blood essence which could not be replenished within a short time. Yu Ji showed up beside Shiao Chen with her illusionary shadow as she took the dark finger bone and looked at the young man who was sitting there with his legs crossed. Her eyes were filled with some kind of complicated feelings and she giggled and talked to herself after a while, A cruel mind, and yet a warm heart. Hehee it seems that you are not a bad choice. Maybe I can really use your power Her voice went low slowly and her shadow was getting more and more transparent and then finally dissipated. Five days in a row, Shiao Chen kept taking the pills and meditated. His exhausted spiritual power and divine sense gradually came back and got even stronger than before. One day, the young man who was sitting on the futon suddenly opened his closed eyes and two strings of light flashed and disappeared. However, those dark eyes looked deeper and darker now. Exhaling a murky breath, Shiao Chen smiled bitterly. His power was still too weak. Refining one magic weapon was all it took to mess him up. Chapter 70 - Drastic Changes Ho ho, Shiao Chen my brother, youre awake. You must have suffered a lot while refining that devil skeleton for me this time. Yu Ji giggled inside of him, but this time she sounded more sincere. Shiao Chen was taken aback but he couldnt help but smile slightly as he could feel her care about him, saying, My Taoist friend, you treat me so sincerely and I would definitely repay your kindness as much as I can. Then why are you still calling me your Taoist friend? That sounds so distant. I always call you Shiao Chen my little brother, so you have to call me your sister from now on. Or I wont let you go! Yu Ji suddenly acted so intimately and that confused Shiao Chen. Yet he couldnt refuse and said yes with a bitter smile. Alright, I will. Are you happy now, sister? Shiao Chen said in a resigned tone. Hehee, good boy. Since you call me sister, I will never let you down Hmmm, but I dont really have any gifts now, so I will give you one later. Yu Ji sounded a little bit embarrassed. Shiao Chen smiled slightly and said, You dont have to be so serious, sister. It is definitely destiny that we met, so why should we be so attached to those objects. All that matters is the relationship, right? Youre right, my little brother. I was stuck in the past. Yu Ji felt more satisfied with her little brother Shiao Chen, But I can still help you in some way. The skeleton you collected in the sealed land was a fantastic magic weapon of the Ghost Taoism back in ancient times. Yet the old woman didnt know how to use it so she just left it to the dust. Now I will teach you how to use it and if you can put it into good use, it will help you a lot. After that, Shiao Chen felt that there were words written in his soul. When he took a closer look at it, he realized that it was methods of mastering, refining and controlling the skeleton. This skeleton was a famous and horrible magic weapon of the Ghost Taoism back in ancient times, and it was called the Asura Skeleton. It was cultivated by cultivators skeleton and many other magic weapons of the Ghost Taoism. It aims to attack souls and magic weapons. The skeletons power would increase and evolve by the killing, so it could be really powerful in its later stage. Shiao Chen was very glad. With this magic weapon, he could deal a lot of damage if he caught his enemy by surprise. Half a month passed by very fast. After refining the magic weapon, Shiao Chen continued to take pills and meditate. He also concocted pills during this time and made a lot of pills from magic herbs. After all, he could finally save his own life on this trip owing greatly to those pills. One day, Shiao Chen opened eyes slowly while sitting on that futon, and a string of green light flashed through his eyes as he spat out a dirty breath. He had already recovered to his best condition and both his spiritual power and spiritual sense had become purer. Its already been half a month and I have to attend the Core Formation Ceremony of the Lord. My current cultivation is almost same as later stages of the Foundation Establishment, so maybe the Chief Master and the master wont notice. Shiao Chen felt a bit relieved. Also, he was quite confident about the method of Soul Muddling Scripture on how to control his Qi. Those spiritual herbs in the valley had grown very well as he left the garden. Shiao Chen nodded with satisfaction and opened the valleys seal. He headed for the hall in the major peak of the sect. The level of cultivation of the Beihua State was very low, so Gold Core stage could be considered a top achievement. Therefore, since the Alchemy Taoist from the Luoyun Valley had successfully refined his Core, the power of the whole Luoyun Valley improved. Now it was obvious that it held the Core Formation Ceremony to show all of the Taoist cultivators its power. Two Gold Cores in one sect -this level of power was indeed outstanding in the Beihua State. The scope of interests and influence among those sects should definitely be reshaped. All of those invited sects were quite serious about it, so they brought their most outstanding members to the ceremony. At that time, the whole cultivation world in the Beihua State started to move. Meanwhile, 300 miles away from the south of Luoyun Valley, there was a group of people standing against the wind on the back of a peculiar blue snake, almost ten feet long with a pair of wings on its back. Senior brother, since the Alchemy Taoist has refined his Core, Luoyun Valleys power has increased a lot. Im afraid the spiritual mine in the Fengling Mountain will be taken away by them. There were two elders standing in the front, and the one with scarlet hair and beard said in distress. Junior brother, you dont have to be like this. We always respect the strongest power in our cultivation world. Since the Luoyun Valley has got this power, it deserves more cultivation resources. You and I have been cultivating for almost 200 years, how come you still cant see it? How can you refine the Gold Core successfully like this? The ruddy old man standing next to him in a gown was the master of another famous sect in the Beihua State, Xuanqing Taoist. You are right, my senior brother. I will follow your instructions. The old man with scarlet hair blushed a bit and then bowed. Xuanqing Taoist sighed in his heart as he knew that his junior brother had a good spiritual root, and his cultivation had already achieved the Fake Core stage. Yet he had never reached a pure mind so he failed to refine his core. Or he wouldnt have been beaten by Luoyun Valley and lost that spiritual mine they just found. There was a giant centipede flying from 600 miles away from the southwest, and it was more than 20 feet long with thousands of feet on its body and a strong odor seeped from its mouth. Its spiritual pressure was equal to the later stage of Foundation Establishment, which meant that it was a supreme second level monster. There were more than 10 people sitting on that monster with their legs crossed, and on the front was a gloomy old man in black. Now the Luoyun Valley has got another Gold Core, its power has increased greatly. We shall not disgrace our Black Evil Sect. This thousand-feet centipede is extremely poisonous with a giant body and enormous strength, and it can fight Gold Core cultivators. We could use it to prevent Luoyun Valley from extorting us with excessive requests. Thousands of miles away from the north, three giant ugly toads were flying in the cloud, two big and one small. They occasionally groaned, which sounded like a thunderbolt. Above the three toads, more than 10 people sat with their legs crossed on each toad, and they were all led by three old people sitting in the front. The three of them were all in black and looked all the same because they were triplets. The sect leader is the chief master. This time, only the three of us were sent with people. I wonder if Luoyun Valley will pick on us. The three of them each spoke in turn as if they were doing it for a long time. If the chief master wins, we follow the original plan. But if there is an accident, we step back and never mention the sect competition. Absolutely. The three looked at each other and cast a spell at the same time. And the giant toads under them roared altogether as they flew even faster. Only a few moments later, they disappeared into the sky. Luoyun Valley, Immortal-welcoming Arena. A huge bluestone hundreds of cubic meters big was floating in the air, glittering. It impressed people with a great pressure that you might feel awe-struck just seeing it. Outstanding members of the Luoyun Valley were in charge of welcoming people from each sect. And among them were even some masters in the Foundation Establishment stage. Chief Master of the Xiaoshan Sect, present Chief Master of the Mingyue Sect, present! Chief Master of the Houtu Sect, present! There were strings of spiritual lights shining from time to time, and a Luoyun Valley member would go up to check their identities. Then he would report it so that someone would be sent out to receive them according to their status. At that moment, there was a flying snake descending rapidly far from the sky. It had two wings on and was 10 feet long. Although it didnt come that close, the looming power and pressure were strong enough to make everyone panic. On the Immortal-welcoming Arena, many masters in Foundation Establishment of Luoyun Valley became quite alarmed and went up with their light shields. Which Taoist friend is coming? I, Chiwei from the Luoyun Valley, welcome you with my three junior brothers. That flying snake was so fast that it came to the four in a moment. Then it stopped immediately and opened its big mouth to scream. Suddenly, a dreadful breath chilled Chiwei and the others all at the same time. Ho ho, this monster has got a bad temper. It gets grumpy when it serves as my vehicle. Please forgive it for its rudeness. At the moment, a gentle voice came from the flying snake and Xuanqing Taoist, the chief master of the Earth Spirit Sect showed up in front of them with his spiritual shield. There were also many shadows following him at a fast speed. They were all quite young but with strong power, so they were definitely outstanding members of their sect. Greetings to Xuanqing. Our chief master is now helping our Uncle Master consolidate his cultivation, so he couldnt greet you, please forgive him. Everyone, this way please. Chiwei said modestly. Although the Luoyun Valley had got two Gold Cores now, Xuanqing was still in the Gold Core stage, so he dared not act disrespectfully. Alright, but the flying snake is really grumpy, so you should be careful when taking care of it and dont get hurt. Xuanqing nodded with a smile as if he didnt care about it at all. Yet he didnt believe in the consolidation of cultivation, because it had been almost 10 days after the Alchemy Taoist reached the Gold Core stage and his cultivation would have already been consolidated. At the moment, there was an upheaval in the southwest of it and bursts of ferocious air were rolling. So far, most of the small sects were here, then it must be a big sect in the Beihua State showing up right now. There were again many shield lights that darted away from the Immortal-welcoming Arena and went directly to those people. I am the master Moli from the Luoyun Valley. Which Taoist friend is paying a visit? Molis cultivation had achieved later stage of Foundation Establishment and he was not even 100 years old, so he still have a chance to reach Gold Core. Aside from the chief master and the Alchemy Taoist, he was pretty much the top in the Luoyun Valley. But he could feel something threatening from this giant centipede which was more than 20 feet long with thousands of feet. Obviously, this monster was as powerful as he. The Black Devil Sect sends our greetings! On the head of the centipede, the old man in black opened his eyes and said. It is you, master Mingsha. Our chief master and senior uncle Alchemy Taoist are still in seclusion, please forgive us for greeting you. Moli was surprised. This Mingsha Taoists cultivation had already reached middle stage of Gold Core and he was very peculiar and moody, so he didnt dare show any disrespect. Chapter 71 - Sects Gathered Together It doesnt matter. Ming Sha waved his hand, eyes falling on the cultivators from Earth Spirit Sect, then he saluted to Xuanqing Taoist and said, Xuanqing, my friend, we havent seen each other for a long time, and youve made such a big breakthrough on your cultivation again! Congratulations! Ming Sha said congratulations, but his face was dark and expressionless, his voice cold without joy. Xuanqing Taoist was not angry at all, but returned a salute, smiling, Let me see. The last time we met was 20 years ago. It was really a long time no see but youre still handsome as ever, and with an even better cultivation. Ming Sha did not say anything except a humph. Xuanqing stroked his beard and smiled, Since we have met today, lets go inside together and we can share our practices. Ok. Ming Sha thought for a while, then nodded afterwards. But the moment they were about to leave, they raised their heads at the same time, and their eyes, like lightning, shot across to the northern sky. Ha, it seems that new friends have come over. Lets wait for a while, talk about the old days and go to the residence later. Feeling some presence of new Taoists, Xuanqing Taoist said, his eyes flickered. Ming Sha was expressionless. He said nothing and stayed still, which could be counted as an acquiescence to what Xuanqing said. At the moment, three huge black shadows rolled near across the sky, which belonged three huge toads -one big and two small. Each toad had black and blue skin, whose back was filled with pustules several feet in size. They were different colors -red, orange, yellow and green. It was obvious that the toad was highly toxic. Meanwhile, on the top of the pustules were full of cultivators, sitting cross-legged. At the head of each toad, three brothers rose up to their feet and said respectfully, Xuanwujiu from Flaming Sect came with disciples. My honored predecessor Xuanqing. My honored predecessor Ming Sha. They said in turns. Welcome! But why didnt Master Tian Ji come personally? Xuanqing said, frowning. Long before they came, he had scanned with divine sense, and realized that only the three Xuan brothers came, and that the chief master of Flaming Sect did not come in person. The three brothers had the same mother and cultivated the same magic arts and their cultivation had all reached late stage of Foundation Establishment. They were telepathic and compatible in magic power. It was possible for them to fight Gold Core cultivators together, but now, it was not enough to represent the Flaming Sect to attend Alchemy Taoists Core Formation Ceremony. Flaming Sect and Luoyun Valley had been at odds since long time ago, and now it coincided with the centennial Sect Tournament. Is this a compromise from the Flaming Sect? Thinking about it, Xuanqing felt puzzled. But Ming Sha was poker-faced. Nobody knew what was on his mind. The master was in seclusion for further cultivation. He couldnt come in person. So he entrusted us to apologize to Alchemy Taoist. They explained succinctly. Well, if it is so, the Chief Master of Qingyun Taoist and Alchemy Taoist will not certainly blame you. Since you are here, come with us to our dwelling. We rarely visit each other, and it is a chance for us to have a good chat this time. Xuanqing Taoist said. Barring the Flaming Sect, Earth Spirit Sect and Black Evil Sect had had a good relationship with Luoyun Valley. However, now there were two Gold Cores in Luoyun Valley, it has become even more powerful. The three sects had to join together to counterbalance the Luoyun Valley. Though it was still hard to avoid Luoyun Valley attaining a dominant place in Beihua State, at least it would remind them to not go too far. Ming Sha nodded slightly at these words, as if something had occurred to him. The three Xuan brothers agreed to what he said immediately, with a flash of joy in their eyes. After all, everything went on well and nobody made things difficulties for them. Following several cultivators ofLuoyun Valley, nearly a hundred people from the three sects went straight down the welcome area of Luoyun Valley. There was uneasiness in Mo Lis eyes when all of them left. He gave a few orders, and then hurried away with some Foundation Establishment cultivators. At the moment, all cultivators from sects of Beihua State had already come, the remaining small fish from other sects could be handled by his disciples. Somewhere in a secret chamber in the back of Luoyun Valley. Mo Li stood in the room with his hands down, looking very respectful, and giving a complete account of what had just happened in Immortal-welcoming Arena. Chief Master, Alchemy Master, we should make some preparations. If the three sects unite with each other, it will be unfavorable to us. Mo Li buried his head in his folded hands in front, but in his eyes, there was a flash of envy. The Alchemy Taoist was originally famous for alchemy, and for that his status in the Sect was high, but he was the same generation as Mo Li. Yet, Alchemy Taoist had already been a man of noble status for his core formation, but Mo Li still stayed in late stage of Foundation Establishment. It was unavoidable that he thought things were unfair. My disciple brother, what do you think of this matter? the Chief Master of Luoyun Valley was an old man who seemed to be in his seventies but was hale and hearty. He was called Qingyun Taoist, and his cultivation had reached the peak state of middle stage of Gold Core. But he was over 400 years old and had no hope of getting to the Nascent Soul, so he devoted all his energy to the development and growth of the sect. Now his eyes flickered. He smiled and asked Alchemy Taoist who was sitting cross-legged on the futon. There are two Gold Core cultivator in Luoyun Valley, and were more powerful than them. Well have all the benefit we deserve to have. What they did was merely to show us an attitude. Just ignore it. After Alchemy Taoist reached the Gold Core, he looked a little younger from head to foot, and his gray hair also turned black. At the moment, he looked like a man in his fifties. Haha, you are right. In the Cultivation World, we respect power. Luoyun Valley is more powerful than them, so its natural for us to obtain more cultivation resource, which Xuanqing Taoist and Ming Sha both understand. waving his hands, Qingyun Taoist said with a smile, but then he frowned and continued, This time, Tianji Taoist didnt come. He has always been a cautious man and would not have made such a mistake. Is there anything wrong? Youre right. There is something strange about it. Alchemy Taoist also wondered, but he shook his head and said, Tomorrow is the great day of Core Formation Ceremony, and even if they have any tricks, well not be afraid because we will both be there. Well, youre right, my brother. Qingyun Taoist relaxed, then waved Mo Li off and said, Mo Li, you step aside now. Ignore the three sects, and just let them be. Ok, Chief Master. Mo Li slightly bowed his head with hesitation, then he said, Chief Master, it has been half a year since my grandson Mo Cheng was murdered. I wonder if theres any clue? Thinking of his grandson, Mo Li felt his heart aching. He recalled what happened before. One day he returned to the mundane world, and to his astonishment he discovered that one of his descendants was a boy with spiritual root and had a good aptitude. He was so overjoyed that he took the boy to Luoyun Valley, and taught him by himself. The boy did not let him down, and reached the seventh level of Qi Refining in merely three years time, which made Mo Li, who had been in his senior years, overjoyed and ready to help the boy cultivate with all his strength. there was no doubt that the boy would be Mos heir. However, six months ago, Mo Li had a sudden sensation that the spell restriction he placed in Mo Chengs body had been broken by someone, and the Identity Jade was also broken, which was an omen of Chengs death. Chapter 72 - Beast Poison Pill He rushed to the crime scene following the restriction spell and found nothing but the body of Mo Cheng. The fact that a sect member getting killed inside the sect was indeed an earthquake in the Luoyun Valley. After all, murdering and looting within the sect happened only in the dark and never got revealed before. Qingyun Taoist who was guarding the Alchemy Taoist showed up furiously and insisted on investigating it until the murderer was found. Yet it had already been half a year and there was still no information, so Mo Li was a bit anxious. Qingyun Taoists face turned gloomy. He stopped for a second and comforted him, The murderer must be very cunning because he didnt leave any traces. But you dont need to worry as I will keep it in mind and inform you as soon as there is a clue. Mo Li was upset but he dared not express it, so he bowed and left. Disciple rother, Mo Cheng got murdered first and then Chu Kuang, Wu Wanli, Di Qiu, and Di Shuai disappeared one by one. We dont even know if they are still alive or not. Do you think it might be the Flaming Sect? Qingyun Taoists face turned dark as he was indeed furious that many of his disciples had disappeared. As far as I am concerned, this is just so peculiar and it shouldnt be the Flaming Sect. the Alchemy Taoist hesitated for a bit and then shook his head slowly, After all, the Di brothers and Wu Wanli are all strong cultivators, and they are all above 30 years old, so they are not going to the Sect Tournament so it is unnecessary to kill them. But of course, there is also a possibility that they did it on purpose to confuse us. Qingyun Taoist thought for a while and waved his hand, Anyway, now that you and I are guarding the Luoyun Valley, I am dont think theres any meaning left in the tournament. And what matters most currently is the ceremony tomorrow. Lets deal with the other issues after that. You are absolutely right, Disciple brother. The two looked at each other and then closed their eyes to meditate. Disciple brother Duan, all the other sects came here with their monsters, and most of those monsters are extremely poisonous and dangerous. Non-sect disciples might not be able to deal with them, so could you please send out a disciple brother to help us? Liu Tao had finally reached the 7th level of Qi Refining, was accepted by a sect master as his true disciple. But he had always been in charge of non-sect business, he continued to take this responsibility as there was no other choice. At the moment, most people from all sects had been accommodated properly, but those monsters they brought were still big trouble, especially that flying snake from the Earth Spirit Sect, the thousand-feet centipede from the Black Evil Sect and the three giant toads from the Flaming Sect. Ordinary non-sect disciples were intimidated by their ferocity, fainting without even getting closer. Even he himself could only look at them from far away, not to mention taking care of them. But if they failed to take good care of those monsters, it would have been disrespectful to all sects. So he forced himself to come even though it was uncomfortable. It was obvious why he came to Duan Huaming. His master was now one of the two Gold Core cultivators in the Luoyun Valley, that his reputation had risen to the top of the Luoyun Valley. After all those masters in Foundation Establishment stage had gone, he was the highest ranking disciple. Duan Huaming frowned because this was indeed troublesome. He looked around and the people he noticed suddenly panicked and took a few steps back. Non-sect disciples always took care of those monsters, so it would be shameful for sect disciples to do it, plus these things were extreme dangerous. Thats why no one wanted to take this job as it only led to nothing but pain. Disciple brother Duan, here comes the kid. Why dont you just let him do this job? At that moment, a disciple wearing a colorful gown who was standing next to Duan Huaming smiled and said. Following his eyes, Duan Huaming smiled immediately and said coldly, Shiao Chen, over here. Shiao Chen just arrived at the Immortal-welcoming Arena, and frowned when he heard Duan. Still he walked to him and said, How can I help you, disciple brother Duan? Duan Huaming sneered, and said with a smile, The non-sect disciples just reported that those monsters that came with all the sect members are too hard to take care of. Please follow him and deal with it. Dont make any mistakes. Hearing that, Shiao Chen said with a poker face, Its the responsibility of the non-sect disciples to take care of those spiritual beasts, why should I do it? While Shiao Chen was on his way, he could sense the ferocity of those monsters and he knew it was not a job he would like to take. Now that all the masters are gone, I am in charge of everything as the oldest disciple, are you disobeying my order? Duan Huamings face suddenly turned dark, and if Shiao Chen talked back, he could embarrass him. After all, Shiao Chen was in the wrong by disobeying his order, so he didnt need to worry about any punishment. Shiao Chens eyes were frozen as a cold light shone in his eyes. Yet suddenly he looked surprised and confused for a while, then nodded, Alright, I will do it. Then he left with Liu Tao. This man is just a coward. He dares not to offend you. Exactly. If he had offended disciple brother Duan, he wont escape severe punishment. Well, he is wise this time. But even if he got away with it this time, he would never escape humiliation by disciple brother Duan in front of all the sect disciples in Beihua State. Haha, that would be a great show. We shall pay close attention to it. Standing among them, Duan Huaming felt really good and looked at Shiao Chen with some satisfaction. How dare Shiao think of fighting him, does he want to die? And those monsters were usually very poisonous, and if this kid got killed by their poison, it would be even better. Why did you tell me to say yes to that job, sister? Is there a reason? Shiao Chen walked at a very fast pace and Liu Tao followed him carefully, tried to speak many times but was stopped by Shiaos cold face. Shiao Chen my little brother, there is definitely a reason when I told you to take that job. When I started to live inside of you I promised that I will repay you, and today I got the chance so I will instruct you to get a treasure. Yu Jis seductive laughter echoed in his heart. Shiao Chen was moved as it must be really an unusual treasure for Yu Ji to notice, so he asked immediately, What treasure are you talking about? Does it have something to do with those monsters? You are really very smart, my little brother. The treasure I want you to get is indeed related to those monsters. Yu Ji giggled, but she didnt explain what it was. Shiao Chen asked quickly, Then what is it? Please tell me now. No hurry, little brother. I will tell you when its the right time. And read the spell Im about to show you, you will understand. After that, Shiao Chen felt that his soul moved a bit and a spell appeared. Shiao Chen took a closer look and gasped, but he suppressed his excitement with an effort. The Beast Poison Pill! Refined with monster essence, blood, and poison for 7 days in a secret method, this pill was extremely toxic. The more kinds of monsters there were, the more toxic this pill would be. And once it reached a certain level, even a Gold Core cultivator would need to work really hard to recover from this poison. With his current cultivation plus two magic weapons, even though he couldnt reach Foundation Establishment, there would be no threats from anyone below the Gold Core stage. And even if one completed Foundation Establishment and reached the Fake Core stage, Shiao Chen still had confidence to kill him. But if it was a Gold Core cultivator, he could do nothing but die. Therefore, refining the Beast Poison Pill was no different than getting a trump card as he could maybe survive if he fought a Gold Core cultivator. After reading the secret method of refining the Beast Poison Pill many times, Shiao Chen couldnt hide his smile anymore. It seemed that those monsters were a present for him. Behind Shiao Chen, Liu Tao tried immediately to please him as he saw his face getting brighter, How are you doing lately, disciple brother Shiao Chen? I have been focusing on my cultivation lately, and if I offended you before, please forgive me. Right now, Liu Tao was full of regrets. Ever since the Alchemy Taoist had successfully refined Gold Core and became the second Gold Core cultivator in the Luoyun Valley, his reputation had increased to the same level as the chief master of the sect. Same for the disciples of him, even though they had not risen in rank, ordinary sect masters treated them as peers and dared not take advantage of them with their seniority. Although Shiao Chen didnt have a spiritual root, he was still a nominal disciple of Alchemy Taoist, so his identity and status were indeed way higher than a small disciple like him. If he were at odds Shiao Chen, Shiao could easily come up with an excuse and give him a hard time. Especially this monster-caring thing, if Shiao made some mistakes and didnt take good care of them, Shiao could just put all the responsibilities on Liu Tao without any chances to explain. Shiao Chen stood still as he knew Liu Tao well. He was just a fence-sitter who fawned on those in power. He didnt want to deal with this person because his priority at the moment was collecting what he needed for the Beast Poison Pill. Yet he came up with an idea and said, I wont dwell to what happened before, but you are now a non-sect manager, so I have a favor to ask of you, disciple brother. Liu Tao was relieved hearing Shiao Chen calling him disciple brother, and he clapped his chest with fawning looks all over his face, saying, Just tell me what you want. I will do whatever I can for you. There should be a person named Wang Bin in your sect, and he used to cultivate in the Spirit Herb Valley. We used to be close, so please take care of him. Shiao Chen had been feeling guilty about Wang Bin, and he would definitely call him back if he got the opportunity in the future. Most of the cultivators had extraordinary memories, so it only took Liu Tao a short while to recall who Wang Bin was. And he had made up his mind to give Wang Bin the easiest job. It would be even better if he could befriend Wang Bin. No worries, I got this. Chapter 73 - Getting the Poison, Greeting the Gold Core Shiao Chen nodded in satisfaction. People like Liu Tao were indeed flatters, but as long as you act tougher than them, they would basically do whatever was told. In that case, I think we should leave now before those monsters cause any troubles. Shiao Chen said quietly and both of them accelerated to the Spirit Beasts Pavilion with their light shields. Finally! You are back, disciple brother Liu. These monsters are too powerful and the worst are top of the first level, so we dare not get closer to arrange their accommodation. And those disciples from other sects just left those monsters here and left, how are we supposed to deal with them? The speaker looked slow. It seemed like he felt wronged while he was shouting. After that, he noticed Shiao Chen who was standing next to Liu Tao, and then asked curiously, Disciple brother Liu, who is this? Liu Tao took a look at Shiao Chen carefully and found that he was calm, so he was relieved and scolded the person immediately, Yang Cheng, this is the disciple of our chief master, the Alchemy Taoist, Shiao Chen. And he came all the way here just to help us with those monsters. You must behave! Although Yang Cheng was just a non-sect disciple, he was born close to those monsters, and he managed the Spirit Beasts Pavilion of the whole sect. Therefore, he had always been quite arrogant and barely showed any respect to Liu Tao. But now he felt a bit of shivering deep down. The Alchemy Taoist was a powerful Gold Core cultivator, he must be asking for death to offend his disciple. Greetings to disciple brother Shiao. If I have offended you, please do forgive me with your great generosity. Nevermind. Shiao Chen waved his hand with a calm face as he didnt want to waste his time on him. The only thing on his mind was the bunch of monsters. Shiao Chens divine sense swept the Spirit Beasts Pavilion and he became quite delighted secretly. Since all the sects came here to attend the Core Formation Ceremony of the Alchemy Taoist, they didnt want to bring shame to their sect. So those powerful sects brought their most powerful monsters to show their abilities. Among all monsters, the poisonous beasts were the strongest, so most of the monsters that came were extremely toxic. And there were more than 100 of them, roughly estimated. There are more than 100 kinds of poison for the Beasty Poison Pill, so if it was refined successfully, it would be a real threat even to Gold Core cultivators. Shiao Chens eyes blinked and asked, These monsters are really aggressive, and there might be death and injury if we make a mistake. You can take those non-sect disciples and leave now, I will handle it along from here on. Well Liu Tao was quite reluctant, as those monsters were all super powerful and violent. He could never atone for his misdeeds if Shiao Chen got hurt accidentally. Yang Chen was very surprised as well. Having dealt with every kind of monsters, he knew exactly how difficult it was to get along with them. Of course he didnt have any confidence that Shiao Chen could himself handle more than 100 of those monsters. Shiao Chen frowned and pretended to be upset, and said coldly, I am fully responsible for this, and even if something happened, you two shall not be punished. Is there anything that you are still worried about? No, no. If Senior Brother Shiao is confident, we will definitely obey. We will leave now, but in case you need anything, just call us any time. We will guard you in the outside all the time. Liu Tao hesitated for a moment and nodded immediately in agreement. Still, in case of emergency, he decided to stay outside the gate. After all, if something happened to Shiao Chen, he would never escape punishment. Shiao Chen nodded with his poker face and waved them off. Liu Tao and Yang Cheng looked at each other and left the pavilion with other non-sect disciples, despite worrying about Shiao. When all the people had left, Shiao Chen stood still with his poker face while his divine sense came out to sweep the whole Spirit Beasts Pavilion. And when he realized that there was nothing peculiar, he nodded in satisfaction. After a brief moment, Shiao Chen took out a few talismans, infused his spiritual power into them and set up a restriction to prevent the spiritual power from leaking out and other peoples divine senses from sneaking in. After all that was done, he relaxed. One day later, Shiao Chen walked out of the Spirit Beasts Pavilion at a slow pace. He couldnt hide his smile thinking of the three jade bottles full of monster venom inside his bag. Greetings to disciple brother Shiao Chen. Outside the Spirit Beasts Pavilion, Liu Tao and Yang Cheng looked at each other and bowed to Shiao Chen more sincerely than before. It was absolutely impressive to them that Shiao Chen handled those monsters very well only on his own. I have already accommodated those monsters to their own stalls. You can take some disciples with you later to bring some food to them. Shiao Chen waved his hand and said. Yes, disciple brother. Alright. Shiao Chen nodded and left for the hall in the main peak with his light shield. Today was the Core Formation Ceremony of the Alchemy Taoist, Shiao Chen cannot miss it as his nominal disciple. Today was the busiest day of the Luoyun Valley ever since their founder masters death. More than 100 sects of the Beihua State came here to celebrate, and no sect had ever enjoyed this kind of honor before. There were two Gold Core masters now guarding the sect, so every disciple in the Luoyun Valley was very proud of it that they were all bubbling with excitement. In the hall of the main peak, the floor was covered with delicately carved jade, shining brightly under the light of the giant night pearls on top. On the walls, strings of obscure spiritual power came through, obviously a very powerful formation. Inside the hall, all the sects were seated on each side according to the levels of their power. Ho ho! Today my disciple brother the Alchemy Taoist of the Luoyun Valley has formed his core. I, the Qingyun Taoist, thank you all for coming here. A burst of laughter came from outside of the hall. The voice was soft yet contained enormous strength that could not be ignored. At the entrance of the hall, two figures walked in together. The they both wore luxurious purple ropes and wore purple gold circlets around their head, and they walked in without emitting any power. Yet all the cultivators in this hall were overcame with awe as their pupils shrunk. They were the two Gold Core cultivators! This power was strong enough to make them the top in the Beihua State! Xuanqing Taoist, the chief master of the Earth Spirit Sect and Jingyuan Taoist from the Black Evil Sect looked at each other, and they both saw how bitter they were. Alas, for the next 100 years, their whole sects should be under the Luoyun Valley. Congratulations to the Alchemy Taoist for forming his core successfully. Now, Beihua State has claimed another Gold Core cultivator. Both of them were very cunning. They would never get into trouble as they knew how powerful the Luoyun Valley was, so they were now offering their congratulations together. Chapter 74 - Core Formation Ceremony, All Sects Come to Celebrate Congratulations to Predecessor Alchemy Taoists Core Formation. Three Xuan brothers from Flaming Sect, with awe in their eyes, led their disciples behind them and shouted respectfully. After all, although they could combat with the Gold Core cultivators in joined hands, their power, compared with them, was nothign. Congratulations to Alchemy Taoists Core Formation! Then, all the big and small sects shouted respectfully. Qingyun Taoist and Alchemy Taoist walked to the main seat of the hall, in an instant, the spiritual force from Gold Core Realm released overwhelmingly. The imposing manner of two people entangled and complemented with each other, which amplified, and it was so strong that other cultivators in this hall lost their countenance instantly. But fortunately, it was just a quick release. Otherwise, the junior cultivators before Foundation Establishment in this hall would suffer trauma in divine sense. Everybody please sit down. Qingyun Taoist pretended to make a bow with hands folded in front, showing humbleness, and then he sat down with Alchemy Taoist. Alchemy Taoist has achieved big success in Core Formation, and the Earth Spirit Sect would like to send the vein of the spiritual stone that we found on the Fenglin Mountain to you as a present. With a smile on his face, Xuanqing Taoist rose up to his feet and said with a bow. Hearing that, Alchemy Taoist remained self-composed, as if he had known that in advance, and now he said with a slight smile, My friend Xuanqing, thanks for your present. Seeing that Alchemy Taoist had accepted it, Xuanqing felt a little relieved, but also bitter in his heart. He sighed to himself and sat down with a bow. The Black Evil Sect would like to present thirteen mortal cities to Luoyun Valley as our congratulation present for Alchemy Taoist. After Xuanqing Taoist, Jing Yuan said. That thirteen mortal cities were nearly a fifth of Black Evil Sects sphere of influence, but now they had to give up. Ha ha, Jing Yuan, my friend, thanks for your gift. Alchemy Taoist accepted with a smile. Jing Yuan snorted coldly in his heart, but in such a situation, he was also helpless, just sat down with a poker face, not to mention anything. The Flaming Sects Xuanwujiu, on behalf of our Chief Master, send his congratulations to Predecessor Alchemy Taoists Core Formation! Flaming Sect would like to automatically give up the combat with Luoyun Valley to show our sincerity. Besides, we sent you fifty thousand spirit stones and ten pieces of spirit tools as a gift. The three Xuan seniors of Flaming Sect said slowly, whose voices were dry. Their voice dropped in the hall and the whole hall suddenly fell silent. The relationship between Flaming Sect and Luoyun Valley was strained, as was well known throughout the Cultivation World in Beihua State. Although the two sides did not reach the point of confrontation between water and fire, they had been in cold war with each other since long ago. Moreover, it was frequent for the cultivators on both sides to fight in secret. And the biggest contradiction between the two sects was the combat between the two sects every 100 years, in which both sides would send junior disciples to combat with each other. The winning side would get a ten years use of the other sides sect, during which the losing side must move all the sect out, and return ten years later. The cause of the Sect Combat was impossible to verify, but it had been handed down from generation to generation, which was also the root of the mutual hatred between the two sects. After all, if lost, although there was physical loss, it was absolutely a shame that could not be washed off for a sect to move away for ten years. Two hundred years ago, Luoyun Valley won in the combat, and this year, it happened to be the appointed time. But Alchemy Taoist was successful in core formation suddenly, and the strength of Luoyun Valley, with two Gold Cores now, was much stronger than Flaming Sect, who had only one Gold Core. So naturally, the fight between the two sects did not have to continue. In the main hall, many cultivators was less surprised after they straightened out the details, but the people of Flaming Sect still looked strange. Alchemy Taoist kept silent, but in his eyes there was some hint of pride. In all previous generations, there was no one who was able to force the Flaming Sect to take defeat without a fight. On all accounts, he would occupy a great place in the history of the sect, respected by future generations. Oh, thats it? Qingyun Taoist raised his eyebrows slightly, showing some joy. Although it was expected, he still felt joy in his heart. Qiao Wanshan, we have fought for a lifetime, but to the end its still me, Qingyun Taoist, that beat you! Thinking of Qiao Wanshan, the Chief Master of Flaming Sect, who must be shamed and angry, Qingyun Taoist felt happier. When we go back. Flaming Sect will move all the sect to Fengxia Mountain a hundred miles away from our sect. Leaving the mountain for you as agreed. Hearing what they said, Qingyun Taoist and Alchemy Taoist, the smile in their eyes could no longer be hidden, both burst into laughter, Ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha! With the rolling laughter the breath of Gold Core cultivators rose above, causing the wind and rain to change. The power was amazing. Within a hundred miles of Luoyun Valley, all the demons and beasts in the mountains, under the combined pressure of the two Gold Core cultivators, fell on the ground, trembling. And outside the main hall, the cultivators of Luoyun Valley, after hearing the laughter, showed excitement on their faces. They were not affected by the strong spiritual power at all, but also laughed with them two. The three sects in Beihua State had all admitted their defeat. In the other sects, although there were a few Gold Core cultivators, they were only in the initial state, far less powerful than Luoyun Valley, and at this point, of course, they came with the congratulation gift. Within a short period of time, Luoyun Valley had gone up a lot both in the strength and influence. The sects disciples greet the Ancestors! When you formed the gold core, you will become the ancestor of the sect! It was an unwritten rule among the sects of Beihua State. The 31 elders and protectors of Foundation Establishment and more than 300 disciples of Luoyun Valley swaggered into the hall, and knelt down on the ground. Ancestor! The sound was earth-shaking. They were sincerely convinced in their hearts by the two Gold Core ancestors, with respectful awe. After all, the sect had gained todays status because them! Ok! Ok! Ok! Arise! Alchemy Taoist answered the disciples, slightly flushed, and at this point even if he was in a mental state of Gold Core, he couldnt help being excited. Thank you! Ancestor! They arose and respectfully divided themselves on both sides. Ha ha, today it is your Core Formation Ceremony, and it also happens to be the annual examination of our Luoyun Valley. Since our friends of all sects gathered together, how about you all witness together? Qingyun Taoist rose, he stroke his white beard, and said with a smile. Xuanqing Taoist of Earth Spirit Sect smiled, with a flicker in his eyes, Since Chief Master Qingyun Taoist has invited, the Earth Spirit Sect will stay. However, Jing Yuan kept a poker-face, and merely nodded. The Flaming Sect, under the lead of three brothers surnamed Xuan, also promised to stay. Seeing the three sects had no objection, the rest of the other sects repeated what they said. Disciple brother, how about your host this years Sect Tournament? Qingyun Taoist sat down, then turned to Alchemy Taoist and asked. All right. Alchemy Taoist thought for a little while, and answered with a nod. As ancestor of the sect, he understood that Qingyun Taoist was helping him build his respect through this matter. Dear friends, today is the day for Luoyun Valleys Sect Tournament. But before that, there are some personal matters that need to occupy your time. Please forgive me. Alchemy Taoist made a slight bow with hands in front, and said in a gentle tone. Alchemy Taoist, you dont need be so polite. Predecessor Alchemy Taoist, there is no need for you to be so polite. We are not in a hurry and dont mind waiting a little longer. Predecessor Alchemy Taoist, if there is anything that needs to be dealt with, just do it. We dont have any objection. Exactly so, Predecessor Alchemy Taoist neednt be so polite, we couldnt take it. In the main hall, whether people were sincere or lying, all of them returned the salute, and their words were extremely polite. Alchemy Taoist smiled, but he did not say anything. After all, in his current position as a Gold Core cultivator, it would be hypocritical and demeaning to be too modest. Come out. During the past year, I have been busy cultivating and have not taught you much. I wonder during this period, whether you are practicing. Today in this hall, I will check on your alchemy. After Alchemy Taoist finished speaking, several people came out from the disciples in Luoyun Valley. They knelt down and said, The disciples pay their respects to master and send their congratulations on your achievement on the Gold Core. Maybe you attain boundless supernatural power and enjoy 500 years lifetime in the world! These people were disciples of Alchemy Taoist, and Shiao Chen followed at the end. Well, good. Stand up. Alchemy Taoist swept his eyes through several disciples and he could not help but show satisfaction. Duan Minghua and Li Yuedu both made continuous breakthrough in just a year. Now they had reached high eighth level of Qi Refining, and they might be able to reach Foundation Establishment successfully after swallowing the Foundation Establishment Pill. Hei Shi was cold-shouldered. Although his potential was a bit poor but he worked hard, now he could almost reach the eighth level of Qi Refining. As for Liu Yuru, although the speed of her improvement was slightly slower than the other three, she also broke through to the seventh level of Qi Refining. When his eyes fell on Ji Yuewu, Alchemy Taoist could not hide his excitement. Within one years short period, she had cultivated to the ninth level of Qi Refining. Whats more, she had alchemy talent which was comparable to her cultivation talent if not inferior to that. What more could a man ask for to have such a disciple?! Ah? When his eyes fell on the last person, Alchemy Taoist felt touched in his heart. He paused his eyes on the young man for a little while, then showed a sense of disappointment. Shiao Chens heart beat fast and anxiously. Just now he clearly felt his Master Lord Alchemy Taoists sharp eyes sweeping on him, as if to see through him completely. But fortunately, he soon took back his eyes, Shiao Chen sneaked a peak and saw Alchemy Taoists face as calm as before, which made him greatly relieved. Well, now my cultivation is only equal to cultivators in the middle-stage of Foundation Establishment, but my divine sense is as strong as late stage of Foundation Establishment. Besides, the effect of Soul Muddling Scripture that conceals spiritual breath is quite marvelous, and his cultivation shouldnt be seen through. Just when Shiao Chen muttered to himself, Alchemy Taoist had taken out dozens of medicinal materials from the storing bag with a wave of his hands. At the same time, the four elixir furnaces fell in front of Duan Huaming, Ji Yuewu and the others several meters away from each other. After a slight hesitation, he sighed secretly, took out another elixir furnace, and put it in front of Shiao Chen. Chapter 75 - The Alchemy Assessment, Talents Displayed for the First Time With the second level of the Qi Refining and no spiritual root, perhaps the only cultivation he obtained was by swallowing some spiritual pills. The Alchemy Taoist shook his head secretly and looked elsewhere as he obviously did never have any confidence in Shiao Chen. Here are 18 portions of each kind of refining materials, including inferior first-grade Spirits-gathering Pill, moderate first-grade Spirits-refining Pill, superior first-grade Small-restoration Pill, inferior second-grade Spirit-nourishing Pill, moderate second-grade Sense-restoration Pill, and superior second-grade Foundation Establishment Pill. You six can choose pills according to your alchemy level. Now go ahead. The Alchemy Taoist waved, turned around and sit down. Those pills were widely used as it was not very hard to make them, so the cultivators all nodded in agreement. After the Alchemy Taoist was seated, Duan Huaming thought for a while and stood up respectfully, Last time when I attended the alchemy test held by the Chief Master, I made the inferior second-grade Spirit-nourishing Pill, so I should choose the moderate second-grade Sense-restoration Pill. But I happen to made some breakthroughs in my cultivation after this year, and I have better understood alchemy. Therefore, I would like to try the Foundation Establishment Pill this time. After saying so, Duan Huaming stepped up and took three portions of the refining materials for the Foundation Establishment Pill, and then he went to the cauldron after he bowed. Foundation Establishment Pill? That is the most difficult pill to make in the second-grade pills. I never expected that Duan Huaming could reach such sound cultivation at such a young age, and he even got such great alchemy skills. What a rare genius! There is such a master-to-be of alchemy among the young generation of the Luoyun Valley, no one needs to worry about the prosperity of the sect! Indeed. Then it is a sure thing that the Luoyun Valley will be powerful within the next hundreds of years. There were suddenly some noises on the hall as Duan Huaming decided to make the superior second-grade Foundation Establishment Pill. All the young cultivators from each sect showed their envy and even their elder generation praised him no matter what their real attitudes were. The Alchemy Taoist looked over the whole hall and saw the faces of the people. He couldnt hide his joy and encouraged him, Even I couldnt make a Foundation Establishment Pill at such a young age, just go for it. Yes, Chief Master. Duan Huaming felt that he was now the focus of the hall, and the satisfied eyes of the Sect Immortal and the Chief Master made him even prouder, yet he tried pretty hard to pretend he didnt care that much and stepped out with respect. After Duan Huaming, the second senior brother Li Yuedu showed up. Chief Master, I choose the inferior second-grade Spirit-nourishing Pill. The inferior second-grade Spirit-nourishing Pill was one of the pills taken by the cultivators to improve their spiritual power, and it was also the pill that was taken the most by the cultivators in the Foundation Establishment stage. Being able to make an inferior second-grade pill, he also had some talents. But compared to Duan Huaming who chose to make the Foundation Establishment Pill before, Li Yuedu seemed a bit dim though. I choose to make the Foundation Establishment Pill. said Heishi, the third disciple of the Alchemy Taoist. He was quite an introvert and didnt talk that much, so even now he only said one sentence and then never spoke again after getting the materials and bowing to the Alchemy Taoist and the Qingyun Taoist. After Heishi, Liu Junru knelt down on the floor with great respect. Although this lady was quite favored by the Alchemy Taoist, she knew that today was not the same as before so she acted in good manners. I am never compatible with my three senior brothers either in cultivation or alchemy, and although I have made some progress this year, I can only try to make the superior first-grade Small-restoration Pill. Please forgive my dullness. Hearing that, the Alchemy Taoist shook his head with great love and said, Alright, it is already a big step forward to making the first-grade Small-restoration Pill. Just take the materials and go. Thank you, Master! Liu Yueru was very delighted and she took a bow before her retreat. The Alchemy Taoist looked at Ji Yuewu. Although he had heard that this new disciple had extraordinary talents and improved with a fast speed in alchemy, he never saw her in person and thats why he was quite curious about her. Yuewu, ever since you became my disciple, I have been cultivating alone. So I didnt really teach you anything other than the Cultivation Method. What kind of pill do you want to make then? Ji Yuewu took a few elegant steps, her flawless face was just like the most delicate diamond in the world. She was wearing a white pleated dress embroidered with blue lines, which made her surpass the mundane world in addition to purely elegant. Although she didnt speak up, her flawlessness had already stunned many of those young cultivators in the hall. Master, I choose to make the Dragon and Tiger Pill. Ji Yuewu ignored those eager eyes as she said so with her tender lips and brisk voice which made her even more cold and elegant. Hearing the voice, there was a fire burning in the eyes of many young cultivators in the hall. Yet those elderly cultivators were struck for a bit and appeared to be scared by her as they stared at Ji Yuewu who was standing in the hall. Their breaths were getting heavy as well. The Dragon and Tiger Pill was an inferior third-grade pill made with Mind-losing Grass, Death Water, Black Gegen, Longxu Flower, and other spiritual herbs. A Gold Core cultivator could get his or her cultivation into another level within a short period of time after taking it. However, he or she might not fight with someone else in at least three years after using the pill. If used, they either got their whole cultivation destroyed or died. After those who didnt know what it was about finally knew it by asking, they suddenly looked at Ji Yuewu in a fearful way as they took back their burning eyes. Except for the Alchemy Taoist, in the Beihua State, there was only one alchemist from the Flaming Sect who was hidden deeply somewhere could make a third-grade pill. Although he was not comparable to a Gold Core cultivator, he was still way superior to Foundation Establishment cultivators, so they didnt dare to mess around with him. The Dragon and Tiger Pill? The Alchemy Taoist was surprised hearing that, Are you sure you want to make the Dragon and Tiger Pill? Yuewu, I know you are talented in alchemy, but maybe you shouldnt go that far and stay with what you have right now. Hearing that, those cultivators in the hall finally calmed down. It turned out that she wasnt really confident in refining it successfully. While if there was some genius in the Luoyun Valley that could really make a Dragon and Tiger Pill at such a young age, how could the other sects make their living in the next hundreds of years? However, since she had the courage to say that, she must have something to count on. So even if she failed to make the Dragon and Tiger Pill, she could still easily make the superior second-grade Foundation Establishment Pill. At that time, people were looking at the Qingyun Taoist and the Alchemy Taoist in a complicated way. Two Gold Core cultivators with a bunch of outstanding disciples in the young generation, maybe it was a sure thing that the Luoyun Valley would dominate the Beihua State in the future. Yet right at the moment when everybody was relieved, Ji Yuewu took a bow to the Alchemy Taoist and said with respect, I have 30% confidence in refining the Dragon and Tiger Pill, or I would never have asked for it today. Please give me the raw materials, Master. Chapter 76 - The Alchemy Assessment, Talents Displayed for the First Time (2) Hissing. Hearing that, there were sounds of people gasping as Xuan Qing and Jing Yuan, the two Gold Core cultivators were also shocked. Alright, then you can try it out. The Alchemy Taoist was very surprised to hear that she had 30% confidence in refining the Dragon and Tiger Pill, But I didnt prepare the materials for the Dragon and Tiger Pill, so you just wait for a while and there will be someone delivering them. Yes, Chief Master. Ji Yuewu nodded and walked away. Shiao Chen felt a breeze of fragrance and the fair lady had already passed him before he looked up. Yet he could still hear her, Shiao Chen, disciple brother, you dont have to hide all the time. Instead, you should just show your power a little bit today and let those losers who overestimate themselves understand who is the best among them all. The fragrant breeze was gone as the fair lady walked away. Shiao Chen was quite curious about her as he thought for a while and then walked forward. However, at that moment, someone spoke loudly behind him. Chief Master, our junior brother Shiao Chen doesnt have a spiritual root, and it was already quite hard for him to reach the second level of the Qi Refining stage within one year. Im afraid he didnt spend enough time on cultivation and probably cant even make pills of the lowest grade, the Heart-soothing Powder. Shall we just disqualify him in case he makes a scene here? It was Duan Huaming who spoke. Hearing that, Shiao Chens face changed a bit as his eyes flashed all of a sudden, yet he restrained all of his expressions quickly. Why do you have to hide your power, my brother Shiao Chen? What if you just make a high-grade pill to impress them. With the power of the sect, you could look for methods to establish the foundation? Yu Jis voice echoed in Shiao Chens heart. Shiao Chen was stunned and then sneered a little bit as he figured out what that meant. Since someone wanted to know how a loser looks like, he didnt mind teaching him a lesson. Hearing that, cultivators in the hall started to chat with each other. After they knew the identity of Shiao Chen, they looked at him in a weird way and there were even some haters who started to hiss him as they were jealous of the attention Shiao Chen is getting. The Alchemy Taoist frowned a little bit as he was hesitating as well. The reason why he accepted Shiao Chen was all because of his determination, and he knew exactly how ungifted he was. It was definitely a hard year for him to reach the second level of the Qi Refining stage, so he was afraid that he didnt have the time to practice alchemy. If he made a mistake during the test, he would definitely get mocked by people. Shiao Chen, I wont punish you if you give up this test. What do you think? Shiao Chen looked up with a plain face and calm eyes. He bowed to the Alchemy Taoist respectfully first and then said slowly, I will not give up. I was just too humble to be mentioned until you, my Master accepted me as your disciple. I have nothing to repay you and I feel very guilty about that. Today it is the Core Formation Ceremony of the Master, so I would like to make a Life-prolonging Pill for you to show my endless gratitude. After he said that, the entire hall was silent. Life-prolonging Pill was a superior third-grade spirit pill which was made with Spiritual Root Grass, Immortal Flower, Millennium Vine, and other spiritual herbs. It only worked when one took it for the first time, and it could add 10 years life. Although it could only extend ones life for 10 years, it was enough to make those cultivators crave for it. After all, the ultimate goal of cultivation was to reach a longer life than ordinary people. Hahahahah, he just said he wants to make a Life-Prolonging Pill. How dare a cultivator in the second level of the Qi Refining stage brag like that? He doesnt even know what he is talking about. Just go back where you from, bastard. What a nut! If you can make a Life-Prolonging Pill, then I can make the legendary Immortal-transformation Pill. Get off! Stop humiliating yourself here. After a brief silence, the entire hall had fallen into mocking and sneering. Those disciples of the Luoyun Valley were all very impressive that those cultivators were quite jealous of them, now they had finally got the chance to let out their frustration. Even Xuan Qing and Ming Sha were shaking their heads after a short shock as they perceived the kid was absurd. It was a superior third-grade pill. Except for the Alchemy Taoist, probably there was no one in the Beihua State who could make this kind of pill. This kid was absolutely ridiculous. The Qingyun Taoist was a bit upset as today was the ceremony of the Luoyun Valley, so it would be really shameful if there were any jokes about this. Shiao Chen, dont you ever mention making a Life-prolonging Pill again. If you insist on participating in the test, just take one portion of these materials and go. The Alchemy Taoist frowned but as he saw Shiao Chens calm eyes, he went silent at once. Chieft Master, I can guarantee that Junior Brother Shiao Chen is not that kind of person who talks wildly. Since he said so, he must have confidence in it. Why dont we let him try it? Ji Yuewu bowed with respect and said while throwing a glimpse at Shiao Chen with her beautiful eyes. Well Hearing that, the Qingyun Taoist was reluctant for a while. He didnt care about Shiao Chen, but Ji Yuewu was a real talent in the cultivation of the Luoyun Valley for hundreds of years. With her speed of progress, she could probably reach the Gold Core within 100 years. Although Ji Yuewu had not established the foundation, her opinion was important enough to attract his attention. Masters, I think we could just let disciple brother Shiao Chen try it, or he would be really disappointed. But the Spiritual Root Grass, Immortal Flower, and the Millennium Vine are really rare and valuable, so I suggest we only give him one portion of those materials. And if he failed to make it and ruined those precious spiritual herbs, we could just kick him out of the sect and never accept him again. What do you think, masters? Duan Huaming sneered as he returned from the astonishment before. Now he was speaking out of real malicious purpose because he wanted to kick Shiao Chen into the ordinary world thoroughly. The Qingyun Taoist and the Alchemy Taoist looked at each other and then the Alchemy Taoist nodded slightly after a long while, saying, Alright. Shiao Chen, you already know the prerequisites, are you still willing to participate? If not, I wont punish you. Thanks for your kindness, Chief Master. But please give me the spiritual herbs. If I failed to make it, I would go down the mountain without complaining. Shiao Chen bowed slightly to the Alchemy Taoist with respect. Shiao Chen was indeed very grateful for the Alchemy Taoist as there would not be the Shiao Chen today if his master had not accepted him back then. Go ahead. The Alchemy Taoist thought for a while as he looked a bit disappointed, yet he didnt persuade him and just waved to let him go. Shiao Chen bowed again and when he turned around and passed Duan Huaming, the latter was mocking, Shiao Chen, my disciple brother, you truly have great power that you can even make a superior third-grade Life-prolonging Pill. I feel really ashamed of myself as your senior brother. Shiao Chen turned back and looked at him, saying slightly, You are indeed a loser because you can only make a superior second-grade pill after more than 7 years of cultivation with the chief master. After that, Shiao Chen stood still in front of his stove without even looking at Duans gloomy face. Since you have chosen your materials, let us begin. The Alchemy Taoist stared at Shiao Chen for a bit and ignored their squabbling. He then set up many restriction spells on those stoves that were in front of Shiao Chen and the others. This kind of restriction spells didnt stop people from entering and exiting, but only served to prevent the voice and divine sense from entering. After all, alchemy was really a serious thing that could fail because of any interruptions. Since all those materials needed should be obtained from the storehouse of the sect, while Shiao Chen and Ji Yuewu were still waiting outside the restriction spell, Duan Huaming, Li Yuedu, and the others had already started their refining. Rolling heats were coming all the way from the restriction spell and what was going along was the fragrance of those spirit herbs. After a short while, a direct disciple handed the materials needed for the Dragon and Tiger Pill with his face fully red. Then he walked away as if his legs were floating in the air. Shiao Chen, my junior brother. Since the herbs are here, Ill start making my pill now. Ji Yuewu stared at Shiao Chen and took the herbs as she walked into the restriction spell. Then she started to insert her spiritual power inside the stove. Ji Yuewu had started to make the Dragon and Tiger Pill. Shiao Chen looked over the hall and ignored all of those mocking eyes. Through the golden seal, his divine sense went through the restriction spells set by the Alchemy Taoist easily and swept those stoves from inside. This was one of the effects of that golden seal he had learned from his recent experiments. As long as their cultivations were in the same meta realm, this kind of restriction spell was meaningless to him. He saw someone inserted some spiritual power with his hand, and immediately heat waves were rolling inside the stove. The person arranged those required materials in order and calculated the heats secretly, and then put those spiritual herbs in it one by one. No matter how mean hey was, Duan Huaming was really good at cultivation as every step he made was coherent and even with the style of alchemy masters. While Li Yuedu, Heishi and Liu Junru were all performing with standards as they looked all very serious, conducting their refining procedures in order. Despite Heishi who made some mistakes making his Foundation Establishment Pill, the other four were gradually refining the power out of the herbs in their stoves as they were tangled together. They could all successfully make their pills if no accidents happened. Senior Brother Shiao Chen, here are the spiritual herbs needed for the Life-prolonging Pill, please have a look. Right at the moment, a direct disciple of the Luoyun Valley came with a jade tray and put it in front of Shiao Chen. Shiao Chen swept it through with his divine sense and nodded after he made sure the materials were alright. That disciple looked at Shiao Chen in a weird way and turned around to leave. Spiritual Root Grass, Immortal Flower, Millennium Vine, and the Fragrant Powderthere were 21 spiritual herbs in total. Shiao Chen took them in his hand and looked around, then he walked into the restriction spell. The stoves offered by the Alchemy Taoist were of good quality and probably as good as a medium-grade spirit tool. There were many spirit-gathering arrays carved on them and they could attract the spiritual power automatically during the refining that they could increase the heat and accelerate the speed of refining. Shiao Chen stood in front of the stove and thought for a while, then he took out a jade bottle from his bag and opened it. There was a bright green pill as big as a stone and giving off a secret fragrance laying on his palm. Chapter 77 - the Alchemy Examination, Talents Begin to Show【3】 As long as I have ready-made pills, there is no difficulty for me to make pills under the fourth grade. Shiao Chen slightly turned up his lip corner, revealing a hidden smile. He chose to make a higher level third-grade Life-prolonging Pill was after a careful consideration. First of all, the prescription was not a top secret, of which most of the sects had records, and it was so common that he had also seen it once in the Alchemists Laboratory. Secondly, to make a high level fourth-grade Life-prolonging Pill was enough to gain the sects attention, and then he could use the sects power to find the way to Foundation Establishment. Thirdly, it was also the most important point: Shiao Chen had the Life-prolonging Pill in his storage bag, which was from a old Gold Core freak. With these three points, he had enough reasons to make the Life-prolonging Pill. Holding the Life-prolonging Pill in his hand, Shiao Chen melted his divine sense into the gold seal, and then he began to screen the pills internal combination. As a high level third-grade pill, the Life-prolonging Pill also had the effect of increasing ones longevity. The combination of 21 kinds of herbs was subtle and extremely complicated. It took Shiao Chen, whose present divine sense and cultivation had been in a high stage, nearly a quarter of an hour to finish screening. He memorized it again several times to make sure it would not be forgotten, and then he put the pill away in the jade bottle. He flicked his sleeves, and a spiritual force hit on the furnace, which lit up the Formation inscription in an instant. Rays of spiritual force outside were drawn into the furnace, in which the fire got bigger and immediately, a billowing heat wave came out. Shiao Chen gazed at it for a little while, waved his hands and put three basic herb of Life-prolonging Pills -the spiritual root grass, immortal flower and millennium vine into the furnace altogether. The moment these materials were put into the furnace, they were transformed into three kinds of medicine juice with abundant spiritual power, and quickly merged together. Shiao Chen dared not allow the slightest carelessness, and he quickly run his divine sense to combine the substances in the right order. The hours ticked by, in the hall on the main peak of Luoyun Valley, the people waiting there showed no impatience. After all, cultivators all had gained an excellent patience from their usual meditation and cultivation for a few days at a time. Suddenly, from inside the spell restriction where disciples made pills came a low cry, along with the sound of spells. A moment later, a faint and strong aroma wafted towards them. This is a sign of an imminent pill. I didnt expect someone to finish it so soon. The high level first grade pill should be the work of the lady named Liu Junru. I didnt expect her to succeed for the first time. It seems that she is near the level of a second grade alchemist. Luoyun Valley is talented, very admirable. When all people were discussing, as expected, a moment later, the heat in that spell restriction faded quickly. Then they heard the sound of the furnace being opened, Liu Junru came out with a happy expression on her face, and bowed respectfully, Master Lord, Junru was lucky to have finished the pill. Please rate my performance. With that, she spread out her hand, in which a jade bottle lay quietly. She opened the jade bottle to pour out a milky pill the size of a longan fruit, from which, suddenly, a light fragrance slowly wafted out. Well, it has a fruity shape, no variegated color but a strong fragrance. Good! Alchemy Taoist nodded, stroking his beards, with satisfaction in his eyes. Hearing this, Liu Junru looked exited, but at the moment, another stronger fragrance wafted across the hall. Another one is going to finish! Whos that? Succeed on the first time. It seems that the disciples of Alchemy Taoist are all extraordinary, and of course, the last guy who knows little about cultivation is not among them. Got it! The Spirit-nourishing Pill! Li Yuedu came out from the spell restriction, holding a jade bottle, and knelt in front of Alchemy Taoist respectfully, and he said, A low level second grade Spirit-nourishing Pill. Master Lord, please rate it. Alchemy Taoist and Qingyun Taoist glanced at each other, both satisfied that in the Sect Tournament, these disciples had already earned enough face for them. After all, a second grade alchemist was already someone the small sects could not get. After a while, it was time for Duan Huaming to finish his pills. From the spell restriction of Duan, from time to time there were low noises. More over, the sound of spells hitting on the furnance came out, and at the same time, a more and more intense fragrance was also slowly came out. Got it! With Duan Huamings sudden cry, from inside the spell restriction came a muffled sound. When all the people looked a little stiff thinking the refining might have failed, a strong fragrance instantly spread throughout the whole hall. High level second grade Foundation-establishment Pill. Alas, no wonder that he is the eldest disciple of Predecessor Alchemy Taoist. He is really outstanding. It is certain that there is another alchemist who can reach the Foundation-establishment Pill in Luoyun Valley. It is a big event for Luoyun Valley. Duan Huaming felt the admiring looks from the crowd, and his heart was filled with pride. But on his face, he pretended to be calm and knelt on the ground respectfully, holding a jade bottle above his head with both hands, and he said in a loud voice, Master Lord, Huaming has made the Foundation-establishment Pill, and there are nine in total. Please take a look. The alchemists of different levels would have different results even with the same medicinal material. For example, to make a first grade Soul-refining Pill, a mediocre alchemist could only make five pills from a single set of medical materials, while a master alchemist, who had been in alchemy for years, could get as many as a dozen with the same materials. At this point, it was extraordinary that Duan Huaming made nine pills with a set of medical materials. Nine pills! Hes really outstanding! Very good! I will already be thankful if the second-grade alchemist of our Heifeng Sect can produce five pills at a time. Duan Huaming have such achievements at such a young age, and he shows great promise. Alchemy Taoist nodded in approval repeatedly, feeling honored, and motioned him to wait aside. After a while, Hei Shi also finished his pills, but he refined only four pills with the same set of materials as Duan, who was obviously more than twice as good as he was. But he himself showed no signs of discouragement. He stood at the front of Alchemy Taoist, with his head lowered and face expressionless. Howl! At this moment, suddenly, a roar of the dragon and tiger rose from across the hall, and instantly it attracted the attention of countless people. It was from the spell restriction of Ji Yuewu, from which bursts of the dragon and the tiger roars came from time to time. The spell restriction was shrouded in mist and cloud, with a faint shape of the dragon and the tiger looming inside. A slightly spicy and bitter smell gradually wafted up. A third-grade pill! The third-grade Dragon and Tiger Pill! She made it! Amazing! She is so young yet she made a third-grade elixir, even if she is a genius! She can make a third-grade pill, enough to be the No. 1 young cultivator in Cultivation World of Beihua State! Chapter 78 - The Alchemy Assessment, Talents Displayed for the First Time (4) Inside the hall, all the small sects were chatting, full of envy and awe. Yet Xuanqing, Mingsha, and the three elderly Xuan seemed all deeply worried. The Luoyun Valley was too powerful now, so maybe life would be harder for them in the future. Haha, my disciple brother is really good at teaching. This girl can make a Dragon and Tiger Pill, what a great heir of yours. The Qingyun Taoist laughed and looked at the restriction where Ji Yuewu was at with satisfaction. Why would someone worry about the revival of the sect when he got such a great disciple like that? Hearing that, the Alchemy Taoist was a little bit shocked and said with a bitter smile, Dont mock me, senior brother. Since Yuewu became a disciple of our sect, I have been staying behind closed doors and focusing on reaching the Gold Core stage. So I barely taught her anything, nothing at all, in fact. However, his eyes were full of surprise and gratification. Every cultivator dreamed of getting their achievements inherited, so did the Alchemy Taoist. Besides, he had devoted his entire life to the alchemy that the continuation was even more important for him. Therefore he was definitely very satisfied with having such a great disciple. Formulate! Rang the cold voice of Ji Yuewu, and shades of dragon and tiger gradually became clearer within the cloud above her head. There was a mini-sized spirit dragon covered with blue scales rolling up and down while puffing in the smoke. It was a few inches long with two horns on the head and 5 feet under the belly. While under the dragon, there was a fierce white tiger with a pair of wings on its back and a clear king () character in the middle of its eyebrows, roaring up and down as well. Back! Another spell came over and both the dragon and the tiger roared to the sky, then they rushed down directly. The cloud and smoke around them vanished gradually. When the mysterious scene disappeared completely, a white shade flashed through the restriction spell. It was a pale Ji Yuewu who walked out of it. Here is the Dragon and Tiger Pill, Master. There she opened her tender hands. A striped pill as big as a walnut was in her hand, and voices of dragon and tiger were coming out from it, which made it seem truly extraordinary. Alright. The stripes are natural and I can hear the roars of dragon and tiger. It has some impurities but still worthy as an inferior third-grade pill. Great, great, great! The Alchemy Taoist stood up, lifted Ji Yuewu with his spiritual power and looked at her with great satisfaction. Congratulations, my Taoist friend, Alchemy Taoist. You have such a wonderful disciple and there is no need to worry about the prosperity of the Luoyun Valley. Xuanqing blinked and sounded a bit strange. Yet Mingsha from the Black Evil Sect was in a gloomy face and his eyes turned to be quite worrisome. As for the three Xuan elders, they felt quite uncomfortable as so far the Luoyun Valley had already surpassed the Flaming Sect with its two Gold Cores, plus those excellent disciples in the younger generation, so it could be really hard for the Flaming Sect in the future. Congratulations to the Alchemy Taoist for having such a great disciple! Those masters in all sects were congratulating them with their disciples. Ho ho, thanks, everyone! The Alchemy Taoist arched his hands and ignored the envy from Xuanqing and the others. He wouldnt feel better if he was in their position. Now five out of the six people who participated in the alchemy assessment had made their pills successfully and earned great fame for the Luoyun Valley. However, all of them were focusing on the last restriction spell and they all looked quite weird. Given that Shiao Chen was refining the superior third-grade Life-prolonging Pill, those people couldnt even help to show their sarcastic faces. What an arrogant and reckless kid! Today we came here to attend the Core Formation Ceremony of the Alchemy Taoist and witnessed the alchemy of your 5 disciples which was indeed awesome. I wonder when the sect competition will start as we shall not waste our time here despite the extra lifetime weve got as cultivators. A master from a small sect spoke after he blinked and nodded to Duan Huaming. He was looking at the last restriction spell while speaking and his eyes were full of mockery, so it was obvious that he was hinting on somebody. Exactly, please announce the beginning of the sect competition, Alchemy Taoist. It is just a waste of time for me to wait for this kid refining a Life-prolonging Pill. This kid is just so arrogant and reckless, why are you still keeping him instead of kicking him out of the sect? Thats right, we all dont want to wait any time longer, please kick him out. There were so many cultivators in this hall that didnt like Shiao Chen and they were all complaining and looked at the restriction spell where Shiao Chen was in with more mockery on their face. Well The Alchemy Taoist was quite hesitant. The Qingyun Taoist was a bit upset as he looked around the hall and said, Im afraid even if it was you who would refine it, there wouldnt be more than 30% possibility to succeed. Do you really believe that he could make a superior third-grade Life-prolonging Pill? If it is doomed to fail, then why does it matter if you end it now? Hearing that, the Alchemy Taoist sighed and nodded as he was about to withdraw the restriction spell to interrupt Shiao Chens alchemy. Please wait a moment, Master. The alchemy assessment of Elixir Valley has always been limited to 4 hours, and there is still a quarter left. I would like to request we wait for him for another half quarter. Besides, there is still no burning smell coming out of the restriction spell, so maybe those spiritual herbs are still fine and brother Shiao Chen is still formatting them. If you withdraw the restriction spell and interrupt him now, Im afraid junior brother Shiao Chen will never accept that even if he gets kicked out of the sect. Please reconsider it, Master. Ji Yuewu stepped up and said anxiously as she looked at the restriction spell of Shiao Chen. Ji Yuewu ranked way higher than those Foundation Establishment cultivators as she had made the Dragon and Tiger Pill successfully, and she was probably only below the two Gold Core cultivators. Moreover, she still had great potential to progress, so her words were indeed important. The Alchemy Taoist remained calm and nodded after a short break, then he said after a small cough, Please calm down, my Taoist friends. Our Elixir Valley does have this rule in our alchemy assessment, so please just wait for a while. Then he closed his eyes as he obviously didnt expect Shiao Chen to make the pill successfully. Inside the hall, Ji Yuewu was relieved and stepped down, yet her eyes were still focused on the restriction spell. Pss. Beside her, malicious shade flashed through the eyes of Duan Huaming as he sneered. Those cultivators all calmed down after the Alchemy Taoist spoke up. They dared not to challenge the decision of a Gold Core cultivator for sure. Plus it was just a quarter, they didnt want to offend him for such a short time of waiting. Ho ho, it seems that junior brother Shiao Chen has been really overestimating himself. If he couldnt make it then why did he boast about it? It just makes him look like a joke and also brings shame to the Luoyun Valley. He will get kicked out of the sect as well and never get the chance to go back to cultivation again. What a pity. A quarter had almost passed when Duan Huaming said sadly with a disappointed face. Yet he felt super excited actually and yelled inside, How dare you to offend me! You wont live an easy life. I will torture you in countless ways after you get kicked out of the sect! Ji Yuewu felt quite upset as the clock was ticking. Was I wrong about you? The cultivators in the hall all opened their eyes and they all looked like they had known the result in advance as everyone had a sneer on their face. Duan Huaming felt really delighted as if he had finally defeated his enemy. He stepped up and said at the moment, Chief Master, since Shiao Chen failed to make the pill, according to the rule set before, I would like to take the responsibility and kick him out of the sect. The Alchemy Taoist nodded and his eyes turned sad. He accepted Shiao Chen and treated him like a direct disciple despite that he was just a nominal disciple, so he truly appreciated him. However, fate was never fair as this kid didnt have a spiritual root. What a pity. Alright, just let him go down the mountain and be an ordinary person to live a normal life. Maybe this is the life he deserves. Duan Huaming was very excited, Thank you so much, Master. Afterwards, he went directly to the restriction spell which Shiao Chen was at and sneered. Wait, there is still one minute left, you cant go now. Ji Yuewu bit her lips with her unyielding eyes and stopped him with her hand. Duan Huaming pretended to be sincere and said, Shiao Chen is just an ordinary person and he doesnt deserve your caring, my disciple sister. If you will, I will be with you for the rest of my life. Later on, he turned to those cultivators and bowed, I didnt mean to hide it from you, my predecessors and Taoist friends. But Shiao Chen doesnt have a spiritual root and he is just an ordinary person. It was already more than lucky for him to get accepted by our Chief Master. Yet he didnt cherish it and was never serious about his cultivation. He has also been very arrogant and rude to all of us. Today he even boasted and brought shame to our sect. A person like him should have been kicked out of the sect a long time ago. It is definitely a great decision that our Masters decided to kick him out today. As Duan Huaming was criticizing him with his anger, he felt he was the focus of them all and was really proud of himself. But all of a sudden, he realized the atmosphere of the hall changed as they all looked beyond himself with surprise. Meanwhile, a sliver of fragrance came to his face and that made him feel more uneasy. Duan Huaming turned around slowly and looked at the restriction spell where Shiao Chen was at. His eyes shook and he said with horror, How is that possible?! Ji Yuewu gave him a thrilling smile and said, Senior brother Duan, thanks for your kindness and it seems that junior brother Shiao Chen is not as bad as you said. At that moment, a cloud with a strong herbal fragrance came out of the restriction spell and tangled above the spell restlessly. There was also more and more vitality coming out of it, and those people felt they had gained more energy just by inhaling it. Chapter 79 - The Successful Refining of the Superior Third-Grade Life-prolonging Pill Twirling clouds with delightful fragrance, this is the sign of a superior third-grade pill! This kid this kid has reached the final step! All the sects focused on him as Xuanqing said these words slowly with a serious and shocking face. Yet he was full of bitter feelings, because it just became clear that Shiao Chen had an incredible talent in alchemy since he was able to make a superior third-grade Life-prolonging Pill. Having such a great disciple, Luoyun Valley was definitely ready to thrive again. Mingshas face turned gloomy immediately after the shock and his fists were clenched inside the sleeves as his eyes were changing too fast that no one could read them. As for the three Xuan elders, they were all looking scared. Such a young superior third-grade alchemist was too rare, not only in this tiny Beihua State, but also in the whole Zhao nation for the last hundreds of years. How come this kind of talent was not in the Flaming Sect? The three of them looked at each other bitterly. Those people who had been complaining before in the hall now all looked at Shiao Chen with respect and fear as they were all afraid of his retaliation for their rudeness before. After all, an alchemist who made a superior third-grade pill was indeed as noble than an average Gold Core cultivator. The Alchemy Taoist flashed next to Shiao Chen, and he arched his hands, telling them, My Taoist friends, my disciple is now at a crucial moment, so please stay calm and dont interrupt him. The Qingyun Taoist stood up and went to the other side of the Alchemy Taoist. He looked at the restriction spell with great joy and guarded it on the other side. The great spiritual power from the two Gold Core cultivators was flowing out. The power avoided the restriction spell where Shiao Chen was at and filled the whole hall. Those cultivators were all shocked and made no more noises. Yet their burning eyes were still focused on that place without even one single move. As time passed by, the herbal fragrance became more and more intense and the clouds above that restriction spell were rolling more and more fiercely as well. Right at that moment, a drastic change happened! Right in the middle of the clouds, a three-inch-long dead tree that was dried without leaves appeared slowly. Meanwhile, more and more clouds were absorbed by the root of the dead tree, and it seemed to regain its vitality. It also started to turn green as the mists going in while many green leaves coming out. Suddenly, a pale white flower bloomed on a branch, and a pleasant fragrance came out as the pedals opened up one by one. As the flower faded really fast, a blue fruit as big as a dragon eye formed gradually. The spiritual tree is now alive to reverse life and death. The branches are full and the pill is ready! He made the Life-prolonging Pill! When the fruit finally solidified, the Alchemy Taoist could hold it no more and yelled it as his face blushed because of the excitement. It was just more than obvious that he was very emotional at that moment that even he, a Gold Core cultivator, totally lost control of himself. However, although there was a fruit, half of those clouds were still left around that branch, and they kept going into it. As the clouds were going into the branch continuously, another bud appeared at the end of another branch. After the flower had withered, an illusory image of fruit slowly appeared within the influx of the clouds. Two pills at once? The Alchemy Taoist and Qingyun Taoist looked at each other as both of them were truly shocked. It had to be a really powerful alchemist to make two superior third-grade pills at one time. But Shiao Chen had only become the disciple of the sect for one year, how could he reach that level? Disciple brother, Shiao Chen is just my nominal disciple, and he has the right to leave our sect for other choices. Now he has shown his talents in alchemy, Im afraid there will be many sects inviting him later. The Alchemy Taoists face turned dark as he suddenly thought of something, and said that in a low voice. Hearing that, the Qingyun Taoist was shocked. He thought for a while and sneered, Relax, I will never give them a chance. Since Shiao Chen is your nominal disciple, then you can make him your real disciple when the refining is finished. And since he has the ability to make a superior third-grade pills, I can grant him a master title in our sect. He doesnt have a spiritual root, then I can purify his essence and transfer spiritual power to him help him reach the eighth level of the Foundation Establishment stage. Even though he cant establish the foundation, he could live longer. I am sure that he wont leave for someone else when I have such a great offer for him. Im going to pass all of my alchemy skills to him. Whoever dares to fight for him, I will fight till the death. This is my disciple, and I will smash whoever tries to take him away from me! Hearing that, the Alchemy Taoist nodded fiercely as his usually calm eyes now looked super scary. He looked around with the strong power of a Gold Core cultivator as he was protecting Shiao Chen just like the hen protected its chicken. Alright! The two of them nodded after looking at each other. Both of them looked super scary at that moment. As time passed by, the last cloud went into the branch, and the second blue fruit on it suddenly solidified as a stronger herbal fragrance came out of the restriction spell all at once. Condense! A weak voice came out from the restriction spell, and suddenly the branch started to wither as it vanished into the air. The two fruits were glowing in a light blue light, and they both fell into that restriction spell after a flash. Silence! There were no other sounds other than the heavy breaths of those people in the hall, and their focused eyes were all burning. A blue figure came outside the restrictions spell. He walked slowly with his back straight. Shiao Chen looked a bit pale as there were traces of sweat on his hair around his face, and his eyes looked very tired as well. He was shocked the moment he walked out of the spell because not only were the two Gold Core masters standing in front of him, but also all of those cultivators burning eyes. After being stunned for a bit, Shiao Chen calmed down and bowed, I am lucky to fulfill the task, and now I have make the Life-prolonging Pills. Here I present them to you, Master. I hope you can gain great achievements on the way of Gold Core and enjoy boundless spiritual power! During his speech, he took out a warm jade box and presented it with two hands. The Alchemy Taoist took a deep look at Shiao Chen and held that jade box which had attracted countless eyes on his hand. He opened it to find a green pill as big as a pebble with a strong herbal fragrance. The Alchemy Taoist held it in his hand and sniffed it under his nose. Then he closed his eyes and opened after a long while as he was quite shocked. He then nodded slowly and said, It is a superior third-grade Life-prolonging Pill. The pill looks perfectly round and with a strong herbal fragrance, and there are almost no impurities. It is indeed an extraordinary superior Life-prolonging Pill! Chapter 80 - Invitation from All Sects Hearing the words, Qingyun Taoistcouldnt help smiling. He had limited lifetime and had no hope of breaking through the Nascent Soul, so he spent all his efforts on the sect painstakingly. Now knowing that there would be a new alchemist who could refine superior three-grade elixirs in the sect, naturally, he was happy. And his eyes falling on Shiao Chen also became softer. Shiao Chen, youre really something. At such a young age, you are able to make the superior three-grade Life-prolonging Pill. But as far as I know, you are only a nominal disciple of Alchemy Taoist. Im Xuanqing, the Chief Master of Earth Spirit Sect, and my cultivation was also in the middle stage of Gold Core. If you were willing to join Earth Spirit Sect, I will take you as my disciple and appoint you as an elder in the sect. What do you think? At the point, Xuanqing Taoist rose to his feet, regardless of Qingyun Taoist and Alchemy Taoists unhappy expressions, walked close to Shiao Chen, looked at him and said softly. Before he finished speaking, another one spoke. Im willing to teach you, too. Since Qingyun Taoist and Alchemy Taoist have so many good disciples that they cannot spare energy to teach you, why dont you join Black Evil Sect? I promise to help you reach the eighth level of Qi Refining within a year and become the first elder of our Panacea Pavilion. Youll enjoy endless respect. It seemed that Ming Sha was looking forward to Shiao Chens joining, and if Shiao Chen really agreed, he would take Shiao Chen away at any cost, even if he would fall foul of Luoyun Valley. After all, it was significantly beneficial for a sect to have another alchemist of the third grade. Elixirs were so important for a sect that it would not only help their disciples to cultivate and advance, but help them win in the match of magical powers with those from other sects in the future. When they were to be defeated, if they took out a lot of elixirs and swallowed them swiftly, they might be able to turn the tables or even kill the opponent. In this way, the strength of the whole sect would be greatly improved. Join the Flaming Sect. We three can decide, and the Chief Master will certainly accept you as a disciple. And Appoint you as the elder of the sect. The millennium protection act will be announced for you. No matter if there will be cultivators in your family. as long as the Flaming Sect lives, we will guarantee the prosperity of your family for ten generations. Three Xuan seniors were unwilling to lag behind. There was a rift between the two sects at first, and Luoyun Valley had solid strength at the moment. If Shiao Chen would like to join them, it would be a great help to Flaming Sect. The three sects of Beihua State directly offered invitation to Shiao Chen, not fearing that their relationship with Luoyun Valley might get worse, which was enough to show how they value Shiao Chens importance at the moment. And inside the hall, people looked at him with more awe. You havent let me down, Shiao Chen. Youve been better than I thought. Ji Yuewu blinked her charming eyes, staring at Shiao Chen closely, and she said with a light enchanting smile. How is it possible? Shiao Chen can refine the superior third-grade Life-prolonging Pill! I had a bad relationship with him before, and he will certainly be taken seriously by the sect in the future. What should I do if he finds fault with me? Duan Huamings face turned ashen . His eyes were full of fear and unwillingness, with a shred of hatred flashing in his eyes. Shiao Chen is so powerful, and although I had a conflict with him before, I did not directly become hostile towards him like Duan Huaming, that fool. If I personally apologize to him, presumably he will forgive me. Li Yuedu casted a glance at Duan Huaming, with fear lingering in his heart. This man is so powerful that he must have learned a lot in cultivation, and I need to consult him more in the future. Hei Shis eyes, fixed on Shiao Chen as if he had seen some treasure, were full of eagerness to know more about cultivation. He has really kept his strengths under wraps. No wonder he has been neither humble nor supercilious since long ago. It turns out that he has such alchemy strength. Liu Junru looked at Shiao Chen with mixed feelings, blinking her beautiful eyes, and nobody knew what she was thinking about. Alas! Shiao Chen turns out to be so powerful, but I deliberately alienated him before! Ture friends show their care in times of trouble, not in happiness. Right now how Liu Tao wished he could slap himself a few dozen times to ease the regret in his heart. At the corner of the hall, several lay disciples responsible for cleanings were discussing, with their face full of envy. This is brother Shiao Chen. It is said that he has no spiritual root originally, and that he was only accepted as a nominal disciple by grandmaster Alchemy by luck. I had believed it and used to be jealous of him, but now I know that the man who said that was indeed a fool. Brother Shiao Chen was an Alchemy talent, and naturally he was accepted as the disciple early by grandmaster Alchemy. These people were really talking nonsense! Youre right. Brother Shiao Chen is really a model for us. Next time, I will also try to get some prescriptions to try alchemy. Maybe I also have a gift in alchemy. Although not as good as brother Shiao Chen, I may become the disciple of Luoyun Valley at least. From now on, brother Shiao Chen will play an important role in the whole Cultivation World of Beihua State. He is able to refine superior- three grade elixirs, which was comparable to Uncle Master Alchemy. There was a hot discussion among the disciples, but one of them, despite his excited eyes, pressed his lips together and whispered, It seems that I really have a chance to go back someday. This person was no other than Wang Bin who was driven out of Elixir Valley by Duan Huaming with an excuse. How is it possible that he has been able to refine elixirs of the third grade?! Shiao Lin looked pale, eyes full of shock. Originally, he was rather discontented to Shiao Chens being accepted by Alchemy Taoist by luck, and this year he also practiced hard and reached the second level of Qi Refining after taking great pains. He exchanged his spar for several low-level Talismans on the inter-sect exchange and at first he thought that Shiao Chen would certainly be surprised at his cultivation, but he did not expect the gap between them had been so large. It seems that when I return home after the Sect Tournament, I should have a good talk with my father on getting on well with Shiao Chens family. After all, if everything goes well, the future prosperity of Shiao family totally relies on Shiao Chen. And if he can make some elixirs for me, at least it will allow me to reach the seventh or eighth level of Qi Refining, even if not help me to reach Foundation Establishment, and by that time Shiao Lins eyes flickered. After a long while, he suddenly calmed down, and looked at Shiao Chen in a nicer way. After all, they were both named Shiao and the descendants of the same blood. Humph! Have you forgotten your identity? Shiao Chen is the disciple of Luoyun Valley. Please watch your manners. Qingyun Taoist said that coldly, stepped forward and protected Shiao Chen who was behind him. The look in Alchemy Taoist eyes was freezing cold. His magic power of the Gold Core was revealing overwhelmingly, his white hair flying automatically without wind and his luxurious priest purple robe making a loud sound, which seemed to say, If you say that again, I will make you regret it! Chapter 81 - The Choice So what, you two dont have the time to instruct my young Taoist friend Shiao Chen and dont want us to invite him to join our sect, either? Shiao Chen is just a nominal disciple in your Luoyun Valley, and he is free to go to another sect since he doesnt get your attention there. You dont have the right to intervene. Xuanqing didnt want to give up. His robe puffed up, he was ready to fight against the Qingyun Taoist and the Alchemy Taoist. Ming Sha took a step forward and looked at the Qingyun Taoist with his gloomy eyes and said in a low voice, Good, you two should not get involved in this because it is totally up to Shiao Chen. Otherwise, we two dont mind becoming your enemies in order to find a way out. Although the three elderly Xuan didnt speak up, they stood up silently and walked to the back of Xuanqing andMing Sha to show their support. Qingyun Taoist and Alchemy Taoist looked at each other and both of their faces turned gloomy immediately, as such a scene also made them unrest. Xuanqing and others were absolutely right that Shiao Chen was just a nominal disciple of the Luoyun Valley, so he could leave for other sects at any time according to the rules in the cultivation world. Besides, nearly all the sects of the Beihua State were gathered here today, if the two of them insisted to intervene, they might irritate all the cultivators for breaking the rules. Therefore, even if Luoyun Valley had two Gold Core cultivators here, they couldnt afford the outcome. But if they completely sat by and did nothing, it would definitely be a disaster for the Luoyun Valley if Shiao Chen joined another sect. The two old men would be so regretful that such a refining genius who had stayed in their sect for one year joined another sect right after his talent was revealed. Shiao Chen, my young friend, tell us what your choice is. Dont feel burdened. As long as you agree to join us, we will do whatever we can to protect you. You have my word. Seeing that Qingyun Taoist and Alchemy Taoist were nervous, Xuanqing started to expect Shiao Chen to join the Earth Spirit Sect. If he joined them, even if the Luoyun Valley had two Gold Core cultivators, the Earth Spirit Sect wouldnt be that inferior to it. Exactly, if you want to join any one of us, the three sects will protect you at our best. We will never let you and your entire family get hurt. Ming Shas eyes were shining bright as he said so. Since the Luoyun Valley had already had two Gold Core masters, if they had another third-grade alchemist The two old geezers must have determined that they would never let Luoyun Valley get this kid. The three elderly Xuan stood up at the moment and said together, This young man is also welcomed by our Flaming Sect. The three big sects were all pushing the limits and Qingyun Taoist and Alchemy Taoist both looked upset as they had no better solution for that. They stared at Shiao Chen tightly for fear that he might choose to go to another sect immediately. Shiao Chen was a bit stunned and comed to his senses after a long while. He nodded with a bitter smile. Long before, he was suffering from peoples ridicule because he was just a nobody. But now since he had shown them his alchemy talent, he was the most wanted one among them all. This was just how things worked out, Shiao Chen shook his head slightly as he didnt really care about that. Seniors, please listen to me. Shiao Chen bowed with respect as those people standing in front of him were all Gold Core cultivators who could easily smash him, so he treated them with full respect. Speak out, my young friend. Xuanqing and the others looked at each other and said with expectations. Shiao Chen nodded and said loudly after pondering a few seconds, I used to be a disciple of the Shiao family in the Shiao town. Im very lucky to know that there are cultivators here, and it was the sect which granted me the qualification to join you and saw so many wonders. After the spiritual root test, I was about to be sent back home to live an ordinary life. But I was so lucky to be accepted by Chief Master and study cultivation and refining methods. He also gave me the herb garden. It was all because of his great kindness that I can have my achievements today. Although I am not a very upright person, I perceive myself as a man who can tell right from wrong. Since all I have right now is given by Chief Master of our sect, it would be so ungrateful of me tochoose another sect. Therefore, thank you all who show me your kindness and favor, I am not going to join another sect. Even if I am just a nominal disciple of the Luoyun Valley, I will stay. Shiao Chen said sincerely. Although his voice was plain, his gratitude was obvious and firm. Great, well said! Hearing that, Qingyun Taoist suddenly felt relieved and looked at Shiao Chen with satisfaction. He then turned to Xuanqing and the others, saying, Hey, thanks for your offers, my Taoist friends, but I think my disciple doesnt have the luck to take them. However, you can rest assured that Shiao Chen will definitely enjoy the best treatment in our Luoyun Valley. Great, Shiao Chen. Today I am going to take you as my official disciple, and I wonder if you would take it or not. The Alchemy Taoist looked at Shiao Chen with great expectations. I, Shiao Chen, am now your disciple, Chief Master! Hearing that, Shiao Chen kneeled directly without hesitation and made the grand gesture of three bows and nine kowtows. Alright, my good disciple, just get up. The Alchemy Taoists eyes were full of joy as he helped Shiao Chen get up and passed a white jade bead into Shiao Chens hand, saying, This is the Sword Bead, and it can turn into a spiritual sword if you insert your spiritual power in it. It is one of the best weapons, and I used to use it before I formatted the pill. Today I give it to you as a present from your master. Thank you so much, Chief Master! Hearing that, Shiao Chen was surprised. This Sword Bead was quite cool and sharp, so it must be a really extraordinary treasure since the Alchemy Taoist had used it until he reached the Gold Core stage. Shiao Chen is now a disciple under my direct guidance. Will you give up, my Taoist friends? The Alchemy Taoist turned around and smiled with great satisfaction. Hum! Since it is the choice of Shiao Chen, we dont have any objections about it. But I still have something to say, if Shiao Chen has any complaints about the Luoyun Valley, he can just come to our Earth Spirit Sect in the Dingjin Mountain. I will keep the gate open for him at any time. Xuanqing scoffed but felt helpless. Anyway, it was Shiao Chens own choice, so he could do nothing about it. Ming Sha looked very gloomy and after a long while he sat down with a scoff. No one knew what he was thinking about. No worries, Xuanqing, my Taoist friend. I wont treat him badly since he is a great alchemist already. Hearing that, Qingyun Taoist laughed and said after a short break, Come here, Shiao Chen. Shiao Chen was stunned and took a few steps forward to kneel down, saying, I am here. Today I appoint you as the Master of the Pill Pavilion in Luoyun Valley. This position is very important and youre ranked under me and Alchemy Taoist. In addition, I would like to take the chance to announce that the Shiao family in the Shiao town will be protected by Luoyun Valley for a thousand years. Within the 10 centuries, we will guard the prosperity of this family as long as our Luoyun Valley exists. Thousand years of all-around protection! This was definitely the highest reward a family could receive in the cultivation world. Chapter 82 - Gold Core Cultivators of Flaming Sect Arrived Thanks! Chief Master! Hearing that, Shiao Chen felt thrilled. Although he did not have too much affection for the Shiao family, his father valued a lot about the family. From now on, as long as Luoyun Valley existed, Shiao family would be in peace within a thousand years. If his father knew about it, he would be very happy. Upon hearing that, Xuanqing felt discouraged. Knowing that it might be completely hopeless to have Shiao, he looked at Shiao Chen, then shook his head without saying a word. Thank you for waiting for so long. Since the alchemy test is over, the Sect Tournament of Luoyun Valley begins formally. Alchemy Taoist stroked his beard and smiled, but at the moment, two streaks of strong spiritual force were rolling overwhelmingly from the north straight to Luoyun Valley. The spiritual pressure sent out by the force was so strong that all people in the hall were caught off guard. Qingyun Taoist and Alchemy Taoist looked at each other, and instantly, the look in their eyes turned gloomy. They did not hesitate to stand up. The breath of Gold Core cultivators burst forth, which was opposite to the men who came from far away. Xuanqing looked alerted slightly at first, then he curled up his mouth. Maybe he had recognized the one coming near, so he looked at Qingyun Taoist and Alchemy Taoist in amusement, waiting to see what would happen to them. As for Ming Sha, he looked gloomier, with a stern look in his eyes. However, disciples of Flaming Sect were overjoyed now. At the very beginning, their Chief Master was not present at Alchemy Taoists Core Formation Ceremony, and undoubtedly, they behaved themselves with modesty. But at the moment, strong and varied breath was slowly emanated from the young disciples of Flaming Sect, which made the Chief Masters of small sects surprised. Haha, sorry for coming late! My friends, Qingyun Taoist and Alchemy Taoist, please forgive us. The voice was loud, coming from the sky in the north direction. With the voice, two streaks of light flashed to fall on the hall, and after the light disappeared, they found two old men standing there. One of them was wearing a purple robe and a gold band, and from whom, a strong imposing manner naturally exuded. Even in the main hall of Luoyun Valley, he did not restrain himself at all. He was no other than the Chief Master of Flaming Sect, Tianji Taoist, who had reached the prime middle stage of Gold Core. The other one was a skinny old man, with a scar running through his face, and a horrible look in his eyes. Although he looked thin and weak, he had also reached the early stage of Gold Core in cultivation. My respect to Chief Master. My respect to grandmaster Mingxiao. Three Xuan elders led the disciples of Flaming Sect to bow respectfully and shouted in a great pleasant surprise. Well, get up. Tianji Taoist slightly raised his hand, then bowed with hands folded in front to all people around, laughing, Mingxiao is just around the corner of core formation, and Im engaged with some affairs, so I come a little later. Please forgive us. Thats okay, Tianji Taoist, no need to apologize. Tianji Taoist was guarding Mingxiao, and its just as well to come a bit late. Its ok for us. Long time no see, and Chief Master Tianji Taoist is still as elegant as last time I saw you and your cultivation is deeper, which deserves to be congratulated on. Congratulations on the core formation of Mingxiao! I send congratulations to you on behalf of Water Sect! For a moment, many small sects in the hall rose up to their feet accordingly. Some tried to ingratiate themselves with Mingxiao. Everyone knew that there was going to be a good show. Originally, they thought that the Flaming Sect would be trampled under the feet of the Luoyun Valley, but a Fake Core elder of the former one succeeded in core formation, too. Thus, in terms of force alone, the two sides had been in a state of equilibrium. In this way, the combat between two sects might start again. Tianji Taoist and Mingxiao Taoist took their seats in Flaming Sects area, then their disciples quickly went to their sides and reported what just happened in the hall. When they knew Duan Huaming and Li Yuedu could refine Foundation Establishment Pill alone, they looked still calm, but slightly surprised when they heard Ji Yuewu refined Cultivation-bloating Pill, and full of shock when they knew Shiao Chen was able to refine Life-prolonging Pill, and had refined two pills. After a moment, until all the news was fully digested, Tianji Taoist regained his composure. Then he smiled and said, It seems that I came a little late, and missed a lot of wonderful things. I wonder if Alchemy Taoist can summon the disciple who refines the Life-prolonging Pill, so I can also get to know the future alchemy master in Cultivation World of Beihua State. Hearing that, Alchemy Taoist thought for a short while, then nodded, Shiao Chen, since Tianji Taoist has asked, you should pay a respect to him. Yes, Master. Shiao Chen answered, paid a respect first to Alchemy Taoist, then walked calmly to Flaming Sect and said, Shiao Chen, the junior, pays a respect to Chief Master Tianji Taoist. Although facing the Gold Core cultivators, Shiao Chen looked neither servile nor supercilious. Seeing that, Qingyun Taoist and Alchemy Taoist praised him in heart, and their impression of him was naturally better. Tianji Taoist smiled, and his eyes fell on Shiao Chen. After a long while, he smiled and said, Youre composed in temperament. You deserve to be the Alchemy Master who can refine the superior three-grade elixirs. If I promise that as long as you are willing to join Flaming Sect, I will find a way to help you reach Foundation Establishment at all costs, are you willing to join us? What Tianji Taoist said was partly true, and you could not figure out what was on his mind. But inside the main hall, the cultivators could not help but feel a jolt in their hearts. No matter it was true or false, he wanted to get Shiao Chen from the hands of Luoyun Valley for sure. Chief Master Tianji Taoist, please mind your manners. Shiao Chen is my disciple, and there is no possibility for him to switch to other sects. Alchemy Taoist looked gloomy, and said coldly. Hearing that, Meng Yuan was not angry, and said lightly, Alchemy Taoist, my friend, no need to be so nervous. Its just my proposal, and dont take it seriously. But I really want to know, Shiao Chen, what is your answer? To be honest, when Shiao Chen heard what he said, he was really excited. After all, the biggest problem that troubled him at the moment was to get to Foundation Establishment, but he gave up the idea after some thought. Not to mention that at this point, all sects of Beihua State gathered together, if he agreed to join them for his own selfish interests, even if others did not say anything, he would disdain himself in his heart. Whats more, with his status in Luoyun Valley now, presumably Master and Chief Master would also spare no effort to help him build a foundation. Why should he go so far? Tianji Taoist, thank you for your kindness. I have been blessed by my sect, and I will never join other sect my whole life. Please forgive me. Shiao Chen answered slowly, with sincerity and determination. Hearing that, Meng Yuan did not get angry at all, but took a careful look at Shiao Chen, and suddenly threw up his head with a big laugh, Alchemy Taoist has gotten a good disciple, which is really admirable. But Im here today for two things. The first one is to send congratulations on the success of Alchemy Taoists core formation; the second is for the centennial combat between two sects, and we should discuss the details of it. Chapter 83 - Sect Contest, Reverse the Heaven and the Earth (I) What do you mean, Tianji Taoist, my friend? Xuan Wujiu from your sect has just announced the failure of the Flaming Sect in this sect competition. Are you going to break the promise or what, my friend? Alchemy Taoist said in a cold voice with his gloomy face. Dont take me wrong, Alchemy Taoist, my friend. I never meant to break the promise. Xuan Wujiu is just an elder of the Flaming Sect, and he definitely doesnt have the privilege to make such an important decision on behalf of our sect. Tianji Taoist said with a cold face and scolded, Xuan Wujiu, you were talking nonsense before, and now I punish you for costing ten years cultivation and you should spend five years meditating at the Self-Examination Cliff. Will you take this punishment? I will. Xuan Wujiu looked quite pale yet he nodded without hesitation. Later on, his eyes turned fierce and his hand punched his chest strongly with a flash of spiritual light. A mouthful of blood was belched out immediately. His whole body suddenly withered. Seeing that, the Tianji Taoist nodded and asked him to leave, then he smiled and said, Alchemy Taoist, my friend, now you have understood the whole thing, and what else do you want to say? You Alright, you dont need to explain that much, junior brother. Since Tianji Taoist has already punished the one who made the decision on his own, then the former decisions shall be abolished for sure. All of the cultivators are here today, so why dont we have a competition now? The Alchemy Taoists eyes flashed with sternness and he waved to stop the Qingyun Taoist from speaking and turned to talk to the Tianji Taoist. What? Some people said that the Flaming Sect had already agreed to quit this sect assessment before, and now this kind of activity was considered as breaking the promise? It was well known that the cultivation world only respected the most powerful ones, and now the Flaming Sect owned such a great power, no one would challenge that even if they broke the promise. Hearing that, the look in Tianji Taoists eyes turned cold and he sneered, That would be great. Bang! All of the cultivators in the hall were shocked. The Luoyun Valley and the Flaming Sect both had two Gold Core masters, so if they started a fight, it would definitely bring an earthquake to the entire cultivation world of the Beihua State. And the winner would become the leader of the cultivation world in the Beihua State for the next century for sure. Not all of the sects in the hall were very close to both sides, so the situation was quite complicated and full of turbulences at that time. The Immortal-welcoming Arena was hundreds of cubic feet large and established with first-grade refining material, the bluestone. It was covered with many restriction spells and floating in the air, which made it the perfect place for the competition of the two sects. Now there were more than a hundred of small stones floating around the Immortal-welcoming Arena, and more than one thousand cultivators were sitting on them. They all looked super serious and still, knitting an invisible net of great power before the two even started their fight. On the two sides of the Immortal-welcoming Arena stood the people from the Luoyun Valley and the Flaming Sect. The two sects were always enemies and upon the contest today, they were looking at each other with massive ferocity. Our two sects have fought so many times, so no need to repeat the rules. But there is one thing, no killing during the fight. If someone broke it, his cultivation should be deprived and he would be sent to the side of the death for further punishment. Qingyun Taoist looked calm. Although the fight was coming, he still didnt get panicked, which made him outmatch all those ordinary cultivators. Hearing that, Tianji Taoist nodded to agree. The disciples of the Luoyun Valley that came here this time were all the best ones, if there was any loss of them, he would be really painful. You all have heard what Qingyun Taoist just said, no killing later during the fight, or you shall face severe punishment! As Tianji Taoist was speaking, he looked at a young man in black behind him. The man was around 20 years old and looked quite calm and his eyes were half-closed. It seemed that he noticed the stare of Tianji Taoist and opened his eyes to look at him, and then he closed his eyes to continue his rest. The Tianji Taoist was quite upset seeing that mans reaction, yet he didnt express his anger. Mingxiao, my junior brother, your great-grandson is just please take care of him later in case Qingyun Taoist get him. Im afraid we cant save him if that happens. Rest assured, master. I know what to do. Mingxiao looked at that young man and his gloomy face finally appeared to be a little bit proud. His great-grandson had a unique spiritual root that almost matched the heaven spiritual root, so he probably could take charge of the Flaming Sect in the future. Lichen, you shall be the first one to fight for our Flaming Sect. Remember, never bring shame to our sect. The Tianji Taoist was a little bit anxious, and he waved his hand slightly as a man in black ropes flew upon the arena right after. Lichen from the Flaming Sect would like to practice with all of the Taoist friends from the Luoyun Valley. Lichen arched his hands and yelled on the arena, and his eyes were filled with lights. Obviously, he was not an ordinary one as he was appointed as the first fighter. The Qingyun Taoist thought for a moment and said, Zi Qianhua, you shall fight with this man. Remember to be cautious. As you instructed. There was a man walking out from the disciples of the Luoyun Valley who bowed to the Qingyun Taoist and moved next to Lichen after a flashing light. No more small talks between the two sides. They arched their hands and then set a spiritual shield for themselves at the same time, and took out their spiritual weapons as well. Lichen from the Flaming Sect was using a big blue blade which was around 5 feet long. It was definitely a high-grade spiritual weapon as it was shining in a blue light after being inserted with spiritual power. Shoot! Lichen roared in a low voice and chopped instantly with his big blade. So many strings of blue lights burst out and went directly toward Zi Qianhua. This disciple from the Luoyun Valley was obviously showing his full strength as he wanted to end the fight as soon as possible. Although Zi Qianhua was not well-known, his cultivation had already reached the 7th level of the Qi Refining stage and was outstanding among the young generation in the Luoyun Valley. He had a silk tangling sword to practice the silk tangling spell. If he had enough time, he could set up a silk tangling spell during the fight and even the cultivator in the early stage of the Foundation Establishment should spend quite some time breaking it. Yet Lichen was obviously not trying to test the strength of his rival as he gave out the most killing skill that left the latter no time to react. Zi Qianhua was shocked and complained secretly. His spell was too mediocre if there was not enough time to set it up, so probably he couldnt make it to survive. Go! Zi Qianhua took out a jade talisman and crushed it despite his unwillingness, and then a yellow shield covered him suddenly. Bang! Bang! Bang! There fell the blue blade lights and the yellow shield blocked them all from the outside. It was definitely not an ordinary weapon as its color only faded a little bit under such strong attacks. Zi Qianhua relived a little bit and sneered, Now its my turn. However, his smile was frozen right at the next moment. Lichen sneered and took out a sharp arrow from his pocket. It seemed to be made from the bone of some kind of beast, all white and with some spots of phosphorus which was covered with coldness. Chapter 84 - Sect Contest, Reverse the Heaven and Earth (2) Evil Bone Arrow! You are very generous, Tianji Taoist, equipping a junior with such a great weapon. Qingyun Taoist looked quite gloomy and sneered. Hearing that, Tianji Taoist showed no expression but said, Im sure that the Earth Spirit Talisman you gave to your disciples is indeed very valuable as well. They looked at each other and sneered. However, Li Chen threw out the Evil Bone Arrow full of his spiritual power, and it burst out a pale flame all of sudden. Shoot! This thing was dashing really fast and fell on the yellow shield in the blink of an eye. Crack! Crack! The shield that used to be strong enough to take so many blade strikes was now extremely vulnerable under the attack of this weapon that it cracked all of a sudden. While the bone fires attached to the Evil Bone Arrow took the chance to go for Zi Qianhua. Argh! This bone fire was so fierce that the spiritual shield of Zi Qianhua cracked right after a touch, and he screamed in misery when the fire jumped onto him. We failed this time. Qingyun Taoist looked really gloomy and put out the bone fire with a spell. Then some disciples stepped up to take Zi Qianhua down for treatment. Ho ho, then our Flaming Sect has won this time. Tianji Taoist looked calm and said with his hands cupped in front of his chest. How come the Luoyun Valley has lost? It seems that the Flaming Sect has prepared a lot for this contest, and it shall not be underestimated. These two young disciples have the same strength, but the disciple from the Flaming Sect got a stronger weapon. Indeed. The first game was just a trial, and Im afraid the next one is the real match. Senior brother, its obvious that Flaming Sect knows quite well about our Luoyun Valley, as that juniors attack was very fierce and definitely not probing. Im afraid that they already knew the specialty of Zi Qianhuas skills, then what shall we do next? Alchemy Taoist frowned a bit and spoke secretly. Qingyun Taoist looked gloomy as he noticed that as well. He sneered, Hum, then we can only let another unexpected disciple to fight with him. Your third disciple Heishi is really good at controlling the fire, so I think he should be good enough to handle that junior. Hearing that, Alchemy Taoist was a little bit hesitant but he nodded right after. Heishi, go fight in the second game. Just try your best, dont go beyond yourself. Yes, master. Heishis eyes flashed and he jumped onto the stage, staring at Li Chen and yelled, Do you want to be replaced or to fight with me? Hearing that, Li Chen hesitated. If he stepped down at this moment, he would definitely be a winner. But if he defeated another one, then the sect would absolutely award him more. Although he had used the Evil Bone Arrow, he still had some other weapons, so he could possibly win again this time. Figuring that out, Li Chens eyes turned cold and said, Lets fight! This man was indeed cautious, yet he didnt recall any cultivator profile in the Luoyun Valley that matched him. He frowned a bit and sent out a white bone shield refined by some kind of beast bone first. This bone shield was oval in shape, narrow in the upper part and wide in the lower part with pale white color. Since it had a cold and vicious aura around, it was obviously a spiritual weapon. Fire Fist! Li Chen yelled in a low voice and operated his spiritual power. His fists turned bloody red and punched at Heishi immediately. With his spiritual power stimulated, two fists covered with flames went directly to Heishis face. The Fire Fist was just an entry-level skill of the Flaming Sect, and all of the disciples had practiced it during the Qi Refining stage. It was just ordinary and probably could only rank to the middle-stage spell in the Yellow Level. In the cultivation world nowadays, according to power, all kinds of refining skills and spells were categorized by four levels, namely, Heaven, Earth, Black, and Yellow. And each level was divided into three stages by upper, middle, and lower. Li Chen was obviously just probing Heishis ability as he was using the Fire Fist for now instead of any other advanced skills. Heishis eyes concentrated and he didnt even try to escape from those approaching fists. And he just strode towards him without one single spiritual shield. Arrogant and reckless, youre asking for it! Seeing that Heishi was so reckless, Li Chen was quite delighted. Although the Fire Fist was just an ordinary skill, it still could cause pain if he got hit without protection. Since the Fire Fist was right about to strike on Heishi, Li Chen felt a bit relieved as this game ended unexpectedly fast. However, right at the moment, a drastic change happened. Right at the time when the Fire Fist was about to hit him, Heishi pushed his hand forward swiftly on his way rushing forward, and each of his hands got a small white flame dancing and burning. Bang! Getting stimulated by the spiritual power, the white flames expanded immediately and turned into a giant flame as big as two palms. Soon the flame framed a shape and it looked like a firing toad which opened its mouth widely to swallow the two firing fists. Shoot! Heishi changed his spell and that toad opened its mouth again. The two flames came out of its mouth and the shade of two fists could be seen in the middle of them, rushing towards Li Chen. Argh! The change was very complicated yet it happened just in a flash. From the beginning of Heishis attack to the return of those two mighty fire fists, it was just a few moments. Li Chen screamed and the two flames struck heavily on the spiritual shield ahead of him, piercing the white bone shield with a strange turn. Thud! The spiritual shield was broken and although the power of those two flames weakened, they still hit on Li Chen without any slowdown. He screamed and spit out a mouthful of blood, passing out on the Immortal-welcoming Arena. The disciples of the Flaming Sect were all shocked and two of them rushed to the arena immediately to get the fainted Li Chen down. As for people from Luoyun Valley, they were all cheering and many female disciples were looking at Heishi with pure loving eyes. Senior Brother Heishi is really good at controlling the fire that he could make it form a beast shape and has some power with it. Im afraid that even some Foundation Establishment cultivators cannot do that. Senior Brother Heishi should definitely be proud of himself as a disciple of master Alchemy Taoist. Not only does he have great refining skills, but also with massive power. Go go, senior brother! Kick them hard! Nail down all of those bastards of the Flaming Sect! Hail to Senior Brother Heishi! Humph, how dare a fly compete with an eagle. Reckless moron! At that moment, a young man standing behind the Tianji Taoist scoffed. He opened his eyes suddenly and a malicious light flashed through, and he said coldly, Master, shall I go next? I should take all of those disciples from Luoyun Valley down. Chapter 85 - Sect Contest, Reverse the Heaven and Earth (3) Hearing that, Tianji Taoist showed a little hesitation in his eyes. He nodded slowly after pondering for a while, but still exhorted him in a worried voice, Ive been thinking about let you fight with them, but you should promise me not to do anything reckless. If you kill anyone, I will punish you severely! I got it. Chief Master, please rest assured. With that, he stood up, and with a flash of light, he directly fell on the Immortal-welcoming Arena, leaving the young cultivators of Flaming Sect in awe. Flaming Sect, Im Mingxiao the warrior! Do it now, or I wont you another chance later. Mingxiao the warrior said that calmly, but his eyes were shining, with a strong confident look. Dont talk big! Hei Shi snorted coldly, but was irritated by the opponents defiant attitude, thus his magic power was aroused, hitting several spells in succession on the fire toad. Croak! The fire toad let out a harsh low roar. Though it was formed by flames, its fist-sized eyeballs were flexible, as if it had its own spiritual wisdom. At the moment, driven by the spell, it opened its mouth and shot out a flame, which ran straight down to Mingxiao the warrior. The temperature of this flame was so high that the moment it appeared, people felt a heat wave oncoming and a touch of dryness-heat. Far in the Luoyun Valley, Shiao Chen felt worried that Hei Shi might lose. When Mingxiao the warrior first appeared, Shiao Chen had already found that this man had a profound practice, not knowing what skills he had practiced, which was near to the cultivators of the early stage of Foundation Establishment. As expected, seeing the fire toad spurting flames, Mingxiao the warrior snorted coldly, Humph! Just flame coagulation. Disperse! He raised his hand slowly and clenched it hard at the toad. Then, a large hand came out of thin air and took the toad. Puff! With horror in his eyes, Hei Shi spitted a mouthful of blood, and the fire toad was suddenly burst for hard pinch. After losing the fire toad, that flame slowly dissipated before it was getting close to Mingxiao the warrior. Let me give you another ride! Maliciousness flashed in Mingxiaos eyes, and all of a sudden, he waved to Hei Shi fiercely. With that, a large hand reappeared to take Hei Shi, and threw him hard in the direction of Luoyun Valley. Crack! Crack! Even at a distance, the sound of bones being broken was faintly audible, which told that at least more than a dozen of bones and veins regulating bodily functions had been severely damaged. If Hei Shi could not be healed in time, he was likely to suffer from the lingering effect of a chronic disease. From then on, it was impossible for him to make any progress in cultivation. Mingxiao the warrior did so viciously to the opponent, who had obviously no ability to resist. He was so merciless that many cultivators present could not help but turn pale. Well done! Well done! No wonder youre known as one of the elite disciples of Flaming Sect. All of them had a deep cultivation, and Luoyun Valley lost the battle this time. Alchemy Taoist looked sullen and took his hand away from Hei Shi. After ordering disciples to carefully lift him off here, he kept sneering. He didnt learn well by himself and he was only injured, but not dead. I wonder if you want to personally give my discipleC the junior a lesson? Grandmaster Mingxiao said in coldness. The two Gold Core cultivators stared at each other in great anger. After a long while they both snorted, then it was over. I wonder which friend of Luoyun Valley will take up the challenge next? Mingxiao smiled coldly in his heart, flicked his clothes and said. Hey, bloke! Dont be too puffed up! Take up my challenge! At this moment, a robust young man with a rough face strode out. With a flash of light from behind him, he directly mounted the platform. Its Hei Ta of Qingyun Peak! Brother Hei Ta is endowed with tremendous natural strength, and his body is much stronger than that of the ordinary cultivators. In addition, he is also cultivating Buddhas Gilded Top Image Spell, which made him even able to combat the cultivators in the early stage of Foundation Establishment. Brother Hei Ta! Come on! Avenge brother Hei Shi, and break the bones of this guy! Of course, hell do that. Boy, you must be a new disciple. Brother Hei Ta is the elder brother of Hei Shi, now his younger brother was hurt badly by this guy, so hes gonna risk his life to defeat this guy! The guy from Flaming Sect, dont be so arrogant! Brother Hei Ta will beat you ruthlessly! Hearing the reproach from Luoyun Valley, Mingxiao the warrior remained calm, but had more ruthlessness in his eyes. Oh, I didnt know that garbage is your brother! He was beat and you come up again. All right, I will take your bones one by one and crushed them all! So, you can be a companion with your brother. Hearing that, Hei Ta had more flames of fury in his eyes. He let out a low roar, and suddenly he was covered with layers of golden light, in which his bones clacked and grew in height. Muscles swelled all over his body, which tore his clothes apart instantly, revealing the skin flickering golden light. At this moment, Hei Ta was like the golden-armored god from the heaven, glowering and imposing. Boy, Im going to beat you to a lump of dogmeat today! Hei Ta let out a low rolling roar and strode away. Every falling of his stride was echoed with a flash of light of spell restriction on the Immortal-welcoming Arena. Hearing the thundering roar, people felt scared at a glance of it. Mingxiao the warrior was fearless. With the corners of his mouth slightly turned up to reveal some coldness, he showed no sign of any movement, but held Hei Ta with one hand. Bang! The big hand congealed its power and fell on Hei Ta, and they touched each other to produce a sound of that of iron and gold, so that we could see how powerful the formers physical strength was! HeyHa! Hei Ta roared, and a thick layer of golden light around protected him in the middle. With his black face turning red, he resisted the big hand outside, still keeping running towards Mingxiao the warrior. With a shred of surprise flashed in Mingxiaos eyes, he sneered and said, No wonder youre so confident. Youve got a knack. But it would be foolish of you to beat me if you had only this weak skill! As he spoke, he held the other hand against Hei Ta with all his might, and in an instant, another huge hand came out of thin air with all power and fell down hard. Puff! Two large hands fell on Hei Ta, which helped the power suddenly soar. The golden ray that surrounded Hei Ta made a sickening bending sound, unexpectedly, it was squeezed down by these two hands. Inside this golden light, from the mouth and nose of Hei Ta, large gulps of blood gushed out continuously. It was obvious that he had suffered severe internal injuries under the pressure of the big hands. Surrender! If you beg me for mercy, Ill let you go. A bit coldness was hanging around the corners of Mingxiaos mouth, and he looked at Hei Ta who was gripped by the big hand, sneering. Chapter 86 - Sect Contest, Reverse the Heaven and the Earth [4] Well, it seems that you are a tough man, and even now you dont bow to me to admit your defeat. I really admire that! With that, suddenly, Mingxiao the Warriors face became very gloomy, and he said in a malicious way, Since I was born, I hate those who pretended to be tough. I dont believe you can survive without begging for mercy. From now on, Ill crush all your bones one by one until you beg me for sparing you, or Ill never pity on you. Youd better get prepared. The first one! While speaking, Mingxiao reached one finger out and pointed to Hei Tas shins, and instantly, that big hand forced downward to give a hard press. Crack! With the sneer of Mingxiao the warrior, people around heard the clear sound of bone fracture. Hei Tas shins were twisted in a strange way, and the bones of which had been obviously crushed to pieces. Ouch!! In an instant, Hei Tas face was contorted with a look of extreme pain, and his body trembled faintly. But his lips were pressed together hard, and his bloodshot eyes were staring at Mingxiao the warrior, full of madness. The second one! After a slight pause, Mingxiao Zhanchen looked at the craziness from Hei Tas bloodshot eyes, with a malicious look flashing in his eyes, he reached out to press Hei Tas another shin hard. Crack! . . . . . . The third one! Crack! . . . . . . Brother Hei Ta, better give in right away! No need to keep struggling. Hei Ta, give in. You are no match for this guy. Come down quickly. Brother Hei Ta is so pitiful. Who can save him? Its time to stop. Some female disciples of Luoyun Valley that had not ever seen so much bloodshed even burst into tears. In that brief moment, more than a dozen bones of Hei Ta had been crushed, and both his hands and legs were paralyzed to one side. There was a steady flow of blood through his eyes, ears, nostrils and mouth, which was dripping on his body and condensed into blood scab, which was miserable to the most. But his eyes grew redder, and his mouth kept the roar of a wild beast. With that, a murderous frenzy swept over from its body. Ha ha, youre worthy of being the disciple of Luoyun Valley, with a spirit tough enough. Since you wont give up, we have to continue the battle. Since both your hands and feet have been useless, I will break your ribs every five breaths until you beg me for mercy! Filled with coldness in the eyes, Mingxiao the warrior reached out his hand and pressed down at Hei Ta hard. Stop! At this moment, Qingyun Taoist rose up to his feet. With that, the strong breath of Gold Core Cultivator swept out overwhelmingly, and the clouds above his head suddenly changed color. It was obvious that he had been angry to the extreme. Suddenly, an invisible pressure loaded on Mingxiao the warrior, which made him pale in an instant, and receded several steps. Qingyun Taoist, are you going to bully a junior disciple? Before Tianji Taoist said something, with a flash of light, Mingxiao the elder at one side had protected Mingxiao the warrior behind him. With a flick of the robe sleeves, he blocked all the spiritual pressure outside. Staring at Mingxiao the elder sharply, Qingyun Taoist, whose breath was quick and forceful, said in a steady and powerful voice, Your disciple was really wicked and fierce. He trapped Hei Ta by means of the spell restriction to stop Hei from opening the mouth, otherwise, Im afraid he would crush all the bones of my disciple in the end. With a sullen face and malicious eyes, hearing what Qingyun said, Mingxiao the elder sneered, We fought between the sects, but what rule forbids my great-great-grandson to do so? If not, my friend Qingyun Taoist, you fought with my junior disciple with your Gold Core cultivation, and arent you going too far? Are you bullying our Flaming Sect for no Gold Core could meet the challenge? You! The magic power waves in Qingyun Taoist ran high, and on top of his head, there was a faint green glint, with which, a strong spiritual pressure swept out from his body. Watch your tone, Chief Master Qingyun Taoist. Are you going to break the agreement between our two sects and to start a fight? Tianji Taoist snorted coldly and rose up to his feet slowly, from whose body a spiritual power not weaker than that of Qingyun Taoist was slowly emerging, like the recovery of a wild beast. Please stay calm, my elder brother. If we fight up with Flaming Sect, there will be one to be badly hurt. Im afraid someone else will take the chance to give us another attack, and then the sects prosperity will be wishful thinking. Alchemy Taoist frowned slightly now, and in a hurry, he transmitted the words to Qingyun Taoist. Qingyun Taoist had a complicated expression. It was long before he snorted and said, In this round of contest, Luoyun Valley admits defeat. With that, before Mingxiao the warrior got his big hand back, he directly scattered the hand, took Hei Ta, who had been unconscious, and flew off the stage. Humph, damned old thing! Before long, our Flaming Sect will get that treasure, and at that time we must make your Luoyun Valley removed from Beihua State thoroughly! Mingxiao the elder snorted coldly and then he said to Mingxiao the warrior gently, Chenzhan, in the later combat, you can just do it, and as long as you dont take their lives, it will be not against the rules of the combat between two sects. If anyone else dares to intervene and tries to hurt you, neither me nor Chief Master Tianji Taoist will stand by and watch! The voice was not high, but pushed by his magic power, it was strong enough to be carried throughout the whole hall, making the cultivators present all restless. Yes, grandfather. I will never lose the face of our Flaming Sect, and will certainly be friendly enough with all the friends from Luoyun Valley. Mingxiao the warrior, whose full name was Mingxiao Chenzhan, suddenly revealed some ferocious look on his face, and said coldly. Hearing that, Mingxiao the elder nodded with satisfaction, with a flash of light, he had been back to the Flaming Sects side. I wonder which friend from Luoyun Valley will come to challenge me? Mingxiao Chenzhan, from Flaming Sect, accepts your challenge! Being arrogant, Mingxiao Chenzhan pointed to the young cultivators of Luoyun Valley, who all turned pale and dared not make eye contact with him. A moment later, seeing no one answered, Mingxiao Chenzhan couldnt help laughing and sneered, Well, is it true that theres not even a person who dares to take my challenge in Luoyun Valley, a sect with two Gold Cores? In this case, youd better give up as soon as possible, so as not to waste my time. What he said had caused a big stir among the present. Although Mingxiao Chenzhan has not yet reached Foundation Establishment, his cultivation is not weaker than that of the cultivators at the beginning stage of Foundation Establishment. I am afraid that Luoyun Valley will be defeated this time. It is essentially a great occasion for Luoyun Valley to have two Gold Cores in the sect. Besides, several junior alchemists flexed their muscles just now. But the younger cultivators were all defeated by this young man of Flaming Sect this time, I am afraid that Luoyun Valleys accumulated momentum and influence before is about to collapse soon. At this point, the senior cultivators of Flaming Sect have no weaker cultivation than those of Luoyun Valley, but the junior cultivators have much stronger cultivation than the latter ones. Its possible that Flaming Sect will be the leading sect in Beihua. With two Gold Cores in Luoyun Valley, if they are forced out of the sect, I am afraid that this matter is enough to let Luoyun Valley lose face and prestige. Chapter 87 - Sect Contest, Reverse the Heaven and Earth (5) The divine sense of the Gold Core cultivators was strong enough for them to hear the whispering of those cultivators around. Qingyun Taoist and Alchemy Taoist went gloomy as they were afraid that the Luoyun Valley might lose its reputation in the whole Beihua State once they failed this contest, even if it already had two Gold Core cultivators. Does anyone of you want to fight for the sect? Qingyun Taoist looked around and each one of those disciples looked at by him went pale and didnt dare to react. So our Luoyun Valley has no other choice but to admit failure as no one is brave enough to support the sect? Qingyun Taoist looked really gloomy and helpless, yet he knew it clearly that probably not even one single disciple out there could fight with Mingxiao Chenzhan as he was absolutely showing his great power which was almost as good as an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. Master, I would like to try it out. Right at that moment, there came a female voice that sounded like a nightingale singing, clear and elegant. Ji Yuewu stepped forward and held her dress to take a bow. She looked calm and outstandingly elegant. Well Hearing that, Qingyun Taoist was a bit hesitant. Ji Yuewu had a great spiritual root and was able to refine the third-grade Cultivation-bloating Pill independently, so she definitely had great potential. That was why he didnt want her to get any injury that might stop her from further improving her cultivation. Alchemy Taoists eyes blinked and said suddenly, Yuewu, if you go to fight, how confident are you in defeating Mingxiao Chenzhan? Hearing that, Ji Yuewu stopped for a bit and opened her tender lips to say, I am at least 50% sure that I will defeat him if he didnt hide his power. Alright, go ahead. If you cant beat him then just say it. Id rather we lose the game than seeing you get hurt. Ji Yuewu felt really warm and she bowed again to them. She looked at someone behind and jumped onto the Immortal-welcoming Arena with her spiritual shield just like a stunningly graceful fairy. I am Ji Yuewu from Luoyun Valley, and I would like to compete with Senior Brother Mingxiao. Mingxiao Chenzhans eyes were bursting out sparks as he stared at Ji Yuewu, not even trying to hide his craving desire for her. Junior Sister Ji, why are you here on the Immortal-welcoming Arena? Is there no man in the Luoyun Valley? Im afraid I will be really sorry if I hurt you by accident. Hearing that, all those young disciples in the Luoyun Valley were very ashamed. They all wanted to hide themselves immediately as they could even feel the disdainful eyes of those young cultivators from other sects around. Even Qingyun Taoist and Alchemy Taoist were embarrassed yet they tried to hide their real feelings. Dont be too confident, Senior Brother Mingxiao. Since today our two sects have this contest, it is totally reasonable that I, as a disciple of Luoyun Valley, fight for the sect. Therefore, I will definitely fight with all my power when we are on the stage later, so please be careful for yourself. Ji Yuewus beautiful eyes blinked as she replied at ease. Hearing that, those disciples of Luoyun Valley were indeed very grateful and looking at Ji Yuewu with even hotter eyes. * Go get him! Senior Sister Ji! Hit that dude hard! Teach him a lesson so he will never mess with our Luoyun Valley! Please revenge for senior brother Hei Ta and Hei Shi! This dude must be carried down the arena as well! What are you looking at, kid? How dare you have any thoughts on Senior Sister Ji! Youd better keep them to yourself! She is way out of your league! Little brat from Flaming Sect, if you keep looking at her, I will definitely kill you! Those cultivators from Luoyun Valley that had been shocked before were all rioting as if they met the enemies who killed their fathers. All of them were screaming with their bloody eyes and looked like they were about to fight with Mingxiao Chenzhan at any time. Hmmm, it seems that Junior Sister Ji is quite popular in Luoyun Valley. Mingxiao Chenzhan looked a bit stunned yet he remained calm instantly, saying with a smile, What if we add some little things to spice up our game? Hearing that, Ji Yuewu frowned a bit and said slightly, Then what is your suggestion? Facing his burning eyes, Ji Yuewu was quite unpleasant and she sounded quite cold. Seeing Ji Yuewus cold and proud reaction, Mingxiao Chenzhan was even more tempted than angry that he wished he could swallow her all at once. Then if you win our game, Flaming Sect will lose the contest immediately and I will give out a mid-earth level spell as the reward. How does that sound to you? Mid-earth! Ji Yuewu was surprised for a bit and frowned as she went quite hesitant all of a sudden. While those cultivators around the Immortal-welcoming Arena were all shocked as well that they all looked stunned, yet their eyes returned to be red again. How is that possible? He has got a mid-earth level spell? No wonder he has such great power at such a young age. And he is even powerful as a cultivator in the early stage of the Foundation Establishment. It is all because of the mid-earth level spell! It seems that this lad is very lucky. Maybe he found some cave ancient cultivators once lived in and the spell was there. But Mingxiao Chenzhan is obviously looking for something really important, or he wouldnt take a mid-earth level spell as the reward. Is he The spells in the cultivation world were categorized into four levels, namely Heaven, Earth, Black, and Yellow. Yellow level spells were the most ordinary ones that both the refining speed and spiritual power attached were just inferior. Most random cultivators and small cultivator families or sects would choose this kind of spell to practice. As for the black level spells, even a low-black level spell was times more powerful than a yellow level one. It absorbed the spiritual power faster and produced bigger strength by refining. Although this kind of spell was very rare, it could be found in an auction of the cultivation world every few decades. Most of the earth level spells remained were kept in big sects, and normally they would only be passed to the core disciples. Whoever leaked the spells out should be severely punished. The earth level spells had appeared so far were mostly discovered in the ancient cultivator caves by lucky cultivators. But every time when an earth level spell showed up, those sects would fight for it insanely, thus causing countless deaths. The heaven level spell only existed in the legend and maybe only the superpowers in the core five states had it, such as the North, South, West, and East. Beihua State in the Zhao kingdom which was really backward in cultivation skills had never ever found one. Therefore, Mingxiao Chenzhans proposal was absolutely an earthquake as he offered a mid-earth level spell for the contest, which drove so many cultivators crazy. Chapter 88 - Sect Contest, Reverse the Heaven and Earth (6) Then what will you do if I lose? Ji Yuewu blinked her beautiful eyes and asked with caution. If you lose, Luoyun Valley can ask other disciples to fight with me. And if they win, it will also be counted as your winning. Same for all of my other offers. Mingxiao Chenzhan admired her courage and added, But if I win in the end, I will send someone from Flaming Sect to propose for our marriage in half a month. Please dont reject me at that time. How does that sound to you? Whoop! Hearing that, all the others were shocked, especially those young disciples from Luoyun Valley. Their eyes were burning and they really wished they could skin this Mingxiao Chenzhan alive right on the arena. I dare you say that again! I am no match for you but I will fight with you till my last breath! Hey! You bastard from Flaming Sect, go find some chicks in your own sect! Our finest beauty of Luoyun Valley will never end up with you! Senior Sister Ji, please dont say yes to him! It is just a mid-earth level spell, and I would love to sacrifice all I have to find it for you.I promise! We dont have anyone else in our Luoyun Valley so that we have to let Senior Sister Ji deal with this guy? Please step out if you have the ability, any senior brother? Those young cultivators from Luoyun Valley were really furious as it would be really a shame for them if the most beautiful lady in Luoyun Valley was taken by someone from other sect directly. They would rather just kill themselves. If we can get the mid-earth level spell, there will be a group of elite disciples among the young generation in a few years in our Luoyun Valley. Qingyun Taoist was really excited that he knew how important this mid-earth level spell could be, as the Qingyun Scripture he was refining was only a low-earth level spell. A mid-earth level spell is indeed hard to get, but this Mingxiao Chenzhan must be really certain about it, so he proposed at this moment. It will be alright if Yuewu wins, otherwise, our disciple who can definitely refine a core in the next century will be taken by Flaming Sect! Alchemy Taoist looked really worried as he was uncertain about the situation. Well, maybe Yuewu should make her own decision on this. If she is not confident about herself, then she wont agree with that proposal. The two Gold Core cultivators looked at each other and then stared at those from the Flaming Sect. Nonsense! Chenzhan shouldnt havebet with others recklessly. How could he be responsible for that if he really loses ? Mingxiao Masters face suddenly changed as he was quite mad when seeing the gloomy face of Tianji Taoist. The mid-earth level spell Spirit Lock was acquired by the sect accidentally from a rogue cultivator. As for why it was Mingxiao Chenzhan who got to keep it for refining, the first reason was that he had good capabilities and could refine it at a fast speed, and the second was that Mingxiao Master was about to form his core privately, and it was 50% possible that he could make it. Thats why Mingxiao Chenzhan could finally get this mid-earth level spell. However, it didnt mean that he could use it to bet with others. If he lost by any chance, even if Mingxiao Master could intervene, he would be severely punished. Master, shall we stop Chenzhan? He is obviously too impulsive and bold this time, so please dont be mad at him. Tianji Taoist blinked and shook his head while saying with a smile, No, since Chenzhan has already started a battle, how can he withdraw now? Moreover, this little girl from Luoyun Valley is really talented and it is more than 50% possible that she can form the core within the next century. Plus that she is already a third level cultivator, so she is good enough for the mid-earth level spell, Spirit Lock. Also, no one knows better about Chenzhans power than you and I, so I am very confident about him! Mingxiao Master looked quite relieved and after a short while of thinking, he couldnt hide his mocking smile anymore. On the Immortal-welcoming Arena, Ji Yuewu didnt look surprised at all as she had already thought about this possibility. Now she frowned a bit and looked cold, yet she didnt refuse him. Tianji Taoist, I wonder if Mingxiao Chenzhan can represent the whole Flaming Sect. Tianji Taoist blinked and stared at Ji Yuewu. He then nodded slightly with a smile, saying, Of course he can. Hearing that, Ji Yuewu took a deep breath and looked very determined in her white dress. She turned around and said respectfully, Masters, I would like to accept his proposal, please allow me. Qingyun Taoist nodded slightly and waved his hand, saying, Just go, Yuewu. I will prepare a feast for you when you take the reward back! Hearing that, Ji Yuewu bowed again. She stared at the man in dark clothes for a moment, turning around slowly and said in a cold voice, Mingxiao Chenzhan, Ill take your proposal. Lets fight. Great! Mingxiao Chenzhans eyes were burning red and he said with his hands cupped in front of his chest, But if I hurt you later, please dont blame me. I will definitely keep you well before the engage ceremony in two weeks, and you will marry me and stay in Flaming Sect in a blast! Maybe its too early to talk about it now, as you need to beat me first. Ji Yuewus eyes went cold and she sent out a feet-long wind blade directly to Mingxiao Chenzhan after waving her sleeves, saying, Ill make the first strike if you refuse to do it! Haha, alright, then Ill let you know how worthy I am for you to marry! Mingxiao Chenzhan looked really arrogant as his clothes were shaking when a strong spiritual power coming out of him. It was more than a hundred times stronger than before that it could reach the mid-level stage of the Foundation Establishment. This is my real power, do you think you can beat me? How about you just go back now, in case we might have a really ugly fight later. While he was talking, he grabbed and smashed the wind blade easily with a giant palm formatted in the air by his hand. How come? Mingxiao Chenzhan hid his power? He is only slightly weaker than a cultivator in the mid-level Foundation Establishment stage. With such a power, he could easily nail any young disciple in Luoyun Valley. Im afraid that we will lose this great disciple this time. Flaming Sect is really complicated. Now they have two Gold Core cultivators in their sect, plus such brilliant young disciple having such great power at such a young age. They can definitely formate the Gold Core successfully within the next century. Maybe the finest disciple nurtured by Luoyun Valley will go to the other side this time. Mingxiao Chenzhan has shown himself off and gained huge fame in the Beihua State. He can also win a gorgeous beauty. Who else can we get jealous of? In the hall, those cultivators from each sect looked at each other with great shock in their eyes, and they couldnt help but look at those cultivators from Flaming Sect with respect. Chapter 89 - Sect Contest, Reverse the Heaven and the Earth [7] Ah! Damnable Mingxiao Chenzhan! How sinister he is! He has deliberately hidden his cultivation, so despicable! He is so mean, sly and nasty that sister Yuewu fell into his trap. This guy is just setting a trap deliberately. This is bad. Come on, sister Yuewu. If you lose to this brat, I will not let him marry you. At Luoyun Valleys side, when all the disciples saw the sudden outbreak of Mingxiao Chenzhans hidden power, their expressions changed greatly and they scolded him, when their eyes became bloodshot again. Qingyun Taoist and Alchemy Taoist also had gloomy looks in their eyes. Mingxiao Chenzhans practice concealing method was quite extraordinary, so that unexpectedly, they did not see any slightest clue, either. This person is so calculated and cunning. Im afraid he had already made a plan early before he came to the arena. With the cultivation he revealed before as camouflage, his ultimate goal was Yuewu. At the opposite pole of Luoyun Valley, the Flaming Sect were jubilant. Brother Mingxiao Chenzhan, go get her, marry this beauty of Luoyun Valley. Brother Mingxiao Chenzhan is so powerful that he snatched off the first beauty of Luoyun Valley, which makes me envy. The boys of Luoyun Valley, dont just keep clamoring at the bottom of Luoyun Valley. Anyone who wants to challenge me can go up onto the platform. I think brother Mingxiao Chenzhan will never mind combating with you. Yes, yes, youre right, my brother. Just now they dared not stand forward but sent out this delicate beauty, who will soon be won home by brother Mingxiao to cultivate as a couple, but now they made such noise that it was disgusting. Tianji Taoist and Mingxiao Master, the eyes of whom fell on the gloomy face of Qingyun Taoist, suddenly felt a burst of comfort in their hearts. With a smile that was hard to conceal, they had a great satisfaction at the thought of taking away the beautiful and highly qualified girl. Ji Yuewu showed some worry on her face, and alarm flashed in her eyes, which was instantly suppressed by her. The Middle-stage of Foundation Establishment! Ji Yuewu was caught in a dilemma. With her current cultivation of the ninth level in Qi Refining period, and some secret arts, she might still have a 50% chance of winning to contend against cultivators at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, but less than 20% against those at the early stage of Foundation Establishment. Ji Yuewu took a deep breath, and tried to relax herself a bit. With a gleam of determination in her eyes, which were as bright as the sea pearls, she said coldly, Well know the result at the end of the fight. Although friend Mingxiao Chenzhan has a deep cultivation, I still wont give in without having a fight with him! Between words, a spiritual power wafted from inside her body. It was much weaker than that of Mingxiao Chenzhan, but had barely reached the early stage of Foundation Establishment. Whoosh! Ji Yuewu did not stop and took out an unsophisticated jade pendant, which was yellow all over and about the size of a palm, from the storage bag. She reached her hand out to input a stream of spiritual power and threw it on top of her head. The jade pendant was sparkling with yellow rays of light, which enveloped her and about three meters around in. Seeing the jade pendant successfully driven, Ji Yuewu showed a look of relief, which seemed that she had a great confidence in the defense of the treasure. With a slight hesitation flashing in her eyes, the lady paused. And then with eyebrows slightly knitted, she bit through her slender index finger without hesitation. Then hot blood gushed out on the fingertip; instead of dripping, it condensed into a red blood bead on her fingertip. Ji Yuewu drew on the air, and the blood bead on her fingertip was like a cinnabar Talisman brush. With the movement of her hand, a Talisman Rune of a foot in size, which was made with blood streaks, complicated and mysterious, appeared slowly. Nobody knew what the Tailsman Rune was. It seemed that it had consumed all the magic power of Ji Yuewu to draw it, and now she was turning extremely pale, and her breath was also uneven. The Talisman Rune was primitive and simple in style, with an implied magnanimous quality, which made people know at a glance that it was not an ordinary thing. Although it was only got by calligraphy and painting, a suffocating force was slowly wafting out from it. Mingxiao Chenzhan felt the strong power that emanated from the Talisman Rune and finally his face grew grave. He was conceited, but not a fool. He did not dare to take no heed of the strong power of the Rune. Whoosh! He patted his forehead, and for the first time he offered a magic weapon. Unexpectedly, it was a Jade Ruyi, a foot in size and green in color. It was full of heavy and complicated grains, and was circle on the head, on which the plum, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum and other things were carved, with countless fine streaks running downstream. The Jade Ruyi was indeed a different treasure, and driven by Mingxiaos magic power, it grew out innumerable green silk threads, which hung low like slender willow branches, forming a curtain over Mingxiao Chenzhan. At the same time, the red Talisman Rune standing in the air in front of Ji Yuewu suddenly burst out of golden light, and a strange force came instantly as if being called from the space broken afar, with this rune as a medium. Buzz! At this moment, Shiao Chen suddenly became nervous, and his body became tight instantly and there was panic in his eyes. At the next moment, he looked calm, but he looked at Ji Yuewu with astonishment, feeling uncertain about what would ha. Just now, when the Talisman Rune was motivated by Ji Yuewu, the gold seal which had been merged in Shiao Chens soul, with no sign of movement before, suddenly quivered violently. At the same time, an ineffable breath exhaled from the gold seal. Although the gold seal breathed in quickly after it breathed out, what made Shiao Chen astonished was the breath that the gold seal sent out, and the acknowledge allegiance to Talisman Rune from its inside. It made him shiver all over, and he seemed to lose all his will instantly, with no resistance at all. What treasure is this gold seal on earth? How can it resonate with Ji Yuewus magic power? Just now between the breaths, Shiao Chen felt obviously that the breath entered into Talisman Rune in front of Ji Yuewu. When it came back, not only had it not been consumed, but slightly doubled in volume. The sudden change of situation made Shiao Chen gloomy suddenly. He had been able to be powerful like so because of the gold seal in the soul, and he would have been greatly disturbed if he had not been able to find out what it was. Now Shiao Chen couldnt stay calm anymore, but nobody noticed it, because on the Immortal-welcoming Arena, the strong breath suddenly emitted from the bloody Talisman in front of Ji Yuewu had attracted the attention of all people. When that gold seal burst out golden light, Ji Yuewu was amazed at it for a second, then she felt overjoyed. Although she was very quick to hide her feelings, it did not escape Shiao Chens eyes. People could only see this lady glance quickly at all around. Without finding anything unusual, she could not help but be disappointed. Can Sister Ji sense the breath of gold seal? And I think her rune formula is very similar to that used by Yu Ji and Corpse Rider in the sealed land, but the powers of the two differ so much. Is it because of the special blood in the body that Sister Ji could resonate with the gold seal? It seems that the origin of the gold seal has something to do with her, and I need a chance to find the truth out. Shiao Chens eyes flickered. Seeing Ji Yuewus eyes lingering around him, he quickly looked down, and even his breath became smooth instantly. Chapter 90 - Sect Contest, Reverse the Heaven and the Earth (8) Ji Yuewu looked a bit confused yet she didnt have the time to think about it, as the talisman in her hand had already been activated that she had to shoot it out. Watch out, Mingxiao Taoist! I got this incomplete secret weapon accidentally in a market and it is too powerful that I cant even fully control it. Shoot! The talisman started to swell immediately when it left her hand and it grew as big as half feet within a short moment. It had the light of blood shining all over and tons of fierce power coming from it. What kind of secret weapon is this talisman? How come it can produce such a strong killing power? According to its natural and majestic texture, it is probably a weapon from ancient cultivators. Alas, its a pity that this weapon is incomplete, so even it looks quite powerful now, its actual power might not be so strong. And Im afraid it cannot be strong enough to break the Jade Ruyi on the head of that lad from Flaming Sect. What? So that is the Jade Ruyi they got from the cave of an ancient cultivator? I heard that it is super powerful, able to compete with every ordinary defense weapon. No wonder this lad is so confident and takes a mid-earth level spell as the wager, maybe he already knew that he would win! Haha, then I am so curious about your talisman. Take it! Mingxiao Chenzhan looked really confident. He waved his two hands and two giant palms appeared in the air all of a sudden, smashing down to the bloody talisman. Both of the two palms were as big as three or four feet and were totally black. The power coming out of them was almost as strong as the cultivator in mid-level Foundation Establishment stage. Bang! Bang! Two palms struck down, yet the bloody talisman just stopped for a bit and then torn it apart immediately. It then went directly to Mingxiao Chenzhan without even one bit of slowing down. Hum! Mingxiao Chenzhan scoffed as his two palms were smashed in a flash. He was shocked for a moment as the power of this bloody talisman was way beyond his expectation. Jade Ruyi, form the plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum to protect me! Mingxiao Chenzhan shouted in a low voice and his spiritual power started to operate. He then pointed upward suddenly, and the power was rolling out to insert into the Jade ruyi. Bang! Along with the help of the spiritual power, the Jade Ruyi shined bright immediately as four shades of plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum were appearing around it. There was also a strong natural power of heaven and earth coming out of it. It was quite complicated to describe the scene, but it all happened in a flash. Before Mingxiao Chenzhan could activate the actual power of his Jade Ruyi, the bloody talisman already fell onto him immediately. Bang! A massive noise burst out in the air all of a sudden when the two collided, and the shock wave of the strong spiritual power even made those cultivators around the Immortal-welcoming Arena pale and trembling. All creatures alive in the forest of the whole Luoyun Valley were now shivering and paralyzed. Meanwhile, the four shades of plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum were whirling in a fast speed on that Jade Ruyi, sending out spiritual lights in four colors of red, purple, green, and yellow. They were tangled with the bloody talisman. Seeing that the talisman was trapped, Ji Yuewu looked even paler. She took a few moves and yelled with her tiny mouth, Bloody talisman, form up! Call the true spirit and strike! After her yelling, the bloody talisman which had been struggling with the four-color lights on the Jade Ruyi trembled all of a sudden and explode right away, turning into a whirling blood mist. While it was breathing, the bloody mist turned into a whirlpool as big as a few feet. There was a bloody palm formed out of it and reached out to the four-color spiritual light. Crack! Crack! The whirling shades of plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum stopped all of a sudden and broke into pieces after a second of trembling. The Jade Ruyi was also covered with cracks as its spiritual power disappeared immediately. It was totally useless now and fell on the ground with a tragic cry. Eh? Before the bloody palm was about to be withdrawn, a voice of someone questioning was coming from somewhere. But the whirlpool started to shrink before he acted. So even if the palm was not willing, it could do nothing but shrink back fast. In such an emergency, she used her secret talisman and broke the space to call the master to save a life! What kind of secret talisman does she have anyway? How come she could break the space by force and call a helper? She could easily break that Jade Ruyi which is as strong as a defense weapon, so she is way more powerful than imagination. Maybe she is the lengendary Nascent Soul? What a pity. If she added more power, she could have a bigger hit on that lad from Flaming Sect. But then the result would be completely different from now. Most of the cultivators on the hall were shaking their heads secretly. Although the last life-saving strike of Ji Yuewu was very impressive, it costed her massive power. However, it only took Mingxiao Chenzhan a little spiritual power as he was protected by his Jade Ruyi. So it was quite clear who won this contest. Well, it seems that I won this time. Junior Sister Ji, I will definitely come here to take you as my wife in two weeks. Please take care of yourself during this time. Mingxiao Chenzhans face changed drastically for a while, and he looked a bit shocked and thought, When I get her finally, I will get her life-saving skill at any cost. It is pretty much as powerful as a life-saving weapon! Hearing that, Ji Yuewu went pale and sighed when she looked at a man in black clothes with her lips bit up, Although he is really good at refining, this man is as powerful as a cultivator in mid-level Foundation Establishment stage, so he can do nothing to help me even if he steps out. He will just be humiliated. I thought I could beat this man with my talisman and got that earth level spell. Who would have thought this maybe this is my fate. Thinking of this, she looked even paler like a tender white flower in winter that won peoples sympathy easily. Qingyun Taoist and Alchemy Taoist looked really upset as there might hardly be any changes with so many cultivators in the Beihua State as witnesses. While the Tianji Taoist and Mingxiao Master were very delighted as probably there would be another Gold Core cultivator in their sect in the next century if they took this girl. How could they restrain their joy? Tianji Taoist, our disciples are not allowed to bring any weapons above the magic weapon for this contest between our two sects. But the Jade Ruyi that Mingxiao Chenzhan used this time is as powerful as a magic weapon, so Im afraid our Luoyun Valley will not accept the result. Qingyun Taoist looked quite gloomy and said in a cold voice. Where does that come from, Qingyun master? Mingxiao Master rolled his eyes and sneered, This Jade Ruyi is an ancient weapon, and it is just one of the top spiritual weapons. Even if it is as powerful as a magic weapon, it is literally not a magic weapon, so we didnt violate the agreement. Or, Qingyun master wants to break your promise in front of all those cultivators of Beihua State? Chapter 91 - Sect Contest, Reverse the Heaven and the Earth (9) You Hearing that, Qingyun Taoist became sullen. He looked gloomy completely, but could not retort. Dont worry, Chief Master Immortal. Just now this person has boasted about what he can do, and if then a disciple of Luoyun Valley can beat him, the agreement before is still valid! I have no capability, but will absolutely not let Sister Ji marry him. I will fight him to death! While talking, in Luoyun Valley, a twenty-year-odd-old young man, who looked upright and furious, fell on the Immortal-welcoming Arena with a flash of light. Let me teach you a lesson, brat! Suddenly, the disciple smacked his forehead, brought out a piece of spiritual weapon from inside his body. Then he pointed at Mingxiao Chenzhan, towards whom the spiritual weapon fell immediately. Reckless! Mingxiao Chenzhan laughed and also there was a sneer on his face, Even if I have lost some magic power, youre not my rival! In the sneer, he waved his hand and clapped casually, and then a big black hand converged in the air. Like flies being swatted, that disciple of Luoyun Valley and his spiritual weapon were both struck down on the ground. Get lost! Mingxiao Chenzhan shouted in a low voice, and kicked the disciple who was vomiting blood out of Immortal-welcoming Arena. With a sudden flick of the sleeves, Mingxiao Chenzhan shouted to all the disciples of Luoyun Valley, I am right here. If anyone has any objection, come up at once! Ill fight with you all! You crap! Mingxiao Chenzhan was extremely arrogant to say so. But the cultivators around Immortal-welcoming Arena all kept silent. After all, what had just been revealed was obvious to all of them. He was near the Middle-stage of Foundation Establishment and his cultivation was enough to defeat the younger generation of cultivators of Luoyun Valley! The cultivators of Luoyun Valley, from Chief Master Qingyun Taoist and Alchemy Taoist to disciples outside the sect, all wore a gloomy face, and it was possible that they wished to devour Mingxiao Chenzhan alive. Mingxiao Chenzhan, dont be insolent! Do you think theres no one to fight against you in our Luoyun Valley? Although Im less powerful, I still want to fight with you! Another disciple from Luoyun Valley, with cultivation of the seventh level of Qi Refining, shouted angrily. With a flash of light, he went straight to the stage. Whoosh! The disciple let out a low cry, and raised his hand, then a Jade Hair Clasp turned into about a foot in size, and fell down quickly. Crap! Mingxiao Chenzhan sneered. When he made a casual clap, a hand appeared in the air. Then the Jade Hair Clasp let out a wail, and it was directly shot into two sections, along with which, the disciple squirted blood and fell down the stage. Mingxiao Chenzhan, take my Xuanyin Hand! . . . The Flaming Sect brat, catch my magic weapon! . . . Even if I cant beat you, I will make you suffer! . . . Boom! Boom! Boom! Within a short while, more than a dozen disciples of Luoyun Valley rushed to the stage, but their strengths had a large discrepancy with Mingxiao Chenzhan. They all ended up with vomiting blood and being defeated with just a wave of Mingxiao Chenzhan. Losers, a bunch of losers! Has Luoyun Valley only cultivated these garbage after so many years?! None of you is my rival! Chief Master Qingyun Taoist, if no disciple in Luoyun Valley is capable enough to fight with me, how about admitting defeat automatically? Or youll end up insulting yourself. Mingxiao Chenzhan laughed crazily, and in the depths of his pupils, it sparkled. He looked at the people of Luoyun Valley, with full contempt. Qingyun Taoists face became ashen and stiff. Glancing at his disciples, he felt helpless in the heart. About a dozen of disciples standing on the stage were all outstanding ones of Luoyun Valley. Now that they were defeated by the opponent at will, what was the use of having more incapable disciples left? Are we really going to lose this time? Originally I thought since Alchemy Taoist has got to Gold Core successfully, Luoyun Valleys resurgence can be expected. Unexpectedly, in the end well become a stepping stone to others. How unfair it was! I wont reconcile to it! I wont reconcile to it! With cold eyes, Qingyun Taoist said in an unwilling voice, Are there anyone willing to fight on the stage? No matter who, as long as you win, you can automatically become Luoyun Valleys core disciple. Youll be granted the earth level power and rewarded the position of the Elder! Since great reward having been promised, the disciples of Luoyun Valley looked at each other, speechless. After all, although the reward was rich, disciples with lower cultivation still didnt dare to answer. The arrogance of Mingxiao Chenzhan just now had made them frightened. Seeing that there was still no response, instantly, with eyes dimmer, Qingyun Taoist seemed to have aged a lot. But when his eyes fell on the black robe of a disciple, with a sudden inexplicable feeling, he could not help but ask, Shiao Chen, will you go? Shiao Chen, will you go? Although the voice was not loud, it was enough to let all the people in Immortal-welcoming Arena hear clearly. What? Is it that Qingyun Taoist was so angry that he got muddle-headed? Unexpectedly, he intended to send this guy to battle! Although this guy is good at alchemy, which is enough to earn the title of alchemy master, his cultivation was only the second level of Qi Refining. If he fights against Mingxiao Chenzhan, will he immediately be killed? Qingyun Taoist must have been out of his mind at the fit of anger. This disciple of his is clearly talented in alchemy, but if he was sent to the stage now, even if the other one doesnt kill him, he will get down the stage with insanity at least. It will add another big loss to Luoyun Valley. Youre right. If I were him, I might admit defeat directly. Wouldnt it be humiliating to be knocked off the stage one by one? Now incredibly, they are so muddleheaded to send this alchemy master to fight. If they really dont want him, our Fengshui Sect will greet him warmly. Having finished the words, Qingyun Taoist came to himself. Hearing the whisper around, he felt a bit embarrassed, but could not go back on the words he uttered. He had to pretend to be deaf and wait for Shiao Chens answer. At the moment, all eyes fell on Shiao Chen. On the Immortal-welcoming Arena, Ji Yuewu, pale on her face, whose eyes, with a bit of complexity, fell on Shiao Chen, was waiting for his answer. Mingxiao Chenzhan caught that, and with some coldness flashed by in his eyes, his willingness to kill Shiao increased instantly. At the foot of Immortal-welcoming Arena, under the publics attention, Shiao Chen frowned slightly, paused for a little while, and he said, Chief Master, I Before Shiao Chen finished his words, he was interrupted by a guffaw. Mingxiao Chenzhan pointed at Shiao Chen from afar and sneered, I do not know what relation between you and younger sister Yuewu was before, and whether you two have affection or not. Today Ill tell you, she is my woman from now on. If you dont give it up, just go ahead and fight with me. If you want to be a coward, you can leave as far as you can. Never show up in front of Yuewu again. Otherwise, I will certainly not forgive you! Chapter 92 - Sect Contest, Reverse the Heaven and the Earth (10) Mingxiao Chenzhan, what are you talking about? There is absolutely nothing between me and Junior Brother Shiao Chen. Ji Yuewu looked a bit panic as it drove her anxious once she heard that, Junior Brother Shiao Chen, dont be tricked by him. This man has really profound cultivation, and you must not accept his condition, in case you face a fatal consequence. However, her persuasion was obviously just in vain and those cultivators were even more suspicious, since if there was really nothing between them, then she didnt need to be so worried. Her behavior just made her look like she was hiding something. As time passed by, those cultivators looked at Shiao Chen with despise and they wondered why he kept being a coward even when Ji Yuewu tried so hard to take care of him, which really pissed them off. Ji Yuewu finally realized why they looked so different after she said so, but she couldnt speak anything else when thinking about the bitter situation right now. Facing those eyes that despised him, Shiao Chen didnt change a bit but turned around to look at the Immortal-welcoming Arena. He said slightly, I never said that I wouldnt agree with this. I know, Mingxiao Chenzhan, that you have profound cultivation, but does that mean you can predict the unknown as well? You Hum, I cannot do that, but Hearing that, Mingxiao Chenzhan looked a bit gloomy as he had never expected that he would be interrupted by Shiao Chen forcibly. Then if you cannot do that, you better just shut up and stop making noises. Shiao Chen threw a glimpse at him and stared at Ji Yuewu for a second, and then he turned to talk to Qingyun Taoist with respect, Master, I would like to fight with this man and bring honor to our Luoyun Valley with my efforts. Shiao Chens move was indeed coming out of his full consideration. Ji Yuewu had always taken care of him before, and she tried many times to protect him. He could definitely tell her heart by what happened today. Shiao Chen was not a saint who cared nothing about the wordly affairs, so he was very grateful for what she had done for him, and he would definitely not let her go with Mingxiao Chenzhan and live a miserable life. That was one thing. And the other thing was, there must have been some connections between the bloody talisman that Ji Yuewu just used and the strange change of the gold stamp. Shiao Chen was determined to figure it out sometime, and this was one of the reasons he would like to fight. Master, I would like to fight with this man and bring honor to our Luoyun Valley with my efforts. His voice might not be loud, but it sounded like thunder to all those cultivators present. Is he crazy? How dare he agree to fight with Mingxiao Chenzhan, given his poor cultivation! Maybe it is just because that his affair with Ji Yuewu got exposed that he tries so hard to fight, so as to ease the humiliation. Well, he is still too young. It is no big deal getting despised by other people, compared with being humiliated in public. And he just pissed off Mingxiao Chenzhan, so Im afraid he will really get kicked in the ass later on the stage. As far as I see, Flaming Sect is probably taking this chance to smash Shiao Chen. Because this kid could become a big threat to them as he has got fantastic talent in alchemy, and he could probably become a fourth-grade cultivator in the future. Maybe Qingyun Taoist was just unconscious. But since this kid has agreed to fight, lets see how he ends it up later. At the Flaming Sect side, Tianji Taoist suddenly concentrated his eyes and exchanged looks with Mingxiao Master, and his eyes turned evil all of a sudden. This kid has got great talent in alchemy that we are not able to make him one of us. So wed better take this chance to destroy him completely! The two of them already understood each other without even speaking out. Haha, you are never too young to get the fame. I didnt expect that Shiao Chen, my friend could be so brave and outstanding at alchemy . However, Zhan is way more advanced than you in cultivation, so this fight of you two is too unfair for you. Zhan, you are only allowed to use half of your power later when you fight with Shiao Chen, hold your force and dont hurt him. Mingxiao Master stood up and laughed. Although he was praising him, he looked at Shiao Chen with his cold eyes which were full of sarcasm. Yes, master. I will definitelycontrol myself later. Mingxiao Chenzhan looked really fierce and answered with a sneer. Shiao Chen, make the decision when you think it through, and never act with temper. This fight is not as simple as you expect. Alchemy Taoist looked quite anxious as Luoyun Valley had already lost a talented disciple. If Shiao Chen was destroyed then they would never be able to accept it. Hearing that, Shiao Chen felt really warm in his heart as he knew exactly how deeply Alchemy Taoist cared about him. Dont worry about me, master. I know what to do. Ill explain everything to you when I humiliate this guy and earn back our dignity for all the disciples in Luoyun Valley. Later, Shiao Chen turned around and said loudly, Thank you so much for your justice, Senior Mingxiao. After saying that, he flew to the Immortal-welcoming Arena with his spiritual shield. You you shouldnt have agreed. Ji Yuewu looked really anxious. She took out a spiritual weapon that looked like a lady scarf and put it into Shiao Chens hand, saying, Well, it is too late now. This is my weapon to protect myself and it is almost as powerful as a high-grade weapon. You take this and in case something bad happens, just admit that youre losing. It could protect you after all. No worries, Senior Sister Ji. I am quite confident in dealing with this man. Shiao Chen looked at this lady carefully and took her scarf in his pocket without further explaining, Please go back and have a rest to restore your spiritual power. I will come back soon after I nail this man. Then take care. I will leave now. Being stared at by Shiao Chen, Ji Yuewu suddenly felt quite embarrassed and blushed for a bit, then she walked out with her spiritual shield right away. I am gonna make you suffer a lot, brat. Mingxiao Chenzhan looked really calm as their intimate talking had driven him crazy. He wished he could tear Shiao Chen into pieces. Coldness flashed across the eyes of Shiao Chen as he sneered, Dont be so arrogant, we will see the result after we fight. Alright, take my attack! Hearing that, Mingxiao Chenzhan was super furious that a strong spiritual power burst out of him like a storm. Wait! Right at that moment, Shiao Chen waved his hand and yelled calmly. Mingxiao Chenzhan cooled down and scoffed with a gloomy face, So what? Youre afraid now? Its too late. Let me tell you, no matter how hard you beg, I will never show any mercy. Hearing that, Shiao Chen stared at him weirdly and sneered again, Well, I just want to remind you that Mingxiao Master said you should only use half of your cultivation. Are you trying to break your promise now? Chapter 93 - Sect Contest, Reverse the Heaven and the Earth (11) Humph! Half of my power is enough to defeat you! Mingxiao Chenzhan scoffed, and he lowered his breath continually, keeping at the early stage of Foundation Establishment finally. Go to hell! With that loud cry, Mingxiao Chenzhan, who had already reached the limit of endurance was so merciless that he gripped Shiao Chen hard by one hand, and then a big hand was out in the air, which was stretched far to Shiao Chen. Judging from the power of this big hand, if Shiao Chen was caught by it, he would be dead or badly wounded. There was a grim smile on Mingxiao Chenzhans face. Now he looked complacent as if he had already seen Shiao Chen falling to the ground in pain, crying, with all bones broken by him. Around the Immortal-welcoming Arena, other cultivators secretly shook their heads and looked at Shiao Chen with pity. But at that moment, a sudden shock was filled in their eyes. With eyes bulging, they seemed to have seen something incredible. Mingxiao Chenzhan was stunned, and the grim smile on his face froze. Qianye Hand! With a deep voice, Shiao Chen stretched one of his hand forward and pulled hard downward. A huge blue palm with the size of more than three meters long instantly was formed, stretched out and went straight to Mingxiao Chenzhans Spirit Locking Hand. Boom! Two huge palms collided in mid-air, sending out an overwhelming power wave. Shiao Chen had a cultivation of the sixteenth level of Qi Refining, which was comparable to the Middle-stage of Foundation Establishment. It was coupled with the divine sense, almost the later stage of Foundation Establishment, so his move, the source of which was from the magical book Qianye Hand in his storing bag, was remarkable. Humph! Mingxiao Chenzhan collected his power, and with his face paled slightly, he stepped back forwards to combat Shiaos power. Looking at Shiao Chen, he was shocked. Clamour! The turn of situation made all people present open their mouth wide suddenly. They were all surprised and felt incredible. Unexpectedly, this disciple has such a practice. Given the fluctuation of his power, his cultivation must be not weaker than the cultivator of the Middle-stage of Foundation Establishment! Thats impossible. It is said that he joined Luoyun Valley only a year ago. It is just one year that he has not only reached the superior third grade in alchemy, but also been comparable to cultivators of the Middle-stage of Foundation Establishment in cultivation! Could it be that this Shiao Chen was the reincarnation of a powerful cultivator of Nascent Soul, who retained the memory of his previous life? Otherwise how could he have made such amazing achievements at such an age? What an amazing power! Mingxiao Chenzhan fought by using the skill of Spirit Locking Hand, which is attached to the spell Spirit Lock, the medium-grade of the earth-level. Shiao Chen can make a counterattack, so we can see that the level of his practice is not low. The path winds through high peaks. Unexpectedly, such a genius disciple is hidden in Luoyun Valley, and the final result of this contest between the two sects is not easy to tell. Crack! A crisp sound interrupted the chats. It turned out to be Qingyun Taoist, who was so excited that a magic overflowed from his body and in an instance shocked the jade cup in his hand into fine powder, falling slowly from its fingertips. Taking a deep breath, Qingyun Taoist said to Alchemy Taoist, full of ecstasy in his eyes. My younger brother, this disciple of yours has brought me too much surprise! I have also just know that Shiao Chen has hidden his strength so deep. Im afraid that if its not the urgent situation today, he will still not reveal his power to us. The shock in the eyes of Alchemy Taoist dissipated slowly at this point, then he said, It seems that after the big contest, we need to have a good talk with him. Well, youre right. Qingyun Taoist thought for a little while, then slowly nodded. Wow, unexpectedly, brother Shiao Chen is so powerful! Worthy of being the disciple of Master Alchemy Taoist! Not only his alchemy has reached such an outstanding level, but his cultivation has advanced at a miraculous pace within just one year! Our Luoyun Valley will flourish! In one hundred years, brother Shiao Chen and sister Ji will be successful in Core formation, then who dare to steal the thunder of our Luoyun Valley?! No wonder that sister Ji treats brother Shiao Chen differently. I am afraid that she has already known he is extraordinary. Im afraid that only Shiao Chen is well matched with sister Ji. Both of them are genius in Luoyun Valley, and if possible, I sincerely wish them all the best to be together. Elder brother, you are broad-minded to think this way, and I wish the same! Come on! Brother Shiao Chen! Take down the Flaming Sect guy, and revenge for the brothers hurt by him! Brother Shiao Chen! Youre powerful! Brother Shiao Chen, strikes him hard! Let him know our Luoyun Valley is the most powerful sect in Beihua State! At Luoyun Valleys side, the morale was surging high. Shiao Chen gave a steady pressure on the other side when he gained an upper hand over Mingxiao the warrior at the first move, which encouraged Luoyun Valley. Damn, he has actually cultivated a way of hiding breath, which even we two did not feel out. Tianji Taoist said, whose face turned as black as dark clouds, and his eyes flickered, Can he be the ace in the hole that the old strange Qingyun Taoist deliberately hided, if so, things are a little tricky for us! Mingxiao Masters face was livid now. This Shiao Chen had a cultivation clearly not weaker than Mingxiao Chenzhan, but just now he ordered the latter one to combat with only half cultivation. Thinking of that, he felt his face burning hot, and looked more gloomy in his eyes. He had hated Shiao Chen to the bones. Damn you! Son of a bitch! Youve disgraced my grandmaster in public, and one day Ill crush you to the bone to vent out my hatred! The two big hands kept fighting for a while, and they were equally matched. Then Mingxiao Chenzhan changed his movement. With a flash of light, he flied backwards fast. The moment he patted his forehead, a shield came out, with the height of more than half a person and the color of earthy yellow all over, as if it was forged from the scale and shell of a monster, and protected Shiao Chen well behind itself. When all was ready, with a cracking sound, Mingxiao Chenzhan found his Spirit Locking Hand had been deadly broken. But Shiao Chens blue hand, although the color was a bit dim, was dashing even faster and fell on the ground with a boom! Go! the face of Mingxiao Chenzhan turned a bit ashen. He had to gave out all his magic power, and sent a wave of superior power into the scale and shell shield. Driven by his magic power, that earthy yellow shield immediately sent out a rich yellow light, which was so dense that it seemed to form a thick soil barrier. Boom! Instantly, the big blue hand fell on it. The earthy yellow shield crackled, and a number of cracks appeared on its surface, but under the crazy influx of yellow light, it healed rapidly. Even so, the shield still disappeared in a short moment. Mingxiao Chenzhans face darkened, and there was still fear shown in the depths of his pupils. Shiao Chens Qianye Hand was so powerful that it was beyond his imagination. Had it not been for his superior reflex, he would have been badly hurt by it. Shiao Chen, I didnt expect you hid your strength so well! But do you think you can defeat me by these tricks? Mingxiao Chenzhans eyes were harsh and his words were cold. An undisguised intention of killing swept over him. Even if I cant kill you today, Ill make you pay for it and know the distance between you and me! Its far greater than you can imagine. Chapter 94 - One Finger Devourer, Shoot! Spirit Lock, unlock the first layer! After saying that, he tore off a white talisman on his forehead with great force, and at the same time, his spiritual power suddenly soared up and reached the late-stage of the Foundation Establishment level in a short time. Wow! It seems that Mingxiao Chenzhan has sealed a strong spiritual power inside himself, and he just let it out now, which is pretty much the same as upgrading an entire stage. What a strong spiritual power! Although he leveled it up solely with his power, he is almost able to fight with a cultivator in the late-stage of the Foundation Establishment. Im afraid Shiao Chen of the Luoyun Valley is going to suffer this time, no matter how talented he is. A cultivator in the middle-stage of the Foundation Establishment shall never beat up one in the late-stage. If I were him, I would give up immediately, otherwise the consequences could be really ugly. The Flaming Sect was very nervous as the Mingxiao Masters face went gloomy immediately when Mingxiao Chenzhan unsealed the talisman. He looked at Shiao Chen with his fierce eyes and condemned, Damn, this lad has really got something that Zhanchen had no choice but to unseal his talisman! This talisman was used to cooperate with the secret skill of Spirit Lock and seal the power of those cultivators who had passed away inside him for further refining. It wouldnt do any harm to the cultivator and could accelerate the speed of refining. However, Mingxiao Chenzhan unsealed it early, so there could be a hidden danger inside of him even though his power had been improved in a short time by force. He could probably gain nothing in his cultivation within the next two years. Tianji Taoist looked terrible now as well. He felt a bit of unrest when Shiao Chen appeared all of a sudden. Maybe Im thinking too much. Although this lad is quite powerful, Zhanchen is still able to beat him as he is as powerful as a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator after unsealing the talisman. Yet he still felt more and more worried as he couldnt figure out anything about Shiao Chen. The Luoyun Valley was even more nervous as Shiao Chen was their very last hope. If he failed as well, then Luoyun Valley would not only lose the contest, but also give out one of their most promising disciples. Therefore, the reputation of the sect would be severely harmed. And even if they had two Gold Core cultivators, they would still be ranked under the Flaming Sect and could barely regain a higher status. Hence, the contest between Shiao Chen and Mingxiao Chenzhan at the moment was tightly connected to the rise and fall of their sects respectively. A cold light flashed through Shiao Chens eyes. Although Mingxiao Chenzhans power had rocketed up high after he unsealed the talisman, Shiao Chen still looked very calm and not panic at all. Mingxiao Chenzhan, you are so arrogant today that you have humiliated the entire sect of Luoyun Valley. Our respected two masters will never fight with you, so I am taking responsibility. Now Im going to fight for my fellow brothers who had been hurt by you today! I will definitely let you taste the same bitterness of the pain you have caused to my brothers. Please watch it carefully! Reckless brat. Havent you figured out the situation here? Do you really think you can beat me now? Mingxiao Chenzhan sneered as his hair was dancing in the wind with his frightening power. Shiao Chen looked at this man coldly and reached out his hand with four fingers bent down to point it up. One Finger Devourer! After the strike, the whole sky changed drastically! With the cultivation of the 7th stage of Qi Refining, Shiao Chen could already send out a strike as powerful as a cultivator in the early-stage of the Foundation Establishment. His current cultivation had reached the 16th stage of Qi Refining which made him as powerful as a cultivator in the middle-stage of the Foundation Establishment. And his divine sense was almost as strong as a cultivator in the late-stage. His power was indeed very fatal as he displayed One Finger Devourer when his power had increased so much. Maybe it was almost as strong as a strike of a Fake Core cultivator. Moreover, the One Finger Devourer could absorb the spiritual power from the outside to make itself stronger, so as long as it was within the limit of Shiao Chens control, it could keep growing. Suddenly, a huge finger was formed purely by spiritual power, and the spiritual power from the outside went into it crazily as if they were guided by some force. The finger itself was becoming more and more clear with the merging of those spiritual power, and there were even lines of a human fingerprint on it. The spiritual power of it had also become more fatal and imposing. Bang! Bang! Bang! Many cultivators were shocked as the One Finger Devourer caused a big crack when it was absorbing spiritual power by force. Shiao Chen has such a fatal strike that it could absorb spiritual power to grow itself. Thats weird! Xuanqing was really shocked that he couldnt believe Shiao Chen could be so strong and impress him so many times. How come we dont have such a wonderful disciple in our Black Evil Sect? Mingsha Master looked quite gloomy and his eyes blinked while he stared at the arena, The two of them are both very talented, and they could probably both forging Gold Core in the future if their power keep growing . Since we dont have this kind of young disciples in our sect, maybe we could by chance Bang! As everyone was shocked, the One Finger Devourer had already fallen on the yellow scale shield covering Mingxiao Chenzhan. Crack! Those layers of yellow light outside the scale shield which could survive that giant blue palm were now completely smashed all of a sudden. There were also several cracks on the shield. It was already totally destroyed and it fell down on the ground with a cry. Obviously, it was jout of use now. Puff! Without the protection of the shield, Mingxiao Chenzhan suddenly turned really pale and spat out a mouthful of blood as he was struck by the One Finger Devourer. The cultivation of the late-stage of the Foundation Establishment was so vulnerable that it got severely damaged by this strike just in a moment. Shoot! Shiao Chen yelled in a low voice again and grabbed in the air. The giant blue hand appeared again and locked Mingxiao Chenzhan within. Although he looked really fierce, he couldnt get rid of it. Senior Brother Heishi, how is his injury? Shiao Chens black hair was dancing by his strong spiritual power, so was his blue rope. He was now covered with extremely fatal power. Senior Brother Heishi has got 13 bones broken and 21 vessels damaged! Under the arena, the disciple who was taking care of Heishi was really excited that he shouted it out while the others were all looking at him. Got it! Shiao Chen yelled and grasped that giant blue hand tighter. Then people heard the constant sound of Mingxiao Chenzhansbones cracklings , and his mouth and nose and ears were all bleeding. However, this man didnt speak a word but only snorted a little bit, and he stared at Shiao Chen with his terrifying eyes. What about Senior Brother Heita? Hearing that, another long-waited disciple yelled loudly, 19 bones smashed and 27 vessels damaged! Another cold light flashed through Shiao Chens eyes and he grasped his hand even tighter in calm. Then the giant blue hand was tighter as more cracklings coming out of Mingxiao Chenzhans body. Chapter 95 - Threatening How dare you! At this moment, a furious voice, coming from the direction of Flaming Sect, followed by the thunderous waves of momentum, depressed Shiao Chen crazily. Alchemy Taoist snorted coldly. With a flash, he stopped in front of Shiao Chen and protected him from being hurt. He said sullenly to Mingxiao Master, What do you mean by doing this? Are you going to bully my junior disciple as a senior? When he spoke, his eyes sparkled with cold light. His cultivation of Gold Core could not be hidden from his body, which showed no signs of weakness. It seemed that any disagreement would cause a fight. At this point, Shiao Chen had already been a definite inheritor in Alchemy Taoists heart. He would absolutely risk his life with the one who had any bit of bad thoughts to this disciple, even if he was Mingxiao Master! Mingxiao Master clouded his face. His eyes went across Shiao Chens face like a sharp knife, which seemed that he could not remove the hate from his heart if he did not kill Shiao directly! If you dare to hurt him again, I swore that you will definitely pay the price in the future! Mingxiao Master, whose eyes were filled with coldness and ruthlessness, had already had the intention to kill Shiao Chen now. Alchemy Taoist sneered with a cloudy face, If anything goes wrong with Shiao Chen, I can assure you that your disciple will never be able to leave Luoyun Valley safe and sound. The two faced each other uncompromisingly and the situation suddenly got intense. Under the terrible breath of the two Gold Core cultivators, all the cultivators around Immortal-welcoming Arena felt the tense atmosphere and retreated. After all, the power between the Gold Core cultivators was so overwhelming when they fought that any bit of aftermath was enough to kill them. Grand master, please leave the affairs to me. In the blue hands, suddenly, Mingxiao Chenzhan opened his mouth, whose voice was calm enough to tremble peoples heart. There will be one day when I get all that I have suffered back from this guy with interest. From the voice, the confidence and cruelty made everyone present couldnt help but feel coldness in the heart. My kid Mingxiao Master felt sad. Before he spoke, he was stopped by someone else. Younger brother Mingxiao, please come back. Mingxiao Chenzhan has his own reason for choosing this way. Tianji Taoists face clouded now. Mingxiao Chenzhan was defeated and it was sure that Flaming Sect would lost the Sect Tournament. The matter they had planed had to be delayed At this thought, his face became gloomy and he murmured, It will also be a spur to his future cultivation to suffer more today. Humph! Mingxiao Masters heart was filled with mixed feelings. Half a day later, he just flicked robe sleeves, hummed coldly and flashed back and sat down beside Tianji Taoist, wearing a long face without a word. Seeing that, Alchemy Taoist felt a slight sense of relief, and he told Shiao Chen, Shiao Chen, Mingxiao Chenzhan was the lineal descendant of Mingxiao the alter sack. Hes a genius in cultivation. You can teach him a lesson, but do not take his life, otherwise the alter sack would became crazy and the consequence will be unimaginable. After that, he also turned to sit down beside Qingyun Taoist. Hearing what Alchemy Taoist said, Shiao Chen cried with a flicker in his eyes. Which brother has also been injured? Report to me quickly! Brother Xiong Boming, thirteen broken bones, nine damaged meridians, and the viscera were shocked to shift. Brother Huang Tianming, fifteen broken bones and eight damaged meridians! Younger brother Liu Yun, nine broken bones and seventeen damaged meridians! . . . Every time a disciple under the stage reported his injury, Shiao Chen, whose eyes were sparkled with cold light, would clench hard, and under whose big hand, a crackling sound of broken bones would come from Mingxiao Chenzhans body. At this point, in Luoyun Valley, there had already been seventeen disciples who had reported being wounded, and most of the bone meridians Mingxiao Chenzhans body had been broken and torn by Shiao Chen. But this person was a malicious one. Although his face was sallow with pain, and on his forehead, sweat was rolling down like beads, he kept his mouth tight. The bloodshot redness in his eyes grew more intense, as if it could condense into blood, which locked Shiao Chen like grim death. From such eyes, it could be seen that Mingxiao Chenzhan had hated Shiao Chen to the core, which had already been the consensus of many cultivators, because that was enough to give them the willies. However, Shiao Chen looked calm. Under the gaze of Mingxiao Chenzhans red eyes, there was no sign to show that Shiao Chen was timid. Gazing at Mingxiao Chenzhan fearlessly, he asked his brothers in Luoyun Valley, Anyone else? The last one Brother Peng Feng, nine broken bones and twelve damaged meridians. With that, besides worship, in that disciples eyes casted to Shiao Chen, a bit of awe was added. Ok! Hearing that, Shiao Chen nodded. He clenched slightly, and then it was the cracking sound of bones. Mingxiao Chenzhan, youve hurt eighteenth cultivators of our Luoyun Valley, and I, on their behalf, ask you to pay them back today. If there is any objection, you can come to me for revenge in the future. Ill be always ready for a fight! After that, Shiao Chen waved his hand, and with the blue hand disappearing in an instance, Mingxiao Chenzhan fell down on the ground immediately. At the moment, he had almost been completely destroyed by Shiao Chen. His limbs were all twisted, hanging on the body softly. Besides, with the blood that came out of the seven holes on his head, he looked extremely miserable. A mortal would have died by this wound, but for cultivators, these wounds could be completely healed with only a few elixirs, as long as the inner power existed. At the moment, when Mingxiao Chenzhan ran the magic power in his body, he could barely fly up in the air. With the pair of bloodshot eyes looking at Shiao Chen, he laughed as if being mad. Ha ha, come on! Why dont you go on? Go on! You can crush my bones and tear my meridians as many as you can, but I dare you to crush my throat! Do you dare to break my Tianling Cover? Hey, hey, you dare not. You cant kill me. Then it only needs some elixirs and rest for some time for me to recover fully. Shiao Chen! Shiao Chen! Well done. I have never been so humiliated since I started my cultivation. I remember you. Hey hey, in the long run, I believe that one day I will see you again, and I will repay you a thousand times what I have suffered today. Ready to go, Shiao Chen lifted his leg slightly, flicked his blue robe with a finger and smiled calmly, Come again and I can still beat you like this. You! Mingxiao Chenzhan, whose eyes were glistening with bloodshot, became calm a moment later, sneered at the corners of his mouth and said in a low voice, Shiao Chen of the Shiao family in the Shiao town. Well, even if I cant get it back from you now, its also an easy thing to get some interest back. Hearing that, Shiao Chen darkened his face in a moment. With a flash of cold light in his eyes, an intention of killing rose in his heart, and he squinted at Mingxiao coldly, What did you say? Hey hey, why? Are you afraid? Ha ha ha ha ha! Seeing Shiao Chen touched by his words, unexpectedly, Mingxiao Chenzhan felt some pleasure in his heart and he couldnt help laughing hysterically. You may rest assured that you have got Luoyun Valleys promise of a thousand years of protection for Shiao family, and I will definitely wait until Im fully recovered so as not to leave any weakness to you, ha ha ha ha! Chapter 96 - Destroy the Dantian Mingxiao Chenzhans reckless speech had really infuriated those cultivators as they now looked at the Flaming Sect in despise. Although the cultivators stayed away from the ordinary world for their cultivation, all of them still had connections with their families except for Gold Core cultivators who could live hundreds of years. Therefore, it was an unwritten law in the cultivation world that no family members in the ordinary world should be involved in a contest of cultivators. And that was why Mingxiao Chenzhans speech at this moment upset all of them, yet they just didnt dare to express their anger due to the great power of the Flaming Sect. Chenzhan, that was very improper! Tianji Taoists face turned gloomy at the moment and said in a low voice, Even if you really think like that, you are not supposed to speak it out in such a situation. How is our Flaming Sect going to find our way in the Beihua State! Dont be mad, senior brother. I think Chenzhan was too worried that he made such a mistake. Mingxiao Masters face changed a bit as he knew this conflict could be easily intensified, and it would definitely harm the Flaming Sect if those cultivators were really upset. We end up like this all because of that brat from Luoyun Valley, Shiao Chen! Or we would have won the contest! I would kill that brat to ease my anger for sure if it wasnt in todays situation. Shiao Chens breath suddenly calmed down as he looked down a little bit, breathing out some coldness from his body. What, youre scared? Infuriated? Haha, that is exactly what I want. Just wait for a while. I think you will hear from me after some time. Mingxiao Chenzhan sneered a bit and maybe he felt it was already enough, so he pushed himself up to return to where cultivators of Flaming Sect were sitting. However, right at that moment, Shiao Chen looked up as an extremely freezing air burst out all of a sudden. Meanwhile, many people reacted totally differently. Shiao Chen, dont be too impulsive! Alchemy Taoist said. Shiao Chen, dont kill anyone! Qingyun Taoist said. How dare you! You little brat! Mingxiao Master said. You really think we Flaming Sect dare not to kill anyone? Tianji Taoist said. This kid is crazy! Xuanqing said. Haha, come on! You better kill this brat! Mingsha said. Nearly all of Mingxiao Chenzhans bones and vessels were destroyed. He suddenly heard some people screaming as he was a little bit slow to react. And then he realized there was something that poked his Dantian fiercely, and the acute pain made his eyes roll up, and the spiritual power inside of him disappeared immediately as he fell onto the ground like a piece of rotten flesh. His Dantian was destroyed and his cultivation was all eliminated. Although Shiao Chen didnt kill Mingxiao Chenzhan, he destroyed the possibility of his future cultivation. He could only live an ordinary life and there was no chance for him to be an alchemist ever. Although the speed of the Gold Core cultivator was way faster than Shiao Chen, Mingxiao Master didnt react fast enough and he could only watch Mingxiao Chenzhan fall on the Immortal-welcoming Arena as his Dantian was destroyed when he finally got there. Mingxiao Chenzhan was completely destroyed? The entire Immortal-welcoming Arena went into silence all of a sudden as everyones eyes blinked. They knew clearly that if there was anything handled differently, these two big sects could start a war inevitably. Im gonna kill you son of a bitch! Mingxiao Master looked up suddenly as he turned insanely brutal and violent. It felt that as if the temperature of the universe had dropped immediately and some tiny strings of ice were forming around him. When the Gold Core Cultivator was in a rage, he should flood the earth with the blood of countless dead bodies! And Shiao Chen was his first target as his heart was struck directly by his fierce anger that he suddenly turned pale and took a few steps back. Stop it, Mingxiao! Suddenly, after a flash of a shield light, the Alchemy Taoist dragged Shiao Chen behind himself to protect him. He looked really cold and said, Dare you to hurt my disciple, I will never sit about and do nothing! Alchemy Taoist! If you let me deal with this little bastard today, we can still talk. Mingxiao Master sounded quite calm yet the anger in his eyes was almost condensed as frozen ice, Otherwise, I will not let Luoyun Valley leave this place easily today! While at the same time, Mingxiao Chenzhan was lying on the floor like a piece of rotten flesh. Although he was suffering from acute pain, he still looked quite confused and murmured, How come? How could he do that to me? How come You destroyed the Dantian of my great-grandson and eliminated all his cultivation. Now he is just an ordinary person. How could you be so cruel, you little bastard! Today, I am going to take your life for the revenge of my great-grandson! Seeing that, Mingxiao Master became even more fierce as the spiritual power inside of him was surging and making the sound of coursing rivers. Shiao Chen, you were too impulsive. Come down from the arena right now. If this old man goes crazy today, Ill have to fight with him! As he was saying so, Alchemy Taoist looked really gloomy. After all, Luoyun Valley and Flaming sect had almost the same level of power that if the two of them started a war, only other sects would get the benefits. However, Shiao Chen was indeed the most outstanding disciple of Luoyun Valley for thousands of years, they would never just stand there and watch. Master, I started it today, so just let me fight with this old geezer. Coldness sparkled in the eyes of Shiao Chen. Although he looked very pale due to the dreadful pressure of that Gold Core cultivator, his eyes still looked firm, saying, To all the Taoist friends in the Beihua State, I have only one question today. Do we have a strict law in our cultivation world, that no ordinary people shall get involved in a fight of cultivators? Right, we do have this law. Indeed. Otherwise, I would just kill your family members when I couldnt beat you. If that happened, the entire cultivation world would fall into chaos. This law can date back to the ancient time, any cultivator who violates this law will be hunted down by the entire cultivation world. Hearing that, Shiao Chens eyes blinked and he asked again, Then allow me to ask one more thing. If there is an evil person who tries to hurt your family members in the ordinary world, what will you do to him? No need to ask. Whoever tries to hurt my family, I will kill him directly! If I meet this kind of people, I will definitely fight with him till death! We not only cultivate for gaining great spiritual power and long life, but also for improving the lives of our family. If we cannot protect them, then how can we be so confident to go further on the road of cultivation? In order to protect my family, whoever wants to do that please stand up. Although I am not very good at cultivation, I will serve my life to make him pay for his evil intention. All of you are absolutely right! Shiao Chens eyes were sparkling as he pointed to Mingxiao Chenzhan and scoffed, This man hurt more than 10 people of our Luoyun Valley with his strong cultivation and power. Besides, he was more than evil that he even tried to get Senior Sister Ji by setting a trap. I did this only to bring justice back to my brothers, and I didnt take his life or humiliate him! However, right on the Immortal-welcoming Arena, with the presence of all the Taoist friends, this man was so narrow-minded that he threatened me with the lives of the Shiao Family in Shiao City. I know I am not that kind of cold-blooded person and I cherish my family so much. Anyone who tried to hurt them shall first walk across my dead body! Why would I destroyed the Dantian and cultivation of Mingxiao Chenzhan if I wasnt left with no choice? Chapter 97 - The Sect Contest Came to a Close Shut up! With a stern face, Mingxiao Master cried, He said that only because he lost his senses at the fit of anger! How can you take it seriously? Youre talking nonsense. Stop slandering him! He lost his senses at the fit of anger? With cold light in Shiao Chens eyes, he said, Mingxiao Master, my relatives are not related to you. You can regard this matter as a misunderstanding, but I cant. Also, I dare not to take that risk! You! Anyone with conscience will have been forced to take an axe to the one who threatened to hurt their families, but I only broke his Dantian. Im kind enough to him. Does Mingxiao Master want to break the rules and to connive your disciple to harm the secular relatives of the cultivators like me, by virtue of Flaming Sects powerful strength?! The victim today is me, but in the long run, every fellow cultivators sitting around may become the victims! Shiao Chens voice was harsh and for a time, Mingxiao Masters imposing manner was completely suppressed by it. Hearing what Shiao Chen said, cultivators of all sects could not help but cloud their faces. Their eyes cast at Mingxiao Master also became unfriendly at that time. Stop talking nonsense, boy. When did Flaming Sect act like this?! Mingxiao Master felt a panic in his heart that if Flaming Sect were to be convicted of this, they would be the enemy of the whole Beihua State. Even with Flaming Sects great strength, they would still not have a good ending. Whether its true or not, it can not be judged from what I said and what Mingxiao Master said. The friends present today have their own judgement. Shiao Chen did not argue, he just sneered and said, Moreover, in the midst of the struggles between our two sects today, magic power on the Immortal-welcoming Arena was merciless, and it is inevitable for us to be hurt. More than a dozen disciples of Luoyun Valley were hurt by Mingxiao Chenzhan continuously just now, but Mingxiao Master said nothing about that. Besides, we were threatened by your words that it was ok as long as not to take their lives. In the same way, I just broke his Dantian and his meridians and bones, instead of taking his life, which didnt breach the covenants of our two sects. Mingxiao Master, I wonder why do you deal with them so differently?! Moreover, as a Gold Core cultivator, you kept interfering wantonly and repeatedly with me. Are you not afraid of being laughed at by the friends present for bullying a junior? Shut up, little bastard! Mingxiao Masters old face turned as red as a pigs liver. His eyes became bloodshot instantly, and a brutal breath out broke from his body crazily. Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! At the moment, he had only one idea, which was to slag Shiao Chen, and by that whose soul would be extracted and melted. He would make Shiao Chen doomed and never recover! Ha! At this very moment, Tianji Taoist of Flaming Sect immediately shouted out loudly, Younger brother Mingxiao, wake up quickly! In this shouting, spells to keep down soul had been added in, and with the sound tide billowing, all cultivators inside the hall were shocked. The tyrannous murderous intention of Mingxiao Master subsided instantly, and he hurried to calm down his soul, feeling feared. Just now he got carried away by fury. He had just made a breakthrough to Gold Core that his consolidation was still unstable, so that unexpectedly, he was clouded by the murderous intention. If it was not that Tianji Taoist called him back in time, at the very least, he would be weakened in spirit, and at the most extent, his cultivation would be disordered, even dropping to the former realm. It was not easy to reach Gold Core Realm. If Mingxiao Master returned to the original form, supposedly, he would be pissed off on the spot. Brother, thank you for your help. Mingxiao Master turned around and made a salute, after which he manged to calmed down. Wearing a gloomy face, with a flash of light, Tianji Taoist fell on the Immortal-welcoming Arena and said coldly, Chief Master Qingyun Taoist, as agreed, the Flaming Sect admitted being defeated in this Sect Contest between our two sects. Please send someone to master the sect within a year. We have so many things to prepare in the sect that we have to return now. See you! After that, with a flash of light, he went straight to the Spirit Beasts Pavilion. Mingxiao Master glanced at Shiao Chen coldly and said in a low voice, Dont go out alone, little bastard, or Ill make sure you never come back alive! After he finished speaking, he picked up Mingxiao Chenzhan, who was like rotten meat, and put up a spiritual shield, ready to leave. But at that very moment, Mingxiao Chenzhan burst out laughing, which sounded like the cuckoo cried out blood, and like the old crow cawed sadly. It was dismal and full of vicissitudes, and more over, it was with the hatred that could not be thoroughly washed away even the heaven and earth were both destroyed. Ha ha ha ha, Shiao Chen, Shiao Chen, from today on, I will change the name Mingxiao Chenzhan into Mie Chen (Mie, means kill). One day, I will come back to fight with you! Wait for me! Wait for me! When he was laughing, suddenly, tears of blood flowed out of his eyes, which looked terrible. Ill wait for you. Shiao Chen felt surprised to hear that at first, then he said lightly with a poker face. Mingxiao Master felt some sadness in his heart. It was true that he had put so much effort into Mingxiao Chenzhan, his great-great-grandson, that he had not expected him to be completely destroyed today. Luoyun Valley, this matter is unfinished! With the voice lingering in the air, the Flaming Sect had already been far away. The three odious toads, a giant and two small, all rose in the air with a roar of rage, and with the black clouds billowing, they went straight to the north. Qingyun Taoist and Alchemy Taoist, I also have to return now. Xuanqing Taoist looked at Shiao Chen with mixed feelings, saluted with his hands in front of the chest, sighed slightly and turned to leave with his disciples . In the next few hundred years, the Cultivation World of Beihua State will be the stage of this outstanding young man! And Black Evil Sect will return now. Master Ming Sha kept poker-faced and left with disciples after a slight salute. A moment later the centipede rose into the air, whose eyes, as big as lantern, glanced towards them, and it paused suddenly before it screamed with a wide mouth open, and then it turned quickly and fled. On the Immortal-welcoming Arena, Shiao Chen smiled lightly. It seemed that the evil beast was at last afraid of what he had suffered last time. Within half an hour, more than a hundred cultivators in Beihua State came forward to say farewells and left, which seemed more respectfully than before. After all, from todays situation, in the next hundred years, it was inevitable that Luoyun Valley would hold sway over Beihua State and they should naturally curry favor carefully. When the crowd had been dispersed, only the cultivators of Luoyun Valley were left on the Immortal-welcoming Arena. Qingyun Taoist and Alchemy Taoist looked at each other and nodded slightly with satisfaction, when the former rose and said to all, Today it is Shiao Chens single brilliant feat that rescued the Luoyun Valley from a desperate situation and helped us turn the tables, which held the other sects in awe and expanded our prestige! Hereby I announce that, from today on, Shiao Chen has officially become the core disciple of Luoyun Valley and the Elder of the Elixir Pavilion, whose status is only beneath younger brother and me. Disciples, bow and express your thanks to Elder Shiao for his great achievements! We pay respects to Uncle Master Shiao Chen! The cultivators, at the moment, no matter his cultivation was high or low and how they thought in the heart, all turned around, bent over and gave Shiao Chen a big bow. Shiao Chen felt a surge in his heart. Who had ever thought that the original nominal disciple would have such a turn in his life just one year later? Chapter 98 - Hidden Spiritual Root Our Luoyun Valley has really shown our power in the Beihua State, so every disciple will be rewarded! Those injured disciples can go to the Reward and Punishment Hall for a high-grade Xuan level scripture after the recovery, and other disciples can get 50 low-grade spiritual stones. You all shall keep practicing and bringing honor to our sect! Yes, master! Those disciples were very excited as they kneelt on the ground and answered loudly. Master Shiao Chen, please stay. The others can leave now. Qingyun Taoist nodded with satisfaction and his eyes were filled with joy. Every disciple took a deep bow to Shiao Chen when they passed him. Those young disciples were very excited as their eyes were filled with admiration, and many female disciples blushed as they seduced him with their lovely eyes. Shiao Chen was very embarrassed. Junior Brother Shiao Chen, you are really outstanding. Please dont forget about me when you become more successful in the future. Ji Yuewu held her dress and took a bow. As she was speaking, she blushed heavily and walked away quickly. Hearing that, Shiao Chen was a little bit stunned as he felt quite weird. And he took a deep breath to calm himself down. Master Shiao Chen, there are no other people here, so I wonder if you can explain something to the two of us? Inside the secret room of the backside of Luoyun Valley, Qingyun Taoist and Alchemy Taoist were sitting on the cushion with their eyes blinking. The former started to ask him like that. Shiao Chen stood respectfully down below. Hearing that, he stopped for a minute and answered with respect, I would tell you everything even if you didnt ask me, masters. Hearing that, Alchemy Taoist blinked and stared at Shiao Chen, asking slowly, I checked your body and found no spiritual root when I took you as my disciple. But your cultivation has become as good as a mid-level cultivator in the Foundation Establishment stage within one year. Is there a reason for that? I really know nothing about it. When you gave me the Plants Growing Scripture that day, I tried so hard to practice it so that I wouldnt bring shame to you. In the beginning, I progressed really slowly, and the speed of absorbing my spiritual power was also not satisfying. However, after a while of practicing, the speed of absorbing my spiritual power had somehow improved quite a lot. And the harder I tried, the faster the speed became. I was so confused and also very uncertain about it cause I was afraid I was having some problems with myself. Thats why I didnt tell anyone about it but kept it to myself only. At that moment, Shiao Chen felt very shameful and kneelt immediately on the ground, And if the situation was not so urgent today, I would still keep it a secret. Please forgive me, masters! While Shiao Chen was explaining, Qingyun and Alchemy Taoist were both shocked and now they looked at each other and said at the same time, Hidden spiritual root! Their voices were trembling as they were obviously getting violently emotional. Hearing that, Shiao Chen pretended to look very confused yet his eyes could tell that he was quite relieved. He asked, Hidden spiritual root? What is that? Qingyun Taoist looked at Shiao Chen for a long while as if he was a rare treasure, and then he held his long beard and smiled, Thanks to our ancestors blessing, our Luoyun Valley shall become great again! Alchemy Taoist was also very excited and his face totally blushed that it took him quite some time to calm down, Senior brother, you know this better than I do, please explain it to him. Qingyun Taoist didnt resist, so he stopped for a minute and told him the whole story. It turned out that there was a very tiny possibility for an ordinary man to have a spiritual root inside at birth. However, most of them were just mediocre. For a cultivator with a middle-grade spiritual root, if there was no miracle happening, he could only make it to the Foundation Establishment stage. While a cultivator with an upper-grade spiritual root could have the chance to refine the Gold Core. If you wanted to reach the Nascent Soul, you must have the heaven-grade spiritual root that only appeared one among thousands of people. Low-grade, middle-grade, upper-grade, heaven-grade. These were the well-known classification of the spiritual roots of the cultivators. However, back in the ancient time, there had been another kind of spiritual root in the world, which was the hidden spiritual root. If a cultivator had this kind of spiritual root, there was no ordinary way to test the existence of it, so he looked just like an ordinary man. But once he stepped into the cultivation world, he would make great achievements if he worked hard enough. He would have an astonishing refining speed and could even get faster than the so-called heaven-grade spiritual root. Moreover, it was written on the ancient books that every cultivator with the hidden spiritual root would be blessed by God and would definitely have great success in the future. That was why the two of them were so excited. They saw Shiao Chen as the cultivator with a hidden spiritual root. No wonder! Shiao Chen was so surprised and looked very relieved. We cant be very sure about it now, but we will be in a minute. Alchemy Taoist couldnt wait any longer, Please show it up, senior brother. Just take that thing out and lets try it. Haha, alright. Qingyun Taoist held his long beard and looked very satisfied, I always knew that we would need this one day ever since I got this treasure from that cave of the ancient cultivator. I never thought that day would be today. Right at the moment, Qingyun Taoist held a totally transparent crystal ball which was as big as a human fist and he put it on the stone table. Shiao Chen, you can go up here and send your spiritual power all into this globe. And then we will know if you have the hidden spiritual root or not. Qingyun Taoists eyes were filled with hope as he was speaking. Hearing that, Shiao Chen was a little bit shocked but he covered it up immediately so that the two of them didnt notice. Master, are you sure that this thing can tell if one is a cultivator with a hidden spiritual power? Isnt it written on the book that the hidden spiritual root cannot be tested out? Ho ho, so you know something about it as well. Qingyun Taoist smiled and nodded as he was very satisfied with Shiao Chens vast knowledge, We cannot test the hidden spiritual root with an ordinary method, but I got this testing globe from the cave of an ancient cultivator and I have been experimenting it for years. So I think we can use it to test if you have the hidden spiritual root or not. Hearing that, Shiao Chen nodded. He didnt show it up although he felt really absurd. After all, he couldnt do any tricks in front of these two Gold Core cultivators, so he chose to listen to them. Shiao Chen walked to the stone table slowly and pressed the globe, making up his mind and sending his spiritual power into it. As his spiritual power was going into the globe, it insanely absorbed the spiritual power of Shiao Chen like a bottomless hole and slightly shook off Shiao Chens hand until his face was almost pale. The result is about to come out. Qingyun and Alchemy Taoist were full of expectations as they stared at the globe. Shiao Chen had a bitter smile secretly as he thought he was never a super cultivator with a hidden spiritual root and the two of them were probably going to be really upset. Yet right at that moment, he heard their surprised voices nearby. No color appeared. Shiao Chen is a cultivator with a hidden spiritual root for sure! Shiao Chen, Chapter 99 - Refining the Beasty Poison Pill Shiao Chen sat cross-legged in the herbal garden of the mountainside in the valley. The other day, he refused Alchemy Taoists proposal to arrange him a top-grade herbal garden, and fled out from the two old fellows who were so pleasantly surprised, but now he still feared unceasingly in his heart. He did not imagine that Gold Core cultivators were so crazy when they were overjoyed. Sister, whats going on here? Im not a cultivator with hidden spiritual root. Why do Chief Master Immortal and Master act like this? Shiao Chen could not help but ask aloud with his divine sense. Ha, ha, ha, ha, so hilarious! Its so funny! Unexpectedly, Yu Ji had left Shiao Chens body, laughing herself into convulsions, which was so charming that it made Shiao Chen not only a little bit stunned, but flush slightly. She continued, These two old fellows have no sense of that. I have once used the test bead, which does detect the spiritual root aptitude of cultivators. But you have no spiritual root inside at all, even if more magic power was put in, that useless beads will not test anything at all. I didnt expect the two old fellows to take this as a sign that you were a hidden spiritual root cultivator. Ha, ha, ha, this is the funniest thing Ive ever seen. Shiao Chen wanted to say something but he stopped With a forced smile, Shiao Chen shook his head, for he didnt expect this was the reason. However, he was relieved. After all, he had to be careful to kept his cultivation under wrap, but from now on, he could go out aboveboard in the name of the hidden spiritual root cultivator and not be afraid of attracting suspicion. When Qingyun Taoist and Alchemy Taoist identified Shiao Chen as the hidden spiritual root cultivator, it was without doubt that he could reach the level of superior third grade in alchemy in just one year. After all, to them, the hidden spiritual root cultivator was a legendary being. It was also completely understandable that there was something against nature of this kind of person, and it would also save Shiao Chens explanation of feigning madness and acting like an idiot. As for Shiao Chens being unable to reach Foundation Establishment, they thought hard for about half a day, and made Shiao Chen try a string of miscellaneous tests. But they still did not draw any conclusion. Shiao Chen, though disappointed, did not have much hope at first, so he was calm. But the two old men were sullen and even gnashing their teeth. After all, in their eyes, Shiao Chen was the hope of Luoyun Valleys future. Could they bear to see helplessly a hidden spiritual root cultivator, who was rarely encountered in ten thousand years, get stuck in Qi Refining period?! Absolutely not! Absolutely not! When Shiao Chen escaped, he could still hear, in the rear, the two old fellows gnashing their teeth to look up the ancient codes and records with red eyes, from which, it seemed that they would not give up if they could not find the way to help Shiao Chen reach Foundation Establishment. Thinking of this, Shiao Chen smiled slightly. It was not bad to find a way to reach Foundation Establishment with the power of the sect, which was better than his being alone at a loss. Theres only ten days left before I return to my hometown to visit my family. I havent seen my parents for one year, and I wonder whether they are both well. From his eyes, Shiao Chen was missing his hometown. But a moment later, he just sighed that he was doomed not to show filial obedience from the day setting foot on the cultivation road. Shiao Chen was not pedantic. His parents were able to live a good life just because he was a cultivator in Luoyun Valley. The higher in cultivation he was, a better life they would live. My fathers legs are not well and often ached in rainy days. My mother is older, and grey hair crawl on her head. But now I am no longer the nominal disciple with no status, and I will help them recuperate when Im back, so as to make them live longer. Shiao Chens eyes flickered with anticipation. He took a jade bottle out of the storing bag when he calmed down. This jade bottle was about the size of a palm, with several sealing Talismans on it. Being cautious, he hit a spell towards the bottle and the Talismans on it were all peeled off. Suddenly, a current of black gas slowly wafted from the mouth of the bottle. Shiao Chen was slightly afraid that when the poison of beasts was mixed, it would have acute toxicity. Even though it had not been refined into the Beasty Poison Pill, it was highly toxic to anyone who touched it. If he didnt have Yu Jis spell of refining the Beasty Poison Pill, he wouldnt have the courage to reveal the Talisman directly. Refine! Shiao Chen let out a low cry and pointed to the bottle with a finger. With that, the black gas instantly froze, and then billowed wildly, but it did not spread out, as if it was bounded firmly by an invisible force in that space. Shiao Chen looked rigorous, tossed the jade bottle into the air and hit a magic sword to break it, and then, in front of him, a lump of beasts venom with the size of the babys fist, appeared. It was from this venom that the layers of black gas wafted. Shiao Chen dared not to be careless. He thought back the refining method and made sure that there was nothing missing. Then he turned over his hands up and down to hit spell of spiritual power into the venom. The venom of beasts churned like boiling water, from which endless black gas wafted crazily and formed a dark cloud about the size of a circle, whose radius was ten feet, above Shiao Chens head. With the penetration of the spell, the venom became smaller in volume, which turned into a black gas to the end. As the black gas churned, it gradually wafted apart into clumps of different sizes. But each little piece was connected by a black thread. Form the poisonous beast! Shiao Chen shouted again, and suddenly he accelerated the speed of hitting spell. Just then, at the edge of the gas, a cloud of black gas, only a few inches in size, suddenly billowed violently. Just in a moment, unexpectedly, it turned into a strange colorful bird, whose intellectual green eyes seemed malicious and cunning. It let out a strange cry and stretched wings to fly when it first appeared. But it seemed to be in some kind of prohibition, though struggling, it could not escape in any way. With the first beast coagulating out, that clouds of black gas began to billow one after another, from which echoed the sounds of beasts roaring and birds chirping, which sounded tyrannical. Within a short while, dozens of poisonous beasts coagulated into beings. Shiao Chen looked a little pale now. It was really not easy to refine this pill, and if it were not for his divine sense which was comparable to the cultivators in the later period of Foundation Establishment, he was still unable to bind these beasts firmly. He took some elixirs from the storing bag and swallowed them, and then looked better. Whats left are big ones, and I hope everything goes well. Shiao Chen muttered, took a deep breath and suddenly, he changed the spell, whose speed had been slowed down, but each consumed many times more magic power and divine sense than that in the past. After the spell was hit, the black gases became one black Talisman after another, with the size of several inches, on which the glimmering of light made them very extraordinary. With the entry of the Talisman, that three huge black clouds, which had not changed at all from the beginning to the end, began to billow violently and from which came a stream of muffled growls. Chapter 100 - Hard to Find the Method for Foundation A few days later, there was a shadow of blue shirt flashing by the stone wall. It was Shiao Chen who walked out of it with his eyebrows knitted. He then turned his back to the wall and shot out several spells to it, with bitter smile on his face. Im in trouble this time. I never thought that I would totally destroy this place by accident. Thinking about this, Shiao Chen felt even more upset. He had been busy refining the Beasty Poison Pill lately and got the first one successfully for only one day by chance. So Shiao Chen was very surprised despite it had cost him a lot of effort. After an entire day of meditating, he started his second time of refining when his spiritual power and divine sense had fully recovered. However, he had never thought that he would fail when the beast was about to form. And since the poison kept spreading, Shiao Chen could only leave immediately with all of those refined spiritual pills in the herb garden. Under the protection of the restriction spell, the poison shouldnt spread out. Shiao Chen didnt get relieved until he shot out the last spell. Finally, with all of our efforts, we have refined one Beasty Poison Pill. Shiao Chen took out a jade bottle from his bag and it was almost totally sealed by 17 or 18 sealed talismans. Inside this jade bottle quietly lay a dark pearl which was as big as a thumb. Shiao Chen looked at it carefully for a while and took it back with sa delightful look on his face. Shiao Chen was a bit hesitant and he then walked out of the valley. He broke the restriction spell and went directly to the back of the main mountain of Luoyun Valley with his light shield. You really have a bright future ahead of you, my junior brother. You are such a genius that your cultivation can achieve the seventh level of the Qi refining stage with only three years. And now you have been admitted by Master Wang as the direct disciple of our Luoyun Valley, so Im sure you will have great achievements in the future. Please do help me in the future. There were two disciples of Luoyun Valley standing in front of the path. One of them was around 27 or 28 years old and he was talking in a low voice with the other young man in yellow clothes. Dont joke about me, senior brother. I am not that good. If there is a genius, Id say Master Shiao is indeed the most outstanding one of all time in our Luoyun Valley, and I really respect him. The disciple in yellow clothes was a little bit disappointing when saying so, But I just joined the sect yesterday, so I didnt get to witness his performance in the Core Formation Ceremony. That was absolutely a pity. Hearing that, the elder disciple suddenly became very serious, Definitely. If Master Shiao didnt win on that day, our Luoyu Valley would have lost the contest in the Sect Tournament, and Senior Sister Ji would have been taken by Mingxiao Chenzhan from the Flaming Sect. But he should have known himself better and not have craved for the woman of Master Shiao! He totally deserved to get his Dantian destroyed by Master Shiao. I heard that Mingxiao Chenzhans grandfather was the direct great-grandson of Mingxiao Master, one of the two Gold Core cultivators in Flaming Sect. Didnt Mingxiao Master try to stop Master Shiao that day from hurting him? The young cultivator looked quite confused and he begged, Please tell me more about the details of that day, senior brother. Let me enjoy the excitement. Hearing that, the elder disciple was quite flattered as if it was a great honor to had been a witness that day. He cleared his throat and said, Alright, since you admire Master Shiao so much, Ill tell you about it. I will never tell anyone else if they ask me me about it. On that day, of course, the Mingxiao Master stepped into the fight to stop him. But our Master Shiao had some greater power and he attacked him so fast like a lightning. Before that old dude could come to the spot, he had already destroyed Mingxiao Chenzhan. At that time, Mingxiao Master was so furious that he said he would kill Master Shiao right there. Our master, the Alchemy Taoist worried so much and he went up to stop him. I thought we were about to have a severe fight with the Flaming Sect for sure. However, out of everyones expectation, Master Shiao didnt show any fear in front of the Gold Core cultivator, and he refuted the evil behavior of Mingxiao Chenzhan completely as if he was nothing but a bastard that deserved to die. Mingxiao Master was so angry yet he couldnt hurt him at all. In the cultivation world of the entire Beihua State, our Master Shiao is the only one who could beat up a Gold Core cultivator by words like that. The young disciple enjoyed listening to the story so much that his eyes were filled with excitement. It seemed that he could not admire Shiao Chen more. Right at that time, a blue shadow flashed by, and the two disciples stopped their talking immediately. The elder one frowned a bit and yelled, Stop there. This is the place for our sect masters meditation. Which sect are you from? How come you are ignoring all the rules and barge in like that? Arent you afraid of being punished? The young man in blue clothes looked up. Before he started to talk, the elder disciple who was speaking blushed all over his face as if he was choked, and he pointed at Shiao Chen as he couldnt speak for a long while. What, I am not allowed to go in? Shiao Chen was a bit surprised and said after looking at these two people. No, not at all! Finally, the elder disciple put himself together and took a bow with the young disciple to him and said with respect, Please forgive us, Master Shiao. I didnt notice that it was you, or I would never stop you. Our master has told us for a long time that you can come here no matter when. Hearing that, Shiao Chen smiled a bit and nodded to him as he didnt care about it at all. He then walked by them and disappeared after a few steps along the path. Did I just meet Master Shiao The young disciple murmured to himself as his eyes were filled with excitement. * How come there is nothing? There is no record that the hidden spiritual root cannot establish a foundation in the notes of all the past masters! I have no idea either. The Fragrant Mountain note is said to be the most detailed note in the cultivation world, and it includes all kinds of anecdotes and funny stories. And it has nothing in there as well! Go check the note of the second generation master. He loved traveling a lot; probably he wrote something to solve this problem in his note. Shiao Chen held the jade chip and went into the cave by breaking through the restriction. Before he saw anyone, he could hear the anxious voices of the two old men which made him feel quite warm, so he walked even faster. Masters, disciple Shiao Chen is here to visit you. Shiao Chen took a bow to them and he saw two shadows buried in a giant pile of jade slips, looking around in this giant cave which was light up by many night pearls as big as a bowl. Hmm, just wait there for a while. We will finish reading these jade slips soon. Qingyun Taoist didnt even look up but waved his hand to him. Yes. Shiao Chen stood aside with respect. After an hour, both of the two old men raised up their heads and then looked at each other with disappointment. Chapter 101 - Shiao Lin Qingyun Taoist waved his hands with a spell out, which put away the messy jade sheets on the ground, and turned to sit down with Alchemy Taoist. As for the way to reach Foundation Establishment, we havent found a clue yet, but you neednt worry about it. We will surely help you make it. Shiao Chen raised his head, and found that the Gold Core cultivators eyes were slightly bloodshot and their breath was slightly withering. He guessed that, these days they must have been busy finding the way for him to get to Foundation Establishment. Thinking of that, he felt warm in the heart. Chief Master and Master, please take it easy and have more rest. Alchemy Taoist motioned him that nothing was wrong with them, had a sip of tea, and could not help but be delighted when his eyes fell on Shiao Chen. Boy, is there anything you come over for? Hearing that, Shiao Chen nodded and said, In a few days, it will be the disciples annual vacation for family reunine. I want to leave for hometown today so as to stagger the day with the others. Hearing what Shiao said, Alchemy Taoist nodded with satisfaction, and said, Good idea. The old fellow Mingxiao is not broad-minded. Since you crippled Mingxiao Chenzhan on that day, Im afraid that old geezer will come up with some crooked ideas. Its good for you to leave a few days ahead, in case of any danger on your way home. He paused for a moment, took two jade bottles and a few yellow flags out of the bag and handed them to Shiao Chen. There are a hundred Flower Pills and a hundred Tianlu Elixirs in it, which you can take back to your family and ask them to take. Although the pills cant let them have magic power, its good for their body building and longevity. This flag is the flag of the Earth and Heaven Formation. After the array is arranged, the spar could be inserted to make it run. Even in face of Fake Core cultivators, who reached Foundation Establishment, it can fend against them for several hours, which is enough for both of us to arrive to rescue. Thank you! Master! Shiao Chen looked a little excited. Kneeling on the ground, he kowtowed respectfully, and then accepted the elixirs and flag. Well, you said all the good deeds and Ill say the rest. With some dissatisfaction flickered in his eyes, Qingyun Taoist quickly took over the words, In addition, we will send two guarding elders of Foundation Establishment and ten direct disciples of Qi Refining period to go home with you. They will stay at the Shiaos and then rotate with others before they come back to the sect in three years. As for the candidates, you can go to Lingxian Arena with the elders command to choose for yourself. Hearing that, Shiao Chen felt touched in his heart. He understood that it was to protect him from the revenge of Flaming Sect. Presumably, they would think twice and dared not act rashly, even if they really schemed to. Thinking so, Shiao Chen felt more grateful to them. I have nothing to repay for the sects great kindness. In the future, I will practice hard and live up to the expectations of Chief Master and Master! All right. In case of any accident, you may go home as soon as possible, and come back soon. Qingyun Taoist nodded with satisfaction, smiling. Shiao Chen saluted respectfully and then he turned to leave. This boy is upright and faithful. As long as we are sincere to him, he will be honest and loyal to us. As a cultivator with hidden spiritual root, it is inevitable for Shiao Chen to get to Gold Core, even to Nascent Soul, only if he can overcome the barrier of Foundation Establishment. The two old fellows looked at each other, showing some excitement in their eyes at the same time. Then, they took out a huge pile of jade sheets again, and went on burying their heads in search of the method of Foundation Establishment for hidden spiritual root cultivators. Getting out of the cave, with a flash of light, Shiao Chen disappeared in a moment of breathing, leaving two disciples of Luoyun Valley adoring in awe. On the Lingxian Arena of Purple Light Peak in Luoyun Valley. Today, 19 elders came together to explain the difficulty in spell practice for us. At usual time, it has been extremely difficult to have three or two here. Is there any secret? Youre right, and Im also very confused about it. Look at Uncle Master Hu on the arena, when he explained cultivation last month, he still looked cool and hurried away the moment we finished. Today, he came on his own initiative and was so kind. There must be something fishy going on here. I wonder what makes more than half the guarding elders come here. Whats more, the direct disciples exerted spells to their utmost today, which is almost like a show. Will Chief Master or grand master Alchemy Taoist come over today? At the edge of Lingxian Arena, a few nominal disciples of Luoyun Valley, who were in charge of cleaning here, were whispering together. Although they were not real disciples of Luoyun Valley, their status was far higher than the disciples outside the sect. So they naturally had the opportunity to listen to the explaining of cultivation from the Foundation Establishment cultivators. Hey, hey, tell you what, the monthly lecture today is extraordinary. Among one of them, a pudgy young cultivator could not help but show some pride and talked to them while wagging his head. Oh, brother Huang, it seems you know something about it. Brother Huang, please enlighten us. Brother Huang, how could we forget you? You are the most well-informed person in Luoyun Valley. Theres nothing that can be hidden from you. Brother Huang, youre the disciple of Uncle Master Ma of Spirit Resources Loft, who have always been thought highly of, and naturally we arent able to compare with you. Brother Huang, whats behind todays events? Please tell us more. Being flattered by them, Brother Huang felt more complacent. Instead of keeping a secret continually, he told them directly, In fact, you had guessed more or less just now. Chief Master and grand master Alchemy Taoist wont come today, but Uncle Master Shiao Chen will. Why does Uncle Master Shiao Chen come? What does it have to do with all these elders? Right. Look at those direct disciples, who are like peacocks, showing off unceasingly. Whats the connection between them with Uncle Master Shiao? Brother Huang, dont keep us in suspense. We are waiting to know the truth. No rush! I wont tell you if you keep urging me. Guess by yourselves. Huang showed some impatience on his face. He flicked the sleeves, ready to go. Dont be angry, brother. Were really too curious about it. Well, brother, please calm down. We wont urge you, and you can say it slowly. Yes, if anyone urges you once more, he will be sent out and clean up the whole Lingxian Arena as the punishment. Thats more like it. Brother Huang looked better and with a cold hum, he continued, On the day of grand master Alchemy Taoists Core Formation Ceremony, Chief Master Immortal promised Uncle Master Shiao Chen a millennium protection of Shiao family. As long as Luoyun Valley does exist, we will certainly keep the Shiaos clan prosperous for ten generations. I think you also know this, right? The nominal disciples nodded but nobody dared to speak to urge him. Brother Huang nodded with satisfaction, smirking, and went on speaking, Since it is to protect the family of Uncle Master Shiao Chen for ten generations of prosperity, the sect will naturally send disciples to Shiao family as garrison. If it had been anyone else, I am afraid none of the Elder or disciples are willing to go. After all, the earthly world is lack of spirit, so the improvement of cultivation will be limited and slow, and it is less comfortable than practicing in the sect. But it is Uncle Master Shiao Chen. Its sure that these elders will exert all their energies to be one of them. Just think about it, they are defending at Shiaos, which virtually make Uncle Master Shiao Chen owe them a favor. If Uncle Master Shiao Chen wants to return the favor, they will get all kinds of elixirs from him. Dont forget that Uncle Master Shiao Chen is the superior third grade Alchemist, who is also the Elder of Elixir Pavilion, controlling all the elixirs of the sect. Chapter 102 - Being Difficult with Each Other Brother Huang looked quite envious of those who would be selected to protect the Shiao family. As for those nominal disciples, they all expressed their admiration when hearing that. Shiao Chen had already become the idol of those young cultivators in Luoyun Valley. He was definitely as good as those talented figures in the legend as he reached the high level of the third-grade alchemy master with only one year, and his cultivation was even better than cultivator in the middle-stage of Foundation Establishment. So today is really the day to pick up these guardians? No wonder all of those masters are here. So all of these direct disciples are showing themselves to impress Master Shiao so that he might pick them? Well, its sad that we are only nominal disciples and our cultivation is not that impressive, or we could have the chance to get closer to Master Shiao today. While many were sighing about their incompetence, there was one who looked extremely surprised. That was Shiao Lin from the Shiao Family. Master Peng has only reached the Foundation Establishment stage for less than half a year, so Im afraid that you are not capable enough. Maybe you should just leave. Master Sun, that was not true. Although my cultivation is only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, it is also my duty to stand up instead of stay behind. Master Gong, you have quite many disciples, why dont you stay and teach them? You can just let us do it for you. Ho ho, thats alright. Those kids really worship Master Shiao and they keep asking me to go. So I have no choice but to listen to them. Well, Senior Brother Ma, you have already reached the top of the early-stage of the Foundation Establishment, and you can go for the middle-stage at any time soon. Why dont you just stay in the sect and focus on your cultivation instead of participating in this and waiting at Master Shiaos place? Junior Brother Liu, thats not true. Since the Sect Master has promised to take the shelter forever, as a master of Luoyun Valley, I shall take the responsibility of the sect as well. Besides, I am not young anymore, so probably I will never formate my core. Therefore, maybe I should do this and you can stay to focus on your cultivation. Well hmm I also want to share the responsibility of the sect. But since you also think this way, lets just wait for Master Shiaos decision. Those masters in Luoyun Valley were trying so hard to kick others out of this competition so that there would be fewer people left to be chosen. But each of them was super crafty that they couldnt get fooled by anyone but kept fooling each other. How dare you stand along with us! You are just a nominal disciple. Get out now. Exactly. Master Shiao will definitely punish you if he later sees you acting so rude like this. Who is your master? How can you be so rude? If you dont leave right now, then we will kick you out of this Immortal Welcoming Arena right away! There were some noises far away, so those masters all frowned and looked carefully at the place. Looking at his clothes, he should be a nominal disciple. And how dare he imagine to be picked up by Master Shiao with the cultivation that only touches the second level of Qi Refining stage? What a dreamer! He is such a joke and so rude. I wonder who his master is and how he has taught this disciple to be like that. Emm, I think I have seen him before, and maybe it was at Master Hus place. Is he the nominal disciple of Master Hu? Master Hu looked really grim because the one who was speaking was his rival and they had long been not getting along with each other. Besides, what had happened today might become another excuse to mock him and he couldnt stop being furious when thinking about this. Shiao Lin, just get the hell back now! You are not allowed to step out of the gate without my order! Hearing the voice from afar, Shiao Lin who was countering those direct disciples got immediately shocked. He looked quite unwilling but still didnt want to disobey Master Hu, so he took a bow with respect and decided to leave. Shiao Lin? You mean the one from the Shiao Family in Shiao Town, who is also from the same family clan of Master Shiao? Aha, so that is him. Ive heard that his father is the head of the Shiao Family and he is not getting along with the clan of Master Shiao. But now Master Shiao is really successful with his career, they are now trying so hard to please him one after one. I have also heard that the reason why he got admitted by Master Hu was that he bribed him with a chunk of genuine iron. Or he would never have joined our sect with such an inferior talent. According to Senior Brother Liu who accompanied Master Shiao on his first time back home, Master Shiao really doesnt have a good relationship with that family. And if it was not for the sake of his father, he would have killed this mans father on his own. However, look at him now, begging for his attention like a dog. Just get out of here and stop making a fool of yourself. Hearing that, Shiao Lin was indeed full of anger, so he stared at those people with his fierce eyes and yelled, Shut up! Yes, my family used to have some misunderstandings with Master Shiao, but this is between us, you are in no position to interfere. And we are from the same family and we share the same blood, so Master Shiao will definitely take his revenge if you offend him by humiliating me like this. You! Although those direct disciples were really angry, they didnt dare to take any actions because none of them could bear the anger of Shiao Chen if they really offended him. Humph! Right at the moment, someone scoffed and an old man in black rope suddenly showed up on the Immortal-welcoming Arena with his light shield. Master! Three of those direct disciples greeted and bowed to him with surprise. The others were also surprised as they bowed and looked at Shiao Lin with their mockery eyes. Mo Li hummed and didnt speak to those disciples at all. Instead, he turned around and looked at Shiao Lin with his cold eyes, saying, As a nominal disciple, you didnt respect the elders and insulted them. I have to teach you a lesson today to make you understand. As he was speaking, the pressure of the spiritual power of the cultivator in the late-stage of Foundation Establishment burst out all of a sudden and struck Shiao Lin directly. The former guy suddenly turned very pale as he took a few steps back with his eyes filled with fear and shock. Senior Brother Mo Li, please forgive him. This kid has been quite obedient usually, but he made his mistakes today, so please let me teach him by myself. It was Master Hu who appeared in front of Shiao Li with his light shield. Since he was his nominal disciple, it would bring shame to him if he got humiliated in public today. Therefore, even though he didnt want to, he had to beg for Shiao Lin. You can just get away with this. Today I am going to teach a lesson to this lad on my own. Mo Li stared at Master Hu as he spoke with a calm voice yet didnt want to let go. Hearing that, Master Hus face became quite gloomy all of a sudden and he tried so hard to make a smile after a few minutes, saying, Since you insist, my senior brother, I will listen to you for sure. He then looked down and stepped aside. Chapter 103 - Being Uncovered Shiao Chen, I have been in cultivation for more than 90 years, but now I am dwarfed by you. Both of you, the master and apprentice, ride roughshod over me. I cant teach either of you a lesson, but cant I vent out my hate on the one who are close to you?! Shiao Lin, you are unlucky today! There was a flash of resentment in Mo Lis eyes. With a wave of his hand, a huge palm appeared and slapped it down towards Shiao Lin. It was one of the primary magical powers of Luoyun ValleyC Xiao Qinna Shou (a kind of movement in martial arts, meaning catching). But at the point, Mo Li, who was at the later stage of Foundation Establishment, displayed it and its power was not to be underestimated. If being slapped, with the second level cultivation of Qi Refining, Shiao Lin would be lying in bed for at least a month or two to recuperate. Fear flashed in Shiao Lins eyes. When Shiao Lin closed his eyes and waited for the hand to fall, he suddenly heard a blare, and then he saw the billowing smoke and dust rising into the sky. When he opened his eyes, he saw clearly that a tall figure walking slowly out of the smoke and dust. With a pair of black and deep eyes fixed on him and then on Mo Li, that figure said slightly, Elder Mo Li, are you overreacted? It was Shiao Chen who suddenly appeared and broke Mo Lis Xiao Qinna Shou. At the moment, with a stern face, he was at a stalemate with Mo Li, making many people present seized with fear. One was Elder Mo Li, an experienced powerhouse, with the cultivation of the later stage of Foundation Establishment, who was promising to reach Gold Core. The other was Shiao Chen, an up-rising star, not only a superior third grade Alchemist, whose cultivation was more comparable to cultivators at the Middle-stage of Foundation Establishment. If these two had a fight, there would be a great storm in Luoyun Valley! Standing several meters apart from Shiao Chen, face to face, Mo Li slightly narrowed his eyes, with some coldness flashing by from time to time and his thin lips pressed together tightly. It was a long time before he suddenly smiled and said, It turned out to be Elder Shiao. This man used your name to threaten several of my disciples before, so I taught him a lesson, which is for your sake. Lest the disciples think that you indulge relatives, runing your reputation. Well, if so, I, should thank you for that! With eyes flickering, Shiao Chen put his hands in front of his chest, and being expressionless, he said, Now that I have arrived, I will deal with it. If not, Im afraid that Shiao Lin will be injured seriously, and cant go home with me. All right, but Elder Shiao needs to teach him more, lest this guy do that again in the future. Or if he fell in my hands again, I will not forgive him easily. Elder Mo Li, I dare not ask for a lot of care from you. Strictly speaking, this is the affair of our Shiao family. After all, wed better deal with it by ourselves. Shiao Chen looked slightly angry. For some reason, he disliked Mo Li at the first glance, so he was unkind in his words. Humph! Hearing that, Mo Li turned grim. He could not help but humph coldly, and turned to take a few disciples to go out. Shiao Chen kept poker-faced. But just as Mo Li passed him, his face suddenly became cloudy, in a moment, completely dark. Meanwhile, Mo Li also stopped suddenly, slowly raised his head, and with a murderous look in his eyes he stared at Shiao Chen, and said coldly, Unexpectedly, it was you who has killed my grandson! Shiao Chen looked puzzled. Being expressionless, he sneered after hearing that, and said, Whats do you mean, Elder Mo Li? My grandson, Mo Tiancheng, was murdered half a year ago at the back of the sects mountain, which has been known to everyone in the sect. With veins standing out on his face, and bloodshot in his eyes, Mo Li said, I wonder if Elder Shiao Chen can explain clearly why the Blood Mark I inserted in my grandson appears in your body? Blood Mark was a kind of strange spell restriction, laid out by senior cultivator who had a deep cultivation to the junior who had close paternal relations with the former ones. When the junior was killed, it would instantly penetrate into the killers body, as a marker to find the murderer. How come? The affair cried from the housetop at the beginning, unexpectedly, was done by Uncle Master Shiao Chen! I dont believe it has anything to do with Uncle Master Shiao Chen. Since Elder Mo Li has sensed the presence of Blood Mark, how could it be wrong? It must have something to do with Uncle Master Shiao Chen. Well, that Mo Tiancheng has always been arrogant and domineering, and nobody knows how many killings and treasure hunts he has done privately. I just heard that a lay disciple accidentally got a Huang Ling of 300 years old, which was taken away by him in secret. Its just because Elder Mo Li is his grandfather that no one dares to say anything. I have heard of something about it, too. Uncle Master Shiao Chen is open and aboveboard, who is indeed a gentleman. He must have a point to do the killing, or perhaps he just bumped into that Mo Tiancheng doing the wicked thing. You shut up! Mo Li roared, and his eyes, shining brightly with fierce flicker, swept around, and for a moment, everyone was quiet. He continued to say, Shiao Chen, it is clear in the inexorable law of Luoyun Valley that the one murdering his fellows will be abolished in cultivation, and that his soul will be extracted and melted! He will never have the chance of being alive! Even if you are Elder of Elixir Pavilion, who is esteemed, as long as you are guilty, you should be equally punished. Today I will punish you, the wicked and merciless one, who is harboring ill intent. Shiao Chen not only was a superior third grade master of alchemy, but a cultivator whose cultivation is comparable to those at the Middle-stage of Foundation Establishment in one year. So Chief Master and Alchemy Taoist mustnt know this affair, otherwise Im afraid my grandson Tianchengs death will be worthless! With some mercilessness flashing in Mo Lis eyes, he thought, What happened today has left a gap between the two of us. If I dont take this opportunity to kill him, with his gift, his future will be promising, and if he has a grudge against me, I shall die! And todays matter is Shiao Chens fault at first. Even if I kill him, with the inexorable law of the sect, presumably Chief Master Immortal and Alchemy Taoist cant do anything to me even though they are discontent with me! Between the breath, countless ideas went through Mo Lis mind. He let out a cold smile in his heart, and waved his hand to offer a spiritual weapon, with which he hit Shiao Chen on the head. Go! Mo Li knew that Shiao Chen had a powerful posture, which had easily injured Mingxiao Chenzhan seriously in the Sect Contest the other day. So at the moment, he acted as fiercely as possible, offered his spiritual weapon directly to kill Shiao Chen here before Shiao had an opportunity to move. Brother Mo Li, be lenient! Brother Mo Li, stop quickly! Everything can be explained, for goodness sake, dont kill him! My God! Brother Mo Li has already reached the later stage of Foundation Establishment. The Black Jade Ruler in his hand is a spiritual weapon of the highest grade, and Elder Shiao Chen is in danger! Elder Shiao Chen, escape quickly! You cant take that movement. Mo Li acted outrageously to Shiao Chen, and the whole Lingxian Arena was in an instant uproar. Before the young disciples realized what happened, the guarding elders had all lost their countenances. If Shiao Chen really had something wrong today, none of them would distance himself from the affair. Chapter 104 - Make Them All Frightened Go to hell, you brat! Mo Li smiled ferociously as it made him really excited that he could kill Shiao Chen by himself. You and your master shall never shine brighter than me. Go to hell! Damn you! Mo Li shouted fiercely inside himself. He didnt even stop when all those masters were screaming. Instead, he kept inserting his spiritual power into it, so the black jade ruler had grown aggressively and then it fell down in the wuthering wind. It was indeed hard to escape from Mo Lis sudden attack if it had not been Shiao Chen at that moment. But Shiao Chen had always kept his eye on him, so every move of Mo Li was captured and thats why he could move along at the moment when Mo Li attacked. Swift! Shiao Chen sneered secretly and sent out a spell immediately. He was really young. Although he was already a third-grade alchemy master with cultivation as good as a mid-level Foundation Establishment cultivator, those masters in Luoyun Valley still didnt really respect him. So today was the perfect time to let them know how powerful he actually was. All the people felt dizzy all of a sudden. As Shiao Chen was falling down, it seemed that he was accompanied by a small light that disappeared right away. Puff! When all of others were quite confused about it, Mo Li looked really scared as he spat out a lot of blood. His face turned super pale and his breaths withered immediately. As for the black jade ruler he had been kept inside his body for a long time, it let out a sad scream and fell on the ground with some shivering. The light of it vanished immediately and then remained quiet as it was already totally destroyed. Hiss! Those masters looked really shocked when they came closer quickly and they couldnt help but all hold their breath, looking at Shiao Chen with fear and respect. While there was a tiny hole appearing right in the middle of that black jade ruler as the body of this weapon was pierced through. Master Mo Lis black jade ruler was refined with the thousand years old black jade hidden thousands of meters deep in the north sea as its basis, plus Geng gold, steel essence, and others, and it is extremely solid and hard. Although it is a top-level spirit tool, its hardness can compete with a low-level magic weapon. Yet it was destroyed just in a blink, I am afraid that Master Shiao has been hiding that he has a magic weapon with him. The attack was absolutely terrible. If we were facing this kind of weapon, we would be killed for sure. Having this kind of weapon with him, there will be no enemy for Master Shiao under the Gold Core cultivators. Oh no. I didnt know that this lad would have such a weapon with him. If he kill me now by accident, the sect will never accuse him given that the power and talent he has shown them. Mo Li changed his mind immediately and he looked really nervous and helpless right now. I have no other choice right now but to bring the Sect Master and Alchemy Taoist here, or I will die for sure! Mo Li was definitely a decisive person, so he took out a jade slip without hesitation and crushed it completely with a tiny light flashing through his hand. At the next moment, all the others felt a strike on the back as there were two strings of aggressive spiritual power soaring up at a lightning speed toward this place. Shiao Chen looked slightly surprised and sneered a bit. He then gave up the idea of killing Mo Li after a short hesitation. After all, Qingyun Taoist and Alchemy Taoist had already noticed this, and if he insisted on killing this man, they would definitely be unhappy even if they wouldnt really do anything. Both of them showed up in the air above the Immortal-welcoming Arena right away. Their breaths were rolling around them like the wild sea tides which also tore the clouds up there into pieces. Realizing what was happening in the site, Qingyun Taoist couldnt help frowning, What has happened? How come Master Mo Li crushed the Signaling Jade Slip we only use for emergencies? Sect Master, please bring justice to me! Seeing the two of them coming, Mo Li finally felt relieved for a bit. He kneeled down directly and yelled, Shiao Chen was the one who killed my grandson Tiancheng! I tried to kill this devil but hes got the powerful weapon that destroyed my black jade ruler easily. And he also tried to killed me, so I crushed the jade slip out of emergency and wished you could help me in this. Hearing his story, Qingyun Taoist and Alchemy Taoist frowned and looked at each other as they all knew how worried they were. It would be alright if Mo Li was lying, but what if he was telling the truthThere were the strict regulations of the sect and the presence of so many masters and disciples, so it was pretty much impossible for them to protect Shiao Chen. Otherwise, how would they keep their reputation and how would the sect regulations work? Mo Li, you are certain that Shiao Chen was the one who killed Mo Tiancheng, do you have any evidence? How about you two just come with me to the secret room in the back of the mountain and lets have a profound investigation about this matter, so as to avoid any misunderstanding? After a short while of hesitation, Qingyun Taoist suggested that. Hearing that, Mo Li was clear that Qingyun Taoist would protect Shiao Chen and he would never reveal this thing in public. So if he agreed at the moment, Shiao Chen would get away with this forever. Although he figured out what Qingyun Taoist meant, he became really firm that he would never step back. Because if he failed to kill Shiao Chen today, he would never enjoy peace in the future. Sect Master, since I have said so, I am very sure that Shiao Chen is the murderer. As for the evidence, I can show you right now so everybody can see it clearly! Before Qingyun Taoist and Alchemy Taoist could react, Mo Li sent out several spells and yelled in a low voice, Bloody Killing Seal, now! Shiao Chen frowned a little bit as within his soul, he saw a weird black talisman running out of his body, and thousands of bloody lights coming out which formed a scary ghost threatening Shiao Chen with its claws and teeth. It disappeared slowly after a long while. The dead breath turned into a black talisman and then formed this ghost that only goes around the murderer. So, this is really the Bloody Killing Seal, and Mo Tiancheng was really killed by Master Shiao! It is really getting ugly now. Obviously, Sect Master and Alchemy Taoist are trying to save Master Shiao, but Master Mo Li wont give it up and showed this Bloody Killing Seal. Im afraid our Sect Master cannot keep protecting Shiao Chen when there is solid evidence like this. Master Mo Li insists on revealing this that he even doesnt care about the Sect Master, so it seems that he wont let go of Master Shiao until he is dead. I wonder how Sect Master will handle this. People will never accept it if he doesnt treat them equally. Those masters were whispering secretly as they looked at Shiao Chen with complicated feelings. Some of them were worried about him, yet some were expecting the worst result for him. Shiao Chen, please explain this. After a while, Qingyun Taoist asked him in a gloomy face and a cold voice. Chapter 105 - Everything Comes to Light Chief Master, heres the whole thing. Being composed, Shiao Chen repeated what happened that day after a short consideration. As for the plot about Chu Kuang, he inadvertently omitted, which did not attract any attention. Nonsense! Youve killed my grandson, and you cant ruin his reputation here! Although in his heart, Mo Li knew that Shiao Chen was telling the truth, he did not give the slightest concession in front of the public. Besides, all this is only your side of the story, which must be made up by yourself. It cant be true! Hearing that, Shiao Chen slightly knitted his eyebrows, and he took out an Image Stone, There is record of what happened that day, in which, it is easy to know who is right. After he finished speaking, he hit a stream of magic power in the stone. With the infusion of magic power, the Image Stone suddenly gave out a burst of fluorescence. Then a screen of light was projected, on which was the scene of the day when Shiao was at the back of the mountain in Luoyun Valley and killed Mo Tiancheng. All the facts were included, from that Mo Tiancheng secretly harmed the fellow disciple and tried to hurt Shiao Chen, to that he was finally killed. Mo Li, do you have anything else to say at the moment? Now Qingyun Taoist felt relieved. Looking at Mo Li unkindly, he said with indifference. Mo Li looked pale. With a fine layer of sweat on his head, he argued irrationally, Its common in the earthly market that craftsmen can make the fake Image Stone, and it cant prove anything with just a stone. Hearing that, Qingyun Taoist knitted his eyebrows again. Although Mo Li argued irrationally, there was a possibility that someone made a fake Image Stone. So he had to turn to ask Shiao Chen, Elder Shiao Chen, do you have any other way to prove it? Or else you have to stay outside the sect until the matter is clear and then return home. A shade of gloom flashed across Shiao Chens face, for a moment, he kept silent. But at this point, a weak voice suddenly came from the disciples of Luoyun Valley present. Chief Master Immortal, Im disciple Ling Qiaoer, I can testify that the fact is as what Uncle Master Shiao Chen said indeed. A female disciple in emerald dress stepped out and knelt on the ground respectfully. Well, you mean you bore witness for Elder Shiao? With a bit of pleasure flashing in Qingyun Taoists eyes, he waved and said, Stand up first and tell the story from the beginning to the end. If you dare to lie, I wont let you off! Yes, I will tell the truth! With her shoulders trembling slightly and being slightly reserved, She rose, paused for a little while, and told the story that when she participated in the Sect Fair, after which she was chased by someone who intended to kill her and saved by Shiao Chen. Although being not identical to the former plots, it was exactly consistent with what Shiao Chen said and the Image Stone demonstrated. I didnt know that the person who saved me on that day was Uncle Master Shiao Chen until just now when I saw the Image Stone. I swear with the oath of Internal Demons that everything I said is true, if not, I will not make progress in my cultivation and my soul will fall into the samsara forever! Ok, you back off. With a chill coming over his face, Qingyun Taoist looked at Mo Li and scolded harshly, You have a good grandson, and at first you requested me to spend no effort to find the murderer for you! He is such a scum that cruelly injured sect disciples and he deserved to be killed! You have not been strict with disciples in your sect, and today your actions are even more indiscriminate and outrageous. From today on, you will be deprived of the title of Elder and be grounded to have meditation for a year! You cant step out your room without my permission! Hearing that, Mo Li was convulsed at the corners of his lips. Instantly, his imposing manner weakened, and the wrinkles on his old face seemed to grow denser for a moment. Chief Master, I obey your order! He looked at Shiao Chen resentfully, and with a flash of the light shield, he went straight outside Lingxian Arena. Chief Master Immortal, thank you for giving me justice. Shiao Chen saluted respectfully, when his eyes fell on Alchemy Taoist, being delighted. I dont say anything about what happened today just to avoid suspicion. After all, you are my disciple. If I step in, others will make carping comments on you. But as long as you have a clear conscience, I will give you justice at all costs. I understand that Master was doing everything for the sake of me. Hearing what Alchemy Taoist said, Shiao Chen responded respectfully. Alchemy Taoist nodded,with more pleasant look on his face, and said, Im very gratified that you can understand the reason. You can choose the guardians and go home today. Chief Master Immortal and I still need to continue to find the methods, presumably it should also have some prospect of the solution when you return. Bowing farewell to Chief Master Immortal! Bowing farewell to Master! Bowing farewell to Chief Master Immortal! Bowing farewell to Grand master Alchemy Taoist! With the farewell paid by Shiao Chen and other disciples, they left and quickly disappeared out of the publics sight with the light of flash. Dont be proud of yourself, damned little bastard. If I succeed in reaching Gold Core in the future, I will avenge my grandsons death! Then you will be crushed to ashes! When he went on the way, Mo Li was extremely gloomy, gnashing his teeth. He had secretly hated Shiao Chen to the bone, and would like to scale his skin, pull out the cramps and extracted and melted the soul of Shiao Chen, to make him unable to go into the cycle of death and rebirth forever! At this moment, suddenly, a flash of light came from the rear, Mo Li stopped talking, ready to continue his way. Duan Huaming pay respects to Elder Mo Li. At this moment, with that light disappearing, a figure was revealed, and saluted respectfully to the former. Mo Li snorted coldly and turned slowly. With a sneer on his face, he said, Then? Im in such a difficult position, and are you, the junior, also here to laugh at me? When he was speaking, a violent surge of strong force broke out from him. At that moment, Duan Huaming turned pale, stepped back several meters and waved to explain, Elder Mo Li, you misunderstand me. I have no such intention. You must have heard that I have also been at deep enmity with Shiao Chen, so I come here today to discuss with you about how to deal with this man! Ah? Hearing that, Mo Li calmed down slightly. Hesitating for a while, he still shook his head and said, My grandson misbehaved in an attempt to harm the fellow disciple, even if he was not killed by Elder Shiao Chen, I will absolutely punish him in the cause of justice. At the moment, I have no complaint to Elder Shiao in my heart at all. So youd better find someone else for scheming against him. I will leave now! When he finished speaking, with a flash of light, he was ready to leave. Elder Mo Li, please think twice. I have embarrassed Shiao Chen for many times before, and if he gains power, I will certainly be suppressed by him in the future. Thats why I come to consult with you and theres no second thought in my heart! Seeing him ready to leave, Duan Huaming immediately became flurried, and said urgently, Theres an excellent opportunity at present, we only need to take a little means, without any effort, to make Shiao Chen die a tragic death. Elder Mo Li, please reconsider it. Hearing that, Mo Li looked angry and turned around, yelling at him harshly, It is really abominable to collude with one another to scheme against fellow disciples in private! Even if I am culpable now, I will still give you a slight punishment! While talking, he waved to hit a magic piece scouring, and flied far without looking back after Duan Huaming avoided it. Chapter 106 - Going Back to Shiao City Looking at his back, Duan Huaming turned quite pale and spat with hatred, leaving in the opposite direction. A short while after, only until he flew back to the herb garden and broke the restrictions around did he appear to be pleased. He opened his hand and saw a jade slip showing up. Midnight tonight, inside the yellow flower woods. Reading it with his divine sense, he was suddenly poured with joy even though he only saw a few words. Shiao Chen, I will watch you die this time. Duan Huaming crushed the jade slip slightly with his spiritual power. He looked really cold and the smile on his lips finally turned into a scary grin. Meanwhile, a group of cultivators of Luoyun Valley was leaving as many disciples guarding the mountain were looking at them with respect and envy. Shiao Chen felt a bit excited as he could wait no more to meet his parents that he had not seen for a year. If not because of the slow speed of those disciples in the Qi Refining stage, he would have gone faster toward Shiao City. There were two men following him, one of them was Senior Brother Ma who appointed him to go to the abandoned herb garden in the Spirit Resources Loft. This man had already established his foundation and was serving as a sect master now. He was very nice to Shiao Chen and didnt treat him badly even though he was just a nominal disciple. That was why Shiao Chen chose him to guard the Shiao Family only after a slight hesitation, as he was really good at handling every kind of situation. While the other one was an old man with a long beard who looked malnutritional and skinny. Yet he had already reached the top level of the middle-stage Foundation Establish and his spiritual power was indeed genuine. Behind them were 11 disciples of Luoyun Valley in their Qi Refining stage, and Shiao Lin was among them. However, his cultivation was way too inferior, so even though they had already reported to Qingyun Taoist that Shiao Lin would go back home with Shiao Chen as an extra disciple, he still needed to go back to the sect with him in 10 days. At that moment, Shiao Lin was quite anxious as he stared at the one in a blue robe ahead of him with mixed feelings. You are very lucky, Senior Brother Shiao Lin, that you have this special relationship with Master Shiao. You will definitely have a bright future. Exactly. Now Master Shiao is so influential in our sect, and he also has an amazing talent in alchemy, so it must be really easy for him to get a Gold Core in the future. With his caring, it must be really hard for Senior Shiao Lin to stay low. Since our Luoyun Valley is protecting them, the Shiao Family from Shiao City will definitely enjoy a prosperous and care-free future at least for the next 1000 years. And all of this is because of Master Shiao, so we are really jealous of you, Senior Brother Shiao Lin. You have such a great brother. Please help us in the future, Senior Brother Shiao Lin. And it would be really grateful for us if you get the chance to praise us in front of him. Shiao Lin felt a bit dizzy because he used to be humiliated as a nominal disciple by the others, and now they were all trying so hard to please him and calling him senior brother. Somehow he felt he was getting closer to the man in the blue robe as he looked at him with his warmer eyes. Except for Shiao Lin, the most inferior disciples in the group had reached the sixth level of Qi Refining stage, so there was no burden for them as they were way faster than Shiao Chen going back home before. Although Shiao City was about 5000 miles away from Luoyun Valley, they were almost there after 6 hours flying. However, the closer they got, the less embarrassed he felt, instead, Shiao Chen became more and more excited that he wished to move immediately like the legend and show up right in front of his parents. Its been a year, are you doing all well at home? Sighing secretly, Shiao Chen looked even more anxious as he didnt want to wait. Right at that moment, Senior Brother Ma behind him stepped out and smiled, Master Shiao, it is totally understandable that youre missing your family a lot. Since we are not very far from Shiao City, maybe you can go ahead of us and arrange our accommodation first. Or we might be a bit clumsy and make a fool of ourselves later. That would be nice! Shiao Chen looked really surprised and kept nodding, Then please lead those disciples as I will leave now, masters. After that, Shiao Chens light shield blinked and his speed went all the way up. He then disappeared as a tiny light spot just in a blink. Wow, Master Shiao has been really modest. Im afraid no one in the Foundation Establishment stage could match such a fast speed, except the Gold Core cultivators. Senior Brother Ma was shocked and he said after a while with a bitter smile. This speed is really shocking. That skinny old man nodded when he finally calmed down a little bit, saying, But he is still a bit impatient that he failed to control himself, which was too inferior to us. Did you forget that Master Shiao is still only in his 20s? He has just been admitted to our sect for one year. Master Ma looked really sad as he said so while shaking his head slowly. Hearing that, Master Sun was a bit shocked as he finally remembered that Shiao Chen had an unbelievably fast refining speed. So he threw out a bitter smile too as he was really impressed by him. I am back now, Shiao City! A blue light halted above the Shiao City. After the light shield was gone, a handsome young man showed up and looked at the house of Shiao Family emotionally. Right at that moment, his face suddenly turned gloomy as a cold and deadly power burst out of his body. Then he rushed down immediately with his light shield. In the grand hall of the Shiao Family, two groups of people were confronting each other. Members of the Shiao Family all looked very furious yet some traces of fear in their eyes were hard to hide. Wu Sansheng! How dare you Wu Family pick on us here! You will have to pay for this when Shiao Lin and Shiao Chen brothers come back! Shiao Wenting was panting heavily as he looked really pale. Some blood was in the corner of his mouth which showed that he was deeply hurt. Hearing that, a young man in his 20s who got a mole by his mouth smiled coldly. Theyre just two nominal disciples. Although the Luoyun Valley is quite powerful, I bet they dont care for the two nominal disciples. For your information, I have already been admitted by the Goldwater Sect as a direct disciple. And I will be on the career of infinite alchemy which is way more superior to the two studs from your Shiao Family. What a joke that you are trying to intimidate me with them! What? You are admitted to an alchemy sect as a direct disciple? Hearing that, Shiao Wenting was really shocked as he looked quite frightened by him. Hearing that, Wu Sansheng smiled satisfactorily and presented an old man behind him with respect, sneering, This is Master Cheng from our Goldwater Sect. So, if you behave well and give us the trade markets in the north and south areas, we would like to let you go and spare your lives. Otherwise, you guys will all be killed by Master Cheng within a blink. That Master Cheng looked extremely ugly as he had a goat mustache and yellow teeth, plus his shifty eyes. Hearing that, he looked really satisfied and sent out a strong spiritual power which was almost at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, so he probably had just reached this stage. Chapter 107 - Those Who Insult Shiao Family Would Die At this moment, a pair of his small eyes swept around the people of Shiao family disorderly, and finally fell on a young girl. With a fiery lust in his eyes, he stretched his bony fingers to touch her and said with a wicked smile, Ha ha, this girl is very good. If you are willing to offer her to me as a concubine, youll have a relationship with me. I not only wont allow the Wus to hurt you today, but perhaps I can send you a good fortune if Im pleased. What do you think about that? The girl, who was pointed to by Elder Cheng, trembled slightly and her face turned pale. Elder Cheng, well Well Are you mistaken about it? We have prepared three virgins for you, whose appearances and figure are as good as this girl. You can not temporarily change your mind. Wu Sansheng was a bit panic. He quickly bent over and whispered in Elder Chengs ear. Humph! I can do whatever I want to. Do I need your directions? Elder Cheng snorted coldly and said sinisterly, Im determined to have this girl, and if you want to stop me, I dont mind removing your Wu family from Shiao town first! Hearing that, Wu Sansheng felt a chill over his spine. Though unwilling, he did not dare to say anything and stepped aside cautiously. He joined Goldwater Sect the other day and by luck, he got to know this powerful Elder Cheng, who barely promised to return together with him to solve the matter of Shiao family. Barring his continuous agitating and glib tongue, he promised Cheng several young beauties as a gift. It did not occur to Wu that the old fellow had taken possession of his three cousins, but at the moment he changed his mind, which made Wu Sansheng secretly curse him unceasingly, but he dared not to show any disagreement on his face. Well, will you agree or not? Elder Cheng looked at the girl, who was dreadfully pale, and then he darkened his face, I have limited patience, and I hope this is not against your own will. Otherwise if I take away the girl by force and destroy Shiao family completely, itll just be as easy as lifting a finger for me. Dad, save me! Save me! I dont want to be his concubine! Now the girl finally had a breakdown, and threw herself into the arms of a middle-aged man with a fair face and a long black robe, crying. With a slight quiver on his face, Shiao Wenqian, the second young master of Shiao family, stretched his hand to protect his daughter behind him. His face suddenly turned red when he looked at Elder Cheng and shouted at him relentlessly, My daughter is only seventeen years old! How could she possibly marry you, an old and ugly monster? Youd better drop that idea as early as possible! Ok. All right. With the murderous look bursting out from Chengs eyes that turned thoroughly gloomy, suddenly, an internal violent magic power of Elder Cheng, whose earthy yellow clothes rumbled under it, made the people in the hall fearful. Since you want to destroy yourself, I will help you! This Elder Cheng was short and ugly, but the spell of cultivation needed the Inborn Yin of many virgins to make rapid progress. He was extremely lecherous, but was deeply self-abased in his heart. What he hated most was others carping comments on his appearance, and at the moment, Shiao Wenqian really caught him on the raw, which added flame to Chengs fury. Even if you are a cultivator, you wont have the chance of bullying Shiao family! At this moment, Shiao Wenshan, father of Shiao Chen, suddenly stepped forward and shouted angrily, Theres absolutely no coward in Shiao family. Even if were killed today, we shall not bow to you or step back! Uncle is right. Theres no coward in Shiao family! Even if were dead, we cannot hand over younger sister Caiyun, otherwise our Shiao family wont have the decency to live in this world! Lets fight with this old fellow! All the young disciples of Shiao family were filled with righteous indignation and their eyes blazed with anger. They wished they could tear Elder Cheng into pieces and fed him to dogs. Shiao Wenting moved his lips when he saw the excitement of the crowd, and the righteous ardor having been cold for a long time in his heart was slowly warming up. Looking at the view of Shiao Wenshans back, for the first time, he showed some admiration in his eyes. In the face of this matter, Wenshan could still be neither humble nor pushy and be brave. He sighed secretly in his heart that he was still not as good as Wenshan. With a gleam of determination in his eyes, Shiao Wenting stepped forward and stood together with Wenshan. They looked at each other and the grudge between them went away in a moment! Theres no coward in Shiao family! The master of every branch stood forward with a red face, and kept in line with them two. The Shiao family would rather die with dignity than live on in degradation! Finally, standing in the front hand in hand, the juniors of Shiao family fulminated in unison! Although they were not cultivators, something that had dissipated condensed out again slowly from them inside, and with which, an invisible general power condensed instantly above them. Facing the breath of that, Elder Cheng and Wu family all couldnt help but look a bit panic. Recklessly! Elder Cheng felt flushed at his fear of his rivals, and with the intention to kill rising crazily, he said coldly, Today I will let you all know that Im even more powerful than you can imagine! All to die! With his roar, several spells were hit. Go! Instantly, dozens of fireballs were condensed in the air. Although primary, it was enough to deal with the mortals without any cultivation. Go to hell! With a sudden wave of his hand, Elder Cheng smiled ferociously. It seemed as if he had already seen that the Shiao family were instantly burned into clouds of flying ashes by the fireball, which would completely dissipate in the world from now on. Anyone who offended Grandmaster will not have a good end! Everybody of Wu also turned pale at the moment, except Wu Sansheng, whose eyes showed a craze of killing! As for the Shiao family, the disciples, standing in the front now, all clenched their teeth and closed their eyes, because they had ever seen the power of the fireball. It would kill people instantly, but fortunately, it might not be painful, which would be over just in the blink of an eye. But after holding their breath for a short while, the things they had expected did not happen. Instead, they heard Elder Cheng roaring with a surprise, I wonder which friend did it secretly. Im Cheng Sanjin of Goldwater Sect, and please dont interfere in this matter! As he spoke, Cheng Sanjin raised his hand and threw out an object, which was black and shaped like an irregular iron, emitting a misty black light that enveloped him. At the same time, he patted on his forehead to offer a spiritual weapon, when his small eyes swept all around restlessly. Although that person did not appear, he, who could break up the fireballs easily, must not be beneath him in cultivation. Cheng Sanjin was cautious by nature. He had prepared for the worst before he knew the other clearly. At this moment, at the entrance to the hall, with a flash of a blue robe, Shiao Chen went in slowly with a sullen face. Chen, its you! The face of Shiao Chens father lit up a bit, but then he said hurriedly, Chen, leave here! The cultivation of Cheng Sanjin is unfathomable, and you are absolutely no match for him. Chapter 108 - Never Let It Go Seeing that his father was alright, Shiao Chen finally relieved for a bit. Yet he then saw many of the Shiao Family members panting, which meant they were all severely hurt, so he couldnt help but feel more furious. Father, please dont worry. I will take care of them! As he was speaking, his eyes turned extremely cold and stared at Cheng Sanjin and those from Wu Family, saying, Whoever picks up on our Shiao Family deserves to die! After that, a fiercely powerful spiritual power burst out of his body and struck Cheng Sanjin and the others overwhelmingly. Damn! Feeling the imposing power coming out of Shiao Chen, Cheng Sanjins face suddenly turned pale as he looked obviously frightened, Isnt this stud just a nominal disciple who joined Luoyun Valley one year ago? How come his cultivation is so powerful now? He is almost as good as a cultivator in the middle stage of Foundation Establishment! Run! He must be a really talented one if he can have such a good cultivation. And the Luoyun Valley must care so much about him, so probably he has got some magic weapons with him. We wont be a match for him and we should just leave as soon as possible! Cheng Sanjin came up with an idea after a short while of thinking. Dont you dare to mess around with us, you brat! Take this magic weapon! While he was speaking, this man threw out something and a golden light burst out of his hands all of a sudden which was too powerful to look at directly. It went directly to Shiao Chen after a short twirling in the air. Shiao Chen frowned a bit and took out a shield-shaped spirit tool from his pocket. As the spiritual power went into it, the shield suddenly became a foot big and protected him behind. It was still unknown what was inside that golden light, but according to its power, it was almost like a strike from a cultivator in middle-stage Foundation Establishment, so Shiao Chen didnt want to underestimate it. However, right at the moment when the Wu Family was about to cheer for the great power of their master, a layer of shield light showed up around Cheng Sanjin, and he rushed out immediately and left the others confused. What? When the golden light was still a few feet away from Shiao Chen, the gloss of it suddenly disappeared and showed up a talisman with special texture which started to burn right away. Illusion Talisman! Shiao Chen realized it after thinking for a moment, yet during that moment Cheng Sanjin had already left the hall and running away crazily in his light shield. Shiao Chen did nothing but sneer while looking at the direction of his escape. Silence! As for those people from Shiao Family, it was really hard for them to believe what had just happened in front of them. Did did Master Cheng just run away from here? Shiao Wentings lips were slightly trembling as he looked at Shiao Chen will his eyes filled with shock. This dude has just run away from the fight, so I think its quite obvious that he knew exactly how incompetent he is to Shiao Chen. And he never thought Shiao Chen could surpass a sect master in cultivation within only one year! Uncle Five of Shiao Family murmured as he looked at Shiao Chens father secretly and stepped back for a bit to stand behind them. It seems that Brother Shiao Chen has really experienced something for the past year in Luoyun Valley. Those young members of Shiao Family looked at Shiao Chen with respect and fear, yet they also felt very close to him when recalling he once had said Whoever picks up on our Shiao Family deserves to die! Chen, now I know you have grown up a lot during the past year and its already beyond my expectation. Noticing the cheers from the others, Shiao Chens father finally expressed his satisfaction, as it was really comforting him to have a son like this. However, right at that moment, his face suddenly changed as he yelled, Wait, this man is the enemy of our Shiao Family now, Chen, you should go now and take him back. Otherwise he will hurt us secretly if he escapes from us, and then our family will be in danger. Hearing that, Shiao Wenting and the others were all shocked and looked really anxious as they realized how dangerous it could become. Shiao Chen looked quite calm and looked at the edge of the sky, saying slightly, Dont worry too much, father. He will come back soon. Hearing that, everyone was very confused. Suddenly, three light shields showed up in the sky and they rushed towards them at a very fast speed with one leading the other two. While the light shields were still far away, they could already hear the panicked screaming of Cheng Sanjin, There must be some misunderstandings between us! Please let me explain, my young friend! I will definitely compensate you a lot if you let me go! As he was speaking, the light shield halted up in the air above the Shiao Family. Cheng Sanjin was so regretful at that moment. That goddamned Wu Sansheng! He was barely trying to send him to death! They were not just two nominal disciples from Luoyun Valley. What kind of nominal disciple would have a cultivation of a middle-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator? What kind of nominal disciple would come home with so many masters around? Shiao Chen still looked calm as he had already expected that. He had started the fight with Cheng Sanjin, and it could never have escaped from Master Ma and Master Suns sense. Cheng Sanjin would never have left when these two were at presence. If I did come back home today, you would have already killed our Shiao Family. How would you expect to keep your life with only one excuse of misunderstanding? Shiao Chens eyes turned extremely cold as he was scared as well. As a cultivator in the early stage of Foundation Establishment, if he didnt show up in time, the entire Shiao Family would have been erased. Shiao Chen became extremely fierce when thinking of the dangerous situation his parents had been in. He didnt want to let go any of these people today as he would never focus on his refining career if they never learn the lesson. Hearing the aggressive answer of Shiao Chen, Cheng Sanjins eyes were filled with fear immediately and he yelled, I am the third master of Goldwater Sect! I know you Luoyun Valley is more influential than us, but if you kill me here, our Goldwater Sect will not just let it go! Right at that moment, Master Ma and Master Sun withdrew their light shields and locked Cheng Sanjin firmly by standing in the front and back of him respectively. Shiao Chen slightly frowned and asked them, Master Ma, Master Sun, it has already been well-known in the whole cultivation world of Beihua State that our sect has promised to protect our entire Shiao Family. So if it was just about my humble family, we will just take this kind of insult, but isnt he being offensive to Qingyun Taoist? Isnt he despising our Luoyun Valley? Please make a decision on how to deal with this man, masters. Noticing that Shiao Chens words were quite unpleasant, the two masters were getting grumpy as well. Cheng Sanjin was so reckless that he tried to kill the entire Shiao Family right after Luoyun Valley had promised to protect them forever. If they failed to handle this properly, not only would Shiao Chen feel betrayed by the sect, but also the reputation of entire Luoyun Valley would be damaged a lot! Thinking of those, the two of them looked at Cheng Sanjin with their freezingly cold eyes and shouted together, Undermining the eternal protection of our sect, you are now the enemy of our Luoyun Valley. Die! After that shouting, both of them sent out a strong spiritual power which then merged into one and struck overwhelmingly on Cheng Sanjin. Chapter 109 - Double Fingers Devourer A thousand years protection for Shiao family! How does Shiao Chen make Luoyun Valley value him so much? No! I have to escape for my life. With what they two said, Cheng Sanjins face turned pale. If he knew earlier that Luoyun Valley had promised a thousand years protection to Shiao family, he absolutely dare not come here to behave so recklessly. He regretted that he had indulged himself in pleasure at the Wus with the door closed these days that he knew nothing about it. But it was too late to regret now. Looking at the murderous look in the eyes of them three, Cheng Sanjin just wanted to escape from here, change his name to live as a nobody, and never return to Goldwater Sect. Otherwise, with the power and influence of Luoyun Valley, a sect with two Gold Core cultivators, Goldwater Sect would absolutely hand him over to soothe their anger. No one gets in my way! Running for his life wholeheartedly now, Cheng Sanjin felt that his inner power was churning violently like boiling water. Now his eyes were red, and with a strange black iron on the top of his head, and a glistering spiritual weapon in his hand, which was at least top grade at the first glance, he escaped crazily far ahead, with a flash of light. Stop there! With a cold look in the eyes, Elder Sun patted his forehead and offered a spirit weapon nourished by his mind and soul quickly. The weapon was shaped like a harpoon, which was green all over. When it was brandished, the fishy smell revealed that it was obviously a highly toxic treasure. Now he put his magic power into it and threw it forward gently. The harpoon suddenly turned into a mass of green and fell to Cheng Sanjins head. Cheng Sanjins eyes were full of fear, but in the depth of which there was a kind of madness. When the harpoon hit him, his eyes flashed with harshness and cruelty. Unexpectedly, he patted his forehead and instantly, the spirit weapon came out, which went to meet the harpoon after magic power was injected into it. When the distance between the two was less than a few meters, suddenly, Cheng Sanjin shouted, Explode! Hearing that, Elder Sun suddenly turned sullen, and instantly, the power of middle stage Foundation Establishment was released. The harpoon was slightly slowing down, and on which layers of green lights appeared, enveloping it all around. At this moment, the weapon threw out by Cheng Sanjin suddenly burst out a violent magic power, and then with the sound of explosion, it instantly broke apart. The harpoon was quite close to the center of the blast. Although the green shield was highly defensive, it shattered into pieces after a moment of defense, by the attack of the Foundation Establishment cultivators self-destruction of the spiritual weapon. The harpoon, struck by the aftermath of the self-destruction, shuddered all over. With green light on it flashing now and then, it was evident that it had been destroyed seriously. Elder Sun turned pale instantly. He stretched his hand to catch the harpoon, and threw an eye on it, immediately, he could not help but felt heartache. The harpoon was so powerful that it was counted to be a top-grade spiritual weapon. In particular, having been nourished for these years, it was extremely psychic. Moreover, it was also highly poisonous, which made him able to hold out for a while even if he was fighting with the cultivators in the later period of Foundation Establishment. But at the moment the harpoon was badly damaged, and it would be hard to recover without months of nourishment. The self-destruction forced Elder Suns harpoon away, but Cheng Sanjin also suffered a lot. When the spirit weapon broke apart, his face turned pale instantly, and at the same time, spurts of blood were spitted from his mouth, and his breath also was weakened rapidly. But now, he had even stronger imposing manner. His bloodshot eyes were glinting, which seemed that he would fight to death with the others. Elder Ma saw that Elder Suns spirit weapon had been damaged, and that Cheng Sanjin was so crazy in order to escape, he could not help but become irresolute. Stared by Cheng Sanjin, who was murderous now, he behaved slightly hesitant. It provided a chance for Cheng Sanjin to flee away from his side, running wildly towards the sky. Ive made it! Ive made it! Cheng Sanjin could not help but feel so ecstatic that he even wanted to laugh crazily, I have learned the occult technique of blood shield, and though it causes great loss to my energy every time I use it, thats nothing compared with my life! Shiao family in Shiao town, youre on my list. Wait for me, and Ill come back one day to kill all of you! With a vicious roar, Cheng Sanjin felt more comfortable, and when he was about to display the occult technique of blood shield, he raised his head and saw a juveniles black eyes in front of him, which were as bright as stars, and as cold as water. You want to extinguish the Shiao family? But well see if youre lucky to survive today! Index Finger Devourer! Middle Finger Devourer! Double Fingers Fusion! Double Fingers Devourer! Devour him! Shiao Chen was stern in his eyes. Since Cheng Sanjin had already had the idea of destroying Shiao family, he would never let Cheng get away. So he fought with the Double Fingers Devourer that had never been used, without a second thought! One Finger Devourer was from the first round of All-embracing Palm Attacks, in which there were five levels COne Finger Devourer, Double Fingers Devourer, Three Fingers Kill, Four Fingers Inferno and Fiver Fingers Extirpation! Each extra finger doubled the cost of magic power, and the power also soared. With Shiao Chens present cultivation of the sixteenth level of Qi Refining, which was comparable to the Middle-stage of Foundation Establishment, he could use Three Fingers Kill at best. After that, his magic power and divine sense would instantly run out, but the strength of his power would be not far from, even if not as good as, that of a Gold Core cultivator! According to Shiao Chen, if he could use Fiver Fingers Extirpation, the attack would be powerful enough to match that of the cultivators in the Middle-stage of Gold Core! With Shiao Chens current practice, Double Fingers Devourer, which was enough to match the power of a cultivator in Fake Core, would consume 40% of his magic power. Forefinger and middle finger were put together like a sword, which fell instantly at Cheng Sanjin. Shiao Chens face turned a little pale, and two glittering and translucent fingers instantly condensed out from his magic power, shooting from the fingertips. Although separated, at the root, two fingers were linked by a faint white line. A violent suction burst forth from between the two fingers, and suffering from which, reiki of the world, churning like boiling water, rushed wildly into the between. As the reiki poured in, the two fingers grew clearer and firmer, on which even tiny fingerprints appeared, like human fingers. With the appearance of fingerprints, the breath of the fingers grew stronger and stronger. On the way of their rumbling ahead, the power was extremely terrible. What magic power is this? It was so powerful! With fear filled in his eyes, Cheng Sanjin screamed, hit in the chest with his clenched fists, and immediately spitted several mouthfuls of essence blood. The essence blood did not drift away after leaving him, instead, it sent out bursts of weird light of blood, floating in front of his body. After that, Cheng Sanjin grew weaker in his feeble breath. All-embracing Blood Shield! Cheng let out a low cry, and in an instant, he made a number of spells, with the direction of which, in a poof, that cloud of essence blood turned into a mist of blood, whose diameter was about ten feet. It wrapped him in from the head to toes, and from which came a dazzling light of blood. But at this moment, those two fingers had already fallen beyond the mist of blood. Chapter 110 - Kill Them All No! I can do this! Just one more minute and the Blood Shield would be finished, and he would be very certain that he could escape from todays trap unless there was a Gold Core cultivator. However, seeing that two fingers falling, Cheng Sanjin turned really pale as his eyes were filled with despair. Boom! As the two fingers fell down, the blood mist was broken by them immediately so did Cheng Sanjins body, following by a shower of blood. Hmm? Shiao Chen frowned a little bit and landed on the ground with his light shield. He held a piece of strange-shaped iron in his hands and put it right into his pocket, looking complicated. Shiao Chens cultivation is so profound that he could easily kill any cultivator in the early stage of Foundation Establishment with just one strike. But this is definitely not his ace shot, and probably my life would be under threat if I try to compete with him. Master Sun looked really nervous as he stared at the man in the blue shirt with respect and fear, saying secretly, I think I should just try to be friends with Shiao Chen instead of his enemy. He is definitely not a random person and he will become someone in the future! Luckily there was no bad feelings between us and so far it seems to be the most correct decision I have ever made in my life. Seeing Cheng Sanjin got killed immediately, Senior Brother Ma felt both grateful and fearful at the same time, I need to keep a good relationship with the Shiao Family since I am here with them. And it would be really helpful for me if he could promote me in the future. The two cultivators from Luoyun Valley were busying figuring out the situation, while those disciples in the Qi Refining stage were all shocked when seeing this. This man must be a Foundation Establishment cultivator! And since he could escape from the two masters, his cultivation cannot be too inferior. Yet he was torn apart by only one strike of Master Shiao! Master Shiao has reached such profound cultivation at such a young age. He will definitely make incredible achievements in the future. Our master told me before I came here that I have to keep a good relationship with Master Shiao, so that I will have unexpected rewards in the future. He was absolutely true about it! Master Shiao Chen is such a genius. He will definitely become the leader in the cultivation world of our Beihua State in the next century! Shiao Lin sat on the flying sword of a disciple from Luoyun Valley with his legs crossed. Staring at the man in the blue shirt, he had a complicated feeling and couldnt help sighing a little bit. The leading one shall stay and all the others please leave right now. From now on, the Wu Family shall leave forever from Shiao City, or you will be killed no matter what! Shiao Chen came at a low pace. Although his voice was calm, his eyes were filled with killing intentions which were cold enough to freeze those from the Wu Family. Hearing that, those people from the Wu Family looked at each other and then started to run away all of a sudden, leaving Wu Sansheng alone standing there with fear. Please let me go, master, please. I am such a fool and I didnt mean to do all of this. As long as you let me go, I promise I will never go back to Shiao City ever again! Shiao Chen was not moved at all as he looked at Wu Sansheng with his cold eyes and formed several fireballs in the air with a wave of hand. He then threw the fireballs at the man begging him. The mans eyes were filled with fear and then he turned into ashes. Since this man could be admitted as a nominal disciple of the Goldwater Sect, he must have a spiritual root in his body. If he didnt remove it today, he could be a threat to the Shiao Family in the future, so Shiao Chen had to prevent that from happening. As Shiao Chen had killed Wu Sansheng brutally, the entire Shiao Family felt really shocked and they looked at them with respect and fear. Masters, please tell me the real power of that Goldwater Sect. Shiao Chen asked coldly with his slightly blinking eyes. Hearing that, Master Sun was stunned a bit as he knew Shiao Chen was thinking about killing them all when he saw his calm but gloomy face. He couldnt help but feel so respectful to him. Master Ma hesitated for a moment as if he did not act quickly enough, he could have let Cheng Sanjin escaped from the encirclement. Although this man had already been killed, he still felt guilty about that. Hearing that, he said slowly, The Goldwater Sect is not that powerful, but their master, the Goldwater Taoist has quite good cultivation and he has reached the complete-stage of Foundation Establishment already. There is another master who reached the middle-stage Foundation Establishment, plus some disciples of Qi Refining stage. So in total slightly more than 100 members including those lay disciples. Shiao Chen squinted his eyes as some cold lights were shining inside. As long as there was no Gold Core cultivator, today would be the day that Goldwater Sect got wiped out from the cultivation world of the Beihua State. Shiao Chen had already made up his mind to set an example to warn everyone and show the entire cultivation world his attitude. And that meant if someone tried to hurt Shiao Family, he would kill the entire family of that one. Please calm down, Master Shiao. The Goldwater Taoist has reached the Fake Core stage, Im afraid we cant compete with him at all. Please dont hurry and let me report this to our sect master, then we can wait for the sect to send us some cultivators. Master Sun hesitated a bit and persuaded. Never mind, I will deal with the Goldwater Taoist. Masters, please kill that master of Goldwater Sect whos reached the middle-stage Foundation Establishment as soon as possible, and no need to worry about the other disciples. Shiao Chen waved his hand abruptly to show his determination. Today the Shiao Family and the Goldwater Sect had become dead enemies. So if any piece of information leaked out to them, they would easily escape with all of their sect members, and that would be a huge threat to the Shiao Family. Thats why he had to kill the entire Goldwater Sect today! He is dealing with the Goldwater Taoist. Does it mean that the cultivation of this kid is strong enough to kill a Fake Core cultivator easily? Master Sun and Master Ma looked at each other as they knew both were shocked by him. After thinking for a while, the two nodded because they had realized it was just like a piece of cake for Shiao Chen to destroy the entire Goldwater Sect today with his cultivation. Lets go! Shiao Chen yelled in a low voice and rushed to the sky in his light shield. Master Sun and Master Ma followed him closely, and they were followed by ten direct disciples from Luoyun Valley aside from Shiao Lin. They disappeared from peoples eyes just in a short moment. Although it was just a short period of time, ever since they had met Shiao Chen, all the members of Shiao Family felt really dizzy as if they were in a dream. So Shiao Chen could easily kill a master of Goldwater Sect? According to these masters, it seems that Shiao Chen has become the master of Luoyun Valley! Killing the entire Goldwater Sect? Well since when does Shiao Chen become so powerful that he could decide the life and death of a sect? Shiao Wenting looked confused yet quite excited as he had a strong feeling that it was time for the Shiao Family to rise! Shiao Lin, come here quickly! Tell me what has happened during the past year. We want to hear the whole story. The mountain where the Goldwater Sect located was more than three thousand miles away from Shiao City. There was a small branch of the spiritual vines, and that was where the Goldwater Sect located. Goldwater Taoist frowned and sat on the cushion with his legs crossed, and he couldnt figure out why he felt so anxious that he couldnt stay calm for a long while. Maybe I have been really hurried in refining lately, that my heart is unstable now? Goldwater Taoist tried to calm down and finally came into refining status after a long while. Chapter 111 - Extinguish the Goldwater Sect But at that moment, a sudden burst of jingle came from the outside and a young disciple rushed in with a long face. What happened? With his eyes wide open, Goldwater Taoist had a sense of foreboding and he asked right away. Chief Master Immortal, Uncle Master Cheng, Uncle Master Chengs divine sense jade slip is broken! that disciple looked panicked, his forehead sweating excessively due to anxiety, yet he dare not wipe it away. What?! Goldwater Taoist found that hard to believe. He pounded the table and jumped to his feet. Intimidating power was emitted as the Fake Core Cultivator asked forlornly, When did that happen? Have you found it out? That disciples face turned pale out of scare and his voice trembled, Fifteen minutes ago, while I was patrolling the pavilion, Uncle Master Chengs divine sense jade slip suddenly cracked. I dare not delay and came directly to you. Goldwater Taoist drew a deep breath and calmed himself. He lowered his voice, Go get your Uncle Master Zhang Duo here. And dont tell anyone about this or youll be severely punished. After that disciple left in terror, Goldwater Taoist suddenly felt furious. He growled, Whoever it was that killed Elder Cheng, Ill extract and melt your soul and crush you into ashes. One hour later, a light shield landed outside. When it disappeared, a solemn, middle-aged man showed up and he rushed inside. Senior Brother, we need to be prudent. Junior Brother Cheng was killed, but before we find out what his killer is capable of, we cant act rashly! Sitting cross-legged next to Goldwater Taoist, that solemn, middle-aged man Zhang Duo said slowly after some careful thinking. Having heard that, Goldwater Taoist nodded, Thats my thought too. Junior Brother Cheng was in Shiao City and there are only several small sects in that area. They are too weak and they all know him, so they cant be the one who did it. Could it be that Junior Brother Cheng offended some powerful cultivator who passed by and got killed for it? Zhang Duo also looked uncertain, but then suddenly his face froze and fear could be seen in his eyes. He trembled, Shiao City? Seeing that, Goldwater Taoist pondered a bit and thought of what recently had been going on within the Cultivation World. He couldnt help crying out, Could it be that Junior Brother Cheng provoked the Shiao Family? Senior Brother, we need to be vigilant. For thousands of years, the Shiao Family has been under the protection of Luoyun Valley. When Junior Brother Cheng went there, he didnt know that. If our speculation were true, and if Luoyun Valley were to vent their spleen to our Goldwater Sect, wed be in serious trouble. Hearing that, Goldwater Taoists complexion changed and at this moment, the color of the skin on his face turned dark instantly and he looked quite gloomy. Goldwater Taoist, get out and accept your doom. Driven by his magic power, his voice swept over like a huge wave and echoed through the valley. Three light shields disappeared when Shiao Chen and the other two landed outside the gate of the Goldwater Sect. Who is out there asking for trouble? Beg for your death! As he spoke, strong spiritual power erupted from inside the gate. Shrouded in light shields, the two Taoists landed across Shiao Chen and the other two men in an instant. Through his divine sense, Goldwater Taoist recognized them as merely cultivators at the top level of middle-stage Foundation Establishment and he felt much reassured. What is it that brings you here to challenge our Goldwater Sect? Do you presume that we cant rival you? As he spoke, his spiritual power came out and his Taoist robe fluttered though there was no wind. The power of the Fake Core Cultivator was geared towards terrorizing those three mercilessly. Elder Suns and Elder Mas faces turned a bit pale. Faced with such strong power, they couldnt help looking towards Shiao Chen. Seeing that Shiao Chen remained calm as if he was not affected, they felt much relieved. Goldwater Taoist saw how the two Elders reacted and that was when he realized that among those three men, the least impressive young man was the leader. Seeing that the young man was not intimidated by his power, he couldnt help drawing his eyebrows together. At this moment, Shiao Chen suddenly raised his head and the murderous intention could be seen in his eyes. He stretched out his hand and pointed and then cried out in a low voice, Swift! Shiao Chen was in no mood for more talk with a man who was dead meat to him. And he took out his most deadly weapon: Dantian Treasure. This artifact could give out part of the power that a magic weapon of a Gold Core Cultivator possessed. With it, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator posed no threat to Shiao Chen. Damn! The moment Shiao Chen attacked, Goldwater Taoist could only see a flash and he felt like his life was in dire, immediate danger. This feeling was so intense, way more intense than when he was pursued by several powerful cultivators when he explored the cave of an ancient cultivator. Swift! This man had made it from a Rogue Cultivator to a Fake Core Cultivator and founded the Goldwater Sect. He was not a man to be underestimated. He had been through fights like this numerous times and he never failed to act quickly when it was a matter of life and death. Just in a second, he cast out an artifact. That was an earthy yellow, round ball. It gave out a dense, yellow flash and the smell of soil could be smelled. Seeing that his ball was working, Goldwater Taoist felt relieved. He hunted and killed a tortoise at the top of the second level by chance, took its internal core and refined it to make this ball. The yellow light shield it emanated was highly defensive and saved his life in desperate situations many times. Bang! A rattle was heard and Goldwater Taoist was a bit doubtful. Before he realized what was going on, he felt a sharp pain in his head and he blacked out and lost his consciousness. Upon the light shield, a hole as small as a thin embroidery needle appeared and between Goldwater Taoists eyebrows was a small red dot. His breath faded away as quickly as a tide ebbed and his body twisted and collapsed on the ground. In the blink of an eye, the Fake Core Cultivator is DEAD! Elder Sun exchanged a glance with Elder Ma, both struck dumb with amazement. Though when they were at the Immortal Welcoming Arena, they knew that Shiao Chen had a treasure that could match a magic weapon and that he seriously injured Elder Moli with it, they only realized it now that everyone had been underrating Shiao Chen. With this artifact, no one would be his rival unless they were Gold Core Cultivators. After that needle-shaped Dantian Treasure killed Goldwater Taoist, it immediately flew back to Shiao Chens Dantian where it became more transparent. It seemed that it might be gone for good after being used for several times more. With just one move, Shiao Chen killed Goldwater Taoist. Zhang Duo was paralyzed with terror. Seeing that Shiao Chen was staring at him, he let out a cry and a light shield surrounded him. He was fleeing without even putting up a fight. Elder Ma, Elder Sun, Ill leave that man to you. As he spoke, a light shield flashed and he was heading towards the inside of the Goldwater Sect buildings. If an enemy wasnt extinguished entirely, they might rise again to be potential threats. As Shiao Chen thought of how the Qingling Sect went after Li Xiaoyi for revenge, he felt an increasing urge to kill them all. With their Chief Master Immortal killed in an instant and their Uncle Master Zhang Duo running away, the whole Goldwater Sect was chaotic and countless men were running outside. Hmm. As he flew, Shiao Chen frowned and fixed his gaze on a panic-stricken man in his twenties. Seeing that Shiao Chen was staring at him, that man was terrified. He gritted his teeth and his body gave out a light shield as he ran outside frenziedly, but before he flew more than dozens of meters, his whole body started shaking and he fell on the ground with his head tilted and his vitality gone abruptly and completely. Chapter 112 - Shiao Chen of the Shiao Family from Shiao City Shiao Chens light shield never stopped as he headed further inwards. Emitting through the gold seal, his divine sense was multiplied by five and way above Foundation Establishment as it covered thousands of meters. Every time he found a Goldwater Sect disciple with spiritual roots, Shiao Chen would pause and fire a Soul-stabbing Awl. With such a strong divine sense, it was a cakewalk for him to kill those disciples who were only at the sixth level of Qi Refining. As for those lay disciples who didnt harbor spiritual roots, Shiao Chen just let them go and didnt make it hard for them. As he went, he killed twenty-one people in a row. Shiao Chen scanned the crowd with his divine sense and when he knew for sure that he didnt miss out any disciples with spiritual roots, he sat on the main seat of the Goldwater Sects main hall. After a while, he slowly raised his head and saw ten disciples led by Elder Sun and Elder Ma swarming in. You ended him? Elder Sun nodded his head slightly and his gaze upon Shiao Chen was filled with awe. On his way here, he saw that twenty-one Goldwater Sect disciples who had practiced Qi Refining were killed and he couldnt help shudder at the thought of how ruthless Shiao Chen could be. Shiao Chen nodded without showing any emotions. The Goldwater Sect was extinguished and he shouldve felt happy, but when he saw the empty hall, he only felt sad and lost. Im not a murderous man, but I had to end the Goldwater Sect. What I did today is meant to be a warning. If anyone intends to harm the Shiao Family, they should know that I wont let them get away with it. It was against my will, but I had to do it. Calmness came back to Shiao Chen as he slightly shook his head and strode outside, Elder Sun, Elder Ma, you can apportion the possessions of the Goldwater Sect as you wish. Please accept them as a gesture of good will. In the hall, Elder Sun and Elder Ma exchanged a glance and their eyes were filled with joy. Though the Goldwater Sect had been a small sect, the possessions it had accumulated all these years must have been considerable. For spars and spiritual stones alone, it wouldnt be a small number. They both thanked Shiao Chen and headed different ways with their five excited disciples respectively. Two hours later, a dozen of light shields soared above the Goldwater Sect and after getting their bearings, they flashed by. That night, at the main hall of the Shiao Family Right now the residence of the Shiao Family was decorated with lanterns and streamers. Red lanterns hung high as if a festival were being celebrated. When they heard from Shiao Lin about Shiao Chens current position in Luoyun Valley and Luoyun Valleys promise to protect the Shiao Family for one thousand years, the whole family was thrilled, even including Shiao Wenting whose face turned red due to excitement. After talking with his father in private for one hour, the moment Shiao Wenting walked out of the door, he appeared to be even nicer to Shiao Wenshan and he kept calling the latter Brother as if they were always this close. Right now a banquet was being held with ten tables in the main hall and numerous tables lining up to the winding corridor outside the main hall. Seated by the table at the center of the main hall was Shiao Chen, Shiao Chens father, people of importance in the Shiao Family as well as Elder Sun and Elder Ma of Luoyun Valley. Sitting by the table next were the ten disciples of Luoyun Valley. And the rest people of the Shiao Family sat by the tables on the periphery. Excitement was written all over their faces and they were all staring with awe in their eyes at the young man in black by the central table. You see him clearly? Thats your Uncle Shiao Chen. He is an omnipotent immortal. You should show respect to him whenever you see him. Should you do something that arouses his attention, youll be the most blessed. Mmm, rest assured, father. Ill keep what you said in mind. The older generation in the Shiao Family was all telling their children the right thing to do when Shiao Chen was around. That young man over there is our brother Shiao Chen, right? He became an Elder of Luoyun Valley at such a young age. I heard that he was very powerful. And this morning he killed with just two fingers that old man who swaggered around and meant to take advantage of our elder sister CaiEr. I also heard that he extinguished the Goldwater Sect. Alas, I wonder if he has anyone special in his life. If he doesnt, we all have a chance. Yeah, right, if any one of us can be with our brother Shiao Chen, the life ahead will be the most enviable for sure. The girls in the Shiao Family were seated by a table in the corner. They giggled with their mouths covered and glanced dreamily at the young man in black every now and then. Its our great honor to have you two immortals stay here. We truly appreciate the time and effort that you put into our family. Shiao Wenshan glowed with joy. Within one day, he looked like a dozen of years younger. His Crows feet had disappeared a lot and his grey hair had all turned black. Elder Sun and Elder Ma didnt dare to look condescending. They stood up at once and said smilingly, Were ordered to garrison your familys residence. Its our duty, so theres no need to thank us. As they spoke, their gaze was fixated on Shiao Wenshan. When they smelled the aroma left by the herbs on his body, their mouths couldnt help twitching. They thought how generous Elder Shiao was: Skin Nourishing Pills, Flower Pills, Tianlu ElixirsBut without doubt, they didnt know that Shiao Chen also gave Shiao Wenshan and his wife a Life-prolonging Pill respectively; otherwise they wouldnt just be twitching their mouths. Instead they would pass out. Seeing how they were reacting, Shiao Wenshan had this strong feeling emerging from his heart. He knew full well that they were showing him so much respect all because of Shiao Chen. He turned his gaze towards his son and his heart swelled with pride. Both the host and the guests enjoyed the banquet. And of course, such a big event in the Shiao Family wouldnt go unnoticed by the other parties in the city. All kinds of rumors spread far and wide but everyone knew that from now on the Shiao Family would be the one to call the shots in Shiao City. Father, Mother, I had a great time in Luoyun Valley and the cultivation wasnt too hard. So please dont worry. In his parents room in the backyard, Shiao Chen sat next to his father and told them what had happened in the past year. Of course, he omitted the parts that would make them worried. Joy was written all over Shiao Wenshans face. He exchanged a glance with his wife and knew that just like him, her heart also swelled with pride. After getting out of his parents room, Shiao Chen stood in the yard and looked silently at the moon in the sky. This yard was built especially for him only one year ago. It was not too extravagant. There was a pool which housed some lotuses and grass carps. Right now in the moonlight, its surface rippled and the color of the water reflected off the wall. I, Shiao Chen, have embarked on my journey of cultivation. And however hard it might be, Ill try my best to keep my family safe. The Goldwater Sect wasnt strong. Thats why I could extinguish it. Had there been a Gold Core Cultivator, what could I do other than watch my parents and family being killed? I dont want that. I want my family and their posterity to prosper and stay safe forever! And in order to achieve that, I need to be strong, so strong that no one dares to get under their skin. My hands are stained with blood, but I dont regret what I did. Born in this kind of world, if I werent even capable of protecting my parents, how would I manage to master the ultimate Dao. In the dark, Shiao Chens pitch-black eyes became even more focused and deeper with a faint light glimmering in them. And strong faith emerged from the bottom of his heart. The next day, when the first light slanted down, Shiao Chen squinted. Though he didnt sleep last night, he felt quite energized. Just by slightly activating his inner spiritual power, he had the dew on his clothes dried completely. Today Ill deploy the Earth and Heaven Formation. Sheltered by this formation, the Shiao Family residence will be harder to break into. After some careful thinking, Shiao Chen strode towards the main hall. Elder Shiao, before we set out, Chief Master Immortal had given us the jade slip on the deployment of the Earth and Heaven Formation. Please take out the flag so we can finish deploying the formation. After one nights rest, Elder Suns face regained its usual color. Right now he was standing in front of the main hall, and he said those words solemnly while bowing with his hands folded in his front. Under the leadership of Shiao Wenshan, all members of the Shiao Family stood at the door of the hall with thrill and excitement hardly concealed from their faces. The last year had witnessed so many changes. That weak teenager had grown so strong and had become the protector of the whole Shiao Family. Shiao Chen felt intense emotions in his chest. Having heard what Elder Sun said, he slowly nodded and in an instant, he handed the flag of the Earth and Heaven Formation to Elder Sun and Elder Ma. Elder Sun took the flag, turned around and suddenly shouted in a low voice, Form the array. After that, he cast out the flag which turned into ten flags. The flags fell into the hands of the disciples of Luoyun Valley respectively. The moment the ten disciples grasped the flags, they dare not delay. As light shields emitted from them, they soared into the sky and landed on the periphery of the Shiao Familys residence. Bury the flags! Holding the main flag, Elder Sun stood in front of the main hall. He poured a pure surge of spiritual power into the main flag which instantly gave out layers of earthy yellow light. Seeing that, Elder Sun instantly threw the flag away which was directly incorporated into the ground. Meanwhile, the ten disciples of Luoyun Valley shouted together, and the second the flags gave off slightly weaker yellow light, they pushed the flags under the ground. Input the spiritual power! Elder Sun shouted in a low voice again. He took out 99 middle-grade spiritual stones from his pocket and deployed them on the flag in certain directions. The moment the spiritual stones fell on the ground, a formation appeared. Within it, the spiritual power flowed endlessly from one end of the flag to the other end, thus forming a circulation. The ten disciples did the same, only that they used 99 low-grade spiritual stones. Form the formation! The one who just spoke turned out to be Elder Ma. Right now he was standing in front of the main hall and the spiritual power inside his body surged through his hands into an extraordinary stone. Hum! With the input of the spiritual power, the stone instantly gave out a layer of fluorescence. The main flag and its ten branch flags suddenly and simultaneously burst forth earthy yellow spiritual light cylinders. The eleven light cylinders echoed with each other. And in the blink of an eye, an earthy yellow shield was conjured and it covered the whole residence of the Shiao Family. Led by Elder Sun, the twelve cultivators from Luoyun Valley brought their spiritual power into play and shouted in chorus. As powerful as a huge wave, their shouting hit the horizon and swept far and wide. One could hear it even when they were tens of thousands of meters away. Shiao Chen of the Shiao Family from Shiao City, also Elder of Luoyun Valley, is blessed to possess unprecedented gift. For that, Luoyun Valley grants his family one thousand years of protection. Within 1000 years, as long as Luoyun Valley exists, it will guarantee the prosperity of the Shiao Family. Shiao Chen of the Shiao Family from Shiao City, also Elder of Luoyun Valley, is blessed to possess unprecedented gift. For that, Luoyun Valley grants his family one thousand years of protection. Within 1000 years, as long as Luoyun Valley exists, it will guarantee the prosperity of the Shiao Family. Shiao Chen of the Shiao Family from Shiao City, also Elder of Luoyun Valley, is blessed to possess unprecedented gift. For that, Luoyun Valley grants his family one thousand years of protection. Within 1000 years, as long as Luoyun Valley exists, it will guarantee the prosperity of the Shiao Family. Their sound reverberated through the Shiao Familys residence for a long period of time. End of Volume One Chapter 113 - Being Ambushed Halfway Father, Mother, brothers and sisters, this is far enough. We should part here. It could be seen in Shiao Chens eyes that he didnt want to leave, but right now he was in no position to enjoy the luxury of the ties of kinship. The road to Dao cultivation was rough. One may well say he was treading on thin ice and once he got careless, hed die without a burial place. Also he knew full well that in order to keep his parents and family safe and sound, he could only blaze his way forward through all the difficulties and become more and more powerful. Ever since he embarked on this journey of Dao cultivation, there had been no turning back. Alright, well say farewell here. When youre back there, practice hard so that you can live up to the expectations of your Chief Master and Grand Master Alchemy Taoist. Shiao Wenshan sighed and stopped with everyone else behind him. Seeing that her son was leaving again, his wifes eyes got red and she turned her head away, trying to stop herself from crying by covering her mouth with her hand. Seeing that, Shiao Chen felt sad but he didnt want to get more sentimental, so he saluted to Elder Sun and Elder Ma, From now on, our Shiao Family will be relying on you. Please accept my gratitude. As he spoke, he bowed deeply. Both of the elders hurried to stop him and said that it was what they should do. Shiao Chen nodded slightly and scanned the crowd. Then he sighed, We should get going. After he said that, he took out a discoid magic weapon. With the input of his spiritual power, the weapon expanded into a huge platform. The light shield on Shiao Chens body glimmered as he landed gently on that disk. Shiao Lin followed closely. Both of them waved towards the people underneath the disk. And they flashed away without ever turning their heads back. Mister Shiao, dont worry. Elder Shiao Chen has got unprecedented gift. Both Chief Master and Grand Master Alchemy Taoist think highly of him. Hes got quite a promising future. You should be happy about it. Noticing that both Shiao Wenshan and his wife looked quite grave, Elder Sun said smilingly. Shiao Wenshan raised his head and saw the green light that moved rapidly in the horizon. He murmured, If it were up to me, Id rather see that he has a smooth and ordinary life. I know that the cultivation of Dao is tough and hard, so Shiao Chen, you dont have to bottle up your emotions like that. Nonetheless, in this life, we have a son like you and we could ask for no more! It was sunny and the sky was clear. Hundreds of meters above, a glowing orb of green light about six meters wide dashed forward. Above the disk was a layer of shuttle-shaped magic shield. Small waves flowed on the shield and protected Shiao Chen and Shiao Lin from the strong wind caused by fast movement in the sky. This item was a magical flying artifact which Shiao Chen got from some unfortunate cultivator. And with spiritual power poured into it, it sped along. Shiao Chen sat cross-legged in the center and controlled directions by pouring magic power into it. Sitting behind him, Shiao Lin was meditating with his eyes closed and faint herbal scent could be smelled on his body. After the Goldwater Sect was extinguished, the tension between Shiao Chens family and the rest of the Shiao Family was eased greatly. After careful consideration, Shiao Chen decided to listen to his father and got along with the rest of the Shiao Family. Shiao Lin had no spiritual roots inside him, so Shiao Chen gave him lots of pills suitable for Qi Refining. And without doubt, those pills would help him get to the sixth level of Qi Refining. They were already thousands of hundreds of meters away from Shiao City. At this rate, they would arrive at Luoyun Valley within half a day and before it got dark. Sister, the technique of Blood Shield is indeed incredible. Though it does some harm to my body every time I use it, its quite useful whenever I need to run for my life. Shiao Chens divine sense was so strong that he could use part of it to control the disk and the rest of it to perceive through meditation the technique of Blood Shield he got from Cheng Sanjin. Yu Jis contemptuous voice came from his soul, Though the technique of Blood Shield can speed you up, its got many drawbacks. Its just a little bit better than middle-grade. And its nowhere near the Demon Wind Shield that I imparted to you. But you havent gotten the hang of it. When you manage to master Demon Wind Shield, youll be able to bring the formidable Wind Shield into play. By then with that speed, you could almost travel instantaneously. While listening, Shiao Chen nodded in agreement and smiled, I got it. I learnt Blood Shield just in case of emergency. If it werent a matter of life and death, I wouldnt use it. Humph, now youre talking! When you Yu Jis coquettish voice suddenly changed into a solemn one, Watch out. Someone is ambushing you. And that person might be a Gold Core Cultivator! Though taken aback, Shiao Chen didnt let his face show it. Without leaving a trace, he scanned the way ahead out of the corner of his eye, but he didnt find anything unusual. And the fact that he couldnt see the danger ahead made him feel even graver. All of a sudden, Shiao Chen withdrew his light shield, and rage was written all over his face. He slapped Shiao Lin who opened his eyes with a start and flew away on impact. Then he said coldheartedly, Dont you think that Ive forgiven you and your father for humiliating my family. Yes, I had to pretend to get along with you but now get the fuck out of here! You Fine, Ive overestimated you. Shiao Chen, lets wait and see. One day Ill make you regret this! Glaring at Shiao Chen, Shiao Lin sneered. With a flash of his light shield, he flew away in a moderate speed and disappeared in no time. Thousands of meters away, Shiao Lin stopped and crushed a jade slip into ashes. His fury was gone in an instant and his face turned grave. He looked back worriedly and sped towards Luoyun Valley as his light shield flashed like crazy. Seeing that Shiao Lin left, Shiao Chen looked complacent and said, A loser without spiritual roots. You think you can pose a threat to me? If we werent related, I wouldve destroyed you long ago. As he spoke, Shiao Chen poured his spiritual power into the disk again. While the green light flashed, the disk sped up instantly and went in the opposite direction like mad. You cunning brat, even if you turned into the Monkey King with seventy-two transformations, you wouldnt be able to escape from me! A sneer could be heard from behind. In the direction to which Shiao Chen had been headed, the air became turbulent and a grave-looking old man slowly emerged. When he stretched his hand out, a giant, pitch-black web, which was several hundred meters wide, shrunk quickly and fell upon his hand. Above the web were dark clouds. As the web showed itself, it gave off disgusting smells. Apparently it was an extremely evil treasure. Seeing that, Shiao Chen couldnt help sweating it out. Had Yu Ji not warned him, he wouldve hit right into that giant web. Both he and Shiao Lin would end up dying a miserable death. Damn you, Mingxiao, you old fart, I knew it was you! Shiao Chen shouted out in panic. The green light glowed above the disk and with the rate of his light shield accelerating, he dashed away. You think you could run away from me? An intense intent to kill could be seen in Mingxiao Masters eyes. The aggressive spiritual power of the Gold Core Cultivator soared straight into the sky and his Taoist robe fluttered though there was no wind. While he sneered, his light shield flashed and he was right behind Shiao Chen. They were just several hundred meters apart and the old man was approaching Shiao Chen at a rapid speed. Chapter 114 - A Slim Chance of Survival On the disk, though his eyebrows were drawn together and his face looked grave, his eyes remained calm, as if they were a pitch-dark pool below an abyss, serene, cold and without ripples. Faced with a matter of life and death, Shiao Chen turned out to be quite calm. While he got the disk to dash forward like crazy to buy himself some time, his brain also started to operate quickly. That old fart is a Gold Core Cultivator. He could move way faster than this, but he is going after me at a moderate pace. Clearly hes playing a game of cat and mouse with me. And he intends to subject me to all kinds of sufferings before he kills me, but what he overlooks here is that by doing so, hes given me a slim chance of survival! In Shiao Chens eyes, a sharp flash came and went, but he sounded panicked. He begged, Mingxiao Master, that day I accidentally injured Senior Brother Mingxiao and Ive been feeling bad about it ever since. Late at night when I recall it, I toss and turn. Given that Im already so regretful, please just show me some mercy! Hearing that, Mingxiao Master felt quite pleased, but he just sneered. This was far from enough. Hed make Shiao Chen suffer, and then hed crush him into ashes and extract and melt his soul. Only by doing all these would he have his catharsis. You brat, you shouldve seen this coming when you destroyed my great-grandsons Dantian. Haha, but dont you worry. I wont let you die a quick death. Ill capture you and torture you for forty-nine days until your soul are separated from your body for good! Mingxiao, you old fart, if you kill me today, Qingyun Taoist and Alchemy Taoist wont let you get away with it. Just wait and see. Theyll surely avenge me by killing you! Shiao Chen shrieked, but he sounded even more panicked, as if he were faking courage in a hysterical way. Humph, what if they find it out? Its not like that my Flaming Sect is afraid of Luoyun Valley. Hearing what he said, Mingxiao Masters complexion changed a bit, and then he sneered, Qingyun Taoist and I are evenly matched. If we fight against each other, the one who will benefit the most will be Xuanqing. Qingyun is too shrewd to do such a foolish thing. So even if I kill you today, Luoyun Valley wont make a fuss about it. Instead theyll just let the matter drop quietly. Nonsense! Shiao Chens spoke in fury, which pleased Mingxiao Master even more. The more Shiao Chen was suffering now, the happier he felt. After a while, the distance between them was shortened to only dozens of meters. Shiao Chen kept actuating his spiritual power. The green light on the disk radiated but the distance wasnt lengthened at all. Ah, go to hell! Go to hell! Shiao Chen just had a meltdown, with his voice filled with insanity. The green light suddenly stopped and numerous high-level talismans kept flying out and smashing against his back. Boom! Boom! Boom! For a while the booming sound was deafening. Shiao Chen had cast out over 100 talismans in a row before he slowly stopped. A moment later, when the effects of the disorderly incantations gradually died away, Mingxiao Master strolled out with sneers written all over his face, Im afraid that, with a small trick like this, you wont be able to do me any harm. Shiao Chen froze and pretty soon his eyes were filled with fear. He immediately cast several spells. Swift! With this shout, a bright spot suddenly flashed by. Looking serious, Mingxiao Master patted his forehead with his hand and a magic weapon appeared. This item was square and earthy yellow. With spiritual power poured into it, it enlarged rapidly. Within seconds, its size was multiplied thousands of hundreds of times. And now it looked like a small hill. Go! As Mingxiao Master waved his sleeve abruptly, that square weapon started to circle and emit layers of yellow light as it was thrown out with great force. Bang! It seemed that it was smashed against thin air, but that giant square magic weapon shook violently and then a large boom was heard. The complexion on Mingxiao Masters face changed. He waved his hand and that square weapon shrunk fast and fell upon his hand. On one side, there was a hole of the size of an embroidery needle which was three centimeters deep. This magic weapon was quite precious. Pity could be seen in Mingxiao Masters eyes before he put it into his pouch. The flying needle that Shiao Chen cast out was shaking violently. Its illusory shape burst like a bubble before it vanished completely. Shiao Chen also felt sorry for his loss, but soon enough he was filled with fear again. The green light on the disk glared as he went on escaping. What a strong Diantian treasure! It caused heavy damage to my Sky Covering Seal by just giving play to part of its magic power. Magic weapons from ancient cultivators are indeed impressive. Shocked, Mingxiao Master watched Shiao Chen fleeing. And cruelty was shown on his lips, Now that your Diantian treasure was destroyed, lets end this game already! Having said that, his intense murderous intent that had been hidden at the bottom of his heart started to show itself completely. Just like an invisible sharp blade, it threw the surrounding space into chaos in a flash. Within hundreds of meters above his head, the air became turbulent. Ah, I dont wanna die! I dont wanna die! Shiao Chen roared in panic. Dozens of high-level of talismans were thrown out from the green light. Humph! You little bastard, it seems that youre at your wits end. I might as well stop toying with you! Mingxiao Master sneered and neglected the talismans heading towards his way. With his light shield flashing, he charged forward! Just then, Shiao Chens green light, which had been dashing away like crazy, suddenly stopped. Right now nothing but cold-heartedness was there in his eyes and all the panic was gone. Explode! As he growled, a pitch-black pill, which was of the size of a thumb and which was hidden among the talismans, exploded suddenly. Strong and dense black gas was given out and it dispersed like mad. Within seconds, it spread over hundreds of meters, but what was weird was that it didnt continue to spread farther. Damn it, the black gas is poisonous! Mingxiao Masters sounded shocked and angry. He just inhaled a little black gas, but even if he was holding his breath, he felt that the circulation of the spiritual power within his body was obstructed. And his head hurt like it were pricked by pins. What is it? Its so strong! Frightened, Mingxiao Master suppressed the pain. As his light shield flashed, he dashed like crazy, intending to run away from the black gas. You brat, how evil you are! Wait when I get out, Ill make you beg for your death! He swore relentlessly and silently. Suddenly it became bright, but even before his feeling of joy sunk in, he saw Shiao Chen stretching out his hand and slashing ruthlessly at him as he shouted, Get back there! A small sword enlarged rapidly into a giant one and was wielded towards Mingxiao Master. You little bastard, even if Im poisoned, in no way are you a match against me. Go to hell! As he roared, Mingxiao Master waved his hand forcibly and several swords formed by his spiritual power darted crazily in Shiao Chens direction. Chapter 115 - Eliminating the Gold Core Cultivator Boom! To Mingxiao Masters surprise, the sword energy condensed from his spiritual power was chopped by the giant sword in an instant. If he hadnt taken out a defense magic weapon in time, he would have been hurt by the giant sword. High-stage Dantian Treasure. As he roared, his body was smacked into the black gas by the giant sword like a ball. A lot of blood gushed out of Shiao Chens mouth in an instant. Soon afterwards, his breath became weak, but he had a cold, heartless expression, and his desire to fight rose. This desire for victory made him seem to be full of infinite power again. Today, I will destroy this gold core cultivator. Son of a bitch, Im going to kill you. The roar of Mingxiao Master came from the black gas. He was beaten back by Shiao Chen, which gave him endless anger and shame. As a gold core cultivator, I am beaten so badly by a younger cultivator who have never built a foundation. If this matter is spread out, I will be ridiculed and my reputation will be ruined. When Mingxiao Master roared, he was like a raging lion. Under the influence of strong intention to kill, he actually congealed out pieces of ice without ground, floating around him. He rushed out of the black gas, and before he could breathe a breath of air, Shiao Chen applied the spiritual sword to drive him back into the black gas again. Damn you. This time, Mingxiao Master had already made preparations to counterattack Shiao Chen. At the moment of Shiao Chens attack, he inspired his defense magic weapon. After that, he was ready to use his spiritual power to rush out the black gas. Go back. Shiao Chen showed a calm and indifferent expression. After he roared in a low voice, the volume of the high-stage gold core was enlarged again, reaching twelve meters in length, and its formidable force was better than before. Boom! After a loud sound, Shiao Chen hummed, and the blood gushed out of his nostrils and mouth. His face turned pale, and there was a muffled sound coming from his body. The blue gown he was wearing was instantly soaked with blood. Although the formidable force of the high-stage gold core was great, the spiritual stage of Shiao Chen was far from that of Mingxiao Master. Therefore, the spiritual power rebounded back was enough to make Shiao Chen seriously injured instantly. Shiao Chen, I will kill you. Mingxiao Master suddenly had a little panic, and his body was thrown back out of control, and was smashed into the black gas again. The black gas produced after the explosion of Beasty Poison Pill was extremely strange. Although he held his breath, the black air was clinging to his external spiritual shield, and madly penetrated into it. A short while ago, he inhaled a little black gas again without noticing, and then the spiritual power output in his body became more sluggish, which finally gave him a sense of panic. At that moment, under the influence of Beasty Poison Pill, he could only give play to about 40% of the skills of his initial gold core cultivation. If he continued to inhale the black gas, the consequences would be disastrous. I need to get out of this black gas quickly, or the consequences will be disastrous. There was a flash of madness in the eyes of Mingxiao Master. As a gold core cultivator, his power of understanding must be extremely high. As a result, he had a solution in an instant. He took the defense magic weapon in his hand, and he seemed reluctant to sacrifice it. So he hesitated for a moment and then threw it out of the black gas. Liuyan Shield, explode! As soon as the shield broke away from the black air, a violent force fluctuation suddenly broke out in the air. Soon afterwards, the shield exploded with a loud crash. The formidable force generated by the self explosion of this magic weapon was enough to easily kill any cultivator in the gold core period and below. Shiao Chens pupil shrunk violently, and then he poured his spiritual power into Dantian Treasure without hesitation. Subsequently, the force fluctuation threw him out for a long distance. Boom! Boom! After a loud sound, the violent force fluctuation even spread out hundreds of miles away. In the east, more than 200 miles away from here, a thin old man in the air with a young girl behind him was hurrying on with their journey. But all of a sudden, the old man raised his head in an instant, and his eyes were full of horror. He took hold of the girl, and before the girl could make any response, he ran away madly to the distance with the girl. At the same time, he felt very afraid and murmured, The two gold core cultivators tries their best to defeat each other in the daytime. The level of cultivation in Beihua State has always been extremely low. Why are the gold core cultivators so common now? As he cursed, he quickly fled to the distance. Crackle! Crackle! Crackle! Shiao Chens body was thrown up instantly, and several blood swords appeared on his body. The breath in his body dropped to a low point in an instant, as if he would dissipate completely in the next moment. On the edge of black gas, the face of Mingxiao Master became pale. There was also a trace of blood on the corner of his mouth. The magic weapon connected with his mind and spirit was forced to explode, and his divine sense was also greatly injured. Youre proud to be able to hurt me so badly, son of a bitch. There was a sense of cruelty in Mingxiao Masters eyes, and he laughed coldly, Now I decide not to kill you. I will take your soul out and seal it in the treasure. I will burn you day and night with Dantian fire, so that you will live in pain forever. The hatred of Mingxiao Master broke out in an instant. Looking at the seriously injured Shiao Chen, he raised his hand and hit Shiao Chens head, and was ready to take out Shiao Chens spirit directly. At the moment of Mingxiao Masters hitting, Shiao Chen, who was full of despair, flashed a light in his eyes. Then Shiao Chen clenched his fist and hit the Mingxiao Masters chest hard. At the same time, a sharp Gengjin sword energy burst out of the ring in his hand. The Mingxiao Master had a somewhat mocking expression, Since I dare to come and hit you, Im naturally fully prepared. Humph! You still want to hurt me. Go to hell. Mingxiao suddenly changed his moves and threw a magic weapon having the shape of a real square to Shiao Chen. According to the speed of both sides, Shiao Chens head would be smashed into pieces before his fist hit Mingxiao Master. Mingxiao Master sneered and seemed to have seen Shiao Chen almost swooning with fright. Boom! Mingxiao Masters eyes became a little dull. He looked incredulously at the inch-sized hole in his chest. He spat out a lot of blood foam from his mouth, and the energy in his eyes quickly dissipated. At that moment, Shiao Chens pitch-black shield slowly broke. At the same time, the jade pendant on his waist also turned into powder. At that time, a slightly illusory shadow about a foot long floated out of the head of Mingxiao Master, which was Mingxiao Masters soul. The soul looked at Shiao Chen in a panic, screamed bitterly and fled to the distance. There was a flash of cold light in Shiao Chens eyes, I tried my best and sacrificed all my treasures to kill this master. Im not going to give him any chance of rebirth. He patted the storage bag on his waist, and a black light flashed by, directly shooting at Mingxiao Masters soul. Devour his soul! Shiao Chen continued to recite the pithy formula, then the body of the black light appeared, which was the Asura Skeleton obtained in the seal land. As the pithy formula was read out, the Asura Skeleton, which was only a few inches in size, became the size of an adult in a moment. Its speed was extremely fast, and in an instant it caught up with Mingxiao Masters soul. Its bone palms glowed with layers of black light, and firmly grasped the soul. The black light seemed to have great harm to the soul. Therefore, Mingxiao Masters soul kept wailing, and his breath was rapidly withering. After a command flashed in Shiao Chens heart, Asura Skeleton came back to him in an instant. Chapter 116 - A Terrified Retreat Shiao Chen, if you dont kill me today and let me leave here, I promise I will never provoke you in the future. Besides, I will give you some treasures. Otherwise, if I am killed by you, chief master Tianji Taoist will surely kill you at all costs. The soul of Mingxiao Master was very frightened, and he threatened Shiao Chen with a sharp voice, who was ferocious in appearance but feeble in essence. After listening to the words of the soul of Mingxiao Master, Shiao Chen sneered. Shiao Chen didnt care about the words of Mingxiao Master, and then he put his hand on the top of the soul of Mingxiao Master to perform soul searching in an instant. As a gold core cultivator, the soul of Mingxiao Master had strong spiritual power. But because the soul of Mingxiao Master was severely damaged by the Asura Skeleton, he just slightly resisted and then fainted. Shiao Chen looked through the experience of cultivating spiritual power in the whole life of Mingxiao Master. After a while, Shiao Chen opened his eyes, and he became paler. It was not easy for Shiao Chen to perform soul searching of a gold core cultivator. After some evil spirit flashed in his eyes, he stopped slightly and then waved his hand to the Asura Skeleton, Eat him up. The hollow eyes of Asura Skeleton suddenly gave out a red light. He opened his mouth and swallowed the unconscious soul of Mingxiao Master. From the outside, it could be clearly seen that threads of blood were sticking out of his skeleton and getting into the soul of Mingxiao Master, like sharp straws. Then the blood streaks gave off a very bright light. The soul of Mingxiao Master quickly became blurred. However, a moment later, the soul of Mingxiao Master was directly engulfed by the Asura Skeleton. Then, the red blood streaks of the Asura Skeleton quickly withdrew, and the red light in the Asura Skeletons eyes lit up again, which was a lot brighter than before. The evil spirit of the Asura Skeleton also soared in an instant. Shiao Chen nodded slightly to the Asura Skeleton, Swallowing up a gold core cultivators soul makes the Asura Skeleton get a lot of benefits. But this is not the time to test the formidable force of Shura Skeleton. He then put the Shura Skeleton into the storage bag. Shiao Chen felt dizzy and his body was shaking. He laughed helplessly, Although I tried my best to kill him when he was not careful. Ive been hurt to the extreme. The light of his flight flickered slightly, and then he landed on the ground. He searched carefully for the storage bag carried by Mingxiao Master. After making sure that there was no treasure missing, he nodded with satisfaction, and then hobbled off into the distance. A moment later, Shiao Chens flying light was shining, and he returned to his original place. He looked puzzled. He muttered to himself, Is my sense wrong? At the moment, he was breathing healthily, and the spiritual power in his body flowed smoothly. He was not as weak as before. He looked around coldly. After a while, Shiao Chen gave a cold humph. He waved a fireball to burn the corpse of Mingxiao Master. Then the light of his flight flashed, and he flew away quickly into the distance. Nearly a quarter of an hour later, a melancholy Taoist appeared above the big tree less than 100 meters away from here. Looking at the direction of Shiao Chens departure, his fear was relieved. This Taoist was Mingsha Master, the chief master of Earth Evil Sect. This man is simply unfathomable. Just now he seemed to have exhausted his means and was seriously injured before he killed Mingxiao Master. But a moment later he came back here. Is he aware of my presence? Mingsha Master had a gloomy expression. After he got the relevant news, he quietly followed Mingxiao Master. He wanted to acquire profit in time of trouble, but he did not expect that Mingxiao Master should be killed, As a gold core cultivator, Mingxiao Master was killed by a cultivator who was still cultivating spiritual energy. After pondering for a moment, he said slowly, He came back here again because he sensed that there were people around him. There are two possible reasons for his return. The first possibility is that he still has a great treasure, so he wants to lure me out and kill me. However, the possibility of this reason is relatively low, and I am only 30% sure of this speculation. The second possibility is that he was seriously injured and had exhausted his means. The purpose of his return was to disturb me and make me afraid to deal with him easily. This kind of speculation is quite possible, and I am 70% sure of it. Although Im 70% sure he doesnt have the ability to fight me at the moment, I have to be cautious. If the result I expect is wrong, I will be in a dangerous situation today, and I might be killed here like Mingxiao Master. If I am killed, the Earth Evil Sect will collapse like a house of cards in an instant, and the property handed down by our ancestors will be destroyed on one day. Well, I will not provoke him today. With this disciple, Luoyun valley will dominate Beihua State in the next few hundred years. When I return to Earth Evil Sect, I will declare that I will practice in seclusion for a hundred years. If there is no new gold core cultivator in Earth Evil Sect, we will never participate in the struggle of the cultivation world. Mingsha Master looked at Mingxiao Master. Although they had a dispute before, Mingsha Master couldnt help feeling a little sad when seeing Mingxiao Master be killed here. In Beihua State, the gold core cultivator was like the master of a sect. And for at least hundreds of years, there had been no news that a gold core cultivator had been killed. Beihua State will be full of disputes from now on. Mingsha Master sighed, and he left here directly with his flying light flickering. Dozens of miles away, the light of Shiao Chens flight hastily converged outside a cave. His momentum receded like a tide. He was short of breath, and he looked particularly weak. He hobbled into the cave. He took out several forbidding talismans and threw them on the cave, and then he directly fell on a bluestone. Well, has the man retreated? After a while, Yu Jis weak voice came from his soul, Dont worry, and the man has left because of his scruples. After listening to Yu Jis words, Shiao Chen relaxed a little. He suddenly felt very dizzy and passed out completely. At the same time, in a hall of Flaming Sect, Tianji Taoist had a very sad expression. The corners of his mouth trembled slightly. He looked at the two jade slips placed side by side on the opposite high shelving, one of which had been completely broken. Standing behind him, more than ten sect elders bowed their heads. They all felt very frightened and did not dare to make any noise. From now on, we will open sect guard battle array, and the disciples from all over the country will come back quickly and prepare to participate in the battle. Tianji Taoists eyes flashed a little cruel meaning, and said in a low voice. After listening to Tianji Taoists words, the elders confidence was greatly improved, and they all said, Yes. Then they all left in a hurry. Shiao Chen, I want you to die and burn in hell. Tianji Taoist looked at the broken jade slip. His fierce hatred erupted from his body, and his Taoist robe made a tearing sound, and his white hair also fluttered with it. Outside Luoyun Valley, as the light of flight flickered, Shiao Lin, who looked extremely pale, appeared here. He seemed to be a little worried, and he recited a few incantations towards the sect guard battle array, and then he quickly entered it. A moment later, two fierce spiritual powers rose from the back of the mountain. For a while, the wind was blowing hard and the clouds were rolling. Qingyun Taoist and Alchemy Taoist step out anxiously, and with the flicker of flying lights, they rushed to a certain direction crazily. Following them, more than ten elders of Luoyun Valley were equally anxious, each of whom led more than ten disciples. For a moment, the dense sound of breaking through the sky instantly resounded. Chapter 117 - Movement and Healing Jade Water Sect. Chief Master went into seclusion for half a month after he returned from the Core Formation Ceremony of Luoyun Valley. Today, he suddenly came out and summoned his disciples to to listen to his lecture. However, any difficulties the disciples had in cultivation could be resolved by him. On the square in front of the sect hall, the Feng Yin Taoist sat cross-legged on the platform. He was explaining the question proposed by one of his disciples in detail. Golden Water Swordsmanship Style ranks at the middle grade of Xuan level, and combines water and gold cultivation methods. When cultivating, one needs to use both methods. There is gentleness in strength, or vise versa, so it cant be practiced if one fails to get the hang of it. However, it also needs more efforts in the process of making breakthroughs. With such a combination of toughness and softness, one can use onlyhalf of the energy to achieve the same result and redouble the speed of his cultivation. Feng Yin nodded with satisfaction when he saw that the disciples more or less got enlightened by his words. However, right at this moment, his expression suddenly changed. His eyes were filled with fear as he stared intently at the southeastern sky. Two dazzling beams of light penetrated through the clouds. The powerful spiritual pressure, even hundreds of meters away, still made people breathless. Their faces instantly turned pale, and their eyes were filled with shock. Fortunately, the beams of light didnt stop at all. They whistled through the air above Jade Water Sect and went straight to the northwest. The anxiety of Feng Yin was slightly dissolved after the two beams of light disappeared. He frowned tightly and whispered to himself, Qingyun Taoist and Alchemy Taoist are so aggressive, as if they were to kill someone. What happened to two geezers? Does anyone dare to provoke them in the current Beihua State? Swish! Swish! Swish! Before the thought came to a stop, the swishing sound was heard one after another in the air. The sounds became so intensive that they finally united into one! Feng Yin raised his head in astonishment and saw hundreds of rays of light in the sky, multicolored, but he didnt want to appreciate it at all. His lips trembled uncontrollably and his eyes were filled with shock as he watched hundreds of murderous cultivators leave. Beihua State is likely to undergo a disaster. Feng Yins face was pale. He lowered his head to look at the disciples who were at a loss for words. He secretly sighed and waved her hand, You can leave now. From today onwards, disciples of Jade Water Sect are not allowed to step out of the Mountain Gate. Otherwise, we will be severely punished! In the Beiming Mountain, an elder of a small sect was leading several disciples with high aptitudes to train here. Watching their disciples fight with a first-level demon wolf, he was somewhat satisfied. From time to time, he whispered to those respectful young men and women around him, Watch and learn from your fellow Brother Fengs movements. As a cultivator, strength is important, but battle experience also matters! Back then, when I was a cultivator of Qi Refining, I coincidentally saw a rogue cultivator at the preliminary stage of Foundation Establishment kill a descendant of the cultivation clan who was at the Middle-stage of Foundation Establishment on the platform. He won because he had unprecedented momentum and rich fighting experience. Yes, Uncle Master! The group of younger generation members nodded repeatedly upon hearing this and replied in unison. Their faces were filled with awe. The old man nodded with satisfaction. Just as he was about to speak, shock instantly appeared in his eyes. Two extremely dazzling beams of light whistled past from the southeast. The powerful impact wave and the cold killing intent instantly stiffened the old man who did not dare to do anything. As for those disciples, they immediately collapsed on the ground, and their bodies instantly got wet with cold sweat. Fortunately, these two rays of light disappeared very quickly, and disappeared in a few breaths. Cultivator of Gold Core! The elders face darkened instantly and he said in a low voice, We should not stay here for long. Better leave here at once, in case greater dangers ensue! After that, he patted his forehead and took out a flying sword-like magic weapon, which stretched into dozens of meters long against the wind. When the disciples stepped on it, the elder clenched his hand and shouted, Go! A green light flashed past, and the flying sword frantically fled into the distance. The two Gold Core cultivators of Luoyun Valley led their disciples to charge forward with murderous intent, frightening many cultivators. Being carried away by the shock, the cultivators turned gloomy and they hurried away. After the news was spread, the whole Cultivation World in Beihua State was dumbstruck! Especially after this matter, the news that the Earth Evil Sect was sealed immediately caused a stir among all cultivators. For a time, the entire Cultivation World in Beihua State was haunted by horror, and all cultivators felt a little gloomier. At this moment, the person who had caused the uproar was lying in the cave and had no idea about it. Slowly regaining his consciousness, Shiao Chen sat down with his legs crossed. The spiritual sense swept across his body, and then a bitter smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. Although the fight to kill Mingxiao Master this time didnt last long, Shiao Chen had used all his means. In the end, he used the high-grade Dantian Treasure to prevent the latter from leaving the realm of Beasty Poison Pill, and he was heavily injured by the power of the counter force. Although I damaged many magic weapons and ended up seriously injured, it is worthwhile to kill that old Mingxiao monster! A delighted look flashed in Shiao Chens eyes. Now that the old Mingxiao monster was dead, his family would have less trouble in the future. I wonder if Shiao Lin has returned to the sect. What is the situation outside now? Shiao Chen frowned slightly, with a hint of worry on his face, but there was nothing he could do, Alright, its better to recover my strength first. Mo Li! The day of my return will be your doomsday! Killing intent flashed in Shiao Chens eyes. He took out several bottles of elixirs from storage bag and put them in front of himself. He casually opened one of them and applied some refreshingly fragrant white ointment on his skin. The ointment was instantly absorbed into his body, and the bloody wound quickly became scabbed, but in a moment, he almost recovered. After he dealt with the external injuries, Shiao Chen swallowed several pills and began to refine the efficacy. Time passed quickly. As the bottles of elixirs in front of him became fewer and fewer, the breath in Shiao Chens body gradually calmed down, and a vigorous life force slowly emerged from his body. A few days later, a strange energy wave came out of the cave. If one examined it carefully, one would find that it was the phenomenon that would only be produced when a cultivators spiritual energy was purified and strengthened when he broke through. Hmm, is there a cultivator breaking through the bottleneck here? A few kilometers away from the cave, a gloomy looking middle-aged man suddenly raised his head and looked in the direction of Shiao Chen. Joy flashed across his eyes, and then he ran straight to the source of the energy wave. This is the place. It seems that person is in the cave. The gloomy man looked a little cautious. He first clapped his hand, then took out a half-round shield to protect himself. After which, he set up several layers of spiritual shield before slowly walking forward with a gourd-shaped treasure in his hand. Go! The man let out a low roar. He pointed forward, before a fireball was instantly formed and landed directly at the entrance of the cave. Chapter 118 - Killing and Counting Swish! As the fireball fell, a faint restriction light suddenly emerged, blocking it. Seeing that, the gloomy man was not surprised but delighted. He murmured to himself, Its just a low-level restriction talisman. It seems that this person is in a rather urgent situation. He hurriedly set up the restriction talisman and thought no one had come, so he began to go into a closed-door cultivation to break through the bottleneck. Tsk tsk, I didnt expect that Id benefit from this. Excitement flashed across the mans eyes. Knowing that things should not be delayed, he threw the gourd away. After the gourd left his hand, it spun in the air. The front entrance suddenly opened, and a golden light burst out from it, instantly landing on the restriction spell of the hole. Bang! A muffled sound was heard. The restriction formed by several restriction talismans flickered and the light on them dimmed instantly. Seeing that, the gloomy man threw out several spells with an expressionless face. Instantly, the gourd rotated again, and two rays of golden light shot out from within and fell down with a loud bang. Bang! The two rays of golden light fell down at the same time. The restriction defended itself against them before it was completely broken. The golden light landed on the ground, creating two deep holes and causing dust to rise. Joy flashed across the gloomy mans eyes. He reached out and held the gourd in his hand, and then rushed into the cave. However, right at this moment, a clear sound of footsteps suddenly rang out from the dust-filled stone cave, causing his face to suddenly turn stiff. Within his gaze, a young man dressed in green slowly walked out. His pitch-black, star-like eyes fell on this man. Although he did not speak, the strong aura slowly rising from within his body had already caused the gloomy mans face to turn white and his two legs to tremble. Senior I didnt mean to disturb you. There was some misunderstanding. Please let me explain. A fawning look appeared on the gloomy mans face as he hurriedly cupped his hands together. However, he did not put away the magic weapon. He stared intently at Shiao Chen. If there was any abnormality, he would immediately turn around and flee. If you dare to move, I will kill you just by flipping my hand. Shiao Chen sneered slightly, But if you can answer my questions honestly, Ill let you go. After he heard that, the gloomy mans face stiffened, and his eyes flashed with panic. He asked in a low voice, Do you mean what you said? If you eat your words after I do that, there wont be anything for me to do. You dont have a choice. Answer my questions and youll have a chance to survive. But if you dont say anything, you will definitely die! Shiao Chens eyes flashed as he sneered. Alright, senior, please ask! The gloomy man gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice. Fine. Shiao Chen was expressionless, as if he had already known the answer, Has something big happened in the Cultivation World of the Beihua State recently? Yes! A few days ago, all members of the Luoyun Valley suddenly came out, and then rushed back. And it suddenly issued an ultimatum to the Flaming Sect. If they failed to hand its member Shiao Chen over, they would destroy the Flaming Sect at all costs. The gloomy man didnt dare to play any tricks and answered honestly. Shiao Chen was slightly moved, and he guessed what might have happened. That day, Shiao Lin went to get help and noticed some clues from the fight, so he aimed at the Flaming Sect. Besides, the Soul jade slip he left in the Luoyun Valley was not broken, so Qingyun Taoist and others thought it had fallen into the hands of the Flaming Sect. Thinking that Qingyun Taoist and Alchemy Taoist didnt hesitate to start a war with the Flaming Sect for his safety, Shiao Chen felt grateful in his heart. He hurriedly asked, How is it going now? Have they started fighting? Not yet. There are still three days left before the deadline. Seeing that Shiao Chen looked anxious, the gloomy man didnt dare to delay. He hurriedly replied, The Chief Master of the Luoyun Valley Qingyun Taoist proclaimed that if the Flaming Sect doesnt hand Shiao Chen over before noon three days later, both parties will have a fight to the death. Three days. Shiao Chen muttered in a low voice, and then grimness appeared on the corner of his mouth, It should be enough for me to make a big gift for him. Do you have anything else to ask? If you dont, I will leave now. Seeing Shiao Chens expressionless face, the gloomy man couldnt help feeling upset and stealthily retreated several steps. Hearing that, Shiao Chen waved his hand. The man felt that he was pardoned. With the flash of the light shield on his body, he quickly flew away. Cough, cough After flying for just dozens of meters, the gloomy man looked at the Bone Palm passing through his chest. Before the joy in his eyes could spread, the life force in his body quickly disappeared. A red light flashed in the eyes of the Asura Skeleton. It opened its mouth, and a tiny ball of soul light flew out from its body. The ball of light was round and was dim. Fear emerged from it before the ball was swallowed. When the soul entered his body, red threads once again emerged from the skeleton, but in the blink of an eye, it was completely devoured. The red light in the Asura Skeletons eyes flashed again, becoming even brighter. Looking at the corpse of the man, Shiao Chen sneered. He stretched out his hand and took down the storage bag on his body. A moment later, he threw a direct disciple identification jade token on the ground, burned the corpse, put the Asura Skeleton away, put down several powerful restrictions at the entrance of the cave and returned to the cave. With his legs crossed on the stone, Shiao Chen took out several storage bags with his eyes flaming with excitement. He murmured, As one of the two Gold Core cultivators in the Flaming Sect, the asset of this old fart should not be a disappointment, right? Having picked up one of the bags and waved his hand to break its restriction, Shiao Chens spiritual sense reached into it. He was a little stunned, and then he was ecstatic. Shiao Chen didnt know what the old fart had been up to. There were a total of two hundred thousand low-grade spiritual stones and nearly two thousand middle-grade spiritual stones in the storage bag. What he gained from this storage bag alone was far more than what he had possessed. And now, Shiao Chen had four hundred thousand low-grade spiritual stones and more than three thousand middle-grade spiritual stones. With those assets, he could be considered a top practitioner among the Gold Core Cultivators. After putting away all the spiritual stones, Shiao Chen carefully opened the second storage bag with anticipation. This storage bag should be specially used for storing magic weapons. There werent many items, only a dozen and one violet jade box. The Sky Covering Seal and the black net that the old fart had used before were also among the magic weapons. Except for a cone-shaped treasure which Shiao Chen couldnt quite see through, the others were all top-grade spiritual devices. And from their aura, they were probably very powerful. Shiao Chen played with those top-grade spiritual devices one by one, and put away the Sky Covering Seal and the black net after hesitating for a while, leaving the cone-shaped treasure outside. From the aura of this object, it is at least at the magic weapon level, but I dont know what level it belongs to. Although I had lost two Dantian Treasures and a protective jade pendant, I had obtained this item to make up for my losses. After carefully inspecting the treasure, Shiao Chen found that there was no restriction on it and there were no signs of it being refined, so he nodded with satisfaction. After hesitating for a moment, he dispelled the idea of refining it immediately and put it aside.